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Time of India
a day ago
- Time of India
'Poona Margham': From guns to growth, 1,400 former Maoists embrace peace in Chhattisgarh's Bastar
RAIPUR: In the deep forests of Bastar, once synonymous with gunfire, ambushes, and shadowy Maoist hideouts, a quiet revolution is taking shape. It's not being fought with rifles, but with hope, skill, and second chances. And at the heart of this transformation lies 'Poona Margham' (New Path), a grassroots rehabilitation campaign that's helping former insurgents find their way back to society. Launched across all seven Maoist-affected districts of the Bastar Range, 'Poona Margham: 'Rehabilitation for Social Reintegration' has seen an unprecedented 1,400 Maoists surrender and rejoin the mainstream in just 18 months, making it one of India's most significant peacebuilding efforts in recent memory. Bastar IG P Sundarraj said, 'Poona Margham is more than laying down arms. It's about picking up life again.' Poona Margham offers a genuine opportunity for former cadres, many of them young men and women radicalized in their teens, to reclaim their identities, reconnect with families, and lead lives of dignity and self-reliance, Bastar police said. From PLGA to Plough: Changing Roles, Changing Lives In districts like Sukma, Bijapur, and Dantewada, where red flags once marked Maoist strongholds, young people are now seen welding machines in training centres, growing vegetables in community gardens, or attending tailoring classes at newly built skill hubs. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like The Most Successful Way of Intraday Trading is "Market Profile" TradeWise Learn More Undo Take Rahul, for instance — once a PLGA platoon member responsible for carrying out ambushes on CRPF convoys. Today, he runs a small motorbike repair shop in Narayanpur and helps the local administration identify vulnerable youth at risk of radicalisation. 'The gun only gave me fear. This wrench gives me freedom,' he says, tightening the bolt on a customer's wheel. Inspector General of Police, Bastar Range, P Sundarraj, who has been instrumental in shaping Poona Margham, describes the initiative not just as a security measure but as 'a moral mission.' 'Poona Margham is about more than laying down arms. It's about picking up life again. It shows that positive change is not only possible, it is happening, here and now,' he says. 'The Maoist ideology has become directionless. Today, those who once spread fear are helping us build roads, schools, and even peace committees.' IG said. Under the government's Surrender and Rehabilitation Policy 2025, all former Maoists are offered skill development training in trades like carpentry, electrical work, agriculture, animal husbandry, financial assistance for starting small businesses, psychological counselling and social reintegration support and secure housing and access to health services.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
No More Likes, Leaks or Reels: Chhattisgarh security forces go offline social media to keep ops secret in Red zone
Representational image RAIPUR: In a sweeping new directive aimed at enhancing troop safety and operational integrity, security forces deployed in Maoist-affected Bastar division of Chhattisgarh, have been directed to delete all social media applications from their mobile phones. The directive comes amid rising concerns that viral content 'shared inadvertently by personnel' was compromising operational secrecy and putting lives at risk. The order issued by Bastar range inspector general of police P Sundarraj, applies to jawans and officers deployed across all seven districts of Bastar, where anti-Maoist operations are frequently conducted under extreme conditions. Speaking to TOI, Bastar IG P Sundarraj said, 'It in view of confidentiality of anti-Naxal operations and the safety of personnel involved in those operations. The directives have been issued to all security force personnel deployed in Left-Wing Extremism (LWE)-affected areas with regard to usage of social media platforms. 'To ensure that no sensitive or classified information is inadvertently shared online, few proactive steps have been taken as a part of our broader strategy to strengthen security protocols and safeguard the identity and confidentiality of our forces. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 5 Books Warren Buffett Wants You to Read In 2025 Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo Inadvertent use of social media during high-risk operations poses significant security concerns, therefore, all concerned personnel have been urged to exercise utmost caution and strictly adhere to the guidelines issued in this regard,' IG Sundarraj told TOI. The decision reportedly follows a spate of incidents where sensitive photos, videos, and updates from live encounters were circulated online, including footage from a recent operation involving top Maoist leader Basva Raju. The viral material revealed details that could be used by Maoist operatives to understand troop movement and tactics. Digital Silence for Tactical Safety According to the directives, security personnel have now been asked to completely remove apps like Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube from their phones, refrain from uploading or consuming social media content during and after operations, avoid using mobile phones unnecessarily while on duty in sensitive zones, submit their phones for post-operation checks to detect any possible information leaks and abstain from any form of photography, videography, or voice recordings during missions. It's about the safety of our men and the success of operations. Social media can't become a weak link in our tactical planning, IG said. Bastar remains one of the most intense conflict zones in India, with at least two worst and insurgency-hit districts of the country. In such terrain, where visibility, coordination, and strategy are already challenged by weather and geography, the added risk of digital leaks has become a top concern. By enforcing digital silence and increased scrutiny, the police hope to preserve operational integrity, protect their personnel from legal and physical risks, and reduce the psychological warfare advantage often gained by Maoist propaganda units through online material, an official said.
