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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.

Litmus Test for Women’s Voice

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Shaina NC, the candidate from Mumbadevi assembly constituency for the Shiv Sena under CM Eknath Shinde has filed a complaint with the police against Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Arvind Sawant on Friday for his derogatory remarks against her depicting women as a commodity. She had been raising voice for women’s rights and had been vocal for increasing women’s participation in male dominated active politics.

Shaina comes from a prominent family. Her father, Nana Chudasama, was a well-known businessman and former Sheriff of Mumbai. He was also known as a philanthropist and was famous for his witty one-liners on current affairs. Shaina, a fashion designer by profession, has inherited most of his qualities that has kept her afloat in the politics for around two decades.


Shaina ventured into politics for the first time in 2004, by joining the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). She contested the assembly elections that year unsuccessfully and was given the responsibility of the then newly formed Health and Cultural Cell in the state party unit. In 2007 she was given the responsibility as party spokesperson in its Mumbai unit. The next year she was elevated as the state spokesperson. Contrary to expectations, he wasn’t given the ticket in 2009 assembly elections or any other elections though she expressed her desire to contest the elections several times at various levels.


However, she remained the party’s primary connect to the world of celebrities from Bollywood, the fashion world and even from the industry. He photographs were prominently displayed a few years back with industrialist Ratan Tata when he visited Hedgewar Smriti Bhavan at Nagpur a few years back. It was due to such strong contacts that she was elevated to national executive council of the party in 2010 and eventually became the national spokesperson of the party in 2013. Since 2014 she has been the treasurer of the BJP’s Maharashtra unit. Recently, she joined Shiv Sena in order to contest against Congress MLA Amin Patel from the Mumbadevi constituency.


Born on December 1, 1972, in Mumbai, Shaina completed her schooling at Queen Mary School and earned a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the St. Xavier’s College. She also holds a diploma in fashion design from the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York. She holds a Guinness World Record for draping a saree in 54 different ways fetching her the title “Queen of Drapes”.


In this journey of over two decades, Shaina has covered a large ideological spectrum. Once a very vocal critic of the handling of situation post Godhra riots, she now advocates aggressive Hindutva. Voicing of concern for women’s rights, however, has not changed.

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