Why Lugu Hills victory is a crucial point in final stretch of battle against Maoists

India Today

25-04-2025

As the ashen light filtered through trees before dawn on April 21, a joint contingent of the Jharkhand police and CoBRA commandos of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) manoeuvred silently through the tangled undergrowth of Lugu Hills.Intelligence had indicated the presence of a substantial group of Maoist cadre deep within the forest, and at first light, the security forces struck, catching the Maoists off-guard. By the time the sun had fully risen over the canopy, eight Maoists lay dead, among them Prayag Manjhi, better known to the movement as Vivek da, a Central Committee member with a bounty of Rs 1 crore on his head.advertisementThe precision of the raid—codenamed 'Dakabeda'—was a reflection of months of painstaking surveillance and coordination between local police units and CoBRA, who are specialists in jungle warfare. Acting on 'actionable intelligence', as officers described it, the teams entered the hostile terrain at approximately 05:30 hrs. Their objective: to neutralise senior Maoist leaders and seize any weapons caches that might reveal the strength of the insurgents' armament.The operation was meticulously planned. The police had pin-pointed information on exactly who they were targeting and where they had holed up. This is the first time in the state's history that a Central Committee member of the Maoists, carrying such a high bounty, has been eliminated in a single operation.
This underlines the strategic importance of Vivek da's death to the broader counter-insurgency campaign. Vivek da's notoriety within the Maoist hierarchy stemmed from his reputed role in orchestrating several high-profile ambushes against security forces over the past two years. Local police officials blame him for planning attacks that left more than a dozen personnel dead in Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand. His neutralisation, according to Jharkhand police, will deal a significant blow to the operational cohesion of the insurgent network in eastern India.advertisementThe gun battle extended for over an hour before the Maoists, taken by surprise, were forced into retreat. When the last echoes of gunfire faded, security personnel swept the site, recovering a formidable array of weaponry: one AK-series assault rifle, one self-loading rifle (SLR), three INSAS rifles, a semi-automatic pistol and eight country-made Bharmar firearms. Such an arsenal, officials said, indicated both the insurgents' preparedness for protracted guerrilla operations and their capacity to procure or manufacture arms in remote forest sanctuaries.There were no casualties among the security forces. The success, according to officers, was due in large part to the element of surprise, rigorous training and the surgical execution of the assault plan. 'This is a decisive strike against Left Wing Extremism (LWE),' declared inspector general of police Amol Vinukant Homkar. 'It demonstrates our unwavering commitment to eradicating Naxalism and restoring the rule of law in every corner of Jharkhand.'The encounter forms part of a nationwide offensive under which the central government aims to eliminate LWE by March 2026. In a post on X, dated April 1, Union home minister Amit Shah highlighted that the number of districts most affected by LWE had halved to six. He added that 'districts of concern' have fallen from nine to six while other LWE-affected districts have decreased from 17 to just six. This, he asserted, reflects the success of combined security operations and targeted development projects.advertisementYet, analysts caution that military victories alone will not end the insurgency. The Maoists have long tapped into grievances over land rights, displacement and poverty among indigenous and other marginalised groups. Their guerrilla tactics—ambushes, improvised explosive devices and assassinations—remain a potent threat in forested and mineral-rich terrain where state presence has historically been thin.For the families of the slain insurgents, the encounter is a reminder of a conflict that has wrought tragedy on both sides. The government has for years offered rehabilitation and surrender schemes, including vocational training and financial assistance, to Maoist cadre who lay down arms. Yet activists argue that such measures must be expanded and coupled with genuine dialogue on land and labour rights, if the cycle of violence is to be broken.As security forces continue combing operations in and around the encounter site, the broader community looks on with a mixture of relief and apprehension. For many villagers, the presence of armed cadre has meant extortion, forced recruitment and the constant fear of reprisals. The removal of key leaders like Vivek da may well disrupt the insurgents' ability to coordinate attacks and recruit new members, but it may also prompt desperate last-ditch efforts by remaining cadre to demonstrate their resilience.advertisementThe encounter in Lugu Hills is, for now, a significant chapter in India's protracted struggle against LWE. But a truly historic victory will require not only further eliminations of insurgent leadership but also the forging of a social contract that addresses the deep-rooted inequalities on which the Maoists have long thrived. Only then, advocates say, can the promise of peace and development in states like Jharkhand be fully realised.Subscribe to India Today MagazineMust Watch