The C-60 commandos of the Gadchiroli Police are in the limelight these days for having eliminated 26 Maoist cadres on November 12-13, 2021, in Maharashtra’s Gadchiroli district. These commandos carried out a well planned and equally well-executed intelligence-based operation in the thick forest of Gadchiroli. The leadership was of high quality, excellent minor tactics and fieldcraft were displayed. Fire discipline was exemplary. The commandos showed their fighting spirit by fighting for over 9 hours. This is an outstanding success that other States and the central armed police forces deployed in Maoist-affected areas need to be replicated.
Formed From Indigenous Tribal Population
The C-60 commandos have several unique characteristics that separate them from other forces combating the Left-wing terrorists in the country. It is a district-level force in the country formed out of the indigenous tribal population. Others, like Greyhounds of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh and Special Operations Groups of a few States, are State-level units.
The unit, having a tagline ‘Veer Bhogya Vasundhara’ or (The Brave Rule the World)—originally the tagline of Rajputana Rifles regiment of the Indian Army—owe their name to the fact that there were only 60 commandos when it was formed. They are well-acquainted with the local terrain and also speak the local language. This gives them an upper hand over the Maoists of Gadchiroli, most of which are led by Andhra or Telangana-based leaders. As per SP Gadchiroli police, almost 40 per cent of the Maoists cadre is from outside Maharashtra.
Formed with the idea of using local populations of the remote district to take on Maoist cadres, who also are tribals, the C-60 commandos unit began functioning with 15 teams. It now has 24 teams divided between Gadchiroli and Aheri's Pranhita. Few parties of C-60 commandos are stationed in the adjoining district of Gondia, where some parts are affected by the rebel movement.
The commandos’ latest act of having gunned down 26 Maoists in a single encounter was no fluke. The unit has evolved from a raw force to being more advanced commandos trained to handle and manage the latest weaponry and gadgets.
The C-60 is qualified for combat in difficult battlegrounds, such as dense forests and hilly terrain. The commandos are trained in the country’s elite institutions, including the National Security Guard campus, Manesar, the Police Training Centre, Hazaribagh, the Jungle Warfare College, Kanker and the Unconventional Operation Training Center, Nagpur
It also has exposure to best practices of other States’ units in addition to their well-conceived skills. The commandos also organise several civic programmes, bridge the gap between locals and police, and motivate the local population to have faith in the Government. They are tenacious, knowledgeable about the terrain, and aggressive.
If the Maoists can thrive for days in forest without proper food and water, move around tactically and skillfully in dense woods, and consume local produce for survival (Living off the Land), so can the C-60 commandos. In rains or in the summer heat, with shoes on or barefoot, they can climb up and down from rocks and wade through nullahs; rivers still fight fearlessly.
The C-60 unit collects, collates and analyses information and also engages in operations. Several veteran C-60 commandos had been summoned from different units to help in collecting information and assisting in the operations. They are local tribals who can forge strong bonds with the local population. They cultivate sources of information that are being developed using sophisticated technologies leading to pinpointed inputs about the presence and movement of Maoist cadres.
Innovative Recruitment Process
The commandos are chosen after passing tests devised to gauge their calibre, mentality, capacity, tenacity and other parameters.
C-60 is the only force whose squads are known by the names of their commanders, such as Motiram Madavi party, Chinnaventa Party and so on.
Commanders are chosen from each region and then allowed to form their own teams. They select persons who they feel are fit to work with them. Then they are trained to build a cohesive and well-knit team.
In C-60, one need not become an officer to lead the squad. Those who lead are also part of the constabulary. After a successful stint, they are rewarded with accelerated promotions.
Motiram Madavi, a veteran of several successful encounters, was awarded the rank of sub-inspector. C-60 commandos had surpassed the more celebrated units like Greyhounds. Their feat has been lauded by many.
Training From Elite Training Establishments
The C-60 is qualified for combat in difficult battlegrounds, such as dense forests and hilly terrain. The commandos are trained in the country’s elite institutions, including the National Security Guard campus, Manesar, the Police Training Centre, Hazaribagh, the Jungle Warfare College, Kanker and the Unconventional Operation Training Center, Nagpur.
They receive specialised training to physically and mentally cope with the challenges of night and day in remote mountainous areas.
