India: CASR Strongly Condemns arrest of Bastar-based activist

We hereby share a statement by the Campaign Against State Repression that we have received.

1 March 2025

CASR STRONGLY CONDEMNS THE ARREST OF BASTAR-BASED HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDER AND FORMER PRESIDENT OF MOOLWASI BACCHAO MANCH RAGHU MIDIYAMI

STOP WAGING WAR AGAINST ADIVASI RIGHTS ACTIVIST!!

LIFT BAN FROM MOOLWASI BACCHAO MANCH!!

Prominent Adivasi leader Raghu Midiyami was arrested on February 27 by the NIA from Dantewada where he was recovering from serious injuries sustained to him in a motorcycle accident. Raghu has been arrested under FIR RC-02/2023/NIA/ Raipur. In this case, NIA has already arrested Gajendra Madavi, a former officer bearer of Moolwasi Bacchao Manch and Laxman Kunjam. NIA alleged that Raghu is receiving funds from the Maoist party and distribution among those people who are leading the protest in the Adivasi area of Bastar. Raghu Midiyami (23) is a popular young Adivasi leader and ex-president of the now-banned Moolwasi Bachao Manch, an umbrella organization formed by the Adivasi peasants to demand implementation of PESA [Editor’s note: Act which guarantees the self-governance in areas with indigenous predominance] and 5th Schedule [Editor’s note: constitutional rights related to protection to indigenous peoples], stopping of mining activities and displacement, cessation of mass killings by security forces and rampant militarization of Bastar.

It is important to mention that Raghu has been involved in peacefully coordinating almost 30 sit-in protest sites across Bastar to resist corporate plunder, rampant militarization and state repression. The arrest of these young Adivasi leaders, who have been raising their demands democratically within the constitutional framework, suggests that the state is hell-bent on worsening the conditions, and it is in no way interested in resolving the issue of Adivasi peasants, but only determined to remove all obstacles, whether be it armed or unarmed, to further intensify corporate loot of country’s resources by Foreign and domestic corporates.

Last year, in October, the Chhattisgarh government banned the Moolwasi Bacchao Manch and later started witch hunting of activists associated with the organization and arrested many activists of the same organization, including Suneeta Pottam and Sarju Tekam.

The intensified repression by the Hindutva fascist BJP-RSS government in central India clearly indicates that the Indian state wishes to wipe out all resistance movements for the protection of Jal-Jangal-Jameen. Arrests under UAPA and killing in false encounters are very common in Bastar.

We urge all democratic and progressive organizations and individuals to come together and raise their voice against arrest, intimidation, fake encounters and bloodbaths going on in central India.

CAMPAIGN AGAINST STATE REPRESSION

Organizing Team

(AIRSO,AISA, AISF, APCR,ASA,BASF, BSM, Bhim Army, bsCEM, CEM,COLLECTIVE,CRPP, CSM CTF, DISSC, DSU, DTF, Forum Against Repression Telangana, Fraternity, IAPL, Innocence Network, Karnataka Janashakti, LAA,Mazdoor Adhikar Sangathan, Mazdoor Patrika, , NAPM, NAZARIYA , Nishant Natya Manch, Nowruz, NTUI, People’s Watch, Rihai Manch, Samajwadi Janparishad,Smajwadi lok manch, Bahujan Samjavadi Mnach, SFI, United Peace Al

liance, WSS,Y4S)