top of page

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.

The Immortal Captain Who Won’t Let Go of the IPL Throne

ree

Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the eternal enigma of Indian cricket, the man who refuses to let the sun set on his IPL career. At 43, when most cricketers are busy perfecting their commentary-box quips or launching artisanal coffee brands, Dhoni is still out there, creaking knees and all, leading Chennai Super Kings (CSK) like some ageless warlord clinging to his fiefdom. Retirement? Ha! That’s for mere mortals, not for the Thala, the deity of Chennai, the man who could probably convince a sponsor to fund a CSK-themed nursing home just so he can keep captaining until he’s 90.


Let’s be real: MS Dhoni retiring from the IPL is about as likely as Ravindra Jadeja declining a sword-twirling celebration. The man has turned stubbornness into an art form, and who can blame him? The IPL without Dhoni is like a Bollywood movie without a melodramatic slow-motion scene—technically possible, but why would anyone bother watching? The factors swirling in his mind—and the minds of CSK’s bean counters—are as predictable as a Bollywood plot twist: sponsors, brand value, and the sheer terror of imagining a CSK dugout without that trademark helicopter-shot swagger.


First, let’s talk about the elephant in the room—or rather, the lion emblazoned on CSK’s jersey. The Chennai Super Kings aren’t just a cricket team; they’re a multi-crore cult built on the unshakable foundation of Dhoni’s mystique. Remove him, and what’s left? A bunch of talented players, sure, but without the gravitational pull of Thala, CSK risks becoming just another franchise—gasp!—like Delhi Capitals or, heaven forbid, Punjab Kings. The sponsors know this. The fans know this. The guy selling overpriced CSK scarves outside Chepauk knows this. Dhoni’s not just a captain; he’s a walking, talking ATM, dispensing brand equity with every nonchalant wave to the crowd.


Picture this: Dhoni retires, and suddenly, the CSK marketing team is scrambling to figure out how to sell jerseys without plastering “Thala Forever” on every billboard from Chennai to Chhattisgarh. The sponsors—those lovely folks at India Cements, Gulf Oil, and whatever energy drink is trendy this week—start twitching nervously. “Who’s going to keep the cash registers ringing?” they whisper in boardrooms, clutching their spreadsheets like life rafts. Dhoni’s presence ensures CSK remains a premium brand, a golden goose that keeps laying eggs even as its feathers turn gray. Without him, they’d have to rely on—shudder—actual team performance to stay relevant. Perish the thought!


And then there’s the over-dependence factor, the dirty little secret CSK fans don’t like to admit. For years, the franchise has leaned on Dhoni like a crutch, building its entire identity around his unflappable coolness and that maddening ability to finish games from impossible situations. Remember 2021? CSK wins the IPL, and Dhoni, at 40, is still the heartbeat of the team. Fast forward to 2025, and he’s 43, hobbling between the wickets like your uncle after a heavy Diwali feast, yet CSK still can’t imagine life without him. Why? Because they’ve spent over a decade marketing the “Dhoni brand” instead of, say, grooming a successor who isn’t perpetually overshadowed by the man’s legend. Ruturaj Gaikwad? Nice guy, solid batsman, but let’s not kid ourselves—he’s no Thala. Not yet, and maybe not ever.


Dhoni knows this too. Deep down, he must realize that stepping away risks exposing CSK’s soft underbelly—a team so reliant on his aura that it might collapse like a house of cards in a Chennai monsoon. He’s not just staying for the love of the game (though he’d never admit otherwise); he’s staying because the franchise’s suits are probably begging him on bended knee, offering him lifetime supplies of idli-sambar and a private jet painted in CSK yellow. “Please, Mahi bhai,” they plead, “just one more season. The stock prices can’t handle your exit!”


Dhoni’s refusal to retire isn’t just about sponsors or fans—it’s about his own legacy. He’s spent years crafting this image of invincibility, the guy who can do no wrong, the finisher who always has one more trick up his sleeve. Stepping away now, when his body’s betraying him and his strike rate’s dipping, might tarnish that sheen. Why risk it? Better to keep going, even if it means batting at No. 7 and letting younger legs do the running, than to bow out and let the world see him as human. Heaven forbid MS Dhoni be mortal like the rest of us.

 

(The author is a senior journalist based in Mumbai. Views personal.)

Comments

bottom of page