Salwa Judum | |
---|---|
Leader | Mahendra Karma |
Dates of operation | 2005–2011 |
Country | ![]() |
Active regions | Bastar and Dantewada districts of Chhattisgarh |
Ideology | Anti-Naxalite Anti-communism |
Status | Inactive |
Size | 4,000 |
Allies | Chhattisgarh Police Central Reserve Police Force Indian Army |
Opponents | Naxalites |
Salwa Judum (meaning "peace march" in the Gondi language) was a militia that was mobilised and deployed as part of counterinsurgency operations in Chhattisgarh, India, aimed at countering Naxalite activities in the region. The militia, consisting of local tribal youth, received support and training from the Chhattisgarh state government. It was outlawed and banned by a Supreme Court court order but continues to exist in the form of armed auxiliary forces, District Reserve Groups, and other vigilante groups.[1][2]
On 5 July 2011, the Supreme Court of India, in a case filed by Nandini Sundar and others, declared the militia to be illegal and unconstitutional and ordered its disbanding. The court directed the Government of Chhattisgarh to recover all of its firearms, ammunition, and accessories. The use of Salwa Judum by the government for anti-Naxal operations was criticised for its violations of human rights and poorly trained youth acting in counter-insurgency roles. The court also ordered the government to investigate all instances of alleged criminal activities by Salwa Judum.[3]
On 25 May 2013, the group's founder, Mahendra Karma, who had become a senior Congress party leader, was killed in a Naxalite attack, along with other party members, in Darbha Valley of Chhattisgarh, 400 km south of Raipur and 50 km from Jagdalpur.[4]