RedAnt strongly condemns the brutal violence unleashed by the Indian state through Operation Kagar in central India against the cadres of the Communist Party of India (Maoist), who have waged an armed struggle against the Indian ruling class. Over the past two years, the intensity and brutality of this war on the masses has increased to such an extent that more than 400 people — including Maoist political activists and ordinary villagers — have been killed at the hands of state armed forces. Allegations suggest that many of them were captured alive and then killed in cold blood after a few hours. This is a grave violation of both Indian and international law.
Revolutionaries are well aware that advancing a revolutionary war requires the highest sacrifices. However, in the name of countering Maoism, the Brahmanical Hindutva-fascist BJP regime continues to carry out genocidal massacres, which must be immediately stopped. The Union Home Minister, Amit Shah, has set March 2026 as the deadline to make India “Maoist-free.” This has meant a large-scale proliferation of security camps in Bastar, the use of advanced warfare equipment including Israeli drones, and unmitigated extra-judicial violence by the state.
Reportedly, since 2019, a total of 290 security camps have been set up in the affected states. This alarming militarisation of Bastar has been met with peaceful and sustained protests by Adivasis against the establishment of security camps in Fifth Schedule Areas without any consultation or consent from the concerned Gram Sabhas, and the illegal appropriation of their forests, lands, and other resources. They have also demanded proper schools, health facilities, and other basic amenities. The state government responded by banning a people’s rights organisation, the Moolvasi Bachao Manch, in October 2024 under the draconian Chhattisgarh Special Public Security Act.
The government has thus unleashed a campaign of complete militarisation of resource-rich Adivasi areas, launching an unbridled war on Adivasi people.
In this context, the CPI (Maoist) Central Committee spokesperson, Comrade Abhay, called for a ceasefire on April 2. In the last three weeks, the CPI (Maoist) has released three public statements expressing their readiness to observe a ceasefire and engage in peace talks, contingent upon the government halting armed operations. Most recently, a Maoist leader, Comrade Rupesh, through an interview with the popular news channel Bastar Talkies, announced that the Party has instructed its cadres to desist from any violent actions except in situations where they are trapped and are forced to resist. This effectively amounts to a unilateral ceasefire.
It is incumbent upon the Government of India to immediately halt all armed operations and agree to a ceasefire.
While the Government has claimed openness to “unconditional” dialogue, in practice, it has imposed pre-conditions — demanding surrender and a “return to the mainstream.” Meanwhile, military operations have intensified dramatically. This, in our view, is not how a government genuinely committed to peace responds to overtures for dialogue. What is unfolding is a state-driven campaign to shut down the possibility of a political resolution altogether.
The continued militarised response to what is fundamentally a political crisis — rooted in dispossession and historical marginalisation — has already caused immense and lasting harm. A just resolution is urgently required, one that recognises the present situation for what it is: a deepening political crisis involving the state’s own citizens.
RedAnt stands in unwavering solidarity with the revolutionaries, Adivasi communities, and all those who continue to resist injustice despite brutal repression. Their struggle is a struggle for a future free from exploitation, humiliation, and death.
We call upon all Australians, and especially the Indian diaspora to support the call for an end to Operation Kagar and for a ceasefire.
We reject the false narrative that paints every dissenting voice as an “internal security threat.” We refuse to accept the criminalisation of resistance. State-sponsored violence cannot be the answer to the people’s struggles for water, forest, and land.
We demand:
- An immediate independent judicial inquiry into the killings during Operation Kagar.
- A halt to militarised operations in Maoist-affected areas.
- Respect for democratic rights, adherence to existing laws protecting Adivasi lands, and a commitment to dialogue and peaceful solutions to people’s movements.
- An end to the targeting and demonisation of revolutionaries, activists, and community leaders.
We stand in solidarity with all those who continue to resist injustice despite the brutal cost. Their struggle is not terrorism — it is the struggle for a better future.
Down with Operation Kagar!
Down with State Repression!
Long Live People’s Resistance!
Victory to the People’s Movements!
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