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Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Bastar inches closer to gaining ‘Maoist-free' tag
In a notification dated March 2025, the Union home ministry has reclassified Bastar district in the Bastar division of Chattissgarh as a 'district of legacy and trust' from its previous classification as a district affected by Left Wing Extremism (LWE). The notification, which HT has seen, came into effect on April 1. The Bastar division comprises seven district including Bastar, Kanker, Konadagaon, Narayanpur, Sukma, Bijapur and Dantewada. Hindustan Times reported in December that the home ministry could consider removing Baster and Konadagaon from the list of districts affected by LWE. Konadagaon has also been re-categorised as a district of legacy and trust. 'This re-categorization, part of a broader LWE review by the Centre, places Bastar district among 28 districts across India where Maoist activity has significantly declined but where continued vigilance and sustained developmental and operational focus are still required. However, this marks a critical step toward declaring Bastar entirely free of Maoist influence,' a senior officer of Chhattisgarh police said. Inspector General of Police (Bastar Range), Sundarraj P, emphasized the strategic progress made in the region. 'The recent re-categorization underlines a significant shift in the LWE landscape of the Bastar Range, particularly with Bastar and Kondagaon now identified as 'districts of legacy'. This means that Maoist activities have come down to a great extent. Our focus will now be on consolidating peace through consistent anti-Naxal operations, development projects, and community engagement.' Sundarraj also explained the home ministry's new framework which 'classifies 18 LWE-affected districts nationwide into three equal categories: Most Affected, Other Affected, and Districts of Concern, with six districts in each.' Within the Bastar Range, Sukma, Bijapur, Narayanpur, and Kanker continue to be listed among the Most Affected LWE districts, while Dantewada is placed in the Other Affected category. The recent encounter in which 29 Maoists were killed happened at Kanker. 'Bastar and Kondagaon's shift to the legacy category reflects not just a decrease in violence but also an increasing presence of civil governance and infrastructure development,' Sundarraj added.
Scroll.in
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Scroll.in
Chhattisgarh: Over 15 suspected Maoists killed in gunfight with security forces in Bijapur
More than 15 suspected Maoists were killed on Wednesday in a gunfight with security forces in the forests of Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district, PTI reported quoting an unidentified police officer. The gunfight erupted in the morning in the Karregutta hills along the state's border with Telangana during counter-insurgency operation ' Mission Sankalp', which began on April 21. At least 19 suspected Maoists have been killed since. This is arguably the largest anti-Maoist operation launched by Indian security forces, and comes at a time when the insurgent Communist Party of India (Maoist) has repeatedly expressed its willingness to participate in peace talks. The operation involves 24,000 troops of the District Reserve Guard, the Bastar Fighter Force, the Special Task Force, Chhattisgarh Police, the Central Reserve Police Force and its Commando Battalions for Resolute Action. 'All security forces are safe and fully committed to ensuring a safe and secure Bastar region,' an unidentified official told The Indian Express on Wednesday. 'Search operations are on.' They added that security forces had found over 250 Improvised Explosive Devices in the region since April 21. 'Despite difficult geographical conditions and numerous challenges, the security forces are carrying forward this decisive operation against Left Wing Extremism with full commitment and determination,' the newspaper quoted Sundarraj P, inspector general of police for the Bastar range, as saying. 'Many hideouts and bunkers have been destroyed.' He added: 'Thousands of kilogrammes of explosive material, ration material, medicines, items of daily use and detonators were recovered from Naxal hideouts and bunkers.' With the development on Wednesday, over 150 suspected Maoists have been killed in gunfights with security personnel this year. In 2024, 217 suspected Maoists were killed by security forces. Malini Subramaniam has reported for Scroll that while many of those killed in the Bastar region of Chhattisgarh in 2024 were declared by the police to be reward-carrying Maoists, several families dispute the claim. The families claim that the persons killed were civilians. Two days after the launch of 'Mission Sankalp', Subramaniam travelled to the foothills to observe it. On April 23, near Palam village in Telangana, she saw a large pick-up van carrying what appeared to be bodies, wrapped in yellow plastic sheets – possibly, Maoist casualties. Since March 28, the Communist Party of India (Maoist) has released four statements asking for a ceasefire. 'Despite the possibility of the problem being resolved through peace talks, the government is attempting to find a solution through violence and oppression,' the group said in statement on April 25. Taking note of the ongoing security operation, it added: 'The operation should be halted immediately. The troops should be withdrawn. We request the government to resolve the problem through talks.' The Union government has repeatedly vowed to eradicate 'Left Wing Extremism' in the country by March 31, 2026.
