Guwahati: The Coordination Committee for Peace (CCP) has condemned the recent ‘encounter’ in Narayanpur, which reportedly led to the deaths of over 27 armed rebels, including Basavaraj alias Nambala Keshava Rao, general secretary of the CPI (Maoist).
The CCP has called for an impartial inquiry into the operation, a ceasefire, and the initiation of peace talks between the government and the Maoists.
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According to news reports from May 21, the encounter involved the District Reserve Guard (DRG), a force criticized by the CCP for allegedly contravening a Supreme Court order against inducting surrendered Naxalites into anti-Naxal operations. Besides the alleged Maoist casualties, one DRG member was killed and several were injured.
The killing of Basavaraj has been widely hailed by media and state authorities as a significant setback for the Maoists. However, the CCP views this as a “mockery of call for peace talks,” especially given ongoing discrepancies and questions surrounding the operation.
“We condemn these senseless killings including that of the general secretary of the CPI (Maoist), at a time when the government should respond to Maoist’s unilateral ceasefire and declare a ceasefire from its end to initiate peace talks,” stated the CCP.
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The CCP highlighted several concerns, including contradictory statements from the Chhattisgarh government’s political leadership and alleged cross-firing between different security forces during a previous operation, “Operation Black Forest,” on the Karregutta Hills.
“Discrepancies regarding the number of armed rebels versus unarmed villagers, the deliberate delay in handing over bodies resulting in despoliation and decay and reports of cross-firing between the Greyhounds and CRPF raised more questions,” the CCP stated in their press release. They also noted that several contradictory numbers of the dead are emerging, and the final count of dead combatants is yet to be established.
Despite recent assertions from Chhattisgarh’s Deputy Chief Minister about the need for peace talks, the CCP argues that continuing military operations contradict these statements. They also pointed out the media’s speculation about reward money for Basavaraj’s killing, ranging from 1 to 20 crore, while the discussion on peace talks remains absent.
“If the government is determined to continue these operations using the paramilitary forces with their advanced weaponry, it is imperative the government acknowledge this as a civil war and the systematic indiscriminate killing of persons, whoever they may be is an act of war,” the CCP asserted. They urged the Government of India to adhere to the Geneva Conventions of Non-International Armed Conflict (NIAC), including ensuring arrests over killings, prohibiting torture, and respecting the bodies of the dead.
The CCP expressed concern that Home Minister Amit Shah’s plan to eliminate Maoists by March 2026 appears to solely focus on military action, neglecting the underlying political, social, and economic issues that fuel the conflict.
“It is worth asking if this State policy of extermination will eliminate the grievances of the people or even effectively end the political ideas behind the prolonged armed movement,” the CCP questioned.
In light of these events, the Coordination Committee for Peace, represented by Kavita Srivastava, Kranti Chaitanya, and Dr. MF Gopinath, has urgently called for “an immediate and unconditional ceasefire from the Govt of India to reciprocate the Maoists unilateral declaration of a ceasefire; the immediate suspension of Operation Kagar; and the establishment of a dialogue mechanism for peace talks with the CPI (Maoist).”