Bastar watchers and those dealing with the Red menace for years have recently reported that security operations in Bastar from 2024 onwards have resulted in record fatalities of Maoist cadres and corresponding security gains. In 2024, we witnessed the highest-ever Maoist fatalities, marking a major security victory. Security forces have dismantled strongholds like Abujhmad, demolished Maoist monuments and seized training camps. Along with this infrastructure development and welfare schemes expanded in insurgency-hit areas.
Dismantling Red Terror
While this is good news, it has to be realised that kinetic operations against Maoism can only lead to temporary gains. Like the legendary king whose energy centre lay in the parrot, the Maoist dragon is powered by the Urban Naxal network. This has to be dismantled before the Red Terror can be considered truly over. The takeover of large pockets of the country by Red Terror is Information Warfare in its most sophisticated form and needs to be eliminated through a mixture of kinetic and information operations.
Decrease in Maoist Violence
According to reports including MHA data and ground media, Maoist-related violence in 2024 dropped to 81 per cent from 2010 onwards, with deaths reduced by 85 per cent. Chhattisgarh, Maoist epi-centre, saw a 47 per cent reduction in violence and a 60 per cent decline in casualties. Strategic operations have been undertaken and Maoist strongholds have been breached. Major operations in Puvarti, Abujhmad, and Bastar have led to the highest Maoist death toll in a year. Security forces penetrated all these Maoist bastions, and have set up new camps, and improved connectivity.
Neutralising Leaders
Top Maoist leaders, including Chalpati and Damodar, were neutralised. As a part of infrastructure and rehabilitation efforts, roads like Bijapur-Pamed and Jagargunda-Basaguda reopened after decades. Welfare initiatives, including “Niyad Nellanar,” reached tribal communities. Over 800 Maoists surrendered in 2024 due to Government incentives and there was a Maoist leadership crisis due to arrests of top leaders like Prashant Bose and deaths of key figures which led to a leadership vacuum.
Researches in security studies have focused on understanding unconventional, persistent and unending conflicts in the world by defining and researching generations of warfare. Urban Naxalism falls within the ambit of Fourth Generation Warfare (4GW). It has to be understood that the reach of Naxalism is not just limited to rural areas. Work in urban areas is a part of the Maoist strategy that has been extensively detailed and documented by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of India (Maoist) in their documents, the Urban Perspective and the document on Strategy and Tactics of the Indian Revolution which was issued by the CPI(M) in way back in 2004.
According to reports including MHA data and ground media, Maoist-related violence in 2024 dropped to 81 per cent from 2010 onwards, with deaths reduced by 85 per cent
The sections of the document that focus on naxal activities in urban areas provide the theoretical framework of Urban Naxalism in Bharat. Their documents clearly state that the urban movement is one of the main sources, which provides cadres and leadership having various types of capabilities essential for the people’s war and for the establishment of liberated areas… Moreover, the responsibility for the provision of supplies, technology- expertise, information and other such things, to the people’s war, too lies on the shoulders of the urban revolutionary movement itself.’
This has not remained just words. The year 2015-16 kept Bharat occupied with shocking revelations on the campuses of renowned education institutes like FTII, HCU, IIT Chennai, JNU, Osmania University, Jadavpur University and Delhi University. JNU reverberated with slogans that championed the breaking of the Indian nation. All this happened under the cover of Constitutional values.
These Urban Naxals support Maoists in rural areas by supplying essentials like arms, medicines, and communication equipment while also mobilising front organisations and activists. Additionally, they explore cyber warfare, leveraging urban internet penetration for their strategy. They also probably intend to progressively target vital installations, crucial networks like financial networks, security networks and essential services, which today run on the internet and social networks to profess their ideology and spread their propaganda.
Where Can Urban Naxals be Found?
The strategy document of the Maoists says, ‘It is very important to penetrate into the military, paramilitary forces, police, and higher levels of the administrative machinery of the state. It is necessary to obtain information regarding the enemy, to build support for the revolution within these organs, and even to incite revolt when the time is ripe…’ It is evident that multi-directional attacks, both kinetic and information operations are planned by Urban Naxals to bring in the Communist revolution. Urban Maoism is a unique threat to Bharat. The Union Home Ministry aims for a Maoist-free Bharat by March 2026. Maoists still possess sophisticated weaponry and makeshift arms factories and are powered by Urban comrades who are internationally networked. Maoists have responded and 68 civilians were killed in 2024, with Maoists targeting alleged police informers.
The Government is aware of the Urban Naxal threat. What remains to be done is to launch defensive and offensive information warfare and identify and eliminate the Naxal ecosystem.
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