Unlawful Arrest, Detention and Extrajudicial Killing of Villagers in Bijapur District, Chhattisgarh

CAMPAIGN FOR PEACE AND JUSTICE IN CHHATTISGARH

Email id: cpjchhattisgarh[at]gmail.com

10 November 2024

Unlawful Arrest, Detention of members of the Moolvasi Bachao Manch and Extrajudicial Killing of Villagers in Bijapur District, Chhattisgarh

We unequivocally condemn the recent escalation of state-led violence, arbitrary arrests, enforced disappearances, and extrajudicial killings targeting members of the Moolvasi Bachao Manch (MBM) and villagers in Bijapur district, Chhattisgarh. The events of 7–8 November 2024, involving the abduction and killing of local citizens, mark an alarming continuation of human rights abuses that have plagued the region, particularly with the intensification of military presence.

On 8th November, eight members of the MBM, including prominent activists Arjun Sodhi, Muiya Hemla, Ganesh Kattam, Nanda Podium, Bhima Kunjam, Joga Midiyam, Jagdish Mandavi, and Nagesh Badse, were detained by joint forces comprising the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), District Reserve Guards (DRGs), and the paramilitary CoBRA unit in Gundiraguda village.

Additionally, on 8th November, security forces encircled at least nine villages in a sweeping operation that residents describe as forceful roundups. The villages targeted—including Marudbaka, Rekhapalli, Tumirguda, Singanpalli, and Kamlapur—saw a total of 44 individuals forcibly detained: 14 from Marudbaka, 22 from Rekhapalli, 2 from Tumirguda, 3 or 4 from Singanpalli, and 2 from Kamlapur. Their whereabouts remain unknown, raising urgent concerns about their safety and possible mistreatment in custody.

This operation also resulted in the killing of two young men, Hidma Podiam (less than16 years) from Marudbaka and Joga Kunjam (about 20 years) from Rekhapalli, in what locals describe as an act of wanton firing against civilians. The Bijapur police, in a press conference on 9 November, touted this as a significant milestone in their anti-Naxal operations, identifying one deceased as a Maoist with an 8-lakh bounty, while remaining silent on the identities of two other victims. The cold-blooded nature of these killings, coupled with vague justifications, highlights a systematic disregard for the rights of Adivasis and forms part of a broader campaign of violent repression that has intensified under the current administration in Chhattisgarh.

According to a 9 November police press release, 192 “Naxalites” have been killed in 2024 alone, with 782 arrested and 783 “surrendering.” However, questions continue to surface around these figures, with numerous accounts indicating that these so-called “surrenders” often disguise illegal detention without due legal process. Even after a “surrender,” criminal cases against individuals often remain, subjecting them to coercive pressures to work as DRGs, informants, or in other capacities under police control. Considering the government’s own estimate of Maoist armed cadres being around 1,500, the figures of arrests and surrenders in 2024 alone would indicate a near-eradication, raising suspicions regarding the legitimacy of these claims.

The intense militarization of Bastar, ostensibly for anti-Naxalite measures but in reality, facilitating the exploitation of natural resources, has turned Adivasi communities into zones of indiscriminate violence. Under the guise of "anti- insurgency" efforts, security operations now indiscriminately target peaceful communities and traditional leaders, undermining the rights, security, and dignity of Adivasi villagers. We are further concerned that the establishment of a deadline for “wiping out the Maoists” will only escalate the loss of innocent lives, with civilians increasingly at risk of being misrepresented as Maoist cadres to meet operational targets.

The current administration’s push for militarized control is further reflected in its development of schemes such as the Niyad Nellanar project, under which basic amenities like healthcare, water, and housing are conditioned upon the establishment of security camps. With more than 300 such camps and an estimated 9:1 ratio of security personnel to civilians in many areas, the government has transformed everyday life in Bastar into a perpetual state of siege, encroaching upon the rights, liberties, and cultural heritage of the indigenous population.

For the last few years, MBM and other grassroots organizations have peacefully mobilized against land dispossession, environmental degradation, and the violence perpetuated by militarization in the name of development. The recent arrests and harassment of leaders from groups including the Sarv Adivasi Samaj, Bharatiya Kisan Union, Maad Bachao Andolan, and others reveal a systematic attempt to crush dissent and silence voices critical of the state’s approach.

The DRG battalion—comprising surrendered Naxalites and local youth—is being deployed as the primary force in operations, which directly contravenes the Supreme Court’s 2011 Salwa Judum ruling against the use of Special Police Officers (SPOs) in counterinsurgency, explicitly forbidding the recruitment of

tribal youth to pit Adivasis against each other. We fear this approach will only exacerbate inter-community tensions and deepen the cycle of violence, exploitation, and disenfranchisement of the local population.
As members of civil society, we demand:

1. Immediate Release and Safe Return: The state must immediately release the eight MBM members and all villagers who have been arbitrarily detained and stop harassing those on peaceful protest

2. Independent Investigation into Staged Encounters: The state must initiate a thorough, independent investigation into the alleged staged encounters, including the recent killings of Hidma Podiam and Joga Kunjam. This investigation should be transparent, hold accountable those responsible, and provide redress to the victims’ families.

3. Cessation of Militarized Development: Halt the establishment of security camps and schemes like Niyad Nellanar, which compromise fundamental rights under the pretense of development. Development should prioritize the genuine needs of local communities, including land rights, environmental protection, and cultural preservation, rather than impose militarized control.

4. Adherence to Supreme Court Directives: The state must comply with the Supreme Court’s 2011 order prohibiting the recruitment of tribal youth for paramilitary operations. The current strategy of using local tribal populations as combatants against their own communities must cease immediately.

It is imperative that the government reassess its approach, ceasing military-led development in indigenous regions and prioritizing dialogue over violence. We stand in solidarity with the Adivasi communities of Bastar and commit to continuing to monitor, document, and raise awareness of human rights violations occurring in Chhattisgarh.

The Campaign for Peace and Justice in Chhattisgarh is a campaign group formed by individuals and organisations who are deeply concerned about the gross violation of human rights going on in Chhattisgarh.