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.

Urban Threats

Maharashtra is no stranger to the twin forces of dissent and disruption. From the caste-fuelled Bhima-Koregaon riots in 2018 to the ideological battlefields of the 2015 FTII protests, the state’s urban centres have often served as flashpoints for unrest. Now, the Maharashtra government led by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has introduced the Maharashtra Special Public Security Act (MSPSC), 2024 to counter the insidious threat of ‘Urban Naxalism’ creeping into cities through covert ‘front organisations.’ Predictably, the bill that has sparked both support and sharp criticism. While the legislation purports to strengthen the state’s response to urban threats, its detractors claim that such sweeping powers risk tipping the scales away from liberty and towards authoritarianism.


The government’s case for the bill is grounded in pressing realities. The Bhima-Koregaon riots of 2018 exposed how incendiary rhetoric and ideological proxies could fan the flames of caste conflict. Similarly, the FTII protests underscored the extent to which urban centres have become battlegrounds for ideological warfare. According to the state, Naxal-affiliated ‘front organisations’ allegedly provide logistical support and ideological cover to armed cadres, enabling them to infiltrate urban spaces. Existing laws, such as the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), have proven slow and cumbersome in addressing this threat.


The MSPSC aims to fill this gap. Its provisions empower the government to declare organisations unlawful and prosecute individuals engaging in activities deemed dangerous to public order. Penalties range from two to seven years’ imprisonment, with fines reaching Rs.5 lakh. Unlike the UAPA, the new law allows local authorities, district magistrates or police commissioners, to grant prosecutorial sanctions, cutting through bureaucratic red tape.


By empowering district magistrates and police commissioners to grant prosecution sanctions, the legislation promises swifter action against unlawful activities. Moreover, it targets not just armed insurgents but also their urban logistical networks, potentially disrupting a critical support system for Naxal operations. The act’s provisions, modelled after similar laws in states like Chhattisgarh and Andhra Pradesh, reflect a coordinated effort to tackle a national menace. If implemented judiciously, the law could enhance public safety.


Yet Maharashtra is not rural Bastar. Its urban fabric is more complex, its population more diverse, and its civil society more vocal. Heavy-handed policing in the name of public security could alienate communities and stoke the very unrest the law seeks to quell. The state’s social fabric is increasingly strained by rapid urbanisation, economic disparities and political polarisation. Detractors of the bill say that addressing these issues will require dialogue, inclusivity and reforms that strengthen governance rather than draconian laws. Whatever the case, when the MSPSC returns to the Assembly following deliberation on the bill, legislators must ensure that it strikes a firm balance between liberty and security. Maharashtra must uphold its proud tradition of democratic debate, yet it cannot allow itself to become a haven for unchecked extremism or the misuse of democratic liberties.

Comments

bottom of page