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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.

New Vanguards

In a stunning turnaround, the ruling Mahayuti coalition rebounded from its Lok Sabha poll debacle to sweep the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly elections, capturing an astounding 230 of the 288 seats to thoroughly decimate the opposition Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA). For a state known for its fractious politics, the results signal not just a decisive mandate but also the emergence of fresh leadership across the political spectrum. The victory has redefined the contours of Maharashtra’s power dynamics, with Eknath Shinde shedding his image as a mere adjunct to the BJP and firmly establishing himself as the true inheritor of Bal Thackeray’s Shiv Sena legacy.


Shinde’s performance has been transformational. Once derided as a ‘BJP puppet,’ he led his faction of the Shiv Sena with humility and grit, securing a tally that the combined might of the MVA could not rival. Since the Shiv Sena split in 2022, Shinde, with his performance, has now laid an unassailable claim to Bal Thackeray’s political legacy. In contrast, the results indicate a fast fadeout for Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray Uddhav. His son Aaditya Thackeray, who managed to retain the Worli seat, will now have to shoulder the unenviable task of reviving a diminished Sena (UBT).


The election also settled the long-standing question of who controls the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). Ajit Pawar, split the party founded by his uncle Sharad Pawar, delivered a commanding performance, dominating the sugar belt and securing 41 seats. His emphatic victory in Baramati against his own nephew Yugendra Pawar, underscored the erosion of Sharad Pawar’s stranglehold over the sugar heartland. The elder Pawar’s lament over the decline of ideological commitment in state politics now rings hollow in the face of this electoral drubbing.


On the opposition benches, the MVA’s collapse was dramatic. The Congress, long plagued by complacency and poor leadership, now faces a leadership vacuum after stalwarts like Prithviraj Chavan and Balasaheb Thorat biting the electoral dust. However, this setback could be an opportunity for the Congress to rebuild under younger leaders like Vishwajeet Kadam. Similarly, the Sharad Pawar-led NCP (SP) may see Jayant Patil, who won the Islampur seat for the eight time, emerge as the party leader following his victory, though the party’s dismal overall performance suggests a long road to recovery.


The BJP’s remarkable performance was clearly the engine of the Mahayuti’s comeback with Devendra Fadnavis cementing his status as Maharashtra’s political heavyweight. Fadnavis, often likened to a modern-day Chanakya, proven his mettle after being nearly written-off following the party’s Lok Sabha debacle.


The Mahayuti’s resounding victory has created a political vacuum in the opposition, raising questions about the state’s democratic checks and balances. Yet, it also signals an opportunity for new leadership to emerge and chart a path forward. Maharashtra’s electorate has placed its faith in promises of development and governance. Delivering on these expectations will be the ultimate test of Mahayuti's triumph.

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