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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.

Remarkable Reinvention

Updated: Oct 21, 2024

Few politicians in India have faced the kind of scepticism that Maharashtra’s Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has encountered. Once an autorickshaw driver, his hardscrabble life earned him no special favours in the power corridors of the Shiv Sena, where he toiled for decades as a foot soldier. Yet, despite the odds, Shinde has managed to reinvent himself, transforming from a regional leader into the chief of India’s richest state - a feat remarkable for its sheer implausibility.

When Shinde orchestrated a political coup in 2022, vertically splitting the Shiv Sena founded by Bal Thackeray and toppling the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government led by Uddhav Thackeray to form an alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), political pundits were quick to write him off. He was, and continues to be, labelled as a ‘puppet’ of the BJP.

Political Cassandras assumed he would soon be overshadowed by the towering presence of Devendra Fadnavis, the BJP’s ambitious former chief minister and that his Shiv Sena would be routed in the Lok Sabha election this year. Yet, for a leader dismissed as an interloper, Shinde not only held his own but, against expectations, his Sena performed creditably in recent political contests, outdoing even the BJP’s strike rate in the results.

From his birth in humble surroundings in Satara, Shinde entered politics through grassroots activism, rising through the ranks of the Shiv Sena in Thane. His journey from the street to the top echelons of power, mentored by firebrand late Shiv Sena leader Anand Dighe, has hinged on his populism and as a figure who embodies the aspirations of the common man.

Despite the onslaught from the opposition MVA and Uddhav Thackeray, who tried to paint him as a traitor to the Shiv Sena’s original ethos soon after his revolt, Shinde has successfully rebranded himself as the protector of Sena’s working-class voter base.

The recent launch of a biography highlighting Shinde’s hard-fought journey, along with the release of ‘Dharmaveer 2,’ a film about his mentor Anand Dighe and now the anticipated release of a stage play on Shinde, is part of this rebranding to strengthen his image as the true heir to the Sena’s Hindutva legacy.

With the Maharashtra Assembly election approaching, these releases strategically promote Shinde as a humble, relentless worker aligned with Bal Thackeray’s original vision - positioning him as a ‘man of the people’ in contrast to privileged Thackeray scion Aaditya Thackeray.

His close ties to Thane’s industrial belt, where he has cultivated a loyal following, have served as a political bulwark against attacks from both the opposition and sections of the BJP eager to see him fail.

Shinde’s story is one of resilience and reinvention. For a man who once ferried passengers in an autorickshaw, he has come far indeed. Yet, as Maharashtra’s Chief Minister, his journey has only just begun. Whether he can maintain his grip on power in the volatile years ahead will depend on his ability to evolve - as he has done so often in the past.

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