Militarism against Maoists can result in tribal repression.

• The Communist Party of India (Maoist) is facing a challenging period, with the insurgency peaked in the mid- to late-2000s and now restricted to southern Chhattisgarh.

• The Maoists’ violent political strategy has led to the erosion of support bases in areas where the Indian state’s agencies were weak.

• Central governments have adopted a take-noprisoners approach to tackle the Maoists’ guerilla warfare, reducing their threat.

• The police and paramilitary agencies have made errors in their anti-insurgency strategy, such as the Salwa Judum campaign.

• The Indian state’s belief in a purely militaristic approach to the Maoist threat is based on experiences against similar insurgencies.

• A better solution would involve civil society in negotiating a truce and sending a clear message for the Maoists to give up their violent path with incentives for rehabilitation.

• The loss of lives, including tribals, should prompt the Maoists to change tack, as seen with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and the Nepali Maoists.