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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.

Drugs, Demolitions and Development Dilemmas

Updated: Nov 18, 2024

Nashik

In the countdown to the November 20 Assembly polls, Nashik, a city once epitomizing tranquillity and spirituality, its revered religious ties to the Ramayana, is now embroiled in a contentious election season. Known as the ‘cultural heart’ of North Maharashtra, the Assembly segments in Nashik are caught up in controversial flashpoints, namely a surging drug menace, a bitter political feud between two former allies, and a high-profile demolition.


The drug problem first cast a shadow over Nashik last year, when Mumbai Police uncovered a massive operation led by Lalit Patil, a local businessman, involving mephedrone worth over Rs 300 crore. This discovery - which followed a long trail across vital Maharashtra cities including Pune - has since triggered a wave of concern, particularly in the Nashik Central Assembly seat, where rising drug abuse among youth and even children has become an alarming reality.


BJP MLA Devyani Pharande, seeking re-election as the ruling Mahayuti’s candidate, has positioned herself as an advocate for curbing the menace, while her rival, Shiv Sena (UBT) candidate Vasant Gite, has accused her of complicity, alleging that she used her political clout to shield drug peddlers.


While Pharande vehemently denies these allegations, the drug issue has resonated deeply with voters. This already charged atmosphere took another twist with the demolition of Gite’s office, which was razed by authorities soon after the Shiv Sena (UBT) took a slim lead in the Lok Sabha polls earlier this year.


Gite, once the mainstay of Raj Thackeray’s MNS in Nashik, claims the demolition was orchestrated by Pharande and the BJP, accusing her of using her political power to target him. In return, Pharande has hit back at Gite for his alleged involvement in illegal alcohol sales from his office. The escalating tensions between the two have made the contest here not just about governance, but about personal rivalries and vendettas.


Gite, who once served as Mayor under Shiv Sena, has significant support within the minority community, having previously won elections unopposed from a Muslim-majority ward. Pharande, on the other hand, relies on the organizational strength of the BJP and her connections to the electorate through her tenure as Deputy Mayor of the Nashik Municipal Corporation.


The underlying issues of urban development and infrastructure remain a key concern. In the Nashik West Assembly segment, home to two major industrial estates, the lack of progress on infrastructure, particularly roads and drainage, has stunted economic growth. Despite promises from both the state and central BJP governments to develop the region, industries are struggling to survive.


The constituency is shaping up to be a tight race between the incumbent BJP MLA Seema Hiray, her challenger Dinkar Patil from MNS and the Shiv Sena (UBT)’s Sudhakar Badgujar, who is the MVA candidate.


Hiray is facing significant criticism for her failure to address these infrastructural challenges, despite having served two terms in office.


In this context, the MNS led by Raj Thackeray, is attempting to regain Nashik with its manifesto proposing its ‘Nashik model of development’ as the party once held the trump card in the Nashik Municipal Corporation.


With promises ranging from decentralization of industries to the creation of affordable housing and new recreational spaces, the MNS aims to present a fresh alternative to the existing political leadership.


As the countdown to Election Day accelerates, the looming question for voters is whether any candidate can rise above the noise of personal vendettas and factionalism to address the real challenges facing this once-peaceful city.

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