Time of India
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Over 15 Maoists killed in ‘biggest ever' operations in Chhattisgarh's Bastar
A major anti-Maoist operation, 'Operation Sankalp,' launched on April 21 in the Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh RAIPUR: More than 15 Maoists were killed on Wednesday morning in the 'biggest ever' and the 'decisive anti-Maoist operation that was launched about a fortnight ago in forested hills of Bijapur district located on the borders of Chhattisgarh and operation was launched on Apr 21 and so far 19 Maoists bodies have been recovered in the longest offensive ever.A woman Maoist was killed on Tuesday and the body was recovered along with a .303 to TOI, a top police official said that around 15-18 Maoists were killed and the numbers might increase as and when search as ' Operation Sankalp ', the officer said, 'Today, good operational outcomes are expected. All security forces are safe and fully committed to ensuring a safe and secure Bastar region. As the operation is currently in progress, specific details cannot be disclosed at this time for security reasons. We will share further information at an appropriate time.'Inspector General Sundarraj P (Bastar Range) had said that the joint operation—led by the DRG, STF, CoBRA, CRPF, and other forces—has been in full force for over two weeks, targeting Maoist strongholds deep within the dense forests of southern said that security personnel have destroyed hundreds of Maoist hideouts and bunkers, and recovered a substantial cache of explosives and detonators, food supplies and medicines and daily utility operation has also led to the discovery of over 100 challenging geography and logistical hurdles, the security forces continue with full commitment, advancing this decisive phase of the anti-Maoist campaign under the monitoring of Centre and state forces on May 1 had reclaimed two hills as they advance towards Karegutta hills in Bijapur district which is the stronghold of several top-ranking Maoist leaders carrying bounties worth crores.
Time of India
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Woman Maoist gunned down in encounter near Chhattisgarh-Telangana border
RAIPUR: A woman Maoist was killed during an encounter with security forces in the Karregutta Hills region of Bijapur, near the Chhattisgarh-Telangana border, where a fierce anti-Maoist operation has been underway since April body of the woman Maoist, along with a .303 rifle, was recovered on May 5. This marks the fourth confirmed Maoist casualty in the operation since April 24. Officials believe more Naxalites may have been killed or critically injured, though the rugged terrain has hindered confirmation and recovery a major development, security forces have launched a final offensive against Naxal hideouts in the Karregutta area of Telangana. During this intensified operation, a CRPF officer sustained severe injuries and lost a leg after stepping on a pressure IED, further underscoring the dangerous nature of the terrain and the scale of the to Inspector General Sundarraj P (Bastar Range), the joint operation—led by the DRG, STF, CoBRA, CRPF, and other security forces—has been in full force for over two weeks. It targets Maoist strongholds deep within the dense forests of southern Chhattisgarh and bordering report that hundreds of Maoist hideouts and bunkers have been destroyed. A substantial cache of explosives, detonators, food supplies, medicines, and daily-use items has been recovered. More than 100 IEDs have also been found and defused during the challenging geography and logistical difficulties, security forces continue with full commitment, pushing forward in what is being described as a decisive phase of the anti-Maoist operation, closely monitored by both Central and State operations are still ongoing, and authorities plan to issue a detailed statement once the mission a separate incident on the same day, Naxalites abducted and murdered Muchaki Rama, the deputy sarpanch of Tarlaguda village in Sukma district. Police confirmed that he was taken from his home and later killed by the to official data, 68 civilians have been killed in Naxalite-related violence across the Bastar region in 2024 so far.
Indian Express
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Mission Sankalp to flush out Naxal leadership crosses 2-week mark, IGP calls it ‘decisive op'
A suspected Maoist's body was recovered on Monday amid a massive anti-Naxal operation along the Karregutta hills on the Chhattisgarh-Telangana border, taking the toll during the current offensive to four. Security forces say they found the Maoist's body on the hills, along with a .303 archaic rifle. All four Maoists killed so far are women. In a related development on Sunday, CRPF assistant commandant Sagar Borade suffered injuries during the operation and was airlifted to AIIMS Delhi on Monday. He is in a stable condition. Two Special Task Force (STF) jawans also suffered injuries in an IED blast on Sunday. So far, seven jawans have sustained injuries in IED blasts during the operation. The operation, Mission Sankalp, began on April 21 and involves the mobilisation of 24,000 troops, including those from the Indian Air Force (IAF), to the inter-state border. It is still underway. The forces had earlier said key Maoist leaders are holed up in the hills, safeguarded by their strongest military formation, Battalion 1 of the People's Liberation Guerrilla Army, the armed unit of the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist). In a statement on Tuesday, the Chhattisgarh police said, 'Based on certain facts and our knowledge so far, senior Maoist leaders have either been killed or suffered injuries in the encounter. However, due to difficult geographical conditions, the security forces have not been able to recover the bodies of all the injured or killed Naxalites.' Inspector General of Police for Bastar Range, Sundarraj P, said, 'Despite difficult geographical conditions and numerous challenges, the security forces are carrying forward this decisive operation against Left Wing Extremism with full commitment and determination. Many hideouts and bunkers have been destroyed.' 'Thousands of kilograms of explosive material/ration material/medicines, items of daily use and detonators were recovered from Naxal hideouts and bunkers,' he said. The 24,000-strong troops comprise jawans from the central and state forces – District Reserve Guard (DRG), Special Task Force (STF), Bastar Fighters, Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA), an elite unit of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), and CRPF jawans. This year, 129 Maoists have been gunned down in the Bastar region, while 146 Maoists have been killed in Chhattisgarh overall. A total of 219 Maoists were killed last year in the state, including 217 in Bastar.
