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,...

min read

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.

Shree Mavli Mandal: Celebrating 100 years of sports commitment

Dev Khelkar
Apr 24
3 min read

Mumbai: “We believe in igniting the spark of champions…” The line instantly catches your attention while going through the profile of the Shree Mavli Mandal Trust from Thane on social media.

The motto ‘we believe in igniting the spark of champions’ means an organisation believes in fostering the potential for greatness within individuals, helping them reach their full potential and achieve exceptional results. It suggests a commitment to nurturing talent, encouraging ambition, and empowering individuals to become the best versions of themselves.

Shree Mavli Mandal has been living this motto for the last 100 years. Established on August 1, 1925, the organisation, which is a charitable trust, has left an indelible mark on Thane’s sporting world. It has a strong emphasis on sports, offering programmes and facilities to support students’ athletic development. They promote various sports including Kho-Kho, Gymnastics, Football, Athletics, Bodybuilding and Kabaddi.

The founder members Shakarrao Yadav and Shankarrao Bhoir, who were extreme sport lovers, dreamt to serve the society by starting a well-equipped sports centre in the city. Initially launched as ‘Mavli Mela,’ the organisation took an initiative to bring together children and youths of Thane city by conducting various sporting activities that included local games like Hututu, Atyapatya, Viti-Dandu, and Lagori for their overall personality development. Inspired by these founder members, Sudhir Yadav joined the organisation and carried forward their legacy with the same zeal and enthusiasm.

In 1952, the organisation was registered as a charitable trust under the name ‘Shree Mavli Mandal.’ Since then, it has played a pivotal role in developing a sports culture in the Thane city. Today, it is a leading organisation with a modern well equipped gymnasium and an enviable 50,000 sq. feet ground for sports and allied activities. While its high school emphasises on sports, it also has a sports academy which helps students to excel in sports and other extra-curricular activities of their liking.

Mavli Mandal also organizes events like Sports Day, competitions and summer camps with sports-related activities. It provides coaching and training in several sports, including Kho-Kho, Gymnastics, Football, and Kabaddi. They celebrate Sports Day, highlighting the efforts and achievements of their students in various sports. The high school organizes a summer camp with sports-related activities, such as games and fun activities that promote teamwork. These facilities have propelled several students to shine and achieve state and national-level accolades.

However, it is its state-level Kabaddi tournament, which Mavli Mandal is most known for in the state’s sports circles. Considered as one of the major events in the state kabaddi calendar, the tournament has been running for 71 consecutive years, making it perhaps the only organisation in Maharashtra (or in the country) to hold a Kabaddi tournament for such a long time. Every Kabaddi player in Maharashtra aspires to play in this tournament. Many well-known men’s and women’s teams from Maharashtra as well as renowned Kabaddi players have participated in this tournament. In addition to this, Mavli Mandal has also been holding bodybuilding tournament and inter-school athletics competitions for the past 33 and 24 years respectively.

Buoyed by the support and encouragement of their alma mater, several athletes of Mavli Mandal have excelled in the sports of Kabaddi, Bodybuilding, Kho-kho and Athletics by winning many prestigious competitions. Players like Narayan Shinde, Lingappa Gawda, Milind Yadav, Rajesh Bhillare, Sagar Shinde (Kabaddi), Atharva Parab, Swati More, Dipti Vaidya, Mahesh Kokare, Darshan Devrukhkar, (Athletics), Pradeep Naik, Santosh Chinchavade, Koutsubh Chavan (Bodybuilding), Shubham Jadhav, Tanishk Fate (Kho-Kho) have made their mark in their sports.

If you visit the office of Shree Mavli Mandal Trust in Thane, you will find trophies and medals galore adorning several cupboards. It is a testimony to our commitment towards sports, said Sudhakar More, the president of the organisation. As a part of our centenary year resolutions, we have planned to lay a synthetic track and improve the drainage system of the playground, he added.

On the occasion of its centenary year, Mavli Mandal has decided to hold its state-level Kabaddi tournament, which will kickstart from April 25, in a grand manner by inviting 100 teams to participate. The organisation has also planned to felicitate veteran former Kabaddi players, including Arjun and Shiv Chhatrapati awardees, on this occasion. The tournament will have a total prize money of Rs 5,00,000.

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