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Time of India
3 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
‘Grandpa, come home': Granddaughter of top Maoist commander Devji makes appeal
Raipur: In the turbulent wake of the encounter killing of topmost Maoist commander Basavaraju, an emotional letter and video message from the granddaughter of senior Maoist commander Tipiri Tirupati alias Devji has surfaced, where she pleads with him to lay down arms and return to the family. Devji and his granddaughter, Itlu Suma Tipiri, who is in a Telangana college, have never met as he went underground long before she was born. A central committee member, Devji is considered a potential successor to Basavaraju but Suma is calling him back to the life he left behind. Devji, known to be a ruthless Maoist commander, led the 2007 attack on Geedam police station in Dantewada, which was the first of many brutal ambushes to follow. He heads Maoist 'military commission', in effect the head of PLGA, the same post that Basavaraju held before being made CPI(Maoist) general secretary in 2018. A day ago, Bastar IG P Sundarraj had issued a blunt warning to Maoist commanders: surrender or die. "We consistently get information about the locations of top Maoist leaders. They can be eliminated anytime by security forces. They have only one option now: surrender and join the mainstream or get killed by security forces," Sundarraj said. Suma appears to realise the fate that may befall her grandpa. "Dear grandfather, please come home. I send you my heartfelt greetings. I've always longed to meet you, but sadly never got the chance. Whenever I read about you in the media, I feel both pride and pain. I know you gave everything to the cause of an egalitarian society, but recent events have been deeply saddening," she says, adding: "You've seen and achieved so much, but now we ask you to come back. Your family waits at the door. Please don't forget us." Suma questions the state's ongoing anti-Maoist operations, particularly 'Operation Kagaar' -- a high-intensity crackdown launched in Maoist-affected areas of Chhattisgarh. "Why aren't similar actions taken against infiltrators from Pakistan and Bangladesh? It pains me to see people celebrating the killing of Maoists with sweets. These are also human lives," she argues, without mentioning Indian forces' continued battle against Pak-backed terrorism and the recent Op Sindoor. She reflects on the motivations that drew many, including her grandfather, to the Maoist insurgency, and ends her message with the plea: "You left to stand for the people. But now, your people — your family — are calling you home. Please come back. We are still waiting, with open arms and open hearts." The letter comes two days after TOI reported that Devji and Sonu were believed to be the most probable to become CPI(Maoist) general secretary after Basavaraju's death.
India Today
23-05-2025
- Politics
- India Today
What's next for Maoists after Basavaraju's killing in Chhattisgarh?
The recent elimination of Nambala Keshava Rao alias Basavaraju, the General Secretary of the banned CPI (Maoist), in a meticulously planned District Reserve Guard (DRG) operation in Chhattisgarh's Abujhmadh, was more than just a tactical victory. His death marked a possible turning point in India's decades-long struggle against left-wing extremism."This was no ordinary kill. Basavaraju, an engineering dropout from Andhra Pradesh, was not just a guerrilla commander. He was the ideological and military head of India's most potent insurgent force. He succeeded Ganapathy in 2018 and brought a militant edge to the party, shifting focus from political mobilisation to aggressive militarisation," said RK Vij, a former DGP, who played a significant role in the formation of DRG unit of Chhattisgarh Police in five years, Basavaraju not only reorganised armed units, but also centralised decision-making to counter state surveillance and force penetration, Vij added. Now, in the aftermath of his death, the question lingers: Who will step in?The CPI (Maoist) is not just a conventional militant group. It is a structured political party with a multi-tiered hierarchy from village-level cells to the politburo, and at the top, the general secretary, who operates more like a shadow prime minister of a parallel said, "The neutralisation of such a heavily guarded general secretary, surrounded by 60-70 armed cadres, shows how deep our intelligence has gone. More importantly, it will shake their cadre's confidence to the core. You will see a rise in surrenders."The CPI (Maoist)'s armed wing, the People's Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA), and United Front are designed to function in tandem. Every few years, the central committee meets to re-evaluate the movement's direction. The last such committee meeting, in 2007, declared Jharkhand and Bihar as 'Aadhaar Kshetras' (core areas) and strategised the shift from guerrilla warfare to mobile warfare, a more agile, aggressive form of due to increased state pressure, Central Committee meetings have become rare, leaving the politburo and its general secretary with disproportionate decision-making power. Now that Basavaraju is gone, this vacuum will need urgent TOP CONTENDERS: DEVJI AND VENUGOPAL RAO (BHUPATHY)DEVJI, THE HARDLINER AND MILITARY EXPERTDevji's journey in the Maoist movement began as a fierce field commander, reportedly trained in the early 1990s during the unification of People's War Group (PWG) factions. He was instrumental in launching the PLGA's first armed platoon and led the 2007 attack on Geedam police station in Dantewada, a brazen act that solidified his military Devji heads the Central Military Commission (CMC), the highest operational command of the PLGA. This was the same position held by Basavaraju before he became the general secretary."Devji is not just a field operative, he's a strategist. He understands terrain, troop movement and morale. His elevation to the general secretary would signal a return to militant hard-lining," Vij is said to have influence across southern Chhattisgarh, especially in Bastar and Dantewada, and is deeply trusted by the central military wing. But what Devji lacks is ideological finesse - the kind required to balance politics and RAO ALIAS BHUPATHY: THE LONGTIME POLITICO MILITARY BRAINIn contrast, Venugopal Rao, also known as Bhupathy, is an ideologue with a gun. A seasoned Central Committee member, he was once considered a rival to Basavaraju. His roots in the movement go back to the formation of the Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee (DSZC) in 1995, where he was the first general secretary, overseeing expansion into comes from Andhra Pradesh and is fluent in Telugu, Gondi and Hindi - a crucial asset for communication in tribal belts. He currently heads the central bureau, which oversees Maoist operations across Chhattisgarh, North Telangana, parts of Maharashtra and Odisha (MMC [Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh] corridor)."He knows the geography, culture and conflict points of central India like the back of his hand. His political sharpness and combat credibility make him a strong contender," Vij Devji, Venugopal's strength lies in his ability to build political consensus, manage local recruitment and negotiate inter-regional Maoist dynamics. However, his age, likely nearing 70, could be a constraint in fast-moving military RED CORRIDOR: THE ROAD AHEADThe CPI (Maoist) once controlled five operational bureaus across India. Today, that number has shrunk to just two - the Central Bureau and the Eastern Bureau (covering Bihar and Jharkhand). This organisational contraction is a direct result of relentless pressure from state forces and improved intelligence outfit may now opt for decentralised leadership rather than appointing a single general secretary. This model, while safer, dilutes ideological unity, something Basavaraju had tightly controlled."With Basavaraju gone, we're likely to see more regional commanders acting independently. It's the beginning of disintegration. They will still be dangerous, but not unified," Vij Watch IN THIS STORY#Chhattisgarh
