{"id":4054,"date":"2025-05-08T01:47:34","date_gmt":"2025-05-07T20:17:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/belgaumnow.com\/?p=4054"},"modified":"2025-05-08T01:47:34","modified_gmt":"2025-05-07T20:17:34","slug":"aisa-slams-operation-kagar-as-war-on-adivasis-demands-immediate-ceasefire","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/belgaumnow.com\/?p=4054","title":{"rendered":"“AISA Slams Operation Kagar as ‘War on Adivasis’, Demands Immediate Ceasefire”"},"content":{"rendered":"

AISA Karnataka Hosts Panel on \u2018Operation Kagar\u2019, Alleges State-Led War on Adivasis<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

Bengaluru, May 5:<\/strong> In a searing indictment of the Indian state’s ongoing security operations in tribal regions, the All India Students Association (AISA) Karnataka held a public discussion on “Operation Kagar,” labeling it the latest chapter in what they described as a “genocidal war” against the Adivasis of India. The event, held on May 5, featured leading activists and intellectuals who warned of a deepening crisis of democracy and human rights in India\u2019s hinterlands.<\/p>\n

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Operation Kagar: A Continuation of Repression, Say Speakers<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The discussion framed Operation Kagar as a successor to previous military campaigns such as Operation Green Hunt and Operation Samadhan Prahar. All these operations, speakers argued, have been carried out under the pretext of countering Maoist insurgency but have instead led to widespread violence, displacement, and resource exploitation in Adivasi territories.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is not a war against Maoists\u2014it is a war on Adivasis, and ultimately, a war on democracy itself,\u201d said Comrade Clifton D\u2019Rozario<\/em>, State Secretary of CPIML (Liberation). He emphasized the erosion of democratic space and the rise of state-sponsored violence in tribal areas. \u201cThis fascist machinery is being deployed to facilitate corporate plunder of jal-jangal-jameen (water-forest-land),\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

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Root Causes Ignored: Poverty, Landlessness, and Displacement<\/strong><\/h3>\n

V.S. Krishna<\/em> of the Human Rights Forum traced the roots of the conflict back over five decades, critiquing the state\u2019s continued framing of the Naxalite movement as a law-and-order problem.<\/p>\n

\u201cSince its inception, the government has refused to acknowledge this movement as a political response to structural poverty, landlessness, and the alienation of tribal people,\u201d Krishna said. \u201cInstead, it has unleashed brutal repression\u2014rape, torture, burning of villages\u2014often with the help of illegal militias like Salwa Judum.\u201d<\/p>\n

He called for a shift in the state\u2019s approach from militarization to meaningful political engagement with the affected communities.<\/p>\n

\n

Gandhian Voices Turn to Radical Empathy<\/strong><\/h3>\n

In a poignant moment, senior journalist and activist Comrade Shivasundar<\/em> read a letter by Himanshu Kumar<\/em>, a Gandhian activist based in Bastar. The letter expressed concern over reports that Maoist leader Hidma was encircled by paramilitary forces in the Karregutta hills.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf Hidma is killed, who will defend the forests and the people?\u201d Himanshu asked in the letter, drawing a striking parallel between Hidma and Birsa Munda, the 19th-century Adivasi freedom fighter. \u201cThe fact that a Gandhian is pushed to express solidarity with a Maoist leader reflects the desperation and lawlessness created by state actions,\u201d Shivasundar noted.<\/p>\n

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AISA\u2019s Demands: End Militarization, Start Dialogue<\/strong><\/h3>\n

At the close of the discussion, AISA Karnataka reiterated its firm opposition to Operation Kagar and called for a shift from military confrontation to political negotiation.<\/p>\n

In a strongly worded statement, AISA demanded:<\/p>\n

    \n
  • \n

    An immediate halt to Operation Kagar<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  • \n

    An unconditional ceasefire by the Indian state<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  • \n

    Transparent and sincere peace talks with the Communist Party of India (Maoist)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  • \n

    An end to what they called the \u201ccorporatization-militarization nexus\u201d in Adivasi areas<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    \u201cStop the loot of jal-jangal-jameen. Stop the war on Adivasis,\u201d the statement concluded.<\/p>\n

    \n

    A Wider Crisis of Democracy<\/strong><\/h3>\n

    The panelists warned that the implications of Operation Kagar extend beyond Adivasi regions, reflecting broader trends of authoritarianism, suppression of dissent, and undermining of civil liberties across the country.<\/p>\n

