Amit Shah presides over the decimation of Maoist menace

Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s tough stance against the Maoist insurgency has yielded a significant breakthrough. In a major operation on Wednesday in Narayanpur, Chhattisgarh, security forces eliminated 27 Maoists, including the top CPI-Maoist leader Nambala Keshav Rao, also known as Basavaraju. Basavaraju, the general secretary of the CPI-Maoist and a key figure in the Red Corridor, was considered the backbone of the insurgency. His elimination marks the first time in three decades that a leader of his rank has been neutralised by Indian forces.

Shah, working closely with security agencies, has accelerated efforts to eradicate the Maoist threat well ahead of the government’s target date of March 2026. Announcing the success on the social media platform X, Shah described it as a “landmark achievement in the battle to eliminate Naxalism.”

He also highlighted the broader impact of recent operations, stating: “After Operation Black Forest, 54 Naxalites have been arrested and 84 have surrendered across Chhattisgarh, Telangana, and Maharashtra. The Modi government is firmly resolved to eliminate Naxalism by 31 March 2026.”

For decades, the Red Corridor has been a stronghold for Maoist insurgents, who have ruthlessly targeted security forces, politicians, and civilians alike. Armed with weapons sourced from the black market or seized from government stockpiles, they held sway in vast rural areas. Previous state and central governments, particularly in the undivided Madhya Pradesh and later in Chhattisgarh post-2000, pursued ineffective and half-hearted strategies. Political indifference and bureaucratic inertia allowed Maoists to entrench their influence.

Even under former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who labelled Maoism the country’s greatest internal security threat, strong countermeasures were stymied. The National Advisory Council, led by Sonia Gandhi and influential in Singh’s government, included sympathisers who opposed harsh action, framing Maoism as a reaction to socio-economic inequities.  Sympathisers and NGOs advocating for preserving the status quo continued to hinder decisive action.

Though the insurgency initially capitalised on legitimate grievances such as exploitation and inequality, the movement’s leadership devolved into criminal elements engaged in drug trafficking and extortion. Attempts by former Home Minister P Chidambaram to curb the menace faltered amid political discord and weak resolve. Some progress was made earlier during Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s tenure.

Reports reveal that senior Maoist leaders received training from groups like the LTTE, while numerous Congress politicians ignored or tacitly condoned Maoist violence. The insurgents imposed harsh control over tribal populations, coercing them into their ranks through intimidation and brutality. Vigilante justice and punishments for resisting recruitment were widespread.

Maoists frequently prevented government officials from carrying out their duties or resorted to killing those who tried. Government offices remained shuttered, and barter trade became the norm in affected areas, worsening the plight of young people desperate to escape poverty and unemployment amid the ongoing violence.

Today, thanks to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s determination and Amit Shah’s relentless oversight, Maoist strongholds are finally collapsing. Shah, who has personally managed counter-insurgency efforts, stays in close contact with field teams to enforce the government’s uncompromising no-mercy policy.

BasavarajuBastarChhattisgarhMaoistsNambala Keshav RaoNews BriefWeb Exclusive