By Swathi Ramakrishnan

The central Indian a state of Chattisgarh was formed when the sixteen Chhattisgarhi-speaking southeastern districts of Madhya Pradesh gained statehood on November 1, 2000. It is a heavily tribal populated area (with only 20% of its 20 million population residing in urban areas), which is extremely rich in minerals and forest resources.

The new state government immediately entered into contracts with several industrial houses such as the Tata and Essar to set up mines and ore processing plants on land leased from the state. This situation where the state claims rights to the land and the people who live on that land are treated as peripheral to the national economy, created a perfect situation for strengthening the Maoist insurgency in the state.

The Naxalite-Maoist movement is a violent underground insurgency primarily composed of the most marginalized Dalit and tribal communities of India. The Naxalite insurgency, which is active in 13 out of the 29 states in India, is at its strongest in Chattisgarh. This forms a threat to the state's plans for heavy industry and profits in this region.

To counter the Naxalites, the state formed a counterinsurgency Salwa Judum campaign to intimidate Naxalite sympathizers and supporters. This vigilante group accompanied by State Forces forced people to leave their villages and move into Camps in Chattisgarh and neighboring states. More than 40,000 people live in temporary camps where they cannot adequately support themselves and their families.

In addition, the state formed and amended draconian laws such as Chhattisgarh Special Public Security Act 2005(CSPSA) and Unlawful Activities Prevention Act 2008(UAPA) which led to the arrest and prosecution of many human right activists like Dr. Binayak Sen, Kopa Kunjum and others who dared to challenge and critique state violence and repression.

 
In spite of these state measures, Naxalism grew in Chattisgarh. On November 11, 2009, The Central Government of India launched a massive military offensive, codenamed Operation Green Hunt, deploying 50,000 soldiers in Chattisgarh and neighboring states. This operation is planned to last two years, with the objectives of rooting out insurgents and bringing stability to the regions. Unfortunately, caught between the two camps are the tribal peoples who are still in camps, not able to return to their homes. While several of them are either killed by the government and labeled as Maoists, others forcefully recruited by the Maoists to take up arms.
 
Currently, we are seeking to bring international attention to this issue and asking the government as well as the Maoists to come to a peaceful resolution.
 
Sources: www.otherindia.org, www.amnesty.org Photo courtesy: Javed Iqbal, Photo Journalist