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To,
Respected Ma’am,
The Hon’ble President of India
Rashtrapati Bhavan
New Delhi – 110004
Date: 24.04.25
Subject: Urgent Appeal to Halt Ongoing Military Operations and Ensure a Ceasefire in Adivasi Regions
Dear Madam,
We write to you at a critical juncture for Bastar (Chhattisgarh), Gadchiroli (Maharashtra), West Singhbhum (Jharkhand), and adjoining areas where the constitutional rights and the very lives of Adivasi communities are under unprecedented and immediate threat. Since January 2024, due to dramatic escalation in militarisation and intensified Operations in Bastar alone, over 400 people have been killed, including civilians and children, with many of these deaths alleged to be fake encounters.
As the constitutional head of state—and the first Adivasi President of India—you hold a unique position of moral and political responsibility. In this moment of escalating violence and the resultant loss of hundreds of lives your voice and urgent intervention are critically needed to impress upon the Government to resort to dialogue as a means of conflict resolution.
We enclose a memorandum endorsed by hundreds of organisations and individuals across the country, urging you to advise the Government of India to declare an immediate and unconditional Ceasefire and to initiate Peace Talks with the CPI (Maoist) on an urgent basis.
In the last three weeks, the CPI (Maoist) has released three public statements expressing their readiness to observe Ceasefire and for Peace Talks, contingent upon the Government halting armed operations. Most recently, a Maoist leader, Rupesh, has through an interview given to Bastar Talkies, a popular YouTube channel (uploaded on 22 April 2025) announced that the Party has instructed its cadre to desist from any violent actions except in a situation where they are trapped and are forced to resist. This amounts to a unilateral ceasefire.
It is now incumbent upon the Government of India and concerned state governments to halt all armed operations immediately and agree to a Ceasefire. While the Government has claimed openness to “unconditional” dialogue, in practice, it has imposed pre-conditions—demanding surrender and return to the mainstream. Meanwhile, military operations have intensified dramatically. This is not, in our view, how a government committed to peace responds to overtures for dialogue. What is unfolding is a state-driven campaign to shut down the possibility of political resolution altogether.
At this juncture, an unconditional Ceasefire by the Government is a constitutional imperative. It is the only viable way to halt the violence, rebuild trust among Adivasi communities, and reaffirm the state’s commitment to justice, peace, and democratic values. The continued militarised response to what is fundamentally a political crisis—rooted in dispossession and historical marginalisation—has already caused immense and lasting harm. A just resolution is urgently required, one that recognises the present situation for what it is: a deepening political crisis involving the state’s own citizens.
In light of these developments and the gravity of the constitutional concerns they raise, we draw your attention to Schedule V of the Constitution, together with Articles 339(1) and 275(1), which confer upon your office a clear constitutional mandate concerning the welfare of Scheduled Tribes and the governance of Scheduled Areas. Given the scale and urgency of the present crisis, the constitutional responsibilities vested in your office under these provisions now call for immediate and decisive action.
We urge you to impress upon the Government of India the urgency of halting military operations, safeguarding Scheduled Areas, and initiating a genuine peace process involving local Adivasis. Your intervention could determine whether what follows from this moment is more bloodshed or a door is opened to a principled, constitutional resolution.
We remain committed to supporting all sincere and democratic efforts toward this end.
In solidarity and commitment to justice,
Prof. G. Haragopal
Peace Dialogue Committee, Telangana
Soni Sori
Adivasi Activist, Dantewada, Chhattisgarh
Bela Bhatia
Chhattisgarh Bachao Andolan
Kavita Srivastava
People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL)
Kranthi Chaitanya
Coordination of Democratic Rights Organisations (CDRO)
Parminder Singh
Democratic Front Against Operation Green Hunt, Punjab
On behalf of the signatories to the memorandum
