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Politics, Leaks And The Final Turnaround: Inside Bastar's Naxal Purge
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India's fight against Naxalism has shifted to Chhattisgarh's Bastar zone. After the 2021 Sukma-Bijapur ambush, joint operations have eliminated many Naxals, but challenges persist.
In the critical sphere of India's internal security, which also makes the Centre ponder over possible 'collateral damage', the battle against Naxalism has witnessed a decisive shift since 2019.
Six years ago, what began as a scattered cleanup of extremist elements – across eastern and central states, including Jharkhand, Bihar, Maharashtra, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh – eventually narrowed down to a single theatre known as the heart of 'Dandakaranya', Chhattisgarh's Bastar zone.
When security forces were tightening their grip elsewhere, the Naxal movement regrouped deep within the forested core of Bastar. Government sources said this was due to political indifference and strategic leaks in the states.
According to government sources, the killing of 22 jawans in the 2021 Sukma-Bijapur ambush was a critical turning point. It marked the beginning of a large-scale, intelligence-based and methodical offensive designed to isolate, and somewhat neutralise the remnants of the Naxal insurgency while dismantling their frontal organisational support structure.
'The plan was to systematically clear out the strongholds in phases. It was working in phases. We flushed them out of Bihar and Jharkhand. In fact, barring two small sectors, their units in Maharashtra and Andhra also collapsed under pressure. What remained regrouped in Chhattisgarh. However, our operations were facing some political obstacles in the state," a government source involved in anti-Naxal operations said.
Even though the consolidation of senior Naxal leaders in one zone helped the forces, the primary problem was alleged non-cooperation by the state.
After the elections, however, the situation has changed. The central security forces and the state police are conducting joint operations and everything is in sync.
'There is quiet confidence now. With a change in the state government, the anti-Naxal operations are back on track," the government source said.
Bastar region, which was once a zone of political caution, is now an active grid of intelligence-backed movement and coordinated strikes. In the last few months alone, hundreds of Naxals including their topmost leaders and senior commanders have been eliminated in targeted encounters across the region.
The security forces have seized a cache of arms and IEDs while the logistical networks of Naxals have been dismantled. The government, however, is cautious about declaring victory.
'We are in the last phase, and we are closing rapidly. But the last mile is always the toughest. The aim is not just to root out Naxalism and allow the people to live freely, but also to ensure it never returns," the government source said.
The government source further said the strategy now is twofold. 'Sustained force on the ground and parallel development initiatives across the region to choke the ideological appeal of the movement. Roads are being laid in previously inaccessible zones. We have also reworked the surrender policies and that has been streamlined as well. The Centre is closely planning and monitoring every move with the state in tandem," the government source added.
