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,...

min read

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.

Bangladesh says it's awaiting India's response to Yunus-Modi meeting proposal

PTI
Mar 25
2 min read

Dhaka: Bangladesh on Tuesday said it was awaiting a response from India to its proposal for a meeting between Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the BIMSTEC Summit in Bangkok next week.

"From our side, we are fully ready for the meeting. Now, we await a positive response from India," Foreign Secretary Md. Jashim Uddin said at a media briefing here, outlining the Chief Adviser's forthcoming visits to China and Thailand.

Dhaka earlier sent a letter to India proposing a meeting between Yunus and Modi amid a strained bilateral relation after the August 5, 2024 regime change in Bangladesh when Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's 16-year Awami League regime was toppled and she virtually fled to India.

Modi and Yunus are likely to visit Thailand to attend the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) summit. Dhaka has proposed their meeting on the sidelines of the event.

Jashim Uddin acknowledged the existing ¿strain¿ in bilateral relations but said this could be overcome if a bilateral meeting is held between the two leaders.

Last week in Delhi, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said he had no update on any planned meeting between the two leaders.

Yunus will be in Bangkok to attend the BIMSTEC summit from April 2-4.

Ahead of the Bangkok visit, Yunus will travel to China on a three-day visit starting Wednesday to attend the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) annual conference in Hainan Province, a business summit nearly identical to the World Economic Forum conference in Switzerland.

The foreign ministry said Yunus was expected to hold a bilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping during his visit during which the trans-border Teesta River reservoir issue might be discussed.

India earlier expressed its reservations regarding Chinese involvement in the project during the Hasina regime.

"Teesta is not on the agenda of this visit. It is a matter of top leadership's will. However, water management is on the agenda, and there is a possibility that Teesta will come up during those discussions," the foreign secretary said.

China has previously conducted a survey to assess the scope of the proposed 'Teesta River Comprehensive Management and Restoration' project assumed to be at the invitation of the now-deposed Hasina regime. Later, Hasina said India could carry out the project since the river is shared by the two neighbours.

Jashim Uddin said that during Yunus' China visit discussions were expected to be held on Myanmar's internal situation and the possibilities for Rohingya repatriation. The two sides also expected to ink agreements on human resource development, economic and technical cooperation, and increased media connectivity.

On military cooperation, the foreign secretary said there would be general discussions on security and potential purchases.

Responding to a question, he described China as a close friend of Bangladesh and said, "China also considers Bangladesh in the same way".

Gadchiroli SP declares Maoist menace ‘almost over’

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