Joint Statement: APPEAL FOR CEASEFIRE AND DIALOGUE IN Chhattisgarh
Related Issue: Right to Life, Right to Freedom of Assembly, Right to Freedom of Expression
We, the undersigned organisations and individuals, welcome the CPI (Maoist) offer of peace talks and the Government of Chhattisgarh’s response keeping the door for talks open. However, the government needs to demonstrate its intent by stopping the war on the ground immediately. We further call upon both parties to keep the best interests of the Adivasis and other villagers in mind, and to engage in peace talks keeping in mind the constitutional, democratic and human rights of citizens within the broader framework of the Constitution of India.
The Adivasi dominated districts of Bastar division in Chhattisgarh, West Singhbhum in Jharkhand and Gadchiroli in Maharashtra are currently at the epicentre of this conflict and the lives and well-being of the residents must be given first priority in any talks.
We appeal to both sides to accept and announce a ceasefire to stop the use of violence in any form with immediate effect. There should be no more hostilities from either side whether in the form of operations, extra-judicial killings and encounters, IED blasts and killing of civilians or any sort of violence.
The Government, which has been constituted under the Constitution of India, is obligated to be the first to observe, respect and function based on constitutional principles and values. In the spirit of the Constitutional vision and ethos, a major responsibility vests with the Government not to view the situation as though it is a `war’ with an external adversary but as an internal conflict involving our own citizens which requires to be brought to an amicable settlement at the earliest. Crucial to this process is for the Government to demonstrate its magnanimity of spirit and commitment to constitutional values by taking the lead to call for peace talks with the Maoists without imposing prior conditions.
It is now exactly 20 years since the state sponsored and now banned Salwa Judum began in Bastar causing enormous misery in terms of people killed, villages burnt, rapes, starvation, mass displacement and other forms of violence. Since then, the villagers of Bastar have known little peace. They barely returned to their villages when they were faced with Operation Green Hunt and successive operations. Since 2024, under the name of Operation Kagar, over 400 people have been killed (287 in 2024, 113 in 2025). While the exact numbers of civilians killed is unknown, given that several of those claimed as Maoists have been identified by villagers as civilians, it is evident that civilians are being disproportionately affected. An Article 14 estimate between 2018 and 2022 counts more civilians (335) killed than security personnel (168) and Maoists (327). 2024 saw several incidents of children being killed. SATP gives the breakup for 2025 at 15 civilians, 14 security forces and 150 Maoists. The forces have got Rs. 8.24 crore as rewards for these killings.
According to an official estimate, 16,733 people have been arrested in the last 25 years, and 10,884 surrendered. The government claims that Maoists will be finished by March 2026, and there are only 400 armed cadre left now. The bulk of the weaponry recovered ( a mere 263 weapons) is country-made pistols, crude 12 bore guns or muzzle loaders. The number of ‘severely affected’ districts has come down to six. Under these circumstances, the Maoists are hardly such a security threat as to warrant the kind of offensive that we are seeing in terms of militarization.
Instead of observing the directions of the Supreme Court to disband SPOs and stop engaging surrendered/arrested Maoists in any form in counter-insurgency operations, the Government has expanded the use of District Reserve Guards and Bastar fighters consisting of ex-Salwa Judum recruits. They are the ones most responsible for human rights abuses, and their own human rights are abused in the process. Hardly any civilians have been compensated for their losses since Salwa Judum, and no prosecutions have taken place despite Supreme Court directions.
More than 160 security camps have come up across Bastar. Most of these are on the common lands and in some cases private lands of villagers, and are causing severe distress to the Adivasi inhabitants. There is approximately one security personnel per 9 civilians. The pace of schools, health services, public transport and other welfare schemes has not kept pace with that of roadbuilding. Instead, the government has signed a number of MOUs with mining companies, which villagers fear will lead to widespread displacement and environmental degradation. Their constitutional struggles against mining and other forms of displacement have been suppressed, both in the normal course and under the excuse of fighting Maoism.
Villagers who have been peacefully protesting at various sites asking for their constitutional right to be consulted under PESA and other provisions have suffered severe repression – their protest sites have been demolished and villagers beaten. Mortar shells and bombs have been used indiscriminately causing panic among villagers who are no longer able to live normal lives. The Moolvasi Bachao Manch has been banned and its young leaders have been arrested, on serious charges like UAPA. The official justification is merely that they protested against security camps and extra-judicial killings, even though the Constitution guarantees the right to assembly and protest. The government has closed off any room for peaceful dialogue.
The Maoists should cease hostilities against state forces and the use of IEDs which endanger ordinary villagers, including children, and cattle. They should put an end to the ‘death sentences’ handed out in jan adalats.
In the conditions of armed struggle and state repression the real issues that concern the people are relegated to the background- such as food security, land and forest rights, education, health and cultural rights besides their multi-faceted exploitation. Any mining that comes up on their lands requires their consent. All these issues need to be immediately addressed, which is only possible under conditions of peace and justice.
We welcome all initiatives towards peace. As concerned individuals from various parts of the country, we once again demand peace talks within the ambit of the Indian Constitution.
We propose some simple yet urgent demands for which the government must initiate the process:
- The government should stop the offensive in Adivasi areas, in order to facilitate a ceasefire.
- The CPI (Maoist) should cease all hostilities against the state forces to facilitate a ceasefire.
- Dialogue must begin between Government and CPI (Maoist).
- Free access to the affected areas should be provided to the independent civil organizations and media.
- People’s livelihood needs and constitutional rights must be addressed urgently.
- The state should immediately release Adivasis and other activists jailed for asserting their democratic rights and disagreeing with state policies inimical to Adivasis so that they can participate in the talks and remain equal stakeholders in this dialogue. (For example, the activists of Moolvasi Bachao Manch).
We firmly believe that peace talks and a ceasefire are only the first step towards the restoration of democratic rights in Bastar. They should be followed by a sustained process towards permanent demilitarization of the area (including dismantling of all security camps), release of all concerned prisoners, reparation for all human rights violations, implementation of protective laws such as PESA and FRA, a moratorium on new mines, respect for the right to protest, and other conditions of free and democratic life.
We appeal to all democratic and political forces, including political parties, to support this process and make the state deliver its constitutional obligations.
75 Organisations and 246 concerned citizens including PUCL