The impending carnage is part of "Operation Kagar," a final war campaign initiated by the central government 16 months ago. Given that you and your party have consistently opposed many policies of the central government, I hope and trust that you will not be complicit in this violent campaign.
Published Apr 23, 2025 | 5:04 PM ⚊ Updated Apr 23, 2025 | 5:04 PM
Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy.
Synopsis: Law and order is the constitutional responsibility of the state. As you handle home portfolio also, that responsibility falls on you. For the central forces to bypass your authority and operate independently within the state is a breach of federal principles and an encroachment on state rights. You have a duty to defend your powers and the dignity of your office as well as Telangana’s autonomy.
Respected Chief Minister of Telangana, Anumula Revanth Reddy garu,
In the light of alarming reports suggesting that a dreadful massacre is imminent in the border areas of Telangana and Chhattisgarh—particularly in the forested regions near Karregutta of Jayashankar Bhupalpally and Bhadradri Kothagudem districts—I write this open letter, urging your immediate attention and intervention to take appropriate action.
Protection of human life is a paramount responsibility for anyone, and for those in government, it is a constitutional duty. The impending carnage is part of “Operation Kagar,” a final war campaign initiated by the central government 16 months ago. Given that you and your party have consistently opposed many policies of the central government, I hope and trust that you will not be complicit in this violent campaign.
To remain indifferent while a massacre unfolds before your eyes—or worse, to assist in it when you hold power and have the opportunity to stop it—is morally indefensible and a basic human failing.
Reports indicate that the state government is cooperating in this operation, with Telangana’s own forces—including Greyhounds—mobilising toward the area. Since the home portfolio remains with you, I urge you to immediately halt any movement of state forces from Telangana’s side.
Let me present a few reasons why this massacre must be prevented, and why Telangana, under your leadership, must not take part in it:
From the inception of Operation Kagar, Union Home Minister Amit Shah has repeatedly declared that Maoists will be eliminated by a certain deadline. He has spoken of “wiping them out,” “exterminating them,” and “erasing them.” Such language, more fitting of a street thug than a democratic political leader, stands in stark contrast to the values of a democracy, which must allow space for differing ideologies and activities.
As someone aligned with the ideology of the Sangh Parivar, Amit Shah may feel justified in making such declarations. But as a Union minister who has sworn allegiance to the Constitution, and vested with the protection of the Constitution, this language is utterly unacceptable.
Even if the Union home minister has forgotten the Constitution, you, as a chief minister operating under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi—who has repeatedly affirmed the Congress party’s commitment to constitutional values—must not condone this rhetoric of extermination.
The Constitution you swore by to uphold states in Article 21 that no person shall be deprived of life or personal liberty except according to procedure established by law. This means that even for the gravest of crimes, a trial beyond reasonable doubt must be conducted in a court of law with irrefutable evidence and due process before any punishment is meted out.
Under Operation Kagar, over 400 lives have been taken in the past 16 months—many by central security forces—in clear violation of both constitutional and legal procedures. The dead have not only included armed Maoists but also unarmed Adivasis, a six-month-old infant, a mute and deaf young woman, and schoolchildren. These same central forces are now mobilised in the Karregutta forest area on our border, poised to take more lives. If the Telangana state forces aid them, your government will be equally complicit in this unconstitutional violence.
Moreover, law and order is the constitutional responsibility of the state. As you handle home portfolio also, that responsibility falls on you. For the central forces to bypass your authority and operate independently within the state is a breach of federal principles and an encroachment on state rights. You have a duty to defend your powers and the dignity of your office as well as Telangana’s autonomy.
The real target of these operations, which are ostensibly against Maoists, are in fact the Adivasis of the Dandakaranya region, which includes parts of Telangana and Chhattisgarh. Though the government claims the attack on Karregutta is against Maoists, the truth is it’s a campaign of terror against Adivasis on both sides of the border.
The Fifth Schedule of the Constitution grants Adivasis special rights and protections—rights that are being trampled by these operations. So too are protections granted under the Panchayat (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996 and the Forest Rights Act, 2006, which ensure Adivasi access to land, culture, and political power.
The BJP-led central government’s violent actions against Adivasis, with Telangana—a Congress-ruled state—as a participant, would be a betrayal of your party’s declared ideals and promises.
It’s important to highlight the root cause of these attacks: the mineral-rich lands of Dandakaranya. The central government’s development model aims to hand over these resources—at throw-away prices—to domestic and foreign corporates. The Adivasis, fighting to protect their jal, jungle, zameen, izzat (water, forest, land, and dignity), are in direct conflict with this agenda. The government seeks to first eliminate Maoists who support Adivasis, then displace the Adivasis themselves, so that corporate plunder can proceed unhindered.
Rahul Gandhi has repeatedly spoken against this corporate-friendly, anti-people model of development—during his Bharat Jodo Yatra and throughout his election campaign. For Telangana to now silently aid or be complicit in the massacre of Adivasis for corporate gain would be completely inappropriate.
This isn’t just about mineral loot. The destruction of forests and ecological devastation that will follow the mining operations—especially in the Godavari river basin—will severely impact our own state as well. Just last month, the Chhattisgarh government handed over four iron ore blocks covering nearly 7,000 acres to two corporates. This environmental destruction and the simultaneous violence of Operation Kagar must be condemned by Telangana.
Leaving aside the constitutional, political, economic, and environmental dimensions, there is also a basic humanitarian angle that every one of us must consider. When some people are surrounded and a bloodbath is inevitable, silence from the rest of us is inhuman. We must do whatever we can to prevent this violence. When lives are at risk, we must set aside questions like who is right, who is wrong, or who started the attack. The only thought must be “Let there be no bloodshed on either side.” Peace must be the goal.
If you initiate such efforts, you will be remembered as a chief minister who made a meaningful, courageous intervention.
You may recall that in 2011, in the case of a Maoist leader’s killing, the Supreme Court asked: “Will the Indian Republic kill its own children?”
I urge you to act in that spirit—to prevent this bloodshed, to protect lives. Among those potentially caught in the crossfire at Karregutta, among those at risk of being indiscriminately killed, are many sons and daughters of Telangana as well as Adivasis. You must intervene to save them.
Also worth noting is the recent initiative, led by Justice Chandra Kumar, to begin peace talks in Telangana. Even a Peace Dialogue Committee is formed, and the Maoists have responded by releasing three letters in the past three weeks expressing their willingness for a ceasefire and dialogue, provided a conducive environment is created. You know that even twenty years ago, when Congress was in power in the undivided state, such historic talks were held between the government and the Naxalites.
In this context, you can take the lead now—halt the deployment of Telangana forces, avoid confrontation in Karregutta, ensure that no one is killed, and instead open the doors to constitutional measures like arrest and dialogue. The Maoists have already declared they will observe a ceasefire, so it is likely they will not indulge in killings from their side.
Though you lead an opposition government that often critiques central policies, there is an apprehension —stemming from your student days in the Sangh Parivar—that you maintain a soft stance toward the Centre. Your decisive intervention now in this critical matter can dispel that perception as well.
I sincerely urge you to consider these matters carefully and take the right decision—urgently.
N Venugopal.
(The writer is the editor of an independent, small Telugu monthly journal of society and political economy, running for the past 23 years. Views are personal. Edited by Majnu Babu).
