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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.

Is the NCP (SP) thawing its Maratha party image?

Pawar’s party reaching out to various communities to break the Mahayuti vote

NCP

Mumbai: Sharad Pawar’s election war room is buzzing with data on caste formations, equations and numbers. His selection of candidates reflects just that—the party’s shrewd strategy to reach out to communities and castes that have, until now, viewed the NCP (SP) as a party of the Marathas. Uttaramrao Jankar’s presence during Pawar’s tours also cannot be missed; he’s a prominent face of the Dhangar community that is currently expressing its discontentment. The party’s new approach aims to address the changing political landscape in Maharashtra, where various communities seek representation.


The long-standing Maratha reservation agitation and the demand of Dhangars to be included under the Scheduled Tribes list have upset the caste arithmetic of most parties. “We are ensuring that we are not anathema to any community,” says an NCP (SP) leader. He says that the party is trying to wean away at least a slice of the pie that constitutes the MADHAV grouping, which the BJP, for long, has relied on. The grouping including the Mali, Dhangar and Vanjari communities.


A notable example of how the party is selecting its candidates to balance its caste outreach is Sandeep Kshirsagar. The 43-year-old OBC leader has been fielded from Beed, once again, despite the region being on the boil with the Manoj Jarange-Patil’s Maratha reservation agitation.


Kshirsagar’s house was set on fire allegedly by Maratha protestors earlier and only a few months ago, Pankaja Munde, an OBC leader, had lost to her Maratha opponent. Two days ago, Kshirsagar called on Jarange-Patil, promising to take up the cause. “Sandeep is young and an OBC and could be groomed to be the next Chhagan Bhujbal, the party’s OBC face,” says a party leader.


Similarly, the party has picked UttamraoJankar from Malshiras to appeal to the Dhangars that are reportedly upset with the government for ignoring its demands. For long, the OBCs, as a chunk, relied on the BJP, thanks to Gopinath Munde who rose to become the party’s most prominent OBC leader, a legacy that cousins Pankaja and Dhananjay are competing to claim. “The community has so far looked at the BJP to rely on. But we want to convince them that we aren’t a bad alternative,” says an NCP (SP) leader. With a Maratha leading the Mahayuti government, the BJP’s claims of being OBC-friendly have started diminishing. To add to their woes, the Maratha community is moving farther away from the party. “The BJP has relied on the MADHAV formula which we are trying to break. While it may not greatly benefit us, preventing these communities from voting as a block will also be helpful,” he says.


While Muslim have traditionally opted for the Congress and the NCP almost en masse, the NCP (SP) is projecting Fahad Ahmad as a young, urban, vocal Muslim face to replace Nawab Mallik whose appeal among the youth was fast diminishing anyway.


By w.elcoming leaders from different backgrounds, Pawar is looking to create a more inclusive party that can resonate with diverse voter groups. This move also helps in countering the influence of other regional and national parties, particularly in areas such as Beed and Marathwada where non-Maratha communities are significant.

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