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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.

Divide and Rule – Do It Yourself (DIY)

Updated: Dec 23, 2024

DIY

So, friends. Did you try that banana peel experiment yet to learn how fresh, yellow peel turns crumbly, black soil? Ever wondered why and how it has happened? The soil is full of huge number of microorganisms namely ‘decomposing’ bacteria and fungi. There are also larger animals like earthworms and different species of insects. Soil is essentially the natural residence of these organisms. So, did you enjoy observing the banana peel turning into black soil? Now here is a bigger thing you can do.


First, learn and develop the habit of ‘segregating’ your household waste. Segregation? What’s that? Oh. Come on. Simple. All you have to do is sort out your waste into two main categories. All the waste generated in the kitchen that is ‘wet waste’ which is ‘biodegradable’ and comprises waste produced after cleaning the vegetables, fruit peels, nirmalya (stale flowers), even stale or leftover foods, tea powder left after the tea is strained etc. etc.


Do you know that just by sorting out and segregating the household waste in this way, you are reducing the volume of the waste that is going out of your house almost by 50 per cent! Wow! It means that only 50 per cent of the dry waste will be dumped in your dustbin which is relatively easy to manage. That is how ‘divide and rule’ works.


You are now going to learn the simple but most effective way of converting all your kitchen waste into compost which is full of essential nutrients and minerals necessary for normal and healthy growth of plants. This composting can be done by using a culture of decomposing bacteria (Bi-ocomposting) or by using the earthworms (Vermicomposting). Both these methods are equally efficient and effective. However, at the individual, household level biocomposting is most preferred method. For larger scale operations such as at the community level, I would prefer Vermicomposting. We are going to learn both these methods through these articles.


Bio-composting: This method of home composting is now being encouraged as a means of reducing the organic waste being discarded and sent to the landfills. It uses certain specific varieties of soil bacteria which are already present in the soil. The starting mixture enriched with these bacteria is available in the market. It is commonly known as Bio-culture or Bio-inoculum. You can get it from the plant nurseries or you can order it online.


Once you get this readymade culture as a startup mixture, get ready for the very exciting act of converting all your kitchen waste into a dark soil or the compost. It can be done in a suitable container. Bin composting is the most popular and advanced version of home composting system that overcomes problems experienced in other composting systems. There are bins of different types and different sizes available for home composting in the market.


However, you try to use an old, discarded container for this purpose. The most preferred containers are those made up of plastic such as plastic buckets, bins, bottles etc. collected from waste. Even earthen pots or wooden boxes can be used alternatively. Oh! Our time is over for now. Will continue with this exciting activity next Saturday. Till then, have a great weekend and Merry Christmas to all the readers!


(The author is an environmentalist. Views personal.)

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