Maoists desperate to regain lost ground in Andhra-Odisha Border after Basavaraju's death
In guerrilla warfare, one of the basic tactics is setting up multiple bases with a small number of rebels under one leader rather than concentrating a big group under a couple of top leaders. This is done to see that the movement lives, even if one group retreats due to the offensive of the security forces or finished by them.
This strategy was strictly being followed under the leadership of CPI (Maoist) general secretary Nambala Keshava Rao alias Basavaraju, who was killed by the security forces in Chhattisgarh on May 21. With his death, will the strategy change? Senior police officers say that it may not.
Coming under intense security pressure at Chhattisgarh and with the literal blockade of Korragutta in Chhattisgarh, where the bulk of the Maoist military wing is said to have holed up, the leaders and cadres who had once held the sway in Andhra Odisha Border (AOB) region, are desperate to rejuvenate the movement in this area.
The AOB has always been a fertile ground for the banned CPI (Maoist) for its inaccessible terrain and thick forest cover. About 60% of AOB is inaccessible by road. Certain areas such as Galikonda and Gurtedu are thickly forested, making the combing operation difficult. A Maoist document recovered from an encounter site mentioned a proposal about shifting the entire central committee team to the region in case of extreme emergency.
In June 2021, after the Teegalametta encounter in Alluri Sitharama Raju district, in which six top Maoist leaders were killed, the entire group of Maoists led by Kakuri Pandana alias Jagan, Gajarla Ravi alias Uday and Aruna, had vacated the AOB.
By September 2021, the team of 30 to 40 Maoists had moved to Dandakaranya zone of Chhattisgarh and were operating for the DKSZC (Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee).
They have been trying to regroup since August 2022. They conducted surveys and two teams — one led by Jagan and the other led by Uday and Aruna — entered the AOB in May 2024, through the Konta block of Chhattisgarh and Kailmela region of AOB, said a senior officer engaged in anti-Maoist operations.
Lying low
However, they have been lying low, shifting between Kalimela and Galikonda regions. The Maoist movement depends on two verticals – one is the political movement, which is used to spread their ideology and recruit new entrants, and the military vertical, which is used to attack security forces.
The Maoists are unable to conduct open meetings now to motivate and recruit new cadres. The tribals, who were once sympathisers of the Maoists, are refusing to join as they are happy with the government schemes and benefits. On the other hand, the combing operations are getting intensified.
As per sources, Maoists are hiding. The group of five to seven Maoists led by Jagan are in disarray, especially after the death of Jagan and Ramesh in an encounter this year.
Meanwhile, the strength of the other group led by Uday and Aruna, who had moved in with about 30 cadres, have dwindled to 20 with a string of surrenders.
Son of the soil
The last link between the tribals and the Maoists was Jagan. His death was a huge blow to the movement. Jagan, a tribal from GK Veedhi, became the SZCM (Special Zonal Committee Member). He had held sway among the locals in the Maoist-hit mandals of ASR district.
He was the last of the tribals to rise to the top levels after Kudumula Ravi, who died of illness in 2016, and Bakuri Venkataramana alias Ganesh, who was killed in Ramaguda encounter.
The only connection that the tribals now have with the Maoists is Uday. Though a non-tribal from Telangana, he commands respect among the locals, unlike Aruna, who has fallen out of favour due to her high-handed attitude.
Sources say that Uday, who has been inducted into the Central Committee, is not in the best of his health. Given his health condition and intense pressure from the security forces, it would be difficult for him to gain a foothold.
