Bastar close to being considered Naxal-free, possibility of revival extremely remote: IGP

Inspector General of Police (Bastar District) P. Sundarraj said on Monday that Bastar is “very close to being deemed Naxal-free” today and the possibility of a large-scale revival of the Maoist movement seems “extremely remote”.

The statement came on the eve of the Centre’s deadline to eliminate Maoism in the country. Mr. Sundarraj said Bastar has historically been considered the strategic core of the Maoist movement.

“96% of Bastar is free of Maoism and only 30 to 40 active cadres remain,” Chhattisgarh Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma said recently.

There has been an increase in anti-Naxal operations in Bastar since January 2024, resulting in the killing of 500 Maoist cadres as of March 29 this year. These included senior cadres like CPI (Maoist) general secretary Basavaraju, who was killed in May last year.

“Of the 24 people who formed the central committee and politburo in 2024, only one politburo member remained active. Another senior leader, Ganapathy, remained inactive for six to seven years. The remaining 22 leaders were neutralized, arrested or surrendered,” Mr. Sundarraj said.

As many as 1,922 Maoist cadres have been arrested since January 1, 2024, and 2,762 have laid down their arms. The IGP said the operations in Bastar had disrupted key Maoist leadership networks and dispersed important operational bases.

The corridors that once connected Maoist strongholds in different states have been breached and the remaining cadres have been pushed into isolated forest areas, the police officer said.

‘On the management floor’

“The gradual opening of Abujhmad is a significant example of this transformation. For decades, the region remained largely outside the administrative framework due to its remoteness and Maoist dominance. Today, increased security deployment, road construction and administrative assistance are steadily bringing the region within the purview of governance and development,” Mr. Sundarraj said.

He added that this shift has simultaneously enabled the expansion of governance and development initiatives into areas once thought to be inaccessible.

‘Complete restoration is needed’

The senior police officer said “a truly Naxal-free situation will be achieved” when organized armed forces are no longer present, villagers are not intimidated and the remaining cadres either surrender, are neutralized or reintegrated into normal civilian life.

“It is equally important to fully restore governance, development activities and public confidence throughout the region,” he said.