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The Print
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Print
Citing precedent, Bastar IG says CPI (Maoist) unlikely to get new gen secy after Basavaraju
As an example, the IG cited the fact that no clear names had emerged to replace the CPI (Maoist)'s Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee (DKSZC) secretary, Ramanna, six years after his death. Ramanna reportedly died of a heart attack in the jungles of Bijapur in 2019. The assertions come 10 days after security forces, comprising District Reserve Guard (DRG) personnel from Narayanpur, Dantewada, and Bijapur, killed Basavaraju and 26 other Maoists in a three-day encounter in Abujhmarh. Jagdalpur: No cadre of the Communist Party of India (Maoist) will come forward to take the place of its slain general secretary, Nambala Keshav Rao, alias Basavaraju, Bastar range Inspector General (IG) of Police Sundar Raj Pattilingam said in an exclusive interview with ThePrint. 'After the end of the CPI (Maoist) general secretary Basavaraju, I don't think there will be any other cadre who will be coming forward to take that position. Because, in 2019, we have observed, after the demise of DKSZC general secretary, Ramanna, for the last almost six years, no one has come forward' to take his position, Pattilingam said. 'Though someone has been officiating or acting as a secretary, there has been no official communication from Maoist outfits… to name anyone as the secretary of DKZSC,' he added. Pattilingam, the seniormost police officer in the Bastar division, oversees anti-Naxal operations carried out in at least five of the seven districts of the region. It comprises Narayanpur, Kanker, Kondagaon, Bijapur, Sukma, Dantewada and Bastar districts. 'I am seeing the same scenario for CPI (Maoist) general secretary also, because this organisation is facing its end and breathing its last breath. No one would come forward to fill the post as the general secretary of CPI (Maoist),' he said. He further said, 'It is not a constitutional post. It is not a constitutional body. The entire CPI (Maoist) outfit is a banned, illegal outfit. It doesn't need any leadership. 'Unknown will come forward, and this whole organisation is already in terrible shape. Its morale is hitting its lowest ever possible. They are facing a lot of defections from the cadres. So the entire organisation is in very bad shape.' (Edited by Sanya Mathur) Also Read: Abujhmarh op shut Basavaraju chapter of Maoist insurgency. How homegrown DRG gave forces edge
Hindustan Times
27-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Maoists claim Basvaraju was captured, killed; police call it ‘fabricated propaganda'
The Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee (DKSZC) of the CPI (Maoist), in a statement, called the death of Nambala Keshavrao alias Basavaraj a 'massacre' orchestrated by security forces on May 21 in Gundekot forest. However, police said that the press note of CPI Maoist was prima facie an attempt to glorify his death of Basavaraju and the statement is totally fabricated propaganda. According to the DKSZC statement, the attack resulted in the deaths of 28 Maoist cadres, including senior leaders such as Nageshwar Rao alias Madhu, members of the central committee staff, and youth leaders of the party's cultural wing. The CPI (Maoist) has alleged that Basavaraj was captured alive and subsequently killed in custody. The CPI (Maoist), in the statement, accused former Maoists of betrayal, revealing that key members of its local unit surrendered to police in recent months, compromising operational secrecy. Also Read:Who was Nambala Keshav Rao aka Basavaraju, top Maoist leader killed in Bastar Op The DKSZC claims that on May 17, forces from multiple districts began converging in the area, culminating in a 60-hour-long standoff that ended in bloodshed, and only seven out of the 35-member Maoist team managed to escape. 'The operation was launched with thousands of heavily armed forces on one side, supplied by helicopters delivering food and water. On the other side were only 35 revolutionaries fighting against the country's socio-economic problems, who had gone without food or water for 60 hours and were starving. The battle began with our comrades protecting BR Dada (Basavaraju) by keeping him in a safe place among them. In the first round, Kotlu Ram of the DRG was killed, and for a while, no one dared to advance. Soon after, firing resumed and Commander Chandan was the first to be martyred while bravely leading the resistance. Despite this, everyone fought on until the end, injuring many soldiers,' the DKSZC statement read. Narrating the encounter, the statement claimed that one team managed to break through the enemy's encirclement but got separated from the main group due to heavy shelling, while the others were unable to escape through that route. 'All comrades fulfilled their duty to protect the leadership, ensuring that Dada did not suffer even a minor injury until the very end. After all were martyred, BR Dada was captured alive and then killed. Out of 35 comrades, 28 were martyred, and 7 escaped safely. The body of comrade Nilesh was later found by our PLGA,' the statement added. Reacting to the statement, inspector general of police (IGP), Bastar range, Sunderaj P said the DKSZC statement was prima facie an attempt to glorify Basavaraju's death. 'The encounter was a decisive day in the history of anti-Naxal operations in the country. Dead body Basavaraju along with 26 other cadres were recovered by DRG troops. The press note of CPI Maoist was prima facie an attempt to glorify his death, by trying to set a narrative that he made a supreme sacrifice for some noble cause. It is totally fabricated propaganda. Basavaraju was responsible for the death of thousands and thousands innocent tribals including women and children,' said Sunderaj P. He said that Basavaraju was the one responsible for the killings of hundreds and hundreds of security personnel in various ambushes and IED blasts. 'How could one such cruel and inhumane monster be glorified as a messiah of the masses. The press note by Maoists is a deceptive tactic to keep up the crashing morale of the naxal leadership and cadres, which is really in a massive devastation due to the effective operations being carried out against them. Other fabricated and false allegations regarding the encounter don't even deserve any response. After Basava's death the entire Maoist formation is in shambles and they are facing their extinction sooner than expected,' the IG added.
