New Delhi, April 12: Human rights activists today urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to prevent the direct involvement of civilians in the counter-insurgency operations against Naxalites and stop the Salwa Judum campaign in Chhattisgarh.

A day before Singh chairs the conference of chief ministers of 13 Naxalite-affected states here, activist and director of Asian Centre for Human Rights Suhas Chakma questioned the Centre?s move that can displace thousands of tribals whose lives are under threat due to the anti-Maoist campaign.

?The Salwa Judum campaign only creates the conditions which the Naxalites exploit with heavy loss of lives of the civilians. Since January 1, 2006, 133 persons have been killed in Chhattisgarh of which the Naxalites have killed 89 civilians and 25 security forces,? said Chakma.

The rights activist warned that displacement of the tribals in this manner would foment further trouble against the government. ?Is the Centre and the Maoist-affected states ready to displace millions of tribals with the aim of disconnecting Naxalites from the civilians? If these displaced people cannot be fed until the problem is resolved with guarantees for safety and security, displacement will only create further support for the Naxalites,? he argued.

If the state cannot take care of the tribals, the latter may end up joining the Maoists, said Chakma, adding that the Centre should first rehabilitate the Adivasis displaced by development projects and national parks.

Describing the Adivasi and Dalit dimensions of the Naxalite-affected districts, Chakma quoted the 2001 census according to which tribals constituted 66 per cent of the population in Chhattisgarh?s Dantewada district and 55 per cent in Sarguja.

Dalits, on the other hand, accounted for 29.5 per cent of the population in Bihar?s Gaya district, 20 per cent in Nalanda and 18.5 per cent in Jehanabad.

The Adivasis and Dalits together constituted 30.5 per cent of the population in Warangal, 35.5 per cent in Khammam and 27.5 per cent in Nalgonda district of Andhra Pradesh.

The Naxalite-affected areas require sustainable development on ?war footing? and ensuring the rights of the Adivasis and Dalits must be at the heart of these development programmes, he felt.

Chakma also condemned the violation of humanitarian laws by the Maoists.