VCK chief and Chidambaram MP Thol. Thirumavalavan has once again expressed his support for the notorious Maoist group known for operating a parallel government in forest regions and often accused of interfering with tribal rights. He strongly condemned the Indian government’s recent crackdown under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, particularly criticizing ‘Operation Kagar’, during which a key leader of the banned CPI (Maoist), General Secretary Nambala Keshava Rao alias Basavaraju, was killed in an encounter with security forces.
In response to the incident, communist parties in Tamil Nadu including the CPI(M) and CPI(ML) organized a meeting to voice their opposition to the Centre’s actions. Leaders and participants at the event denounced the ongoing operation and expressed solidarity with those affected.
Participating in the event Thirumavalavan said, “Within the country, the Modi government is aggressively engaging in illegal actions and carrying out a brutal extermination campaign against the indigenous tribal communities and the Maoists who support them. Although leftist movements have openly stated that they do not agree with the Maoists’ ideology of ‘annihilation’ the so-called extermination policy and that they also do not support the belief in armed struggle or the use of weapons, they cannot simply stand by and watch the repression being carried out against them. These actions are neither legal nor just. It is not only the Maoists who are being mercilessly killed, but ordinary civilians are also being brutally massacred. Therefore, our primary demand is that this military operation, known as ‘Operation Kagar’, and the associated repression and killings, must be immediately stopped.”
He stated that the Maoists should not be seen as enemies of the people and urged the government to adopt a diplomatic approach by initiating dialogue with them. “Engage in talks,” he said, adding that the bodies of those killed in encounters should be returned to their families with dignity.
He emphasized that it’s not just Maoist leaders, but also social activists and human rights defenders who are standing up for the rights of the people. Dialogue should be extended to such democratic voices as well. A key demand he raised was the urgent need to halt the exploitation of natural resources. Mining operations that extract minerals from tribal lands, he warned, are threatening the very livelihoods of indigenous communities. Protecting these livelihoods must be a priority, he said.
Thirumavalavan attempted to portray the notorious Maoists as defenders of the people, stating, “Maoists are not anti-people. We may differ in opinion from their beliefs, and we may disagree with their idea of an armed revolution, but they are still on the side of the people. They are not anti-people, nor are they anti-national. Their goal is to establish a revolutionary democracy within a united India. They say they have no faith in the electoral process and therefore do not participate in elections, and they do not accept parliamentary democracy. But they have never called for the country to be divided. They are not against India’s unity, nor are they against the unity of its people. So how can they be labeled as anti-people? How can they be called anti-national? How can the idea of annihilating them be considered acceptable or justifiable in any way?”
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