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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.

Jarange’s decision harmful for MVA

Updated: Nov 7, 2024

Jarange

Mumbai: Diwali is barely over but the fireworks are still exploding in the political arena. On the last day of withdrawing nominations for the upcoming elections, Manoj Jarange-Patil announced that he wouldn’t field any candidates for the polls. This was hours after he “vowed revenge” against the Mahayuti alliance. Only a day earlier on Sunday, he had claimed to back 25 candidates across the state. The BJP and Shiv Sena are heaving a sigh of relief especially for its candidates contesting from Marathwada, the epicentre of the quota protests and other constituencies with a sizeable Maratha population. But the real cheer, say political watchers, is in the MVA especially the NCP (SP).

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Party insiders say that when minister Uday Samant and the chief minister’s personal assistant held a midnight meeting with Manoj Jarange-Patil at Antarvali- Saraati, a few days before Diwali, it is believed that the duo was tasked with convincing the Maratha quota activist to name candidates wherever he wanted. The Mahayuti would unconditionally back those. These candidates would be used to hurt the chances of the MVA candidates. It would have been a coup had he accepted. Incidentally, the NCP (SP) has nominated candidates from several seats in Marathwada with a special emphasis on the region.


Jarange-Patil’s withdrawal announcement met with a sharp rebuke from Laxman Hate who mocked him by saying that “calls from Baramati” were responsible for the change of heart. But the decision is likely to, indeed, benefit the NCP (SP) apart from other members of the MVA. While Jarange-Patil claimed that he couldn’t get the support of Muslims and Dalits and didn’t want to back only Maratha candidates, the real reasons are different.


In Parli which falls in Beed, which is the heartland of the protests, the NCP (SP) has played the Maratha card well by fielding Rajesahe Deshmukh against Agriculture Minister Dhananjay Munde. The seat is seeing friction between Marathas and OBCs and Jarange-Patil’s decision will help consolidate the Maratha vote in favour of Deshmukh. Similarly, in Majalgaon in the same district, Mohan Jagtap will now not have to contend with the Maratha votes breaking up in favour of a candidate backed by Jarange-Patil. A few days ago, the activist had vowed by put up candidates in Daund and Parvati, one held by the BJP and the other by the NCP (SP).


Marathas constitute 30 to 33 per cent of the electorate in Maharashtra. The MVA expects to win the Maratha vote in most constituencies while the OBCs have traditionally shown more faith in the BJP ever since Gopinath Munde, an OBC leader, rose up the party’s ranks.


Last week, Samarjeet Ghatge, the NCP (SP)’s pick from Kagal had also met Jarange-Patil to seek his cooperation and support considering that Kagal also has a sizeable Maratha population. A candidate backed by Jarange-Patil would have eaten into Ghatge’s voteshare. The eal agenda of the meeting also apparently involved a plea by Ghatge for Jarange-Patil not to put up candidates that would upset the MVA’s chances with caste mathematics. Ghatge was supposedly selected for the job given his family’s relationship with Rajarshi Shahu Maharaj, the erstwhile royal who is highly respected for working towards equality for all castes.


At present, Jarange-Patil is one public persona in Maharashtra who no party wants to be on the wrong side of. Given the massive following that he enjoys among the community, all political parties and candidates are seeking his support. The announcement that all parties were waiting for will relieve the pressures of the Mahayuti in a few constituencies but is likely to benefit the NCP (SP) the most.

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