    \u201cThere is an urgent need to build a broad united front of all democratic and Left forces,\u201d Clifton D\u2019Rozario urged. \u201cThe ideological and tactical differences with the Maoists must not hinder collective resistance to the authoritarian state.\u201d<\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/p>\n

    \n

    The discussion has added to growing calls for scrutiny of counter-insurgency strategies and their human cost, as civil society groups continue to raise the alarm over the deepening militarization of India\u2019s tribal heartlands.<\/p>\n

    \ud83d\udde3 STATEMENTS<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

    AISA Karnataka:<\/strong>
    “We strongly condemn the Indian state’s continued war on Adivasis under the pretext of anti-Maoist operations. Operation Kagar is the latest assault on the democratic rights, lives, and lands of tribal communities. We demand an immediate and unconditional ceasefire and the initiation of sincere peace talks with the CPI (Maoist).”<\/p>\n

    Com. Clifton D’Rozario, CPIML (Liberation):<\/strong>
    “This is not a war on Maoists\u2014it is a proxy war on Adivasis. The state is using militarization as a tool to clear the way for corporate looting of forest and land resources.”<\/p>\n

    V.S. Krishna, Human Rights Forum:<\/strong>
    “For over 50 years, the state has refused to address the political roots of the Naxalite movement. Instead, it has deployed violent repression to crush the voices of the oppressed.”<\/p>\n

    Com. Shivasundar, journalist and activist:<\/strong>
    “When a Gandhian like Himanshu Kumar begins to see hope in a Maoist leader, it\u2019s a damning reflection of how broken the system has become for Adivasis.”<\/p>\n

    \n

    \ud83d\udcac KEY QUOTES<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
    \n

    \u201cThe real target of Operation Kagar is not insurgents\u2014it\u2019s India\u2019s Adivasi communities and their right to live with dignity.\u201d \u2013 Clifton D\u2019Rozario<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

    \n

    \u201cBurning villages and deploying illegal militias cannot solve structural poverty and landlessness.\u201d \u2013 V.S. Krishna<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

    \n

    \u201cIf Hidma is killed, who will defend the forests and the Adivasi people?\u201d \u2013 Himanshu Kumar (via letter)<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

    \n

    \u201cThis is not just militarization, it\u2019s the systematic erasure of democracy from India\u2019s tribal belts.\u201d \u2013 Shivasundar<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

    \n

    \u2753 Q&A<\/span>\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n

    Q: What is Operation Kagar, and why are you opposing it?<\/strong>
    AISA:<\/strong> Operation Kagar is the latest military campaign in tribal areas under the guise of fighting Maoists. In reality, it displaces Adivasis, destroys villages, and clears the way for corporate exploitation. We see it as a war on democracy.<\/p>\n

    Q: Do you support Maoist violence?<\/strong>
    Clifton D\u2019Rozario:<\/strong> We do not support violence, but we refuse to ignore the political roots of this conflict. Our call is to stop the state\u2019s war on Adivasis and begin a sincere political dialogue.<\/p>\n

    Q: Why compare Hidma to Birsa Munda? Isn\u2019t that controversial?<\/strong>
    Shivasundar:<\/strong> The comparison reflects the desperation of those who feel the state has failed to protect tribal rights. Even Gandhian activists are seeing resistance in a new light.<\/p>\n

    <\/div>\n

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    <\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    AISA Karnataka Hosts Panel on \u2018Operation Kagar\u2019, Alleges State-Led War on Adivasis Bengaluru, May 5: In a searing indictment of the Indian state’s ongoing security operations in tribal regions, the All India Students Association (AISA) Karnataka held a public discussion on “Operation Kagar,” labeling it the latest chapter in what they described as a “genocidal […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":4055,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[66],"tags":[837,558,74,836],"class_list":["post-4054","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-karnataka","tag-adivasis","tag-aisa","tag-karnataka","tag-operation-kagar"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/belgaumnow.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4054","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/belgaumnow.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/belgaumnow.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/belgaumnow.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/belgaumnow.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4054"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/belgaumnow.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4054\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4058,"href":"https:\/\/belgaumnow.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4054\/revisions\/4058"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/belgaumnow.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/4055"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/belgaumnow.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4054"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/belgaumnow.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4054"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/belgaumnow.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4054"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}