Porattom chairperson M.N. Ravunni and general convener Shano Lal said here on Friday that the killing of Maoist leader Nambala Keshava Rao alias Basavaraju and his comrades at Abujhmarh in Chhattisgarh had taken place well after the Communist Party of India (Maoist) [CPI(Maoist)] had unilaterally declared a ceasefire to pave the way for peace talks with the Union government.

Condemning the killing of Basavaraju and his comrades, Porattom leaders described the Central Home Department’s encounter as illegal, immoral and cowardly. “The encounter was orchestrated to serve corporate interests particularly in mineral-rich areas, rather than pursuing a peaceful resolution,” said Mr. Ravunni.

The Porattom State general council has described Basavaraju as a martyr in the country’s revolutionary struggle who dedicated his life to liberating the oppressed. “He lived among the poorest, striving to turn his dreams into reality, until he fell to the State forces,” said the general council.

Mr. Ravunni said that the Adivasi population of central India, particularly in Chhattisgarh and Bastar, had turned to Maoist activism in response to corporate exploitation and violent evictions from their ancestral lands. “Their struggle for land rights and self-determination has become a broader vision for a new and democratic India,” he said.

He said India’s revolutionary movements were met with brutal repression and massacres across various regions, including Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Odisha, Punjab and Maharashtra. He said Naxalbari’s revolution had sparked India’s revolutionary movement and left a lasting impact.

Published – May 23, 2025 08:27 pm IST