Some months from now, Naxalism in India could be history. The strong will and determination shown by our security forces, along with the development initiatives undertaken by the centre in the so-called Red Corridor, have achieved what was unimaginable a decade ago.
Just yesterday, in a place once infamous for Maoist activity, Gadchiroli, dreaded Maoist Mallojula Venugopal Rao, popularly known as Sonu Bhupathi, along with 60 other People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA) fighters, surrendered before security forces.
Bhupati is no ordinary Maoist but is considered the think tank of left-wing extremism in India. He had a hand in most of the Maoist terror attacks in and around Gandchiroli, Maharashtra. For the past four decades, he was into Maoist activities, acting as its key strategist. He has been a key member of the CPI (Maoist)’s Central Military Commission, the highest Maoist body responsible for planning and approving attacks on security forces and innocent civilians. He was the master mind behind the 2010 Chintalnar village massacre in Dantewada district of Chhattisgarh, India, which led to the killing of 76 CRPF policemen.
Brother of another most feared Maoist, Mallojula Koteshwara Rao alias Kishan Ji, who was killed in an encounter in 2011, Bhupati was planning to surrender to the police for the past several years and had even told his cadres about his plans. He carried multiple bounties, ranging from Rs 1 crore to 10 crore, across states like Odisha, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh. His wife, Tarakka alias Narmada was already killed in an encounter in December 2018
There was a time when Naxalism looked invincible & security forces looked meek as the fearsome Maoists attacked them at the places of their choice. But it all started changing post 2014 as PM Modi took over at the helm of affairs at the centre & the country got a strong Home Minister in the form of Amit Shah. Thus, there was no more softening on terror. Union Home Minister has already pledged to eradicate Maoism from the country by March 31, 2026 & the goal looks close to achievement.
Home Ministry’s initiatives like Operation Kagar have broken the backbone of the Maoists. Launched as a pet project of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Operation Kagar is the government’s most ambitious effort yet to eliminate Maoists, especially in the so-called “Red Corridor” spanning Chhattisgarh, Telangana and neighbouring states.
Interestingly, while security forces are dealing Maoists with iron hand, there are some in India,who still keep sympathies for them. Only recently, Congress Telangana CM Revanth Reddy was seen writing a letter to Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge seeking his advice towards holding talks with Maoists.But that is not just Revanth Reddy’s problem, it is the problem with the entire Congress. The grand old party have always lingered on adopting soft approach towards terror challenges before the country and instead of taking strong action has always preferred a dialogue. Even several leaders from Left parties have been still calling for dialogue as last ditch effort to save their ideological friends.
A month back,Top Naxal leader Pothula Padmavathi, alias Sujatha, 62, who had been underground for 43 years, surrendered to police in Telangana. She was wife of Kisen ji, brother of Bhupati.
As per a report of the banned CPI (Maoist), a total of 357 Maoists have been killed in the country at the hands of security forces in various encounters in past one year. And mind you, Maoists themselves are admitting it. Some of major succusses include killing of general secretary Nambala Keshav Rao alias Basavaraju (70) who was neutralised by security forces in Narayanpur in Chhattisgarh on May 21. In the month of Sept this year,two maoists Kadari Satyanarayana Reddy alias Kosa and Katta Ramchandra Reddy alias Raju were killed in the encounter in the very Narayanpur. On Sept 18, 12 Naxals carrying a bounty of Rs 18 lakhs surrendered before police in Narayanpur.
In Jharkhand’s Hazaribag, on Sept 15, dreaded maoist Sahdev Soren, who carried a bounty of ₹1 Crore and combined bounty of ₹1.35 Crore were killed in Pati Piri forest of the state. A Maoist member of central committee Balakrishna was killed by security forces in Chhattisgarh on Sept 11. Besides being neutralised, a large number Maoists leaders have also surrendered before security forces.
Remember how during earlier times, we lost a large number of innocent lives due to violence unleashed by Maoists. Gone are the days, when Maoist writ use to run in places like Abujhmarh in Chhattisgarh were called as out of bounds for ordinary Indians. This is a new India that has “an iron fist in a velvet glove”.
