All the top Naxalite cadres active in Chhattisgarh are from outside the State: Deputy CM Vijay Sharma

Government does not want to fire a single bullet, says the BJP leader, who also holds the Home portfolio in the State, one of the worst affected by Left Wing Extremism

Union Home Minister Amit Shah has said that by March 2026, Left Wing Extremism (LWE) will be eradicated from Chhattisgarh, one of the States worst affected by it. This year alone, after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power in the State, at least 194 suspected Maoist cadres have been killed in operations by security forces. In an interview with The Hindu’s Vijaita Singh, Chhattisgarh Deputy Chief MinisterVijay Sharma, who also holds the Home portfolio, spoke about the current LWE scenario in the State.

What is the extent of the influence of Left Wing Extremism (LWE) in Chhattisgarh?

Across the country, there are 12 most affected LWE districts, out of which seven, namely, Sukma, Bijapur, Narayanpur, Kondagaon, Kanker and Bastar, are in Chhattisgarh. All the top Naxalite cadres active in Chhattisgarh are from outside the State, and they have misguided the people here and forced them [the people] to work for them [people from outside the State]. They make them toil as labourers. The children of these outsiders are studying in America but they exploit the people here. I want to appeal to the Naxal cadres to come to the mainstream, government will take care of you, and they need not fear.

Who are the outsiders?

Maoists, who extort money from tendu patta contractors and other contractors. In Bijapur, they are extorting money from individual households. Be it poultry or rice, anything works for them. The outsiders are from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

Are there are no new photos of the central committee members of the Communist Party of India (Maoist) in the public domain, except the grainy ones in circulation for decades?

No one should think like that. Police is working on these aspects. 2026 is not far.

On what basis are you having 2026 as the deadline?

The deadline of March 2026 by [Union] Home Minister Amit Shah is a big resolution that we have have taken. It is not only for Chhattisgarh but other Naxalism-affected districts also. We will bring a situation of total control. No one will be able to dominate any area; only government and administration will be there.

How much area has the administration not been able to reach so far?

In districts such as Sukma, Bijapur, Dantewada, Narayanpur — there are many areas in the jungle where the administration has been unable to reach, and the reason is the Naxalites. Government facilities cannot reach a large area where the Adivasis live and one of the biggest reasons is the presence of Naxalites. Naxalites have deprived crores of Adivasis of basic services. They are the biggest violator of human rights.

How much has the construction of roads contributed to curbing the spread of LWE?

When security camps open, people demand that it should be constructed in their areas. They know a camp will bring electricity, school, hospital, mobile towers, etc. In January, we brought a few youth from Bastar to Raipur for a visit. There were 25-30 youth who said they had never seen a TV. If a youth has not seen what a TV looks like, then who is responsible? If a villager is hit by an IED (Improvised Explosive Device), he or she cannot go to a hospital for treatment. Functional schools were destroyed by explosives. Those who destroy schools have been rejected by the people.

Is there a new surrender policy on the anvil for Chhattisgarh?

The policy will be a combination of surrender and rehabilitation. Their skills will be developed. Those who were forcibly taken away by Naxalites and forced to carry guns, whether a small group or a big one, all are welcome to surrender.

What is the composition of women among the Maoist cadres? Are many children joining their ranks?

Naxalites are unable to get cadres. Government is conscious of this. We are looking at it from specific angles — we are ensuring that no new cadre joins them, the victims should get compensation, operations should go on along with developmental works.

Is inter-State coordination among the security forces an issue?

There are many challenges and a Joint Task Force (JTF) has been constituted. The areas are divided, and it is decided the areas where the JTFs [comprising inter-State police and Central police force personnel] can operate. We are ensuring that Naxalites are not able to cross over to other States to seek shelter.

What is the source of funding of the Naxalites?

They extort money from contractors. In Bastar, they demand a cut from the salary of people. People are forced to pay.

There are allegations that locals join the Naxalite ranks after their land is taken away forcibly for mining.

Where in the world is developmental work not taking place? And who has it happened with in Bastar? In the Maoism that exists in China, people are not heard when the government there wants somebody’s land. We have democracy here. Even panchayats can cancel somebody’s land deed. There are many examples in Bastar where panchayats have said ‘no’ to mining. People who give this kind of argument should understand that those fighting Naxalites are also Adivasis — they have not come from America. They are fighting for themselves, they know they will be destroyed otherwise. For how long will people be locked in jungles and kept away from electricity and power?

Does the government have a policy of deterrence during encounters and police operations? Are the cadres given an opportunity to surrender or have there been attempts to surrender?

Government does not want to fire a single bullet. But nobody has the liberty to threaten people at gun point, kill people, slit people’s throat in so-called Jan Adalat (people’s court). Nobody has the liberty to lay down IEDs. Government welcomes people who want to surrender.

But during the operations, are cadres given an opportunity to surrender? May be there are people who have been forcibly kept there?

Around 750 cadres have surrendered and 194 killed so far. If 750 have surrendered, then others will also come. If Hidma [commander of the People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA) battalion number 1] wants to surrender, he is also welcome. Many cadres from PLGA battalion 1 have also surrendered.

Published - October 12, 2024 08:15 pm IST