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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.

Of Nagging Namesakes and Family Showdowns

Updated: Nov 7, 2024

Family Showdowns

As Maharashtra approaches the November 20 Assembly elections, two constituencies in Eastern Vidarbha are standing out for their unusual and convoluted political dramas with more than a touch of the soap opera: They are Katol (in Nagpur district) and Aheri (in Gadchiroli). Here, a mix of personal legacies, familial ties, and a confusion of names have created a strange electoral landscape.


In Katol, the electoral contest is uniquely complicated by the presence of two candidates sharing the name of ‘Anil Deshmukh.’ Salil Deshmukh, the son of former Home Minister and NCP (SP) leader Anil Deshmukh, is making his electoral debut as the opposition MVA candidate. Katol has long been Anil Deshmukh and the undivided NCP’s stronghold in Vidarbha.


However, in a vexing development for Salil, his primary opponent, Anil Shankarrao Deshmukh, is not a relative but a local resident running on behalf of the ruling Ajit Pawar faction of the NCP. This coincidence of names adds an unexpected layer of intrigue to a constituency previously won a number of times by Salil’s father, Deshmukh senior.


Anil Deshmukh, affectionately known as ‘Anilbabu,’ carries substantial name recognition - a factor that could confuse many voters, particularly those loyal to the former minister who is well-liked in the region despite facing allegations of extortion that led to his imprisonment. The complications are exacerbated by the fact that Anil Shankarrao Deshmukh will contest under the NCP’s ‘Clock’ symbol — previously associated with Anilbabu when the NCP was undivided under Sharad Pawar — while Salil will represent the Tutari symbol (a man blowing a trumpet) of the NCP (SP).


The blend of names and symbols may well result in a muddled choice for voters, complicating Salil’s efforts to establish his own identity amid the weight of his father’s legacy.


Adding to the mix in Katol is the candidacy of Charansingh Thakur, a seasoned BJP leader and former president of the Katol Municipal Corporation. His presence ensures that the race is not just a familial squabble but a three-way contest.


Meanwhile, in Aheri, the electoral drama escalates into an even more personal narrative. Incumbent NCP MLA Dharmarao Atram finds himself pitted against his own daughter, Bhagyashree Atram-Halgekar, in a strange contest in a state traditionally known for its uncle-nephew face-offs.


The two are contesting from rival factions of the NCP, with Dharmarao standing for Ajit Pawar’s faction and Bhagyashree representing the Sharad Pawar camp. The stakes are high, not just for their political futures but for the very fabric of their family.


According to some quarters, Bhagyashree ascribes her decision to Sharad Pawar’s role in rescuing her father who was kidnapped by the Naxalites in the early 1990s. Whatever the real reason, Aheri’s electoral dynamic is further complicated by the presence of another family member, Dharmarao’s nephew, Ambrishrao, who is contesting as an independent, transforming this electoral battle into a triangular contest that could further fracture loyalties.


As the elections draw near, Katol and Aheri stand as microcosms of Maharashtra’s political landscape, illustrating the strange blend of the personal and the political that is defining the 2024 Assembly polls.

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