April 2010 Maoist attack in Dantewada

{{main|Naxalite-Maoist insurgency}}

Indian Maoists, or Naxals, were named after a 1967 leftists armed uprising against the Indian state originating in the village of Naxalbari in West Bengal. The movement had its intellectual roots in the doctrines of Mao Zedong promoting armed overthrow of the ruling class by the peasant and worker class. The original movement had weakened considerably by the 1970s, but it started spreading across a swathe of India's poorest districts, the so-called red corridor, a tribal belt running through the mainly Santhal regions of West Bengal, Jharkhand, Odisha, and then through the Gond and other tribal regions of Andhra Pradesh, into the Bastar region of Chhattisgarh.{{cite web|author= |url=http://ibnlive.in.com/news/knowing-the-reds-a-primer-on-maoists/95141-3.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090621223742/http://ibnlive.in.com/news/knowing-the-reds-a-primer-on-maoists/95141-3.html |archive-date=2009-06-21 |title=Knowing the reds: a primer on Maoists |publisher=Ibnlive.in.com |date=2010-02-03 |access-date=2010-04-09}}

Two separate radical leftist groups, the Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) People's War party (also known as the People's War Group) and the Maoist Communist Centre merged to form the Communist Party of India (Maoist) in September 2004. This happened within four months of the end of India's centre-right nationalist BJP-led NDA government and the start of the Congress-led UPA government in alliance with the Left Front (a grouping of India's leftist and communist parties). After the 2009 Indian general election, the Congress-led UPA managed to come to power at the centre without the support of the Left Front or communist parties. Within one month of that election, the Government of India declared the CPI (Maoist) as a designated terrorist organization under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.{{cite web|url=http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=49325|title=CPI (Maoist) included in list of terrorist organizations to avoid any ambiguity|publisher=Press Information Bureau}} A few months later Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said that the Maoists pose the biggest internal threat to India's security and their activities had intensified over the previous years.{{cite web|url=http://english.aljazeera.net/news/asia/2009/08/2009817173841682428.html |title=CENTRAL/S. ASIA - India weighs Maoist threat |publisher=Al Jazeera English |date=2009-08-17 |access-date=2010-04-06}}

The insurgency points to the commercial development and industrialization in forest regions that are home to India's tribal communities, resulting in loss of land or livelihood as justification for its activities.{{cite web|author=Jyoti Punwani |url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/opinion/edit-page/For-tribals-development-means-exploitation/articleshow/5664400.cms |title='For tribals, development means exploitation' |work=The Times of India |date=2010-03-10 |access-date=2010-04-09}} These regions are noted for lack of development; at 30% literacy, the Dantewada district has the lowest literacy rate in the nation.{{cite web |url=http://dantewada.gov.in/census.htm |title=Dantewada - Census-2001 At A Glance |publisher=Government of India |access-date=2010-04-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100323062255/http://dantewada.gov.in/census.htm |archive-date=23 March 2010 }}

Before the incident at Chintalnar in Dantewada, in March 2007, Maoists were also blamed for the killing of 55 policemen in Chhattisgarh. In the February 2010 Silda camp attack, at least 25 policemen were killed in eastern West Bengal when their camp came under fire. In response to the growing insurgency, Indian paramilitary forces launched a large-scale offensive, popularly known as Operation Green Hunt, against the rebels along the red corridor which includes the Dantewada district.

Dantewada district is a "remote, sparsely-populated and under-developed" area which is regarded as the "nerve center" of the Maoists.{{cite news|url=http://www.economist.com/world/asia/displaystory.cfm?story_id=7799247 |title=A spectre haunting India |newspaper=Economist |access-date=2010-04-07 |date=2006-08-17| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100304052245/http://www.economist.com/world/asia/displayStory.cfm?story_id=7799247| archive-date= 4 March 2010 | url-status=live}}{{cite web |url=http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/uncategorized/seven-maoists-killed-in-chhattisgarh-gun-battle-lead_100287640.html |title=Seven Maoists killed in Chhattisgarh gun battle |publisher=Indo-Asian News Service via Thaindian |access-date=2010-04-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100103090913/http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/uncategorized/seven-maoists-killed-in-chhattisgarh-gun-battle-lead_100287640.html |archive-date=2010-01-03 }} About 66% of the district's population consists of tribal peoples (known as adivasis). In 2006, The Economist noted that Naxalite-Maoist insurgency is "most intense" in the Dantewada district and linked the popularity of the Maoists among the local populace to the region's lack of development. Indian forces and Maoist insurgents had been involved in numerous skirmishes in the Dantewada district since 2007. In September 2009, Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (COBRA) personnel and state police forces killed about 30 Maoist rebels in Dantewada during an intense gun-battle.{{cite web |url=http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/uncategorized/india-goes-aggressive-in-fight-against-maoist-guerrillas_100252302.html |title=India goes aggressive in fight against Maoist guerrillas |publisher=Indo-Asian News Service via Thaindian |access-date=2010-04-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100222173925/http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/uncategorized/india-goes-aggressive-in-fight-against-maoist-guerrillas_100252302.html |archive-date=22 February 2010 }}

