Modi’s Anti-Maoist Campaign: A Mask for Resource Plunder and Indigenous Oppression
Introduction
Under the pretext of combating Maoist resistance in the central region, the Indian government has launched military operations---brutal measures in reality to drive corporate resource plunder and crush indigenous Adivasi communities. The “Operation Kagaar,” initiated by the far-right Bharatiya Janata Party-led central and state governments, deploys thousands of paramilitary forces and advanced surveillance technologies to eliminate opposition to the capitalist exploitation of Chhattisgarh’s mineral resources. This fully exposes the collusion between India’s ruling class and imperialist capital---using violent means to maintain an economic colonial order, forcibly displacing indigenous peoples from their ancestral lands, reducing them to appendages of resource extraction.
Militarized Resource Plunder in Chhattisgarh
Chhattisgarh, a mineral-rich and densely forested region, is home to a large population of indigenous Adivasi communities. Since last year, the Indian government has intensified military operations in the region. Over 20,000 paramilitary personnel and local police have been deployed to the southern parts of the state, which has a total population of just 30 million. The government employs Israeli-made “Heron” drones for surveillance and targeted attacks in forested areas, aiming to suppress armed resistance led by the Communist Party of India (Maoist). The government claims these operations target hundreds of Maoists, with the goal of achieving a “Naxal-free” India by March next year.
However, the reality reveals deeper motives. Chhattisgarh’s abundant mineral and forest resources have long attracted the attention of domestic and international capitalists. Left-wing groups and activists point out that the so-called “anti-Maoist” operations are, in fact, designed to clear obstacles for private corporations to seize natural resources. For instance, in 2024, Adani Power Company was granted permission to clear hundreds of acres of the Hasdeo forest in Chhattisgarh, despite widespread protests. Similar projects continue to advance despite fierce opposition from indigenous and environmental groups, causing massive destruction of forests and ecosystems, seizing Adivasi lands, and forcibly displacing local residents.
Systematic Violence Against Indigenous Peoples
Since the launch of Operation Kagaar, official data shows over 400 people killed---including 31 “Naxals” claimed eliminated by the government in a single special operation spanning April 21 to May 14. However, many of these deaths are shrouded in suspicion, with activists accusing the government of arbitrarily labeling innocent civilians as “Maoists” before killing them. Fake encounter killings, arbitrary arrests, torture during detention, and the destruction of villages have been widely reported in Chhattisgarh and neighboring areas.
Furthermore, the government has suppressed peaceful protests by arresting leaders of land rights and environmental movements and declaring peaceful organizations, such as the “Moolvasi Bachao Manch”, illegal. These actions demonstrate that the Indian government has not only rejected multiple negotiation and unilateral ceasefire proposals from Maoists but is also using anti-Naxal operations to target peaceful forces opposing colonial projects and resource plunder.
Left-Wing Analysis
The conflict in Chhattisgarh is a confrontation between capitalist expansion and indigenous resistance. Under the guise of “development,” the Indian government’s so-called modernization projects are, in reality, paving the way for multinational and domestic capitalists to plunder resources. This pattern aligns with the characteristics of imperialism and neo-colonialism: through military force and the state apparatus, indigenous communities are forcibly stripped of their control over land and resources, transforming them into tools for capital accumulation.
The land and resources of the Adivasi are protected under the Fifth Schedule of the Indian Constitution and the Forest Rights Act, which explicitly mandate the consent of indigenous communities before resource development. However, the government and corporations systematically violate these laws, forcibly advancing destructive projects. This trampling of indigenous rights reflects capitalism’s relentless pursuit of surplus value, disregarding the devastating consequences for humanity and the environment.
Left-Wing Struggle and Demands
On June 9, five major left-wing parties---Communist Party of India (Marxist), Communist Party of India, Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation, Revolutionary Socialist Party, and Forward Bloc---jointly wrote to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, condemning the extrajudicial killings carried out in the central region under the pretext of anti-Maoist operations. They demanded an immediate halt to military operations, reestablishment of legality, and dialogue with Maoists to seek a political resolution. They also called for an end to the militarization of the region, respect for the constitutional rights of the Adivasi, and accountability for officials responsible for systematic violations of indigenous rights.
Other organizations and individuals have issued similar statements, demanding an end to hostilities against indigenous communities and the demilitarization of the region. Activists have even called for war crime prosecutions against relevant officials to hold them accountable for crimes against humanity committed under the guise of counterinsurgency.
Conclusion
The Indian government’s Operation Kagaar is not a counterinsurgency effort but an extension of imperialist and capitalist exploitation. Through military suppression and extrajudicial violence, the state apparatus clears the way for corporate resource plunder, sacrificing the Adivasi’s right to survival and the environment. Left-wing forces must continue to expose these neo-colonial practices, support the struggles of indigenous peoples and the proletariat, and defend their legitimate rights to land and resources.