India's silent war

Jack Leenaars*

Nepal's Maoists are known throughout the world for their liberation war. But who has heard of the 'red battle' being waged by their Indian comrades?For 40 years, Maoist guerrillas, or Naxalites as they are called in India, have been using dense jungles and forests as a base for their operations against the New Delhi central government.

The struggle is centred in Chhattisgarh state, one of India's poorest states, where a violent campaign against the Naxalites was launched in June 2005. Both sides are guilty of human rights violations, and with more than 50,000 refugees, precious raw materials to exploit, and the local tribal population the biggest loser, the conflict has all the ingredients of a dirty war.

In the line of fire

Between police troops and paramilitaries on one side and Maoist insurgents on the other, the Maraiguda refugee camp has been on the frontline of this silent but raging war in the tribal heartlands of India.

Sauntering past the barrier of the Maraiguda camp is 22-year-old Dharma. He has a rifle slung over his shoulder and a small radio in his hand. The sweet sound of Bollywood soundtracks seems out of place amidst the estimated 1300 villagers who have sought refuge here.Although this morning's patrol was quiet, the dark nights can be quite a different story if the Maoist guerrillas in the adjacent forests decide on a surprise attack, as was the case last Saturday.The road to the nearest village, Golapalle, about 25 kilometres away, runs along the camp's watchtowers. "It's very dangerous. The area is held by Naxalites," says Dharma, who has been in the anti-Maoist civilian militia for a month. He was born in the area but anyone who remains there is considered a Naxalite.

Rebellious beginnings

The name used for India's Maoist rebels refers to Naxalbari, the place where a local rebellion against landowners broke out in 1967. The insurrection was put down in the 1970s but splinter groups remained active. In September 2004 the most important groups fused to form the Communist Party of India (Maoist), an underground political movement that advocates an armed struggle to free India of all feudal and imperialistic influences.The rebels' strength lies in the weakness of the state. In areas where the government is noticeably absent, the rebels fill in by setting up their own administrations based on Maoist principles.

Security service sources say a maximum of 15,000 revolutionaries are active in 13 of India's 29 states. They form a 'red corridor' stretching through nearly one quarter of India, from the far north to the south.Contented paramilitary fights backThe explosive growth of the Naxalites has led to increasing confrontations with the security forces. The fighting in Chhattisgarh is more intense than anywhere else. It is here that the 'Salwa Judum' (peace mission), an anti-Maoist campaign, began two years ago. In June 2005, local people spontaneously joined the Salwa Judum to combat the Naxalites. The leader of the movement, Mahendra Karma, explains, "it's a people's campaign".

Opinions in Chhattisgarh are divided as to whether the campaign began of its own accord or not. Opponents of the Salwa Judum say that the police and local elite, who have been hard hit by the Naxalite insurgency, strategically established it in order to gain control of Chhattisgarh's natural resources (iron ore, coal and bauxite), which remain as yet unexploited. However, the Naxalites are against the utilisation of these resources, arguing that the local tribal people will be cheated in the process.The government, however, has gratefully adopted the Salwa Judum as a paramilitary force. It is about 5,000-strong and its members are termed 'special police officers'. For the most part, they are young men like Dharma who, after a short period of training, are armed with rifles, knives or traditional bows and arrows and deployed against anyone that could be termed Naxalite.

More than 700 villages have been deemed Maoist and 50,000 villagers have been forced from their homes into camps. The Salwa Judum works on the principle that those 'who aren't with us, are against us,' and, thus, a Naxalite.

Enduring conflict and corruption

A journey along National Highway 221, a sand road pitted with craters, shows the effects of the Salwa Judum campaign. Overflowing refugee camps alternate with ghost villages, whose residents have fled for fear of reprisals. Human rights organisations have condemned the Salwa Judum. The Asian Centre for Human Rights says that 363 people were killed last year in the violence and 101 people were killed in Chhattisgarh during the first quarter of this year.The Indian Supreme Court joined human rights groups this month, calling on the state government to review its support of the campaign against the Naxalites.

"In human terms, the situation is a tragedy," says activist Ilina Sen, whose husband was arrested last week on charges of having suspicious links with the Naxalites. "But the backing of the Supreme Court is incredibly important. The government must listen to its advice and change its policy."The question remains, however, as to whether the Supreme Court's decision will provide a solution for the civilian population caught up in the conflict. For the time being, it seems they will remain in the line of fire.

Source: Radio Netherlands Worldwide, May 30, 2007