Adivasi Human Rights Defenders Face Targeted Persecution in India

The arrest and long detention of Adivasi human rights defenders in Chhattisgarh show a clear and cruel plan to crush peaceful protest. The state and its agencies are using force and law to break local organising and to frighten people who speak up about land grabs, forced moves and abuse by security forces. The cases of Raghu Midiyami and Suneeta Pottam make plain that this is not a set of mistakes. It is a set policy to silence critics and to clear the way for projects and more control. Communities pay the cost while the rulers act with impunity.

The Arrests And The Denial Of Care

The facts are hard and must be said plainly. On 27 February 2025 Raghu Midiyami was taken from a hospital while he was getting treatment after a road crash. Instead of being cared for he was kept in custody and denied surgery and other care he clearly needed. This looks less like an error and more like a deliberate act to punish him for his work and to warn others. Holding an injured man without care is cruel and shows how the state will use pain to silence those who speak up.

· Arrest While Hospitalised: Midiyami Was Taken From Hospital And Held By National Agents: Medical Care Was Denied And His Wounds Got Worse.
· Health Denied As Punishment: Repeated Requests For Surgery Were Ignored: This Reads As A Way To Break Activists.
· Petitioners Targeted: His Arrest Came As He Tried To Challenge The Ban On His Group: This Looks Like Direct Revenge For Legal Protest.

The Campaign Against Women Defenders

Women who stand up for Adivasi rights face harsher pressure and open threats. Suneeta Pottam has been followed, threatened and pushed by police for years. On one occasion officers forced their way into her home, dragged her and took her without clear papers. She was later hit with serious charges that rights groups say were made up to hide the real motive. These moves aim to scare women away from public work and to shut down voice that protect families and children.

· Forced Arrests And Violence: Pottam Was Dragged From Her Home And Treated Roughly: The Use Of Force Shows Intent To Scare.
· Made Up Charges: Serious Accusations Were Used To Hide A Political Aim: The Law Was Turned Against Her Rights Work.
· Women Left Worse Off: Removing Women Leaders Cuts Off Help For Those Facing Abuse And Loss.

The Laws Used To Silence Dissent

Laws made for real danger are now being used against normal rights work. Peaceful groups are called unlawful and their leaders are hunted. By calling civic groups a security threat, the state opens the door to strong police power and long jail times. This turns the law into a tool to crush critics and to stop public debate, not to protect people.

· Broad Use Of Law: Rules For Serious Threats Are Applied To Peaceful Activists: This Lets Authorities Treat Dissent As Crime.
· Ban Used As Weapon: Declaring A Rights Group Unlawful Makes It Easier To Target Leaders And Stop Their Work.
· Central Agencies Called In: Transfers To National Investigators And Long Pre Trial Detention Are Used To Break Local Work: Leaders Are Kept Away From Their People.

The Aim To Silence Resistance To Projects And Camps

These arrests help those who want to push projects and set up security camps. When local leaders are jailed or scared it is easier for companies and the state to take land and set up camps. The state then points to unrest to justify more control. This creates a cruel circle where repression creates the reason for further repression and communities lose any chance to speak for themselves.

· Clearing Land For Projects: Silencing Locals Makes It Easier To Push Development Plans Without Local Consent: People Are Shut Out Of Choices About Their Land.
· Security Claim Used As Cover: Talk Of Danger Is Used To Hide The Use Of Force Against Peaceful Dissent: The State Turns Victims Into Suspects.
· Breaking Community Action: Removing Leaders Weakens The Power To Oppose Unjust Plans: Ordinary People Lose Their Voice.

The Human Cost And The Gender Angle

The harm is real and goes deep. Families lose the people who speak up for them and who help defend their land. When women leaders are locked up the special problems they raise are less likely to be heard. Without defenders, reports of land loss, forced moves and abuse go unchecked. Fear grows and people stop asking for justice. Over time trust in courts and police falls and the poor and tribal communities are left to fend for themselves.

· Families Left Unprotected: Arrests Take Away Everyday Defenders Against Land Grabs And Police Abuse: Ordinary People Suffer Most.
· Women More Exposed: When Women Leaders Are Locked Up The Issues Of Sexual Violence And Forced Moves Are Less Likely To Be Reported: The Most Vulnerable Pay The Highest Price.
· Loss Of Trust: Long Term Fear Makes Communities Give Up On Seeking Justice: The System Comes To Look Hostile.

What The World And Domestic Institutions Must Do

There must be quick checks on this harsh policy. Detainees must get fast medical care and full access to lawyers and family. Courts must test charges openly and fairly. International bodies and friendly governments that say they stand for rights must not look away. Naming these acts and refusing to accept them as normal will make it harder for any government to crush civic life with impunity.

· Insist On Medical And Legal Rights: Detainees Must Get Care And Lawyers Without Delay: This Is Basic Human Need.
· Demand Open Trials: Charges Must Be Proven In Public Courts Not Hidden Behind Security Claims: Justice Must Be Seen To Happen.
· Push For Outside Checks: Independent Monitors Should Be Allowed To Check The Cases: Openness Is Key To Stop Abuse.

Conclusion: End The Pattern Of Silence And Punishment

The campaign against Adivasi defenders is a clear test of India’s claim to follow the law. A state that uses force, made up charges and denial of care to silence critics acts like a bully. If India wants to be called a democracy it must stop treating peaceful rights work as a crime. The state must stop using cruelty as a tool of control, free those held on weak grounds and let communities speak up without fear. Those who ordered or carried out abuse must be held to account. Only then can trust be rebuilt and the weak be protected rather than punished for asking for fairness.