Sharp rise in militarization of Bastar as in Kashmir? 54,543 hectares set aside for Army maneuver: FACAM

By A Representative 

In the wake of a recent press conference  by Home Minister Amit Shah, the civil rights organization Forum Against Corporatization and Militarization (FACAM) has raised alarms over a significant increase in militarization efforts in Chhattisgarh. The state government has tasked the Narayanpur district administration with acquiring and reallocating 54,543 hectares of land within the Abhujmad forests for the establishment of a maneuver range meant for the Indian Army. 

Officials contend that these areas are believed to be strongholds for Maoist insurgents in the Bastar region. A directive from the revenue and disaster management ministry outlines plans to create this maneuver range in the Sonpur-Garpa area of Orchha Tehsil. This facility is designed for training military personnel in classified operations that may utilize advanced technology like drones and tanks, says  FACAM in a statement. 

FACAM further notes that the training methodologies planned for this site resemble tactics employed by U.S. forces during low-intensity conflicts, such as the Vietnam War, which led to significant destruction and hardship for Vietnamese civilians. The establishment of such a facility in Chhattisgarh indicates the state’s intention to mobilize military resources for operations that could remain hidden from public view due to their classified nature. 

The organization believes that the army's engagement in training needed for these facilities—similar to practices observed in Ladakh and Kashmir—may lead to heightened militarized violence against local communities in Bastar. 

Drawing a parallel, FACAM cites the situation in Kashmir as a cautionary tale, where military actions have facilitated corporate resource extraction by controlling land access for various infrastructure developments. There have also been serious allegations concerning military involvement in the disappearances of individuals, including activists advocating for justice and autonomy. 

FACAM warns that the deployment of the army in Chhattisgarh could worsen the violence faced by local Adivasi communities, who are already under severe oppression from central police forces. The organization highlights the risk of a similar erosion of civil liberties in Bastar as has occurred in Kashmir, especially given the extensive resources and powers of the military. 

Training methodologies planned resemble tactics employed by U.S. forces during low-intensity conflicts, such as the Vietnam War

Areas like Kashmir and Northeast India have experienced stringent crackdowns under laws such as the Armed Forces Special Powers Act, it underlines. Whether similar provisions will be applied to military forces in Bastar remains unclear. The use of civilians as human shields and the prevalence of enforced disappearances in Kashmir raise alarming concerns about potential parallels in Bastar. 

FACAM contends that the Indian government is committing a grave injustice by deploying military forces against its own citizens rather than ensuring the security of national borders. It emphasizes that while young patriots enlist to serve their country, they risk being drawn into a violent campaign in Bastar driven not by the public good but by corporate interests and foreign agendas. 

The organization denounces the government's decision to involve the army in what it characterizes as a campaign of violence against the people of Bastar, asserting that the military's role should be to defend the nation and not to act against its own populace, including Adivasi farmers and marginalized communities. 

FACAM calls on Indian authorities to abandon these anti-people policies and urges civil society, along with all progressive and democratic groups, to mobilize against this escalation of state violence against the people.