HYDERABAD: Civil rights activist Prof G Haragopal, a member of the Peace Dialogue Committee that recently urged Chief Minister
A Revanth Reddy to initiate talks with the banned CPI (Maoist), expressed serious concern over the Union government’s use of force in eliminating top Maoist leader Nambala Keshava Rao and the subsequent celebration of the act.
Speaking to TNIE, Haragopal said the questions raised by the Maoist movement cannot be answered through encounters. “Once the state becomes accustomed to using firearms, it may not stop even after ‘eradicating’ the Maoist party, as Union Home Minister Amit Shah put it. The same force can then be turned against the Opposition, dissenters and civil society,” he warned.
Haragopal said there was an opportunity to arrest Keshava Rao, just as the founder of the movement, Kondapalli Seetharamaiah, was arrested and not killed. “The government should have treated him as the leader of a political outfit. But instead, they vowed to ‘eradicate’ them, and this killing is part of that approach. Once the state normalises eliminating opponents, the rule of law and constitutional democracy will be its casualties,” he said.
On the implications for the Maoist party, Haragopal acknowledged that the killing of its general secretary was a major setback. He noted that the party may now reconsider its strategy, as it is evident it cannot withstand the might of the state’s military apparatus. “There is a possibility it may transform into a peaceful Adivasi peasant movement focused on protecting land, rights and mineral resources,” he said.
Asked about the way forward for the government, Haragopal said the Maoists had called for peace talks after Operation Kagar. “Had the government responded, we could have addressed critical questions, such as the policy on minerals and mining in Schedule V areas, the impact on Adivasis and the development model for these regions,” he said.
K Ravi Chander, a member of the same delegation and representative of the Forum Against Repression, said they had urged the government to pursue peace talks with the remaining Maoist leadership. He criticised the Centre for “mocking” the Maoist party’s peace overture, calling it a lost opportunity for dialogue.