Right now, they (Maoists) are in a hibernation mode, waiting for a weak phase in the security blockade to make their move, which is unlikely, as the offensive would continue, said a senior officer.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
8 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
‘Not contempt': SC refuses to quash Chhattisgarh's anti-Naxal law
The Supreme Court has dismissed a plea challenging the Chhattisgarh Auxiliary Armed Police Force Act, 2011, holding that its enactment by the state legislature does not amount to contempt of the court's previous order that outlawed the controversial Salwa Judum militia. While refusing to strike down the 2011 legislation, the top court, however, made it unequivocally clear that it is the constitutional duty of both the Centre and the Chhattisgarh government to ensure peace and rehabilitation for the people affected by violence in the region. 'We note that it is duty of the State of Chhattisgarh as well as the Union of India to take adequate steps for bringing about peace and rehabilitation to the residents of State of Chhattisgarh who have been affected by the violence from whatever quarter it may have arisen,' a bench of justices BV Nagarathna and Satish Chandra Sharma stated in its May 15 order, released recently. The bench noted that though the earlier order dated July 5, 2011 in the Nandini Sundar Vs State of Chhattisgarh case had directed the state to desist from using Special Police Officers (SPOs) in anti-Naxal operations, the 2011 Act did not violate or override that ruling, nor could the enactment of a law be equated to contempt of court. 'Any law made by the Parliament or a State legislature cannot be held to be an act of contempt of a Court, including this Court, for simply making the law…The passing of an enactment subsequent to the order of this Court by the legislature of the State of Chhattisgarh cannot, in our view, be said to be an act of contempt of the order passed by this Court,' held the bench. The bench added that the legislative action undertaken by the State was an exercise of its legitimate power under the Constitution. 'Every State Legislature has plenary powers to pass an enactment and so long as the said enactment has not been declared to be ultra vires the Constitution or, in any way, null and void by a Constitutional Court, the said enactment would have the force of law,' it said. Led by senior advocate Nitya Ramakrishnan, the petitioners — sociologist Nandini Sundar, historian Ramachandra Guha, former bureaucrat EAS Sarma, had argued that the enactment of the 2011 law was in contempt of the apex court's July 2011 judgment, which held that the practice of appointing tribal youth as SPOs and arming them to fight Maoists was unconstitutional. They contended that the new law merely gave legislative backing to an arrangement that had already been struck down by the court. However, the court noted that while the earlier directions in the Nandini Sundar judgment prohibited the use of SPOs for counter-insurgency operations and ordered disbanding of armed vigilante groups like Salwa Judum, the enactment of a new law by the state legislature could not, by itself, be equated to contempt. It added that the petitioners must mount an appropriate legal challenge if they sought to assail the validity of the 2011 law because the 'interpretative power of a constitutional court does not contemplate a situation of declaring exercise of legislative functions and passing of an enactment as an instance of a contempt of a court.' The region has witnessed a decades-old Maoist insurgency, marked by frequent clashes between security forces and armed rebels, and has claimed thousands of lives over the years, including those of civilians, security personnel, and insurgents. The present litigation arises out of the Supreme Court's landmark 2011 judgment that had declared the use of tribal civilians as SPOs to combat Maoist insurgency as unconstitutional and violative of human rights. The top court had categorically banned the use of SPOs, many of them minors, and ordered disbanding of private militias like Salwa Judum and Koya Commandos, terming their activities as 'unconstitutional'. In that order, the apex court directed the immediate cessation of using SPOs in any form of counter-insurgency operations, withdrawal of all firearms issued to SPOs, prosecution of those responsible for criminal acts committed under the aegis of Salwa Judum and NHRC and CBI probes into grave human rights violations, including alleged arson and killings in some identified districts in Chhattisgarh. However, soon after the 2011 verdict, the state government enacted the Chhattisgarh Auxiliary Armed Police Force Act, purportedly to legitimise the appointment of locals in auxiliary armed forces, prompting fresh litigation and a contempt plea by the petitioners, who argued that the enactment was an 'attempt to nullify' the Supreme Court's binding directions and that the state's move to reintroduce civilian combatants under a new statutory garb amounted to willful disobedience. They also flagged non-compliance with the court's directive to rehabilitate former SPOs, prosecute members of Salwa Judum for past atrocities, and investigate attacks on activists such as Swami Agnivesh, who was assaulted in 2011 while trying to visit affected villages. Rejecting these arguments, the bench held that enacting a law is a legislative act and must be challenged accordingly, not via contempt jurisdiction. It also took note of the Centre's and Chhattisgarh government's submission that they had complied with the directions issued in 2011 and had filed the requisite compliance reports. The Salwa Judum was a state-sponsored civil militia movement initiated in 2005 as a counter-insurgency strategy against Maoist rebels in southern Chhattisgarh. Comprising largely tribal youth armed with basic training and firearms, the movement rapidly became notorious for serious human rights abuses, including extra-judicial killings, sexual violence and forced displacement of villagers. The Salwa Judum was disbanded officially following the 2011 judgment.
