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By:

Abhijit Mulye

21 August 2024 at 11:29:11 am

Gadchiroli SP declares Maoist menace ‘almost over’

Mumbai: In a resounding statement signalling a historic shift, Gadchiroli Superintendent of Police (SP) Neelotpal has declared the district, once the dark heart of the ‘Red Corridor,’ is on the verge of becoming completely free of the Naxal menace. The SP expressed absolute confidence in the complete eradication of the banned CPI (Maoist) presence, noting that the remaining cadres have dwindled to a mere handful. “There has been a sea change in the situation,” SP Neelotpal stated,...

Gadchiroli SP declares Maoist menace ‘almost over’

Mumbai: In a resounding statement signalling a historic shift, Gadchiroli Superintendent of Police (SP) Neelotpal has declared the district, once the dark heart of the ‘Red Corridor,’ is on the verge of becoming completely free of the Naxal menace. The SP expressed absolute confidence in the complete eradication of the banned CPI (Maoist) presence, noting that the remaining cadres have dwindled to a mere handful. “There has been a sea change in the situation,” SP Neelotpal stated, highlighting the dramatic turnaround. He revealed that from approximately 100 Maoist cadres on record in January 2024, the number has plummeted to barely 10 individuals whose movements are now confined to a very small pocket of the Bhamragad sub-division in South Gadchiroli, near the Chhattisgarh border. “North Gadchiroli is now free of Maoism. The Maoists have to surrender and join the mainstream or face police action... there is no other option.” The SP attributes this success to a meticulously executed multi-pronged strategy encompassing intensified anti-Maoist operations, a robust Civic Action Programme, and the effective utilisation of Maharashtra’s attractive surrender-cum-rehabilitation policy. The Gadchiroli Police, especially the elite C-60 commandos, have achieved significant operational milestones. In the last three years alone, they have neutralised 43 hardcore Maoists and achieved a 100 per cent success rate in operations without police casualties for nearly five years. SP Neelotpal highlighted that the security forces have aggressively moved to close the “security vacuum,” which was once an estimated 3,000 square kilometres of unpoliced territory used by Maoists for training and transit. The establishment of eight new police camps/Forward Operating Bases (FoBs) since January 2023, including in the remote Abujhmad foothills, has been crucial in securing these areas permanently. Winning Hearts, Minds The Civic Action Programme has been deemed a “game changer” by the SP. Through schemes like ‘Police Dadalora Khidaki’ and ‘Project Udaan’, the police have transformed remote outposts into service delivery centres, providing essential government services and employment opportunities. This sustained outreach has successfully countered Maoist propaganda and, most critically, resulted in zero Maoist recruitment from Gadchiroli for the last few years. Surrender Wave The state’s progressive rehabilitation policy has seen a massive influx of surrenders. “One sentiment is common among all the surrendered cadres: that the movement has ended, it has lost public support, and without public support, no movement can sustain,” the SP noted. The surrender of key figures, notably that of Mallojula Venugopal Rao alias ‘Bhupathi,’ a CPI (Maoist) Politburo member, and his wife Sangeeta, was a “landmark development” that triggered a surrender wave. Since June 2024, over 126 Maoists have surrendered. The rehabilitation program offers land, housing under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, and employment. Surrendered cadres are receiving skill training and are successfully transitioning into normal life, with around 70 already employed in the local Lloyds plant. A District Reborn The transformation of Gadchiroli is now moving beyond security concerns. With the decline of extremism, the district is rapidly moving towards development and normalcy. The implementation of development schemes, round-the-clock electricity, water supply, mobile towers, and new infrastructure like roads and bridges is being given top priority. He concludes that the police’s focus is now shifting from an anti-Maoist offensive to routine law-and-order policing, addressing new challenges like industrialisation, theft, and traffic management. With the Maoist movement in “complete disarray” and major strongholds like the Maharashtra-Madhya Pradesh-Chhattisgarh (MMC) Special Zone collapsing, the SP is highly optimistic. Gadchiroli is not just getting rid of the Naxal menace; it is embracing its future as a developing, peaceful district, well on track to meet the central government’s goal of eradicating Naxalism by March 31, 2026.

An Urban Showdown

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In Pune’s well-heeled Kothrud constituency, a triangular contest is brewing ahead of the November 20 Maharashtra Assembly elections. With traffic snarls, infrastructure gaps, and competing claims of development, the race for Kothrud’s assembly seat is set to be a high-stakes contest.


The battle for Kothrud is essentially a reflection of the larger tension between political promises and the practical demands of urban governance.


Chandrakant Patil, the sitting BJP minister and candidate, faces serious challenges from both the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS). Once a BJP stronghold, Kothrud has witnessed dramatic shifts over the years—none more significant than Patil’s controversial rise to the seat in 2019. Despite being considered an ‘outsider’ from Kolhapur, Patil triumphed over the MNS’s Kishor Shinde by a comfortable margin, thanks in part to his party’s well-oiled election machine and a divided opposition. This time around, however, Patil, a former Maharashtra BJP president, may find the going tougher.


For Chandrakant Mokate, the Sena (UBT) nominee, this election is a homecoming of sorts. A former MLA from Kothrud, Mokate, who represented the constituency until 2014, believes his deep roots in the area will resonate with voters who feel disconnected from the present administration.


Kothrud is a constituency in crisis. While the region boasts some of Pune’s most sought-after real estate, including the upscale areas of Baner, Pashan, and Balewadi, its infrastructure is sorely lacking.

The area’s roads are perpetually clogged, and footpaths are almost non-existent in many stretches, leaving pedestrians to risk life and limb on busy thoroughfares. With frequent roadworks for utilities and delayed construction projects, local residents are increasingly frustrated.


Take, for example, the Baner Pashan Link Road and Paud Road - both notorious for frequent traffic jams. The district’s ongoing struggles with garbage management also reflect deeper systemic issues.

Despite a shift in the garbage depot from Kothrud several years ago, residents complain of chronic sanitation problems.


Amid these frustrations, BJP’s Patil is staking his claim on the state government’s track record, touting welfare schemes that have been implemented across Maharashtra. As his strongest rival, Mokate is not so easily swayed. The former MLA asserts that a focus on basic infrastructure and development is needed before voters will return to the BJP fold.


Not to be outdone, MNS’s Kishor Shinde - re-nominated after his previous defeat - has made civic issues his central plank. Having served as a corporator in the Pune Municipal Corporation, Shinde claims the pace of development in Kothrud has been haphazard and poorly managed.

Encroachments and unchecked growth are major issues that need urgent attention, Shinde argues, positioning himself as the candidate of reform.


The contest, however, is not just about infrastructure. Kothrud’s voters, many of whom are upper-caste Brahmins, have long leaned towards pro-Hindutva politics. In a constituency where saffron support runs deep, all three contenders - Patil, Mokate, and Shinde - are competing for the same ideological ground.

As the election approaches, the pressure on Patil is mounting. Once seen as the BJP’s golden boy, he now faces a tough task of managing a city that is still grappling with its growing pains.

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