Raipur: ‘Salwa Judum’ founder Mahendra Karma’s son Chhavindra Karma and several leaders of the disbanded anti-Maoist civil militia will launch an anti-Maoist campaign in Bastar from May 25.
The campaign is aimed at development of the region, they said. Chhavindra, who is Congress party state secretary and two prominent faces of the erstwhile ‘Salwa Judum’ movement– Chaitram Attami and Sukhdeo Tati– have formed a ‘Vikas Sangharash Samiti’ under which they plan to fight for Bastar’s development.
“During a meeting with leaders of the erstwhile ‘Salwa Judum’ and likeminded people last week, we have formed ‘Vikas Sangharsh Samiti’ to counter Maoists. I, Chaitram Attami and Sukhdeo Tati have been nominated as patrons of the Samiti,” Chhavindra told PTI. A campaign under this banner would be launched on May 25, which is the the second death anniversary of his father Mahendra Karma, after holding a meeting with leaders and people associated with the Samiti, Karma said. However, he refused to call the campaign, the second phase of the ‘Salwa Judum’ movement and said, “It will be peaceful.
“We will spread awareness among people about how Maoism has affected development of the region. At the same time, we will also appeal to our alienated tribal brothers to join the mainstream”.
A decade ago, his father Mahendra Karma had launched the Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh and BJP supported ‘Salwa Judum’ movement, which was disarmed as well as disbanded after a Supreme Court order declared deployment of tribal youth as special police officers in the fight against Maoist insurgency, as illegal and unconstitutional. On May 25, 2013, the CPI (Maoist) had ambushed the Congress’s ‘parivartan rally’ convoy Jiram valley at Bastar’s Darbha region, when it was on the way towards Jagdalpur from Sukma, killing former Leader of Opposition Mahendra Karma and 30 others. (PTI)
