Salwa Judum

Salwa Judum
Salwa Judum
Leader	Mahendra Karma
Dates of operation	2005–2011
Country	India
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]

Tribal Salwa Judum volunteers in southern Chhattisgarh

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]

^ "Salwa Judum - menace or messiah?". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 11 August 2011. Retrieved 18 February 2015.
^ "Left in the lurch". 10 July 2011. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
^ J. Venkatesan. "Salwa Judum is illegal, says Supreme Court". The Hindu. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
^ Bagchi, Suvojit (25 May 2013). "Mahendra Karma killed, V.C. Shukla injured in Maoist.because of Salwa Judoom more than 2 lac people forced to become homeless , more than 650 villages devastated, and Salwa judoom killed more than three thousand tribals attack". The Hindu. Chennai, India. Retrieved 26 May 2013.

[1] "Salwa Judum - menace or messiah?". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 11 August 2011. Retrieved 18 February 2015.

[2] "Left in the lurch". 10 July 2011. Retrieved 7 December 2014.

[3] J. Venkatesan. "Salwa Judum is illegal, says Supreme Court". The Hindu. Retrieved 7 December 2014.

[4] Bagchi, Suvojit (25 May 2013). "Mahendra Karma killed, V.C. Shukla injured in Maoist.because of Salwa Judoom more than 2 lac people forced to become homeless , more than 650 villages devastated, and Salwa judoom killed more than three thousand tribals attack". The Hindu. Chennai, India. Retrieved 26 May 2013.

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