Bastar Freed from Maoist Clutches

The Maoist insurgency in Central India—Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Odisha—is on its last legs. The recent reclassification of erstwhile Left Wing Extremism (LWE) districts into “districts of concern” and districts of “legacy and trust” is a marker of the government’s success in eradicating Maoism.

Bastar and Kondagaon, two districts that were for long in the grip of Maoist insurgency, have now been re-designated as “districts of legacy and trust” from their earlier classification as LWE affected districts. This even as counter-insurgency and security operations have been speeded up in other parts of Bastar division. The Bastar division has seven districts: Kanker, Narayanpur, Sukma, Kondagaon, Bijapur, Dantewada and Bastar. Of these, only Bijapur, Sukma, Narayanpur and Kanker continue to be classed as “most affected” LWE districts.

At one time, the Dhaurai area in Kondagaon district was infamous for derailing mineral mining operations in the adjoining Amdai Ghati where the rich iron ore deposits could not be mined as the Maoists routinely blew up mining and transportation equipment there. That is history now.

Other districts in the state, that were once afflicted with Maoism–Dhamtari, Kabirdham and Rajnandgaon—have been re-classed as districts of “legacy and trust.” The change in the status of Kabirdham, a district that adjoins Balaghat district of Madhya Pradesh, is noteworthy. This area was part of the Maoists’ Maharashtra-Madhya Pradesh-Chhattisgarh (MMC) zone, an area where they were trying to expand their influence beyond their usual area of operations. These attempts were dented after the death of Milind Teltumbde, the man tasked with the expansion drive, in 2021. The danger to Kabirdham has passed.

In 2019, 14 districts in the state were classed as LWE districts, including Balrampur, Balod, Kabirdham and Mahasamund that were not contiguous to the most affected Bastar division districts. In the last one decade, the effective coordination of anti-Maoist operations across different states has ensured that these districts that border different states did not become safe havens for Maoists.

It is quite possible that the 31^st March, 2026 deadline given by Union Home Minister Amit Shah for ending Maoism may be met earlier. Given the extent of surrenders by Maoist cadres and the operations where their active members are being eliminated, these districts are now in an “eliminate, clear and hold” mode.

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