India Gazette
an hour ago
- India Gazette
"Sent out strong message against terror": All-party delegation led by Sanjay Jha returns to Delhi after global outreach
New Delhi [India], June 4 (ANI): The all-party parliamentary delegation led by JD(U) MP Sanjay Kumar Jha arrived in Delhi on Tuesday after concluding a multi-nation visit aimed at bolstering international support against cross-border terrorism. The delegation visited Singapore, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, and Indonesia as part of a global outreach initiative. This diplomatic outreach follows Operation Sindoor, launched on May 7 as a decisive military response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack by Pakistan-sponsored terrorists, which claimed 26 lives. Speaking to reporters upon arrival, Sanjay Jha said, 'The message to send an all-party delegation was that the whole country is united on the issue of terrorism. Everybody spoke in one voice against it and condemned the Pahalgam incident. The way India attacked the terrorist hideouts with precision and did not harm the common citizens was appreciated and praised. We urged that action should be taken against Pakistan by the FATF (Financial Action Task Force). The delegations have sent out a strong message against terror.' CPI-M MP Dr John Brittas also spoke to mediapersons and echoed similar sentiments, stating, 'It was supposed to be very comprehensive discussions we had with the different sections of people in 5 countries, and we could successfully underscore the stand of India. India is a victim of terror, and Pakistan is a perpetrator... All these meetings turned out to be very successful.' Speaking to reporters, BJP MP Aparajita Sarangi said, 'It was heartening to find that everybody appreciated the stand of India on cross-border terrorism and they all came forward to denounce the approach of Pakistan as far as creating unrest in India is concerned, as far as the killing of innocent people is concerned. Everybody agreed to the fact that Pakistan nourishes, nurtures and promotes terrorism.' 'Already, different political parties have representation in the delegation. I don't think there is any need for a special session of Parliament. But of course, the senior leaders of the setup will decide. But I can only say that there is no need for it. We would be going for the monsoon session of Parliament very soon,' she added. Furthermore, BJP MP Brij Lal shared the same sentiments, stating, 'We went to 5 countries... We also told them the importance of Sindoor... We also told them that we are a peace-loving country, and we won't accept cross-border terrorism, and we will take it as an act of war and act accordingly. Menawhile, the delegation, led by JD(U) MP Jha, included BJP MPs Aparajita Sarangi, Brij Lal, Pradan Baruah, Hemang Joshi, TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee, CPI-M's John Brittas, and Congress leader Salman Khurshid, among others. After the visit, Sanjay Kumar Jha emphasised that the delegation was returning 'very satisfied' and the job that the Indian Government entrusted to them was accomplished to a 'great extent.' BJP MP Aparajita Sarangi asserted that the purpose of their visit has been fulfilled. 'I would say that I feel enriched at the end of 13 days of massive touring in five countries. We started the tour on May 21. Today is June 3, and we are heading towards India. We are looking forward to going to our motherland. But I would say that the purpose with which we had come has been fulfilled in my mind,' she said. The BJP MP mentioned that their purpose was to convey to these countries about Pakistan's support for terrorism. 'We started in Japan, and then went to the Republic of Korea, Indonesia, Singapore, Japan, and Malaysia. Of course, the responses of the governments in five different countries were different from one another, I must say. We have come here with a purpose. We wanted to convey India's stand on cross-border terrorism to these countries. We wanted to tell them that there was zero tolerance for terrorism. We wanted to tell them that Pakistan has been nurturing, promoting, and nourishing terrorism. Therefore, in all the countries we interacted with, we requested to put in a word for Pakistan and tell them that this has to stop. Pakistan has been a habitual offender. It has been creating problems for all of us over time, and that is why we have met a cross-section of people,' Sarangi said. 'We spoke to a couple of people, a couple of societies, a couple of associations, and we are returning delighted. I think the job entrusted to us by the government of India has been accomplished greatly,' Aparajita Sarangi said. Another member of the delegation, Communist Party of India (Marxist) MP John Brittas, termed their visit a 'successful' one. 