Physical exercises and team games are conducted every morning to keep the C-60 teams physically fit while reserving at the headquarters. They are also updated about Maoists tactics from time to time. The training imparted is of such a high quality that they develop faith in themselves, their colleagues and their leadership.
If the Maoists can thrive for days in forest without proper food and water, move around tactically and skillfully in dense woods and also consume local produce for survival (Living of the Land), so can the C-60 commandos
Apart from actual combat, the C-60’s task also includes facilitating Maoists to surrender and join the mainstream. For this, members of the unit meet the families of Maoists to apprise them of government schemes made for ex-Maoists.
The C-60 commandos had been such a serious challenge for the Maoists. Last year, Maoists directed their propaganda towards the commandos, saying they were acting against their own tribal brethren fighting to save the local population from exploitation. The commandos responded by further intensifying their operations.
Maoist Milind Teltumbde, Brother of Bhima Koregaon Violence Accused Anand Teltumbde KilledThe security forces killed 26 Maoists in an encounter in Gadchiroli on November 13. Maoist leader Milind Teltumbde, Brother of Bhima Koregaon Violence Accused Anand Teltumbde, was also killed in the encounter. He was a central committee member of the CPI (Maoist) and head of the newly formed MMC zone (Maharashtra-Madhya Pradesh-Chhattisgarh confluence) zone. The National Investigation Agency (NIA), in its October 2020 charge-sheet filed in the Elgaar Parishad case, had said Milind was inspired by his elder brother Anand Teltumbde to join Maoists. “Milind alias Deepak was expanding the Naxal movement of Maoists in urban areas with the help of his elder brother Anand Teltumbde on the international level and took guidance from him. Milind was inspired by his brother to join the CPI (Maoist) movement,” the NIA charge-sheet read. The Elgaar Parishad, on December 31, 2017, organised an event in which many Maoists participated. On January 1, 2018, massive violence broke out when the Maoists and their sympathisers celebrated the anniversary of Bhima Koregaon’s battle. Maoist Pahaad Singh, who had surrendered in 2018, had told the police that Milind was tasked with creating a new territory that allowed rebels easy passage from east to west and vice-versa and a safe abode for senior Maoists. “He (Milind Teltumbde) was the person who pushed the idea to develop Amarkantak as ‘base area’ of MMC, in a meeting in 2016, in which Central Committee Members (CCM) of the CPI (Maoists) including him were present” Hindustan Times quoted a senior Indian Police officer (IPS) officer who had interrogated Maoist Pahaad Singh. While investigating the Elgaar Parishad case, the NIA had unearthed a plot to assassinate Prime Minister Narendra Modi. A Maoist communication unearthed by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) read, “If this pace continues, it would mean immense trouble on all fronts… Com Kisan and a few other senior comrades have proposed concrete steps to end the Modi raj.” It further read, “We are thinking along the lines of another Rajiv Gandhi-type incident. It sounds suicidal, and there is a good chance that we might fail, but we feel that the party PB/CC must deliberate over our proposal. Targeting his roadshows could be an effective strategy. We collectively believe that survival of the party is supreme to all sacrifices.” |
Several families in the district had one cousin in the C-60 unit while the other had joined Maoists. Casualties occur when you are constantly in operations. They need to be provided with the best medical treatment. Their families have to be protected from Maoist reprisals. Innovative methods have to be used to protect them during non-operational times.
Given Adequate Rest
Just because C-60 commandos have produced outstanding results does not mean they should be repeatedly launched into operations. After each operation, they should be given adequate rest. The other police and Central armed police forces deployed in Maoist affected areas have to carry out offensive operations, especially against the administrative/ training camps located in the Jungles of Abujhmad. They are far too defensive in their approach. Only then will we be able to tackle Left-wing terrorism.
The writer is a Retd. Army Veteran and Security Analyst.
- Brig Hemant Mahajanhttps://organiser.org/guest-author/brig-hemant-mahajan/
- Brig Hemant Mahajanhttps://organiser.org/guest-author/brig-hemant-mahajan/
- Brig Hemant Mahajanhttps://organiser.org/guest-author/brig-hemant-mahajan/
- Brig Hemant Mahajanhttps://organiser.org/guest-author/brig-hemant-mahajan/
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