5 months ago
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As the twelvemonth draws to a close, the four-decade-old Left Wing Extremist (LWE) insurgency—commonly known arsenic Naxalism—appears to beryllium astatine its lowest ebb.
The banned CPI (Maoist), the existent manifestation of Naxalism, has suffered its worst reverses truthful far, and information analysts judge that the endgame has begun, with the question heading towards extinction.
Historically, the question began arsenic a peasant uprising nether the banner of the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist)—a breakaway faction of the contiguous CPI(M)—in 1967 astatine Naxalbari of West Bengal. Led by extremist ideologues Charu Majumdar, Jangal Santhal and Kanu Sanyal, it withered distant wrong a fewer years aft spreading to parts of the past unified Andhra Pradesh, with Srikakulam territory emerging arsenic its epicentre.
However, the question was revived successful Andhra Pradesh successful 1980 by Kondapalli Seetharamaiah nether the banner of the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) People’s War. It aboriginal took a antithetic signifier with the enactment of CPI (Maoist) pursuing the merger of People’s War and the Maoist Communist Centre successful 2004.
Thereafter, the question dispersed crossed Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and parts of Maharashtra, with the purpose of creating a ‘Red Corridor’—a extremity it mostly achieved.
Even aft being driven retired of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha, it managed to clasp its stronghold successful Chhattisgarh, a predominantly tribal State. The Maoists were adjacent palmy successful establishing a ‘Janatana Sarkar’, a parallel governance system, ruling the roost until the Union authorities launched Operation Kagar, besides known arsenic ‘Black Forest’, successful April 2025.
The endgame
Operation Kagar, led by aggregate specialised forces including the CoBRA of the CRPF, the District Reserve Guards (DRG) of Chhattisgarh, the Special Operations Group (SOG) of Odisha, the Greyhounds of Andhra Pradesh, and the C-60 of Maharashtra, not lone successfully besieged the Maoists successful the forests of Chhattisgarh but besides made heavy inroads into their halfway strongholds specified arsenic Karregutta and Abujhmad.
The Maoists suffered dense losses implicit the past six months. According to a Maoist papers released by the party’s Central Committee, much than 320 cadres were killed successful the past 11 months, including astir 8 Central Committee members and respective elder and mid-level leaders and subject commanders.
The biggest stroke came successful May this year, erstwhile the party’s wide secretary, Nambala Keshava Rao alias Basavaraju, was killed on with 27 others successful the Abujhmad area.
The residual question successful Andhra Pradesh was curtailed with the sidesplitting of Central Committee subordinate Gajarla Ravi alias Uday and elder leaders specified arsenic Aruna and Tech Shankar successful caller months.
This was followed by the surrender of Bhupati (Mallojula Venugopal Rao), 1 of the senior-most Central Committee members, on with 60 others.
The last anticipation of reviving the Maoists’ subject helping suffered a decisive setback erstwhile their youngest Central Committee subordinate and commandant of the Central Military Commission (CMC)—the party’s main warring body—Madvi Hidma, was killed connected November 18 successful the Chintoor of Alluri Sitharama Raju district.
The deaths of Hidma and Basavaraju were the biggest setbacks for the question and awesome its endgame, says Mahesh Laddha, Additional Director General (Intelligence) of Andhra Pradesh.
Hidma’s sidesplitting was followed by the apprehension of implicit 50 Maoists from assorted cities successful A.P. wrong 24 hours.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah has said that the Maoist question indispensable beryllium eliminated by March 31, 2026. With events rapidly aligning towards that goal, it appears that the four-decade-old insurgency is nearing its end.
