Salwa Judum

Salwa Judum (meaning "Peace March"in Gondi language) refers to a militia in Chhattisgarh, India, which is aimed at countering the naxalite violence in the region. The militia consisting of local tribal youth receives support and and training from the Chhattisgarh state government.On July 5 2011, the Supreme Court of India declared the militia as illegal and unconstitutional. The court directed the Chhattisgarh government to recover all the firearms given along with the ammunition and accessories. It also ordered the government to investigate all instances of alleged criminal activities of Salwa Judum. The use of Salwa Judum by the government for anti naxal operations was criticized for its violations of human rights, use of child soldiers and poorly trained uneducated youth for counter-insurgency roles.

Origins

Salwa Judum started in 2005 as a people's resistance movement against the Naxalites, a far-left movement in some states in rural India that is designated by India as a terrorist organization on account of their violent Maoist activities in the state. Initially an uprising of local indigenous people in Chhattisgarh, the Salwa Judum movement later received bi-partisan support from both the opposition and ruling parties. A few...
Read More