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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.

Indian stock recovers from flat opening; Sensex zooms 1200 pts, Nifty up 395 pts

  • PTI
  • May 15
  • 2 min read

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New Delhi: Indian equity indices ended on a strong note following a favorable shift in global cues and renewed optimism surrounding a potential India-US trade agreement, as per experts.



At the end of the trading session today, the Sensex zoomed 1,200.18 points or 1.48 per cent, at 82,530.74, while the Nifty 50 at the National Stock Exchange climbed 395.20 points or 1.60 per cent, at 25,062.10.



The stocks of about 2511 companies advanced, about 1302 shares declined and 139 shares remained unchanged.



At the NSE, stocks of Hero MotoCorp, JSW Steel, Trent, Tata Motors, and HCL Technologies emerged as the biggest gainers. Meanwhile, India VIX edged lower by 0.52 points to settle at 17.14, suggesting a marginal decline in perceived market volatility.



"The bullish momentum was underpinned by a favourable shift in global cues and renewed optimism surrounding a potential India-US trade agreement. Additionally, a rally in rate-sensitive sectors on growing expectations of a rate cut, coupled with sustained foreign institutional investor (FII) inflows, added to the upside," said Bajaj Broking Research in a note.



Observing the markets, Vinod Nair, Head of Research, Geojit Investments Limited, also echoed the same sentiment and said, "The market staged a robust rebound, closing with substantial gains, driven by a decline in domestic inflation and positive signals from the US regarding a potential trade agreement with India."



The Nifty 50 commenced the session on a positive note at 24,694 but exhibited a lack of clear direction during the initial half, briefly slipping to an intraday low of 24,494.



However, sentiment markedly improved in the latter part of the day, propelling the index past the psychological 25,000 mark to register a high of 25,116--buoyed by robust buying interest across the board.



Sectoral performance underscored this broad-based optimism, with auto, realty, metals, consumption, media, and financial services emerging as key outperformers. Nearly all sectors ended in positive territory, reflecting strong investor confidence.



"Adding to the upbeat tone, India's passenger vehicle sales recorded a 5.5 per cent year-on-year increase in April 2025, reaching 303,648 units, according to data from the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM)," said Sundar Kewat, Technical and Derivatives Analyst, Ashika Institutional Equity.



On the derivatives front, market breadth was firmly positive with 176 stocks advancing against 41 declines.



The Indian currency and local stock markets navigated a session defined by considerable price swings. Although the rupee rallied to finish close to its session peak, it ultimately concluded with declines, largely influenced by the need for US currency from petroleum purchasers and those managing financial risk.

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