Union Minister Amit Shah said recently that Bharat would witness the end of naxalism on March 31 2026. In recent times, the security forces have achieved much success in putting down the Maoists. Their numbers are dwindling rapidly, but there is still some way to go before the entire movement is crushed.
On December 1 2024, seven Maoists were killed in an encounter with security personnel in the Chalpaka Forest area in the Mulugu district of Telangana. Following the encounter, the police recovered one AK-47 rifle, a G-3 rifle and an INSAS (Indian Small Arms System) along with other explosives and firearms.
This encounter is the first major setback for the Maoists in the area since 2019, when Mulugu was formed by bifurcating the Jayasankar Bhupalpally district. This led to the Maoists reorganising in the Mulugu district to revive their activities.
Why Mulugu
It is a well-known fact that, for the last couple of years, the Maoist movement has been on the wane. They have faced losses in their strongholds, and the top leadership has almost been wiped out.
The biggest losses they faced were in Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh. This led them to sneak in through the Telangana borders and seek shelter in Mulugu and the neighbouring Bhadradri Kothagudem. Mulugu occupies a total area of 3,881 square kilometres, and nearly 75 per cent of its total geographical area is under forest cover spreading over Venkatapuram, Tadwai and Mulugu divisions.
The Maoists are targeting one revenue division of Mulugu, which includes nine revenue units and 174 village panchayats. The geography of this district is such that it embraces plain hills and mountains, thus creating a safe haven for Maoists.
Taking into account the nature of this district, the Maoists are making a quick shift here and are trying to revive their activities. However, they have been defensive in their approach thanks to the aggression of the security forces. However, efforts to revive persist.
In Mulugu, the Maoists have tried and engaged with the local population and the tribal youth in particular. The security agencies have taken note of this fact and are conducting operations on a regular basis to ensure that the youth are not swayed by the Maoists.
While inaugurating a police training centre at Mulugu and Battle Obstacle Assault Course tracks in 2020, the then Director General of Police, M Mahender Reddy, conferred with the local officials on various strategies. These include methods to wean away tribal youth from Maoists influence.
The Intelligence wing, too, is tracking the movement of Naxalites closely and is taking every possible measure to push them out of the district.
The Maoists, after being beaten down in Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh, have been looking for safe havens to revive the moment. For them, Mulugu became the perfect destination to carry forward their activities. This is largely because Mulugu has a challenging terrain. The Maoists are also trying to take advantage of the geographical proximity to Maoists-affected regions in Chhattisgarh.
They will continue to make efforts, but our forces are on guard and ready to hit them every time they attempt a revival. The battle is hard considering the terrain and the fact that they can jump between one state and another, but it will not be easy for the Maoists, a police official told the Organiser.
The road ahead is not easy
An official specialising in anti-Maoists operations says that the road for the Maoists will not be easy. However, it is important that we never let our guard down, and if we do so, they would seize on that opportunity and attempt a revival.
The attempts being made at Mulugu may be worrisome, but for the Maoists it is not as simple as they may think. First and foremost, they have not been able to lure the local tribal youth in the region. This itself indicates that half the battle is lost.
In recent recoveries that have been carried out post an anti-Maoists, the cash recoveries have been in the range of Rs 20,000 to Rs 40,000. This itself is an indicator that the money is not flowing in as they may have wished.
To curb the money flow, the Centre had cracked down on the urban Maoists who operated in the cities. They were the primary source of funds for the Maoists. When they had a free run, they would run seminars and also bring in foreign funding in the name of dubious NGOs and then pass it on to the Maoists. This has been stopped to a large extent or completely.
All these factors are making it hard for the Maoists movement to revive. There are a handful of cadre who are making the shift into Telangana with the hope that they may be able to restore the movement. However, it has not been easy since the coordination between the state police forces has been good.
The ultimatum
The Maoists are aware that their time is running out. Shah had given them an ultimatum to either surrender or face the consequences. The deadline given by the Home Minister was March 31 2026.
The success rate of the security forces in dealing with the problem in recent times has been commendable. In April this year, during an operation in the Kankar district of Chhattisgarh, 29 Maoists were gunned down. This came following the killing of 28 Maoists in the Abhujmarh jungles in Bastar.
Last year, the number of Maoists killed was 115, while 125 were arrested and 150 surrendered. This feat was achieved thanks to the setting up of nearly 250 camps to tackle the menace in various states. During a review meeting, it was discussed that the number of camps to tackle the problem was not enough. Following this high-level review meeting, it was decided to set up 32 camps every year as opposed to the 16 that were being put up in the past.
While there have been tough curbs on funding, one of the key reasons why the secret forces have attained so much success is due to coordination. The state police and the central agencies have worked in tandem, and this has left the Maoists movement hanging in the balance. Further, another strategy that has worked is winning over the local population and ensuring that they do not become the eyes and ears of the Maoists as was being done in the past.