Time of India
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Basavaraju's death due to 'betrayal' by some in core formations: Naxals
NEW DELHI: CPI (Maoist) blamed the death of its chief Basavaraju on betrayal by some within its 'core' Naxal formations active in the Maad area, including the PLGA Company No. 7 that was tasked with his proximate security cover. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The statement holding "compromised elements within" accountable for the killing of Basavaraju in Narayanpur, issued via its Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee (DKSZC), came even as the Chhattisgarh Police conducted the last rites of the CPI(Maoist) general secretary and seven others on Monday in Narayanpur, citing the "lack of any clear legal claimant" to their bodies. CPI(Maoist) also admitted that 28, and not 27, "comrades" were killed in the operation, and pointed out mistakes in identification of two slain Maoists by police. Cops deny Reds' claim Basavaraju was caught alive TOI had exclusively reported on Monday that the Chhattisgarh Police was not keen to hand over Basavaraju's body to his kin or acquaintances for last rites in Srikakulam in Andhra Pradesh, fearing that a public funeral would glorify the mastermind behind the killing of hundreds of civilians and security personnel. The bodies of the remaining 19 Maoists killed in the May 21 operation by the District Reserve Guard wing of the Chhattisgarh Police were, however, handed over to their family members. The DKSZC statement, dated May 25, and signed by 'Vikalp', blamed the "compromised" and "surrendered" leaders and cadre of units active in Maad for feeding the Chhattisgarh Police and intelligence agencies with constant updates on Basavaraju's movements over the past six months. "The cadre from different units in the Maad area turned traitors and would share our secret messages with police. Operations based on their leaks were conducted in Jan and March to get to Basavaraju. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Six more surrenders over the past one and half months, including by a top cadre in Basavaraju's security detail, made the job of police easier," it said. The CPI(Maoist) press note, while corroborating how DRG personnel cornered Basavaraju by breaching and neutralising his protection team, said the Maoist general secretary was captured alive and then killed, a claim rubbished by Bastar IG P Sundarraj. "The lie is a face-saver. The statement literally certifies our precise and perfectly-timed strike, how 28 of the 35 Maoists engaged ended up neutralised, and how it were the Maoists who killed a DRG personnel in the 'first round of fire' and another in an IED blast after the operation had ended," he told TOI.
The Hindu
21-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
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.
Time of India
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Security forces kill 31 Naxals in biggest operations against Naxalism at Kurraguttalu Hills: Amit Shah
Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday announced that security forces killed 31 notorious Naxalites in the Kurraguttalu Hills (KGH) on the Chhattisgarh-Telangana border in the biggest ever operation against Naxalism. "Achieving a historic breakthrough in the resolve of #NaxalFreeBharat security forces killed 31 notorious naxalites in the Kurraguttalu Hills (KGH) on the Chhattisgarh-Telangana border in the biggest ever operation against Naxalism," said the Home Minister. "The hill on which the red terror once reigned, today the tricolour is flying proudly. Kurraguttalu hill was the unified headquarters of big Naxal organisations like PLGA Battalion 1, DKSZC, TSC & CRC, where along with Naxal training, strategies and weapons were also developed. Our security forces completed this biggest anti-Naxal operation in just 21 days and I am extremely happy that there was not a single casualty in the security forces in this operation," added Shah. 5 5 Next Stay Playback speed 1x Normal Back 0.25x 0.5x 1x Normal 1.5x 2x 5 5 / Skip Ads by by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Bank Owned Properties For Sale In Wolomarang (Prices May Surprise You) Foreclosed Homes | Search ads Search Now Undo "I congratulate our CRPF, STF and DRG soldiers who faced the Naxalites with their bravery and courage even in bad weather and inaccessible mountainous area. The whole country is proud of you. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi ji, we are determined to root out Naxalism. I once again assure the countrymen that India is sure to be Naxal-free by 31 March 2026," said Shah in a post on X. India's operation against Naxalism: Security forces are undertaking "relentless and ruthless" operations to ensure that Naxalism is eliminated by March 31, 2026, Director General Central Reserve Police Force GP Singh said Wednesday. Singh said the anti-Naxal operation, which started in 2014, has been intensified and made more focused since 2019, with central paramilitary forces working "shoulder to shoulder" with state police with a commitment to stamp out Naxalism. Live Events Highlighting the effects of the operations on the ground, he said that in 2014, the number of the most Naxal-affected districts was 35, which has reduced to six in 2025 so far, while the number of Naxal-affected districts has come down from 126 to 18 during the period. "The number of violent incidents in 2014 was 1,080, which has come down to 374 in 2024. The number of security personnel killed in Naxal violence in 2014 was 287, which has dipped to 19 in 2024. The number of Naxals eliminated during the period has reached 2089," he said.
