Even as the BJP claimed that its government’s staunch support to the anti-Naxalite movement contributed towards its victory in the Assembly polls, uncertainty prevailed over as to what shape the controversial Salwa Judum campaign would take in the coming days in the tribal Bastar region of the state.As the ruling party swept 11 out of the total 12 Assembly seats in Naxal-hit Bastar division, the party considered it a vote in favour of its government’s tough stand against the Maoists and its support to Salwa Judum — a movement launched by the locals in south Bastar against the Naxals. The party, thus, is of the opinion that it should continue its support to the movement.However, those in the forefront of Salwa Judum are yet to take a view on how to take the movement ahead. They want to tread cautiously, as their earlier strategies had not only triggered Maoist backlash — resulting in the death of more than one thousand people in three years — but also drew criticism from many quarters for alleged human rights violations by the anti-Naxalite campaign activists. Besides, the sudden spurt in Naxalite violence, as retaliation to the campaign, has forced 56,000 people to leave their native villages and take shelter in government-run relief camps.“It’s certain that the movement against the Naxalites will continue. There could be some changes in the strategies to be adopted to isolate the rebels. It could take a definite shape in a couple of months,” a prominent anti-Naxalite campaign leader said, adding that “security of the villagers and those associated with the campaign is a matter of concern. In order to strengthen the campaign, the Government will have to address this issue”.Chief Minister Raman Singh believes that the time is now ripe for the Centre and the state to make coordinated efforts to wipe out the rebels and that the “people of Bastar and Surguja regions have rejected the Maoists by turning up at polling booths in large numbers”.While the people of Bastar and the entire state are doing their best to deal with the Left wing extremism, Singh said that the Centre should draw an action plan to root out the Maoists active in many states. Naxalism is, after all, a national problem affecting more than 30 crore population, he said.Newly elected BJP legislators from the Maoist hotbed of Bijapur-ST and Dantewada-ST constituencies of south Bastar said that their efforts would be towards ensuring adequate security to the people of the Naxal-hit villages in the region.“Favourable conditions have to be created so that the people living in the relief camps can return to their native villages. Steps are needed for their safety and security,” said BJP legislator Mahesh Gagda, who came into politics through anti-Naxalite movement Salwa Judum in Bijapur region.Another BJP legislator, Bhim Mandavi, who defeated Congress heavyweight and top Salwa Judum leader Mahendra Karma from Dantewada-ST constituency, doesn’t see anything wrong in holding talks with the Maoists, if it ensures peace in the region. Karma, a frontline leader of Salwa Judum, has made it clear that he will continue to support any initiative taken to put an end to the Naxalite menace.The Anti-Naxal movement: The story so farDriven to desperation by the more than three decade-old problem of Naxalism, a group of tribal villagers launched a movement in June 2005, naming it Salwa Judum, which in local Gondi dialect means peace mission, to create awareness among the people so that they could counter and isolate the Maoist rebels. As the movement got the support of the BJP government and from a section in the Congress, it spread from one village to another in south Bastar with its activists organising rallies and public meetings against the rebels.Innocent tribals got sandwiched between the Salwa Judum and Maoists, as support to campaign invited the wrath of the rebels and not joining the movement irked the activists who branded them as Naxalite sympathisers. In such a situation, none could remain neutral.As the Maoists stepped up violence in retaliation, a huge population migrated to neighbouring Andhra Pradesh and Orissa while more than 56,000 people from 700 villages left their villages and took shelter in 23 relief camps set up by the state government in Dantewada and Bijapur districts.The movement slowed down with public meetings and rallies being stopped, particularly after Maoists unleashed killings and the state Government found it difficult to provide security to the people in the villages. As no major anti-Naxalite campaign activity took place during the last one-and-a-half year, tension eased in the villages and people staying in relief camps began to return to their villages. However, the Maoists are continuing their attacks on elected representatives of panchayat bodies and others associated with the movement.
