Halt Extra-Judicial Killings in Chhattisgarh: Left Parties

LEADERS of five major Left parties in India have jointly written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging an immediate end to the extra-judicial killings being carried out under "Operation Kagar" in Chhattisgarh. The letter, dated May 9, 2025, was signed by M A Baby, general secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist); D Raja, general secretary of the Communist Party of India; Dipankar Bhattacharya, general secretary of the CPI(ML)-Liberation; Manoj Bhattacharya, general secretary of the Revolutionary Socialist Party; and G Devarajan, general secretary of the All India Forward Bloc.

In their letter, the Left leaders expressed grave concern over reports of senior Maoist leaders being held in the custody of security forces, and demanded that all detainees be produced in court and dealt with according to the rule of law. They condemned the ongoing extra-judicial operations in tribal regions and warned against the continued militarisation of adivasi areas in the state.

“The Adivasis in the region have long been complaining about the militarisation that has completely disrupted normal life,” the letter states. “Their constitutional rights under the Fifth Schedule are being systematically violated, while Chhattisgarh’s forests and mineral resources are being subjected to indiscriminate corporate exploitation with devastating consequences for the environment and local livelihoods.”

The Left parties also denounced what they described as the government's inhumane treatment of the deceased, pointing to instances where families were denied the right to receive the bodies of their loved ones for a dignified farewell.

Criticising the central and state governments for ignoring repeated calls for dialogue from the Maoists, the leaders asserted that both the union government and the BJP-led Chhattisgarh state government have adopted an “inhuman policy of killings and annihilation,” instead of working toward a peaceful resolution.

They took strong exception to recent statements by Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai, both of whom dismissed the need for negotiations. “These reflect a mindset that is unwilling to resolve issues through dialogue,” the leaders noted. “The government should not remain intransigent or celebrate the taking of human lives, as such actions go against the spirit of the Constitution and principles of democratic governance.”

The letter highlighted that a number of concerned citizens and political parties – despite differing ideological views – have already appealed to the government to respond to the Maoists’ declaration of a unilateral ceasefire and initiate dialogue.

The Left leaders reiterated this appeal, urging the prime minister to stop the extra-judicial killings immediately and to order an impartial judicial inquiry into the incidents. “We call upon you to restore democratic values, uphold constitutional rights, and pursue a political solution to this long-standing conflict,” the letter concluded.

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