'It has been a successful trip to the five nations. We met many sections of society. We could convey the message of India about what happened and how cross-border terrorism affects us. We understand that they appreciate that India wants to be on the path of peace and progress,' Brittas said. Former Indian Ambassador to France Dr Mohan Kumar, a member of the all-party delegation led by JD(U) MP Sanjay Kumar Jha, said the takeaway was that there was unanimous and universal condemnation of terrorism. 'We just concluded this visit to five countries...I can confidently say... all our interlocutors appreciated an all-party delegation. It was accepted that India spoke in one voice, that is the one takeaway. The second takeaway is that there was a unanimous and universal condemnation of terrorism. There was support for India's action and condolences for victims (of the Pahalgam attack). We have conveyed clearly to them that it was not our choice to have a war and that we were merely responding to the horrific terrorist attacks,' Kumar told ANI. BJP MP Hemang Joshi said that they placed strong emphasis on the issue of cross-border terrorism and the proxy war that Pakistan continues to wage against India. 'In Indonesia and Malaysia, where the Muslim population is comparatively larger, we met political leaders and delegations from various parties. We also engaged with delegations of Islamic scholars, who jointly stated that terrorism and violence have no place in Islam. All these countries want to move forward in peace. They expressed that India has every right to take a stand in the fight against terrorism. All widely appreciated Operation Sindoor,' Joshi said. 'Throughout this delegation, we never looked at political parties. For these 15 days, we represented India as 'Team India' and spoke with one voice on behalf of the country,' he asserted. The delegation's tour includes stops in Japan, Indonesia, Malaysia, South Korea, and Singapore, underscoring India's commitment to regional peace, security, and development. (ANI)
The Print
2 hours ago
- The Print
Bastar's forest, land belong to its residents, security camps to become thing of past: Deputy CM
'Youth have to understand what the current government of Chhattisgarh and the Centre have been doing to deal with it. You (youth) have the great power of social media in your hands, any news spreads like a wave among you. I request you to use your social media power for these things,' he maintained. Sharma, who holds the home portfolio, noted, 'Youth should know what Maoism is, where it started and how it started. They have to understand these things.' The Deputy Chief Minister made the remarks while speaking on the issue — 'The ugly face of Maoism – from Beijing to Bastar' — at an event organized at Dr Shyamaprasad Mukherjee Auditorium in Jagdalpur, the headquarters of Bastar district, an official statement said. Jagdalpur, Jun 3 (PTI) Chhattisgarh Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma on Tuesday urged youth to understand what central and state governments have been doing to stamp out the menace of Left-wing extremism and contribute in eliminating the ideology of the outlawed CPI (Maoist). The youth of Bastar will help end the Maoist ideology with their efforts and push for development. Security forces will always be there for their protection, the release quoted Sharma as saying. He said in 1989, a massacre was carried out at Tiananmen Square in Beijing because some youths had demanded democracy. Sharma said, 'Maoists want to form a government with the barrel of a gun. They want to form the government by killing democracy. They want to form the government like they have formed in China. They want to subjugate the people in the same way.' Referring to the opposition, he said, 'There are some people who travel from here to there, saying that (Prime Minister) Narendra Modi ji's government, (CM) Vishnu Dev ji's government are taking action (against Naxalites) so that resources of Bastar are handed over to someone. 'They are trying to spread big lies. I want to tell you that the intention of Chief Minister is very clear — water, forest and land of Bastar belong to Bastar, to the youth of Bastar, to the people of Bastar. Development of Bastar will be on the Bastar model. It will be done according to Bastar,' he asserted. Sharma said in the coming years, there will be no need for security camps in Bastar. Once Naxalism is eliminated, these camps will become centres for collecting, processing and marketing forest produce. PTI TKP RSY This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
