'We treat people, don't quiz them on ideology'

Q&A/ Johannes van Deweerd, country director, MSF

Nobel Prize winning international NGO Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) was in the news after reports that the Chhattisgarh government had asked it to leave, suspecting it of having links with the Naxals. Later, the government denied the reports.

Johannes van Deweerd, country director, MSF India, spoke to Sreelatha Menon on the controversy and the independent role of the organisation. Excerpts:

Did the Chhattisgarh government actually tell you to move out?

There were actually some reports in the local newspapers that a district official had accused us of supporting naxal activities The government did not actually contact us. It was only a statement in the press.

Now the Chhattisgarh government is denying that it banned the MSF?

We contacted the state government and asked for clarification after reading media reports. The government then issued a clarification saying that there was no ban on our activities. It said that it was sensitive to the kind of work being done by the MSF. Now everything is clear.

You are stationed in Dantewada, which is in the heart of the conflict zone. What really caused the misunderstanding?

We work in Bijapur and Dantewada, both of which are sensitive areas of the Naxal hit zone. The agreement with the government was to restrict our work to Salwa Judum camps. Our position is that we should be allowed to provide health care to anyone who needs it.

What do you propose to do, now that the government has said that there is no ban?

We will continue with our work. We were having discussions earlier with the government about working in remote villages other than the Salwa Judum camps. Now we assume we are free to work anywhere, since the government says it understands the nature of our work.

What about allegations of working with the Naxals?

The best way to stay out of conflicts is to remain neutral. And we have done that. Our job is to provide medical help to whoever asks for it. We don't ask patients about their ideology. We ask them what their medical problem is. People don't understand the neutrality of our organisation. That is what we expect from the Naxals also, they should treat us like doctors.

Does that mean you would treat even a Naxalite if he sought medical help?

As I said, we don't go by the ideology of our patients but by the condition of their health. We believe that everyone has the right to good medical care.

Haven't you faced any problems so far in Chhattisgarh?

No. The local community is very supportive of our work. The local population gets help from our work in areas where nothing is available. The government has also recognised the importance of our work.

What is the strength of your staff? Are you planning to work elsewhere in the Naxal belt?

We are five doctors and 50 personnel in all in Chhattisgarh. We also carry out activities in Kashmir, Assam, Tamil Nadu and Manipur. We want to start working in south Manipur, but the government is unwilling.

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