Operation Kagar represents Indian state's intensified attempt to extinguish Maoism: Resistance continues

By Harsh Thakor

Operation Kagar represents the Indian state's intensified attempt to extinguish Maoism, which claims to embody the struggles and aspirations of Adivasis. Criminalized by the state, the Maoists have been portrayed as a threat, with Operation Kagar deploying strategies that jeopardize their activities. This operation weaves together economic, cultural, and political motives, allegedly with drone attacks on Adivasi homes.

The Revolutionary Writers Association (Virasam) has compiled a booklet on Operation Kagar, claiming to expose the Indian government’s brutal efforts to displace Adivasis from their forest lands. The booklet talks of Operation Kagar as a broader strategy of Brahmanical fascism, highlighting the interplay between corporatization, militarization, and Hindutva. It places the operation within the wider framework, drawing parallels with the Delhi farmers’ protests of 2020.

Dandakaranya, a region with a rich history of revolutionary struggle, is now the epicenter of relentless violence. For decades, it has endured unparalleled oppression. Under Operation Kagar, more than 100,000 paramilitary forces, supported by drones and satellite surveillance, have been deployed to crush the Maoists, who have base among Adivasis.

Historically, the Indian state has marginalized Adivasis to exploit forest wealth and natural resources. Despite their vital role in sustaining the economy, their traditional way of life has been undervalued. Today, Adivasis continue to resist, striving to protect their lands and constitutionally guaranteed rights.

Home Minister Amit Shah has openly declared Maoism the biggest obstacle to development, framing the operation as a means to "liberate" the country’s wealth, allegedly for corporate interests. This rhetoric justifies the deployment of thousands of security forces to the region. The BJP, following its ascent to power, has pushed policies aimed at eradicating Maoism, clearing the way for corporates.

Central India has witnessed several mass struggles over the past three years, with Adivasis resisting displacement and environmental destruction. The state's strategy involves privatising public sector mining and issuing new licenses for mineral extraction. This has led to increased militarization, as infrastructure projects like roads and railways pave the way for corporate expansion.

Since 2013, the Chhattisgarh government has signed hundreds of Memoranda of Understanding with corporations, aiming to exploit the region’s rich mineral wealth. These agreements are said to have often disregarded constitutional protections, such as those under the Fifth and Sixth Schedules, leading to widespread human rights abuses.

The roots of this exploitation trace back to the 1990s, when globalization policies reshaped India’s federal structure. The creation of smaller states like Chhattisgarh facilitated easier corporate access to resources. Movements in regions like Jharkhand and Bastar emerged in response, opposing both colonial and modern forms of exploitation.

Repressive State Strategies

Since the 1990s, the state has employed various counter-insurgency tactics, including extrajudicial killings, forced displacement, and attacks on civil liberties. The Jan Jagran Abhiyan of the early 1990s and its successor, Salwa Judum, exemplified these brutal methods. Adivasis were coerced into denouncing the Maoists.

Despite a Supreme Court order in 2007 to disband unconstitutional activities like Salwa Judum, the state circumvented this by introducing the Chhattisgarh Auxiliary Armed Police Force Ordinance, legitimizing the role of Special Police Officers. In 2009, Operation Green Hunt marked another escalation in state repression.

Under the Modi government, these efforts have intensified. Operation Samadhan in 2017 sought to eliminate the Maoists but failed to achieve its objectives. By 2024, Operation Kagar had escalated violence further to destroy Maoism from its roots.

Operation Kagar, believe Maoists and their sympathisers, epitomizes the Indian state’s war on its own people, driven by the interests of corporate and Hindutva agendas. Despite relentless repression, the resistance in Dandakaranya and beyond continues to challenge this nexus. The struggle of the Adivasis serves as a beacon of defiance, urging democrats and progressives to oppose this assault on democratic rights.

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Harsh Thakor is a freelance journalist covering civil liberties and the Adivasi movement, drawing insights from Virasam's booklet on Operation Kagar