Pro-Government Militias
Salwa Judum (India)
Basic Group Information
| Name assigned by coder: | no |
| PGM ID Number: | 223 |
| Country: | India |
| Date formed: | June 4, 2005 |
| Accuracy of date formed: | day |
| Details of Formation: | The group started as an anti-Maoist village defense movement in 2005 and was set up by the state government. However, the exact details of the foundation remain unclear. While the government definitively encouraged the formation of the Salwa Judum, some sources portray the original creation as a spontaneous uprising, which then turned into a paramilitary force for the government. |
| Date dissolved: | July 5, 2011 |
| Accuracy of date dissolved: | day |
| Details of Termination: | On July 5, 2011, India’s Supreme Court declared the Salwa Judum as unconstitutional. It subsequently ordered the government to disband and disarm the group. There is no evidence that the group received any support after the court’s decision or carried out further attacks. Some members were integrated into an auxiliary police force as SPOs. |
| Termination Type(s): | disarmed; government defects |
Former and Successor Group Information
| Predecessor group(s): | none |
| Successor group(s): | none |
| Private Military Company? | no |
| Former Group? | no |
| Former Armed Group? | no |
| Former Rebel Group? | no |
| Former Rebel Group UCDP ID: | none |
| PGM Becomes Rebel Group? | no |
| Successor Rebel Group UCDP ID: | none |
Government Relation, Support, and Training
| Government Relation: | semi-official (type 2) |
| Created by the Government?: | yes | Main Creating Government Institution: | subnational government |
| Government Link(s): | state (institution) |
| If link to party, name of party: | None |
| Training and Equipment: | yes |
| Shared Information and Joint Operations: | yes |
| Shared Personnel: | no |
| Type(s) of Material Support: | domestic government; plunder and loot |
| State Sponsor(s): | none |
| Other Connection(s): |
Group Characteristics
| Membership: | village/rural |
| Primary Membership: | local |
| Alternative Primary Membership: | no information |
| Location: | Chhattisgarh |
| Force Strength: | [3000, 6500] |
| Target(s): | civilians; rebels, insurgents, or other armed group |
| Purpose(s): | protect state, national or religious institutions; self-defense and security; fight insurgents |
Ethnic Characteristics
| Ethnic Target(s): | none |
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Targeting: | not applicable |
| Ethnic Membership: | none |
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Membership: | not applicable |
| Ethnic Purpose: | none |
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Purpose: | not applicable |
Other Information
| Other Information: | The group’s name is translated as Campaign for Peace or “Peace hunt/march/mission”. |
New Variables from Meta-Analysis
Purpose
| Purpose: | The group was anti-Maoist and used by the government to combat Naxalite insurgents and mitigate violence perpetrated by them. It ran camps where suspected Maoist supporters were detained. |
| Relative Benefit(s) of PGM Use | unknown |
Treatment of Civilians
| Treatment of Civilians: | The group is reported to have committed human rights violations, such as killings, rape and other sexual violence, and forcibly displaced villagers. It was responsible for intimidation, extortion, arson to the extent of burning down villages, beating and looting. The PGM is reported to have contributed to an escalation of violence. |
| Type(s) of Violence against Civilians: | killing; beating; sexual violence |
Reasons for Membership
| PGM Members Coerced? | yes |
| PGM Members Paid? | no information |
| Reasons for Membership: | The material benefits gained from extortion and looting are reported as an incentive to join for some members. |
| PGM Members Killed? | often |
PGM Size
| Size: |
Weapons and Training
| Weapons and Training: | Members of the group were armed with bows and arrows and SPOs were trained and armed by the government. However, it is stated that training was limited. |
Organisation
| Organisation: | The PGM received funding and material assistance from the government for camps it was ordered to run. According to news sources, the government was not able to effectively control the group. When it started as a movement, the group was led by K. Madhukar Rao. |
Reference(s) for Meta-Analysis
Evidence
- Examine the evidence for this coding.