Hyderabad: People’s organisations and communist parties have demanded an immediate end to ‘Operation Kagaar’ launched by the Centre in Chhattisgarh, which has claimed 300 lives in the name of encounters in 2024, and 50 lives in the first month of January 2025.
The organisations sought the cancellation of all memoranda of association (MoU) between the Centre, Chhattisgarh government, and the corporate forces to plunder the country’s natural resources to benefit a few big corporate companies.
The activists sought a judicial inquiry by a sitting Supreme Court judge on the encounters that have claimed the lives of innocent Adivasis and activists in Chhattisgarh over the last year.
A seminar was held at Basheerbagh Press Club on the topic “Let us condemn the central government’s demonic practices against the Naxals- let us save the voices that question” on Wednesday, January 29.
Political parties like CPI, CPM, MCPIU, and civil rights organisation like Telangana CLC, HRF, OPDR, PUCL, CLMC, and others attended the meeting hosted by CPI state secretary and Kothagudem MLA Kunamneni Sambasiva Rao.
Addressing the gathering, Prof G Haragopal said that the targeted killings in Bastar region of Chhattisgarh were not an just isolated example, but part of a global phenomenon being seen in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Israel’s attack on Palestine and other wars, which he felt were an indication of Hitler-type fascism returning.
“The chief minister of Chhattisgarh has openly stated in an interview with the Economic Times that if development and GDP needed to be boosted, the state government wouldn’t hesitate in removing the trees and people to give away the natural resources to the corporates,” he said.
He questioned how the state and the central governments could violate the Paris Climate Agreement, and how they could give away the wealth which belonged to and was protected by the Adivasis.
Haragopal recalled how Jaipal Singh Munda, a freedom fighter from the Adivasi communities who was elected to the constituency assembly from Bihar, had advocated for the self-autonomy and self-determination of tribals in the country, following which the forest areas inhabited by the tribals were brought under Schedule V of the constitution.
“There were legislations like the PESA Act, 1/70 regulations, and the Forest Rights Act that came as a response to Adivasi movements in India. As per the PESA Act, the lands of Adivasis can’t be taken without the consent of gram sabhas,” he underlined.
“RSS ideologue MS Golvalkar had written in his book ‘A Bunch of Thoughts’ that the foremost enemies of the country were Muslims, Christians, and Communists,” he cited from the book.
Stressing that questioning is a historical necessity Haragopal felt that if people didn’t question now, it could have a dangerous impact on society in the future.
President of the Indian Journalists Union (IJU) K Sreenivas Reddy recalled Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s speech in Kerala two years ago where he had said that communism was the main enemy of the country, and said that such rhetoric was seen during former undivided AP chief minister N Janardhan Reddy’s government when 7 organisations were banned and new media outlets were also asked not to publish content.
“If the democratic forces don’t oppose operations like Kagaar, the results will be severe,” he cautioned.
Kunamneni Sambasiva Rao reminded of 1975, when former undivided AP chief minister Jalagam Vengal Rao too had ordered the killing of Naxals, when the communist parties stood by the Naxals.
“Those fighting for the Adivasis are thinking that they are dying for the country and society. Do the people even pity their plight or have shed a tear,” he wondered.
He advised the Maoists not to make decisions in haste which could result in the people losing faith in them.
“The Naxals didn’t kill those formulating the policies. They are either killing the informers or the police, who also come from the underprivileged and oppressed sections,” he pointed out.
Telangana top Maoist Bade Chokka Rao among 17 killed in Chhattisgarh
Operation Kagaar
Operation Kagaar was launched in 2024 in Abujhmarh, the hilly forest area covering 4,000 sq km area in Narayanpur, Bijapur, and Dantewada districts of Chhattisgarh, to eliminate the Maoists in their strongholds.
There are around 35,000 Adivasis belonging to Gond, Muria, Abujh, and Halba tribal communities who live in 237 villages in this region.
As part of Operation Kagaar, 650 police camps, 7 lakh security forces, hundreds of drones, and tens of helicopters were deployed by the central and state governments to eliminate Maoists from the region.
There are Iron ore, graphite, limestone, and uranium deposits in this region among 28 minerals that could fetch 70 crore tonnes of minerals when mined in this region. People’s organisations claim that the BJP-led government at the Centre has made 104 agreements with big corporates to plunder the natural resources in the Adivasi areas of Chhattisgarh.
On January 1, 2024, a six-month-old girl named Mangli Sodi was allegedly gunned down during one of those operations. Her mother was not allowed to attend the last rites of her daughter.
Human rights organisations claim that 6 people in Raghunathapalem village of Bhadradri Kothagudem, 7 in Chalchaka encounter in Mulugu district, and more incidents of encounter have claimed 26 lives in Telangana as part of Operation Kagaar, which they say, is not just limited to Chhattisgarh.
Salwa Judum, Operation Greenhunt and Operation Samadhan
Activists also point out that in 2005 ‘Salwa Judum’ was formed to eliminate thousands of Adivasis, and after the involvement of Professor Nandini Sundar and Justice Sudarshan Reddy the extra-judicial outfit was shut down.
However, those who worked in Salwa Judum were recruited as district reserve police by the state government. When the UPA government at the Centre launched ‘Operation Greenhunt’ in 2009, along with the central reserve police force (CRPF), these district reserve guards who were formerly Salwa Judum members, continued killing the Adivasis.
Basaguda massacre in 2012 and Edusimetta massacre in 2013 were part of Operation Greenhunt, where 17 Adivasis died, including 5 minor school children. Justice Agarwal Commission which was formed to inquire into the alleged encounter, had concluded that it was not an encounter.
In 2011 Operation Greenhunt’s second phase was launched, followed by Operation Samadhan in 2017, using drones, followed by Operation Kagaar presently.
The brutal murder of journalist Mukesh Chandrakar
Activists claim that the murder of Bastar Journalist Mukesh Chandrakar was brutally murdered last month at the behest of the big corporates who have been calling their shots with the support of the state government.
Chandrakar was killed allegedly for exposing the corruption in a road project. His body was found inside a septic tank, with his heart pulled out and his liver cut into four pieces.
It can be mentioned that Union home minister Amit Shah has recently declared that Bastar will be liberated from Maoists by March 2026.
