This is an archive article published on June 16, 2024
It’s not the government’s intention to kill Naxals to end Naxalism: Chhattisgarh Home Minister Vijay Sharma
Since the BJP came to power in Chhattisgarh in December 2023, anti-Naxal operations have gained pace – in less than six months of calendar year 2024, the state has seen 136 Maoist casualties. Vijay Sharma, the state’s Home Minister and Deputy Chief Minister, on what’s changed in their approach, and their plans going forward
The number of Maoists killed this year is more than the last three years combined. How has your government’s strategy changed as compared to the Congress government’s?
It’s not the government’s intention to kill Naxals to end Naxalism. It’s just a small part of our larger strategy, which includes rehabilitation of surrendered Naxals, ensuring they get all government facilities, coming up with a good surrender policy, special relief measures for victims of Naxalism, and ensuring new people are not recruited by them. All this will help us end Naxalism.
How many years do you estimate this will take in Chhattisgarh?
Three years.
Questions are routinely raised by civil society groups over some of the encounters being fake.
It’s extremely rare. Mostly it is Maoists propaganda. In the first two major encounters, Maoists admitted that their members were killed. In the third encounter, they made allegations, after which we took out the criminal record of Maoists killed in the encounter and found that they were wanted in several cases such as murder, murder attempt. They roam with weapons wearing uniforms in the jungle, and after they are killed, such claims are made.
Twenty villagers have also been killed, including six-seven in IED blasts and crossfire. How do you intend to prevent these deaths?
The number of villagers killed by Naxals in their Jan Adalat (people’s court) is more than those killed in big wars. IEDs have been placed in several places by Naxals and these IEDs don’t differentiate between forces, villagers or animals.
In one encounter, a wild bear attacked a security personnel, but the jawan did not shoot the animal as he did not have permission. So, forces operate with a lot of patience. God forbid if someone does get hurt, the entire staff try to save the villager, unlike Naxals who slit their throat.
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Many villagers still fear you will steal their jal, jungle and zameen (water, forest and land) and give it to corporates or for mining. How do you win their trust?
We too are of the opinion that jal, jungle and zameen belong to them. We will all walk together on the path of development. Were minerals of Bastar not being exploited earlier? It’s been happening for 50-60 years. Now there is democracy and people’s complaints are heard. In China, these Maoists are in government; are people heard there?
In Bastar, there are examples where people did not want industries and they (industrialists) had to go back. This is a democracy and only essential things will happen. It’s not like there will be loot. It’s a welfare state where people rule, there are no kings or landlords. If people do not like the government, it will be changed by them.
What is your message to Naxals who still believe in armed struggle?
What is the use of roaming with weapons in the jungle? Will it help Bastar? When we brought youngsters from Silger, Tekalgudem and Puarti to Raipur, we found out that these 25-year-olds had never seen a television. Can you imagine this? Who is responsible? What is this war? These Naxals are trying to move a mountain. This is their philosophy and it will have no result.
And what about those who want to quit and join the mainstream?
85% of Naxals want to quit. When a terrorist surrenders in Jammu and Kashmir, I suspect he is not given a gun for six to eight years. But in Bastar, if a Naxal surrenders, you can arm him in a week, he is so trustworthy. This means their heart is in the right place; it’s just that their circumstances are to be blamed. All the Naxals will come back by the efforts of our schemes led by Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai and the resolution of Home Minister Amit Shah.
Jayprakash S Naidu is a Principal Correspondent for The Indian Express, currently serving as the state correspondent for Chhattisgarh. With an extensive career in frontline journalism, he reports on the political, security, and humanitarian landscape of Central India.
Expertise and Experience
Specialized Conflict Reporting: Jayprakash is a leading voice on the Maoist/Naxalite conflict in the Bastar region. His reporting provides a critical, ground-level view of:
Internal Security: Tracking high-stakes encounters, surrender programs for senior Maoist leaders, and the establishment of security camps in formerly inaccessible "heartland" villages.
Tribal Rights & Displacement: Investigative reporting on the identity and land struggles of thousands of displaced tribals fleeing conflict zones for neighboring states.
Governance & Bureaucratic Analysis: He consistently monitors the evolution of Chhattisgarh as it marks 25 years of statehood, covering:
Electoral Politics: Analyzing the shift in power between the BJP and Congress and the impact of regional tribal movements.
Public Policy: Reporting on landmark infrastructure projects (e.g., mobile connectivity in remote zones) and judicial interventions, such as High Court rulings on civil and family law.
Diverse Investigative Background: Prior to his current focus on Chhattisgarh, Jayprakash held reported from Maharashtra, where he specialized in:
Crisis & Disaster Management: Notable for his extensive coverage of the Cyclone Tauktae barge tragedy (P-305) and the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on frontline personnel.
Legal & Human Rights: Investigative pieces for platforms like Article-14, focusing on police accountability and custodial deaths across India.
Environmental & Social Justice: Authoritative reporting on the Hasdeo Aranya forest protests and the approval of major tiger reserves, highlighting the tension between industrial mining and environmental preservation. ... Read More
