The Students’ Federation of India (SFI) and other Urban Naxal groups have condemned the elimination of dreaded Naxal terrorist Madvi Hidma. They described the encounter as an ‘extrajudicial killing’. Furthermore, they accused the Indian State of “brazen violation of the rule of law, constitutional safeguards, and past Supreme Court directives.”
The Campaign Against State Repression (CASR) issued a statement on what it called a ‘fake encounter’. It said, “We condemn this fake encounter of Madvi Hidma and the ruthless crushing of people’s movements” led by Advisasi and non-Adivasi individuals.
They further said, “(Operation) Kagaar has normalised extrajudicial killings, replaced arrest with execution, and subjected Adivasi communities to indiscriminate militarisation and collective punishment.” CASR is an umbrella organisation of left wing groups. The SFI is one of its many members. SFI is the students’ wing of CPIM.
The Forum Against Corporatization and Militarization (FACAM) also issued a statement over the matter. The Bhagat Singh Chhatra Ekta Manch (bsCEM) and Nazariya Magazine shared the statement on their Instagram accounts. Both are constituent organisations of FACAM. AISA is also one of its many constituent groups.
READ: The dangerous antecedents of FACAM
FACAM said, “It is very questionable that Madvi Hidma, a Central Committee member who also headed PLGA Battalion No. 1, could so easily be killed and singled out from among the large section of rebels that move along with the leaders.”
It also said, “As per CLC Andhra Pradesh, Hidma and his comrades were abducted by Andhra Pradesh Police and Greyhounds while they were taking refuge in the area. It is reported that an informer had given information, after which they were abducted, taken to Maredu Milli, a forest, tortured, and killed.” FACAM described the encounter as “cold blooded killing” and “so called encounter”.
Also Read: Why Hidma’s death is so crucial towards defeating Naxal Terrorism
The bsCEM issued its own separate statement as well. It said that since 28th October, “Hidma and his comrades were in a shelter in Andhra Pradesh. Andhra Pradesh Police along with the notorious Greyhound apprehended Hidma and his comrades from the shelter in Andhra Pradesh… The police then took them unarmed, into the Maredumilli forests and brutally killed them. There is a possibility that more unarmed people may have been killed.”
The bsCEM then descended into glorifying Maoist terrorism. It claimed that Maoism arose as a “solution” to the oppression of the masses. It said, “The Indian State has continued serving the Imperialist masters, staying true to its comprador character.”
bsCEM further stated, “Revolutionaries like Hidma have lived and died for the masses.” They said that “their martyrdom will only enrage us more to carry forward their struggles.”
Collective, another left wing organisation, offered “Red Salute” to “martyr Comrade Madvi Hidma”. They claimed that the photographs of the dead bodies “show clear torture marks”. Therefore, they conclude that it was a “staged encounter”.
The group condemned the “fake encounter of Adivasis in the name of eliminating Naxalism”. Shambhavi, President, and Shourya, General Secretary, signed the statement.
Who was Madvi Hidma?
Madvi Hidma was one of the most violent commanders in the history of the Maoist movement. He joined the insurgency as a teenager and rose through the ranks due to his mastery of terrain, ability to mobilize large units, and capacity for coordinated ambushes.
He was responsible for:
1) the 2010 Chintalnar attack that killed 76 CRPF personnel
2) the 2013 Darbha Valley ambush that wiped out senior Congress leaders
3) the 2021 Tekulguda attack that killed 22 security personnel
His tactics relied heavily on exploiting the geography of Bastar, placing pressure mines, using civilian routes as cover, and overwhelming patrols with hundreds of armed cadres. For years, he was the face of the Maoist military machine in Bastar.
Indian Security Forces neutralised Madvi Hidma on November 18.