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According to police reports, 300 fighters initially attacked a convoy of the paramilitary Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) in the Talmetla area as they were returning from an operation.{{cite web|url=http://english.aljazeera.net/news/asia/2010/04/2010466515592429.html|title=Indian police killed by Maoists|date=6 April 2010|publisher=Al Jazeera}} India's home minister P Chidambaram said that it appeared that the forces had "walked" into a rebel ambush by returning to the police base via the same route they had come. "Something has gone very wrong. They seem to have walked into a trap set by the [Maoists] and casualties are quite high," he said. Police sources reported that the Maoists triggered two land mines targeting the mine protected vehicles carrying the jawans. The attack took place when the CRPF unit belonging to the 62 Battalion entered the forest for an operation between 6 and 7 am and were ambushed by the Maoists.{{cite news|url=http://beta.thehindu.com/news/national/article389303.ece?homepage=true|title=70 CRPF men killed in Chhattisgarh|author=D. Chandra Bhaskara Rao|date=6 April 2010|newspaper=The Hindu|access-date=6 April 2010|archive-date=7 April 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100407121748/http://beta.thehindu.com/news/national/article389303.ece?homepage=true|url-status=dead}}

The attacks were seen as a setback for efforts to clear the eastern regions of the Naxals in order to open up areas rich in iron, coal, bauxite, and manganese to investment. NMDC Ltd. operates its biggest iron-ore mine, while Essar Steel Ltd. plan a $1.5 billion steel plant in the district. The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) in a statement said "If such activities continue, investments do get impacted and even committed investments would fly away."{{cite web|url=http://news.outlookindia.com/item.aspx?678886|title=Naxal Violence to Dent Investor Confidence: Industry|date=9 April 2010|publisher=OutlookIndia.com|location=New Delhi|access-date=7 April 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111006163210/http://news.outlookindia.com/item.aspx?678886|archive-date=6 October 2011}}

CPI activist Kartam Joga was arrested in connection with the attacks on 14 September 2010.{{cite news |url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-newdelhi/article673781.ece |title=Supreme Court petitioner arrested in Chhattisgarh |author=Aman Seithi |date=17 September 2010 |newspaper=The Hindu |access-date=17 May 2011}} His arrest has been controversial{{cite news |url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article799338.ece?service=mobile |title=Tarmetla: 'eyewitnesses' accuse police of making up statements |author=Aman Sethi |date=28 September 2010 |newspaper=The Hindu |access-date=17 May 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121025035302/http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article799338.ece?service=mobile |archive-date=25 October 2012 }} and was condemned by Amnesty International, who described the charges as "fabricated" and named him a prisoner of conscience.{{cite web |url=https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/asa20/031/2010/en/ |title=DOCUMENT - INDIA: CHHATTISGARH AUTHORITIES MUST IMMEDIATELY RELEASE PRISONER OF CONSCIENCE KARTAM JOGA |date=1 November 2010|publisher=Amnesty International |access-date=17 May 2011 }}

P Chidambaram, India's home minister, condemned the attack, saying it showed the "savage nature" of the Maoists. The attack was a blow to the Indian government as it came days after Home Minister P Chidambaram described the rebels as "cowards enacting dramas". Mr Chidambaram has said troops will intensify the offensive if the rebels do not renounce violence and enter peace talks. On 9 April Chidamabram offered his resignation to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh over the issue, which the Prime Minister rejected.{{cite news|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Chidambaram-offers-to-resign-over-Dantewada-PM-rejects/articleshow/5777654.cms|title=Chidambaram offers to resign over Dantewada, PM rejects|agency=TNN |date=9 April 2010|newspaper=Times of India|location=New Delhi}}

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) argued for an "all-out offensive" against the Maoists.{{cite news|url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/Govt-outraged-over-attack-BJP-wants-fight-to-finish/H1-Article3-527924.aspx |title=Government outraged over Maoist massacre; BJP wants 'fight to finish' |newspaper=Hindustan Times |access-date=2010-04-06| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100408002728/http://www.hindustantimes.com/Govt-outraged-over-attack-BJP-wants-fight-to-finish/H1-Article3-527924.aspx| archive-date= 8 April 2010 }}

The Maoist leader Gopal stated that the attack was conducted as a "direct consequence" to the government's Operation Green Hunt.{{cite news|url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/delhi-news/chhatisgarh-attack-consequence-of-green-hunt-maoist-leader/story-G4utwRHT24hNgnug1PLs1L.html |title=Chhatisgarh attack 'consequence' of Green Hunt: Maoist leader |newspaper=Hindustan Times |access-date=2010-04-06}}

• Timeline of the Naxalite–Maoist insurgency
• 2021 Sukma-Bijapur attack
• 2000 Zhani-Vedeno ambush
• 2024 Kanker clash

{{Reflist}}

• [http://www.ndtv.com/video/player/news/planned-dantewada-operation-for-months-naxal-to-ndtv/136818 Planned Dantewada operation for months: Naxal to NDTV]

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Category:21st-century mass murder in India

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Category:History of Chhattisgarh (1947–present)

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