Raipur, February 28, 2025 – The People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) has strongly condemned the arrest of Raghu Midiyami, a 24-year-old activist and former president of the now-banned Moolvasi Bachao Manch (MBM). Midiyami was taken into custody by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in Raipur on February 27 under charges of acting at the behest of Maoists in organizing protests against police camps, roads, and bridges in Bastar’s interior villages.
Midiyami has been booked under sections of the Chhattisgarh Vishesh Jan Suraksha Adhiniyam (CVJSA), 2005, as well as the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), which relate to the management of an unlawful organization, abetting unlawful activity, and allegedly raising funds for a banned outfit. His arrest follows the detention of two MBM members, Gajendra Madavi and Laxman Kunjam, in May 2024, who were accused of possessing ₹6 lakh in demonetized ₹2000 currency notes allegedly handed over by a Maoist commander.
PUCL has denounced these allegations as an attempt to silence grassroots activism. “The NIA’s claims reflect a long-standing pattern of branding all protests in Bastar as Maoist-driven, denying the people their agency to organize and resist policies that impact their lives,” the civil liberties group stated in a press release.
MBM, formed during the Silger protests against a police camp where four villagers were killed in police firing, had been leading nearly 30 sit-in protests across Bastar before its ban in October 2024 under CVJSA. PUCL argues that Midiyami and his associates were not opposing development but were advocating for the legal implementation of the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act (PESA) and the Forest Rights Act (FRA), demanding consultation with local communities before undertaking infrastructural projects.
The organization further criticized the use of stringent laws like UAPA and CVJSA against activists engaging in constitutional forms of protest. “People cannot be labeled anti-development for simply demanding that the authorities follow due process,” PUCL stated, highlighting that many villagers opposed security camps and highways, claiming they facilitated corporate resource extraction rather than benefiting local communities.
PUCL has called for the immediate release of Midiyami and other detained MBM activists, including Suneeta Pottam, Gajendra Madavi, and Shankar, and has urged the Chhattisgarh government to lift the ban on the organization.
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