Raipur-  A coalition of human rights and democratic organizations marked a somber milestone today, observing one year since the arrest of Adivasi rights activist Raghu Midiyami. The 26-year-old president of the Moolwasi Bacchao Manch (MBM) was taken into custody by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on February 27, 2025, under circumstances that rights groups describe as a clear case of wrongful incarceration and custodial cruelty.

According to a press release issued by the Campaign Against State Repression (CASR), Midiyami was arrested from a hospital in Dantewada while recuperating from serious injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident. The NIA acted under FIR RC-02/2023/NIA/Raipur. His supporters claim that instead of receiving necessary medical care, the injured activist was immediately taken into custody.

Over the past year, the legal pressure on Midiyami has intensified. CASR alleges that in addition to the original NIA case, state authorities have filed six additional cases against him under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). The organizations backing the campaign claim this is a "deliberate strategy" to deny him bail and prolong his imprisonment.

“The clear intention is to keep him behind bars to ensure that there is no organized resistance to the corporate loot of natural resources in the Bastar region,” the CASR statement read.

Midiyami, described as a popular Adivasi youth leader, was at the forefront of peaceful, democratic mobilizations in the Bastar region through the Moolwasi Bacchao Manch. The platform, formed by Adivasi peasants, had coordinated nearly 30 peaceful sit-in protests across the region, demanding the implementation of the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act (PESA), protection of forest rights (Jal-Jangal-Jameen), an end to forced displacement due to mining, and a halt to militarization and alleged fake encounters.

Rights groups strongly refute the allegations linking Midiyami to Maoist organizations, stating that no credible evidence has been presented publicly. They argue that these charges are being used to criminalize legitimate democratic dissent following the Chhattisgarh government's ban on the Moolwasi Bacchao Manch in October 2024.

Medical Negligence Alleged

A major point of concern raised by the campaign is the alleged denial of proper medical treatment to Midiyami while in custody. The activist reportedly suffered a fractured finger from the motorcycle accident prior to his arrest. CASR alleges that despite repeated requests, jail authorities failed to provide timely and adequate treatment.

“As a result, his finger has reportedly twisted permanently in the wrong direction due to medical negligence,” the press note stated, adding, “Arresting an injured person from a hospital and then denying him treatment for a year amounts to custodial cruelty and a violation of his fundamental rights.”

The CASR statement criticized what it calls a broader pattern of repression in central India, where Adivasi assertion for land and livelihood rights is systematically equated with insurgency. The group also questioned the silence of senior leaders who have surrendered from armed movements and claim to work within the constitutional framework, asking what space remains for constitutional dissent when peaceful organizing is met with bans and UAPA charges.

To mark the one-year milestone, the coalition of over 40 organizations including the All India Students’ Association (AISA), Students’ Federation of India (SFI), National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM), and the Campaign Against State Repression (CASR) has reiterated its demands:

1. The immediate release of Raghu Midiyami.

2. The withdrawal of all cases against him, including the NIA case and additional UAPA charges.

3. Provision of immediate and comprehensive medical treatment.

4. An end to the criminalization of peaceful Adivasi movements in Bastar.

“One year of incarceration without justice is one year too many,” the groups stated, calling on all democratic and progressive forces to unite in demanding accountability and Midiyami’s release.