Time of India
26-06-2025
- Time of India
Two women Maoists killed in Bastar encounter; ops continue in monsoon
Raipur: Two women Maoists were shot dead during an encounter with security forces in Narayanpur district of Bastar division in Chhattisgarh on Thursday. This is the first encounter that recorded a casualty this monsoon. Normally the forces used to halt its operations during every monsoon because of the inhospitable terrain. But this year, on the directives of the Union Home minister the operations will continue irrespective of the season. The identity of the Maoists would be known once the forces are back to base. Police officials said that the search is underway, and exchange of fire has stopped. According to Bastar range inspector general of police P Sundarraj the gun battle erupted late on Wednesday evening in the dense forests of the Abhujhmarh region, in the region of Kohkameta. The operation involved a joint team from the District Reserve Guard (DRG) and the Special Task Force (STF) who headed out on intelligence inputs regarding the presence of senior Maoist cadres from the Marh division. Personnel from the DRG units of both Narayanpur and Kondagaon districts took part in the offensive. During the search operation following the exchange of fire, security forces recovered the bodies of two women, along with an INSAS rifle, a country-made .315 bore rifle and 15 rounds from the encounter site. The dead bodies of Maoist cadres killed in the encounter were preliminarily identified as Seema, area committee member (ACM), Kutul area committee, and Linge alias Ranjhu, party member (PM), Kutul local organisation squad (LOS). The weapons and materials recovered from the site of the encounter Superintendent of police, Narayanpur, Prabhat Kumar informed that under the ongoing "Marh Bachao Abhiyan" (Save Marh Campaign), a joint search operation was launched on Wednesday in the forested and hilly areas of Abujhmarh based on reliable information about Maoist presence. The exchange of fire between security forces and Maoists continued uninterruptedly since the evening of 25 June 2025. Detailed information is being collected regarding the cadre profiles of deceased Maoists and the criminal cases registered against them. In the last 18 months, a total of 414 Maoist cadres have been killed in various encounters in the Bastar Range, including top Maoist leaders such as CPI (Maoist) General Secretary Basavaraju alias Ganganna and CCM Gautam alias Sudhakar.
Time of India
26-06-2025
- Time of India
Two women Maoists killed in Abujhmarh in Bastar, 414 cadres killed in 18 months
RAIPUR: Two women Maoists were shot dead during an encounter with security forces in Narayanpur district of Bastar division in Chhattisgarh on Thursday. This is the first encounter that recorded casualty this monsoon. The identity of the Maoists would be known once the forces are back to base. Police officials said that the search is underway and exchange of fire has stopped. According to Bastar range inspector general of police P Sundarraj said that the gun battle erupted late Wednesday evening in the dense forests of the Abhujhmarh region, in the region of Kohkameta. The operation involved a joint team from the District Reserve Guard (DRG) and the Special Task Force (STF), and they headed out on anti-Naxal operation, based on intelligence inputs regarding the presence of senior Maoist cadres from the Marh division. Personnel from the DRG units of both Narayanpur and Kondagaon districts took part in the offensive. During the search operation following the exchange of fire, security forces recovered the bodies of two women insurgents, along with a INSAS rifle, a country-made.315 bore rifle and 15 rounds from the encounter site. The dead bodies of Maoist cadres killed in encounter were preliminarily identified as Seema, Area Committee Member (ACM), Kutul Area Committee, and Linge alias Ranjhu, Party Member (PM), Kutul Local Organisation Squad (LOS). by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch CFD với công nghệ và tốc độ tốt hơn IC Markets Đăng ký Undo The weapons and materials recovered from the site of the encounter Superintendent of Police, Narayanpur, Prabhat Kumar informed that under the ongoing "Marh Bachao Abhiyan" (Save Marh Campaign), a joint search operation was launched on Wednesday in the forested and hilly areas of Abujhmarh based on reliable information about Maoist presence. The exchange of fire between security forces and Maoists continued continuously since the evening of 25 June 2025. Detailed information is being collected regarding the cadre profiles of deceased Maoists and the criminal cases registered against them. In the last 18 months, a total of 414 Maoist cadres have been killed in various encounters in the Bastar Range, including top Maoist leaders such as CPI (Maoist) General Secretary Basavaraju alias Ganganna and CCM Gautam alias Sudhakar.
The Hindu
26-06-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Two women Maoists killed in Narayanpur
At least two Maoists, both women, have been killed in an anti-Maoist operation in Chhattisgarh's Narayanpur, said the police on Thursday (June 26, 2025). Inspector General of Police (Bastar Range) P Sundarraj said that the operation was carried out in the Abujhmad area after the police received a tip off about the presence of a big cadre of Maoists' Maad division. The operation was carried out jointly by District Reserve Guards Narayanpur and Kondagaon and Special Task Force, he added. 'Bodies of two female Maoists recovered in an encounter between Naxalites and DRG STF joint force last evening [June 25],' said the IG. Since January 2024, more than 400 Maoists have been gunned down by security forces in separate encounters in the State. Among the major encounters was the one in which CPI (Maoist) general secretary Nambala Keshav Rao alias Basavaraju (70) was killed on May 21, also in Narayanpur district. Union Home Minister Amit Shah said during his recently concluded Chhattisgarh trip that anti Naxal operations would continue in monsoon this year.
