Rights groups talk peace, ceasefire as top Maoist is killed in Chhattisgarh operation

By A Representative

Security forces have reportedly killed Nambala Keshava Rao, also known as Basavaraju, the General Secretary of the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist), along with 26 other Maoist cadres in an operation conducted in the Abujhmad forest region of Narayanpur district.

According to official sources, the operation, codenamed Operation Kagar, was carried out by joint forces comprising the District Reserve Guard (DRG), Special Task Force (STF), and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). The encounter lasted approximately 50 hours, resulting in the deaths of several senior Maoist leaders.

Government officials have hailed the operation as a significant success in counterinsurgency efforts, with Union Home Minister Amit Shah describing it as a "landmark achievement" in the battle against left-wing extremism. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also praised the security forces for their efforts.

However, conflicting reports have emerged regarding the circumstances of Basavaraju’s death. Some sources suggest that he was captured in Odisha while undergoing medical treatment and later brought to Abujhmad before being killed. These claims have led to calls for an independent inquiry into the incident by human rights organizations and civil society groups.

Basavaraju, who had been a key figure in the Maoist movement since the 1980s, was known for his strategic leadership and involvement in major attacks against security forces. His death marks a significant moment in the ongoing conflict between the Indian state and Maoist insurgents.

Human rights organizations and advocacy groups have urged the government to consider peace talks and a ceasefire, emphasizing the need for a political resolution to the conflict. Some activists argue that continued military operations risk exacerbating tensions and undermining efforts for dialogue.

In response to the incident, the Forum Against Corporatization and Militarization (FACAM) released a statement condemning the killings:

"This massacre is being hailed as a big success of the Indian State’s military might and a mockery is being made of genuine calls of the citizens and the CPI (Maoist) to declare a ceasefire and initiate peace talks. We term the killing of Basavaraju and his companions in Abujhmad forest a massacre carried out under an extermination campaign because they were encircled and killed, when there is a call for peace."

FACAM has called for protests and public demonstrations to hold the government accountable, demanding an independent inquiry into the operation and a declaration of ceasefire for peace talks.

The Chhattisgarh government has yet to respond to demands for an independent investigation into the operation. Meanwhile, security forces continue search operations in the region to locate any remaining Maoist cadres.

Comments

Whither space for the marginalised in Kerala's privately-driven townships after landslides?

By Ipshita Basu, Sudheesh R.C. In the early hours of July 30 2024, a landslide in the Wayanad district of Kerala state, India, killed 400 people. The Punjirimattom, Mundakkai, Vellarimala and Chooralmala villages in the Western Ghats mountain range turned into a dystopian rubble of uprooted trees and debris.

Election bells ringing in Nepal: Can ousted premier Oli return to power?

By Nava Thakuria* Nepal is preparing for a national election necessitated by the collapse of KP Sharma Oli’s government at the height of a Gen Z rebellion (youth uprising) in September 2025. The polls are scheduled for 5 March. The Himalayan nation last conducted a general election in 2022, with the next polls originally due in 2027. However, following the dissolution of Nepal’s lower house of Parliament last year by President Ram Chandra Poudel, the electoral process began under the patronage of an interim government installed on 12 September under the leadership of retired Supreme Court judge Sushila Karki. The Hindu-majority nation of over 29 million people will witness more than 3,400 electoral candidates, including 390 women, representing 68 political parties as well as independents, vying for 165 seats in the 275-member House of Representatives.

Jayanthi Natarajan "never stood by tribals' rights" in MNC Vedanta's move to mine Niyamigiri Hills in Odisha

By A Representative The Odisha Chapter of the Campaign for Survival and Dignity (CSD), which played a vital role in the struggle for the enactment of historic Forest Rights Act, 2006 has blamed former Union environment minister Jaynaynthi Natarjan for failing to play any vital role to defend the tribals' rights in the forest areas during her tenure under the former UPA government. Countering her recent statement that she rejected environmental clearance to Vendanta, the top UK-based NMC, despite tremendous pressure from her colleagues in Cabinet and huge criticism from industry, and the claim that her decision was “upheld by the Supreme Court”, the CSD said this is simply not true, and actually she "disrespected" FRA.

Gig workers hold online strike on republic day; nationwide protests planned on February 3

By A Representative Gig and platform service workers across the country observed a nationwide online strike on Republic Day, responding to a call given by the Gig & Platform Service Workers Union (GIPSWU) to protest what it described as exploitation, insecurity and denial of basic worker rights in the platform economy. The union said women gig workers led the January 26 action by switching off their work apps as a mark of protest.

'Condonation of war crimes against women and children’: IPSN on Trump’s Gaza Board

By A Representative The India-Palestine Solidarity Network (IPSN) has strongly condemned the announcement of a proposed “Board of Peace” for Gaza and Palestine by former US President Donald J. Trump, calling it an initiative that “condones war crimes against children and women” and “rubs salt in Palestinian wounds.”

With infant mortality rate of 5, better than US, guarantee to live is 'alive' in Kerala

By Nabil Abdul Majeed, Nitheesh Narayanan In 1945, two years prior to India's independence, the current Chief Minister of Kerala, Pinarayi Vijayan, was born into a working-class family in northern Kerala. He was his mother’s fourteenth child; of the thirteen siblings born before him, only two survived. His mother was an agricultural labourer and his father a toddy tapper. They belonged to a downtrodden caste, deemed untouchable under the Indian caste system.

India’s road to sustainability: Why alternative fuels matter beyond electric vehicles

By Suyash Gupta* India’s worsening air quality makes the shift towards clean mobility urgent. However, while electric vehicles (EVs) are central to India’s strategy, they alone cannot address the country’s diverse pollution and energy challenges.

Stands 'exposed': Cavalier attitude towards rushed construction of Char Dham project

By Bharat Dogra* The nation heaved a big sigh of relief when the 41 workers trapped in the under-construction Silkyara-Barkot tunnel (Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand) were finally rescued on November 28 after a 17-day rescue effort. All those involved in the rescue effort deserve a big thanks of the entire country. The government deserves appreciation for providing all-round support.

MGNREGA: How caste and power hollowed out India’s largest welfare law

By Sudhir Katiyar, Mallica Patel* The sudden dismantling of MGNREGA once again exposes the limits of progressive legislation in the absence of transformation of a casteist, semi-feudal rural society. Over two days in the winter session, the Modi government dismantled one of the most progressive legislations of the UPA regime—the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA).

Search This Blog