Tribal activist Soni Sori described ‘Operation Kagar’, launched by the Central government in Chhattisgarh to eliminate Maoists in the region, as the newest in a line of assaults against Adivasis, on the lines of ‘Operation greenhunt’ and ‘Salwa Judum’ earlier.“Throughout this time, whether in Bastar or other tribal areas, adivasis have lacked structural support, both legal and socioeconomic, and have been thrown into jail, or faced state violence en masse,” said the activist from Bastar.Speaking in the public discussion on “Operation Kagar and the ongoing issues of corporatisation, militarisation and peace processes” organised by Karnataka Peoples Forum Against War on Adivasis on Saturday, she said targeting of Adivasis is not an isolated incident. “At its core, the offence was about a land grab by the state and corporate forces, forcing Adivasis to flee their homes. We were not fighting for wealth but for basic human rights, and the ‘war on Maoists’ was in fact a war on innocent us,” she said.Prof. G. Hargopal, of the Coordination Committee for Peace, said unchecked state violence in Chhattisgarh was targeting innocent Adivasis in the name of Maoists. “Once the state acts outside the limits of law, there is no difference between state and private violence,” he remarked.Prof. Nagaragere Ramesh, from People Democratic Forum urged for unconditional ceasefire and peace talks with CPI (Maoist) groupings, and an independent inquiry into all instances of extrajudicial killings.Published - August 23, 2025 10:57 pm IST