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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.

Congress workers rue ‘weak’ candidates

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Mumbai: Veteran Congress leaders and party workers are not only unhappy with the recent seat sharing formula with the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance partners but many of them are dejected over the party’ choice of the candidates.


The Congress list of candidates now stands at 103, while the NCP stands at 87 and Shiv Sena (UBT) at 84.

Congress insiders allege that despite pushing for strong and able candidates, the powers that be have ignored the pleas of the ground level party worker and in some seats of Mumbai and its surrounding areas have instead favoured candidates with no track record of their own.


“Around 23 seats are such that have ‘weak candidates’ meaning those seats have been allocated only to favour the alliance partners and not the Congress party,” said a veteran Congress leader. He pointed out names like Heera Devasi (who has been allotted a ticket from Colaba constituency) was never even a Congress office bearer or someone like Asif Zakaria from Bandra (W) who despite being nominated twice for MLA polls in the past had lost terribly. Another seat is that of Charkop which has been allotted to Yashwant Singh, less known candidate.


“Today the list does not even have a North Indian like ex-party workers Sanjay Nirupam or Kripashankar Singh to fetch the 50 lakh plus North Indian voters that the party represents in areas of Navi Mumbai, Palghar and Bhiwandi as well as in certain pockets of Maharashtra,” the Congress leader said. The alliance partners knowing this deliberately sidelined Nana Patole’s and other leaders’ requests to see that they got the best seats to contest.


Many Congressmen alleged that all of this is a ploy by the alliance partners themselves to see that they win from the best seats and lay claim to the post of the Chief Minister if the MVA comes to power. It makes no difference that the Congress is contesting from over 100 seats simply because most of the seats eventually do not work in favour of the party and the candidates are sure to lose in many.


Sachin Sawant, one of the Congress candidates who was allotted a ticket by the party from Andheri (west) returned the ticket in favour of his colleague Ashok Jadhav instead. He says it happens and ultimately doesn’t matter. “It is a good thing that the party considered you. The seat which I was demanding has gone to the Shiv Sena (UBT). So it is not the fault of our leadership. They took it themselves,” Sawant said.


Another Congress leader pointed that NCP and Shiv Sena have favoured their ground level workers. All parties have given tickets to their ex-councillors whereas the Congress has ignored all former councillors. “The ones who did get the tickets are those who are backed by people in the decision-making process. They have political godfathers and get adjusted in some way or the other. We don’t get adjusted. Local ground level leaders like me have been ignored due to which the Congress party might end up paying a heavy price,” said the leader.


Nizamudding Rayen, Spokesperson of Mumbai Regional Congress Committee (MRCC), said that the Congress was always the largest party and  will be the largest one. “Despite what anyone says, the Congress will come back as the number one party in Maharashtra.”

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