In Telangana, demand to halt 'Operation Kagar' gets louder

A fresh initiative is being spearheaded by the political and civil society in Telangana urging the Centre to halt Operation Kagar—the anti-Maoist offensive which is underway in Chhattisgarh—and give dialogue a chance.

Backing the reported offer from the banned CPI (Maoist) to engage in peace talks, a section of civil society has been demanding the state and the centre to avoid the military route. Surprisingly, on Sunday, the opposition party, Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), took a similar line. 

Addressing a massive public meeting in Warangal on Sunday on the occasion of the silver jubilee celebrations of the party, former Chief Minister and BRS president K Chandrashekar Rao said, “Today, the Centre in the name of Kagar operation in Chhattisgarh, is massacring youth and tribals. This is not right. Naxalites (Maoists) are proposing that they are ready to hold talks with the government. I am appealing to the central government to immediately halt Operation Kagar. Just because you have power you cannot go on a killing spree. This is not democracy. Invite them, create a democratic space and be open to listening to them.” KCR added that it was the party’s resolution on the issue and the same would be conveyed to the Centre.

The remarks were reiterated a day later by his daughter, BRS MLC K Kavitha. “Operation Kagar is being carried out in Chhattisgarh and our party firmly believes that the ideology of Naxalism should be eradicated only through dialogue and not by the use of force. India must find a political solution to Naxalism. I believe the central government should immediately call for a ceasefire,” she said.

While the Centre has maintained silence on the reported offer for talks, the Telangana government appears to be open to exploring this idea. Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Sunday met with the Peace Dialogue Committee comprising civil society members, legal experts, human rights activists and academics. The committee submitted a detailed memorandum urging the Chief Minister to take the lead in initiating dialogue with Maoists.

According to the Chief Minister’s Office, CM Revanth told the delegation that his government views the Naxal issue through a “social perspective” and not as a mere “law and order” concern. He also indicated that the state cabinet would take up the matter for discussion soon and consult senior Congress leader Jana Reddy, who had previously facilitated talks with Maoists when he was the Home Minister.

The memorandum submitted by the Peace Committee to the CM flagged ongoing violence in central India and highlighted that Adivasis, police personnel and members of armed groups were losing their lives. It warned that the situation on the ground is steadily eroding the constitutional mandate of a welfare state.

Jampana, the Committee’s Vice Chairman and a surrendered Maoist told media persons that the state government need not necessarily toe the Centre’s line on the issue. “In democracy, it is not possible for a state government to exactly follow the path of the Centre. They can make some decisions on their own. We are hopeful that not just the state, but the Centre also engages in talks with the Maoists so that there is peace in the region.”

India