It has been 12 years since the Supreme Court declared Salwa Judum as unconstitutional, and ordered disbanding of the militia that was built by the local leaders as an armed resistance force against the Naxals of Chhattisgarh’s Bastar region. However, the leaders who spearheaded movement and formed the Salwa Judum (Peace March) force, were rehabilitated in the BJP and Congress. In fact, several of them are contesting the November 7 state elections.
Congress’ Mahendra Karma’s son Chabindra, Kawasi Lakma, and BJP’s Soyam Mukka and Chaitram Atami, who participated in the Salwa Judum movement, are fighting elections from Dantewada and Sukma — the hotbed of Naxals in the state.
Mahendra Karma — a tribal leader from Bastar, who rose in the Congress ranks and held the position of the industry minister — is the one who spearheaded the Salwa Judum movement in 2005. The idea was to arm the villagers against the Naxals during the Raman Singh rule in the state. Karma, who was the Leader of Opposition, was killed in a Naxal attack in 2013 during a ‘Parivartan Yatra’. After his death, his wife, Devti Karma, fought elections and won. She became a two-term MLA of Dantewada.
From Combat with Naxals to Fighting Elections
Karma’s is seen as the first family of Congress in Dantewada. His wife has been the local MLA while son Chabindra has been fielded from the seat by the Congress. Two of his four daughters are also in active politics and hold positions in Panchayats, while another daughter is studying in London. In 2018, Dantewada got a BJP MLA, however he was killed in four months. In 2019, Karma’s wife got her second term as the MLA in bypoll.
Soyam Mukka and Chaitram Attami, both were teachers in government schools, until they resigned from their post and joined the Salwa Judum movement. Attami is BJP’s candidate in Dantewada, while Mukka has been fielded by the BJP in Sukma.
Congress has announced sitting MLA Kawasi Lakma as its candidate in Sukma. Lakma is one of the senior Congress leaders who was part of the 2013’s Parivartan Yatra in which 24 Congress leaders were massacred by the Congress. Lakma, however, survived. He is a five-term MLA from the region and was the excise minister in Bhupesh Baghel’s cabinet.
Salwa Judum Ended, but Not Violence
In Naxal violence-prone Bastar division, political equations are different from other regions. The poll campaign by the candidates do not speak of bringing an end to Naxal menace, but they praise their parties for bringing the incidents down.
The leaders, who have been part of the Salwa Judum movement, have their personal security detail, and the arrangements provided by the central or state government depending on the threat perception, political alignments and number of attacks, they survived. Some senior leaders of the BJP and Congress have their own licensed weapons and X or X + category security. Karma’s family members are under full-time security cover.
Awdhesh Singh Gautam, president of Congress’ Dantewada district committee, said, “The incidents of violence still took place, but the frequency has gone down. Now, they (Naxals) target security forces. Our government has made several policies to win over the tribal villagers and build confidence. In Dantewada district, around 800 Naxals surrendered. They are now serving in the police, and play a crucial role in anti-Naxal operations”.
Gautam and his family were attacked by Naxals in 2011, his 12-year-old daughter was shot, his brother-in-law and his aide were killed in front of his eyes. He was brutally beaten, but he and his daughter survived.
Vijay Naidu, BJP vice-president of Sukma district, alleged Naxals now only target BJP leaders. “They (Naxals) have joined hands with Congress, that is why, the Congress wins here. Congress leaders are neck deep in corruption, there is a huge resentment among the tribals. But Congress silences everyone by distributing money”.
Naidu, was a teacher when he joined the Salwa Judum movement along with Karma. He was attacked three times, and was shot at by the Naxals in his village, though he survived.