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Two decades on, Chhattisgarh puts number of tribals displaced by Maoist violence at 31,098

March 19, 2026 4 min read Social Issues Internal Security GS Paper 2 GS Paper 3
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What Happened

  • Two decades after the displacement of tribal communities from Bastar division due to Maoist violence, the Chhattisgarh government has officially quantified the number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) at 31,098.
  • The survey identifies tribals who fled to neighbouring Telangana and Andhra Pradesh primarily around 2005-2006, when the state launched the controversial Strategic Hamlet Programme (Salwa Judum) against Maoist insurgents.
  • The displacement has created a population living in legally unrecognised habitations across the two southern states, leaving them without land rights, welfare entitlements, or official recognition as permanent residents.
  • Rehabilitation under the Forest Rights Act, 2006 — specifically the in-situ rehabilitation provision under Section 3(1)(m) — has been proposed as the primary legal mechanism to restore rights.
  • The Centre had set March 31, 2026 as the deadline for eradicating Naxalism, lending new urgency to resolving the rehabilitation backlog.

Static Topic Bridges

Left-Wing Extremism (LWE) and the Bastar Displacement

Left-Wing Extremism, commonly called Maoism or Naxalism, originated in Naxalbari, West Bengal in 1967 and has spread across the "Red Corridor" — a belt of forest districts spanning Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha, Maharashtra, and parts of Andhra Pradesh. Bastar division in Chhattisgarh has historically been the most affected zone, with Maoist groups contesting state authority over forest resources and tribal land. Counter-insurgency operations, including the Salwa Judum (a state-backed civil militia active 2005-2011, later declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in 2011), resulted in mass displacement of tribal villagers caught between Maoist groups and security forces.

  • Salwa Judum: state-backed civil militia in Chhattisgarh, operational 2005-2011; declared unconstitutional by Supreme Court in 2011 in Nandini Sundar v. State of Chhattisgarh.
  • The "Red Corridor" has seen sustained decline in LWE-affected districts — from 126 districts (2010) to around 38 districts (2025) as per Home Ministry data.
  • Centre's March 31, 2026 Naxal-free India deadline reflects the final-push phase of anti-Maoist operations.
  • Displacement occurred both due to Maoist coercion and fear of crossfire during security operations.

Connection to this news: The 31,098 figure represents the legacy human cost of the Bastar insurgency — communities that have lived stateless for over 20 years as a direct consequence of LWE violence and counter-insurgency strategy.

Forest Rights Act, 2006 — In-Situ Rehabilitation Provision

The Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 (Forest Rights Act or FRA) was enacted to correct the historical injustice of denying forest-dwelling communities their traditional rights over forest land. Section 3 of the Act enumerates forest rights; Section 3(1)(m) specifically provides the right to in-situ rehabilitation including alternative land in cases where Scheduled Tribes or other traditional forest dwellers have been illegally evicted or displaced from forest land without receiving legal entitlement to rehabilitation prior to 13 December 2005.

  • FRA 2006 recognises individual forest rights (cultivation, homestead) and community forest rights (grazing, fishing, minor forest produce).
  • Section 3(1)(m): right to in-situ rehabilitation for those displaced without due process before the cut-off date (December 13, 2005).
  • Gram Sabha is the key institution for verification and granting of forest rights under FRA.
  • FRA also provides relief and rehabilitation rights for communities displaced by conservation projects (Section 4(2)(e)).
  • Implementation is handled by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs; states receive applications through Gram Sabhas.

Connection to this news: The displaced Bastar tribals are being proposed for rehabilitation under Section 3(1)(m) — their displacement from forest land without compensation before December 2005 makes them legally eligible for this provision.

Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) — National and International Framework

Unlike refugees (who cross international borders), Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) are people forced to flee their homes due to conflict, violence, disasters, or development projects, but who remain within their own country's borders. India has no dedicated national IDP law or policy, leaving IDPs — including conflict-displaced tribals — in a legal grey zone. International frameworks such as the UN Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement (1998) establish minimum standards, but they are non-binding. The National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) has been the primary institutional mechanism pushing for survey and rehabilitation of Bastar IDPs.

  • UN Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement (1998): 30 principles covering protection, assistance, and return/resettlement of IDPs; non-binding.
  • India has no dedicated IDP legislation — displaced communities rely on general welfare schemes, FRA provisions, and NCST interventions.
  • NCST issued orders in 2019 directing Chhattisgarh and neighbouring states to conduct surveys and cooperate on rehabilitation.
  • Tribal activists estimate 48,300 individuals (9,651 families) displaced across 283 unrecognised habitations in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh — the official 31,098 figure represents Chhattisgarh's count from its survey.

Connection to this news: The official quantification of 31,098 IDPs is a prerequisite for any rehabilitation programme — without a verified count, neither land allocation nor welfare entitlement delivery is possible.

Key Facts & Data

  • Official IDP count announced: 31,098 tribals from Chhattisgarh's Bastar region
  • Period of displacement: primarily 2005-2006, during Salwa Judum operations
  • Destination states: Telangana and Andhra Pradesh (and some in Odisha, Maharashtra)
  • Tribal activist estimate: ~50,000 individuals; 9,651 families in 283 unrecognised habitations across Telangana and AP
  • Salwa Judum declared unconstitutional: Supreme Court, 2011
  • Applicable rehabilitation law: Forest Rights Act 2006, Section 3(1)(m) — in-situ rehabilitation
  • Institutional oversight: National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST)
  • Government's Naxal-free India deadline: March 31, 2026
  • LWE-affected districts: reduced from 126 (2010) to ~38 (2025)