Salwa Judum ban reignited: Marri Shashidhar Reddy backs Amit Shah’s stand on naxal fight

Hyderabad: BJP National Council Member Marri Shashidhar Reddy has lent strong support to Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s recent remarks on the Supreme Court’s 2011 verdict that disbanded Salwa Judum, a controversial anti-Naxalite militia movement. Reddy asserted that the judgment by Justice Sudarshan Reddy altered the trajectory of India’s fight against Naxalism, resulting in prolonged insurgency and loss of lives.

Amit Shah had stated that the July 5, 2011 judgment dealt a “big jolt” to anti-Naxal operations, suggesting that the insurgency could have ended by 2020 had Salwa Judum not been banned. The movement, backed by central funds, was instrumental in gathering local intelligence and supplementing police efforts in Naxal-affected regions. Reddy recalled that even then-Home Minister P. Chidambaram had expressed concern over the impact of the verdict. Though Chidambaram disowned Salwa Judum in 2008, citing opposition to non-state actors, he acknowledged in 2011 that Special Police Officers (SPOs) played a vital role and should be deployed where necessary. He later reiterated that SPOs possessed unique local knowledge not available to regular forces.

The political and judicial debate reignited when 18 retired judges criticized Shah’s statement, calling it “unfortunate” and warning of threats to judicial independence. However, a larger group of 56 retired judges, including former Chief Justices P. Sathasivam and Ranjan Gogoi, defended Shah, accusing their peers of politicizing judicial discourse and undermining credibility.

Reddy, while refraining from legal arguments, emphasized his decades-long engagement in studying and understanding Naxal issues. He highlighted initiatives from the Vajpayee era, including LK Advani’s 1998 call for development and security, and the Planning Commission’s Sam Vikas Yojana launched in 2002. This included the Backward District Initiative (BDI), targeting 147 districts, over 50 of which were severely affected by Naxal violence.

In 2004, Reddy said he was appointed Convenor of a National Task Force on Naxalite Violence, which submitted its report in 2005. He noted that Salwa Judum, initiated by Congress MLA Mahendra Karma in 2005, evolved into a grassroots militia aiding counter-insurgency efforts.

Reddy cited two major post-verdict incidents to underscore the impact of the ban: the July 2011 Gariyabandh bridge blast targeting Congress leader Nand Kumar Patel, and the 2013 Darbha Valley ambush that killed 27, including Karma and Patel. He described the brutality of Karma’s killing as emblematic of the emboldened Naxal resurgence.

“These incidents boosted Naxal morale,” Reddy said, questioning whether the conflict’s outcome would have differed had Salwa Judum continued. He concluded that Shah’s assertion was not mere rhetoric but a reflection of ground realities, and the 2011 judgment marked a turning point in an unfinished war against Red insurgency.