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India: No Safe Zones In Madhya Pradesh – Analysis

By Deepak Kumar Nayak On February 19, 2025, at least four women Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) cadres, active members of different committees of the 'KB' division (the Kanha Tiger Reserve in Mandla, Madhya Pradesh, and the Bhoramdeo Wildlife Sanctuary in the Kawardha District of Chhattisgarh), were killed by the Madhya Pradesh Police during an encounter near Ronda Forest Camp in the Supkhar Forest Range under Garhi Police Station limits in Balaghat District. The slain Maoists were identified as Asha, the ‘KB’ division 'commander,' facing 18 criminal cases in Madhya Pradesh, who hailed from Chhattisgarh’s Sukma District and carried a bounty of INR 1.2 million on her head in Maharashtra, INR 500,000 in her home state, and INR 300,000 in Madhya Pradesh; Sarita alias Sheela alias Padam, and Lakkhe Maravi, both hailing from Sukma District, Chhattisgarh, and carried a bounty of INR 600,000 in Maharashtra, INR 500,000 in Chhattisgarh, and INR 300,000 in Madhya Pradesh, each; and Ranjita alias Ramli Alami, a resident of Kondagaon District, Chhattisgarh, with a reward of INR 600,000 in Maharashtra, INR 500,000 in Chhattisgarh, and INR 300,000 in Madhya Pradesh. Police recovered an INSAS (Indian Small Arms System) assault rifle, one Self-Loading Rie (SLR) and a .303 rifle, besides essential daily use items, from the encounter spot. Balaghat SP Nagendra Singh stated, “It was our third encounter in the last 30 days. Earlier, in January, we held two exchanges of fire here and now finally we succeeded in gunning down four women Naxals. Our campaign to eliminate Naxals will be continued further.” On February 8, 2025, Security Forces (SFs) exchanged fire with around 18 to 20-armed CPI-Maoist cadres in uniform in the dense forests of Rajadera Kekdewada under Hatta Police Station limits in Balaghat District. No injuries were reported from either side, however, during a search of the area after the extremists managed to escape taking advantage of the dense forest terrain, SFs recovered a grenade launcher, a magazine, seven live cartridges, and essential supplies including rice, sugar, soybean balls, oil, and tea leaves. On January 3, 2025, a late-night encounter took place between the Hawk Force of Madhya Pradesh and a group of armed CPI-Maoist cadres, during a search operation based on intelligence inputs, in the Dharamara Forest area of Lanji Tehsil (revenue unit) in Balaghat District. After a brief encounter, the Maoists managed to escape into the dense forest. No casualties were reported from either side in the firefight. SFs recovered items typically used by Maoists from the encounter site. The February 19, 2025, incident is the lone fatality-related incident recorded in the State in Naxal [Left Wing Extremism, LWE]-linked violence in the current year, thus far (data till March 2, 2025). According to partial data collated by the South Asia Terrorism Portal (SATP), Madhya Pradesh recorded three fatalities (all Maoists) in LWE-related violence in 2024. In 2023, there were five fatalities, including one civilian and four Maoists. For 14 years in a row, SFs did not suffer any loss in the State in 2024. The last SF fatality was reported on September 22, 2010, when the Maoists killed a trooper of the Hawk Force (the special anti-Naxalite force of Madhya Pradesh Police) near Sitapala village in Balaghat District. On the other hand, SFs killed three Maoists in 2024, as against four in 2023. Further, at least one Maoist was arrested in 2024, as against two such arrests in 2023. There were no arrests in 2022. At least four Maoists were arrested in 2021 and one in 2020. 74 Maoists have been arrested since March 6, 2000, when SATP started documenting data on LWE-linked violence across the country. SFs’ success on ground has led to improvements in the security situation in Madhya Pradesh. No civilian fatalities, a crucial index of security, were registered in 2024, while one such fatality was recorded in 2023. Civilian fatalities have followed a cyclical trend since March 6, 2000, with a a maximum of three in 2021. At least 14 civilian fatalities have been recorded since 2000. Other parameters of violence have barely been registered by the rebels in Madhya Pradesh. No incident of arson was reported in 2024, as well in 2023. The State has recorded a total of 10 such incidents since March 6, 2000. The last incident of arson was carried out on May 22, 2022, when more than 350 bags of tendu (Diospyros Melonoxylon plant) leaves collected by the tribals were set on fire by the Naxalites at the Dadekasa-Bilal Kasa tendu leaves collection centre under the South Forest Division of the Lanji Tehsil (revenue unit) in Balaghat District. Likewise, no incident of explosion was reported in 2024, as well in 2023. In fact, the State has recorded just one blast since March 6, 2000, on December 11, 2001, when the erstwhile People’s War Group (PWG) cadres blew up the government guest-house at Samnapur in Balaghat District. Maoists also failed to issue any bandh (general shutdown) call in 2024, as well in 2023. The State has recorded a total of six such calls since March 6, 2000. The last such call was issued on September 18, 2019, when the CPI-Maoist in Balaghat District protested against the March 19, 2019, ‘encounter killing’ of Maoist leader Jamuna alias Sagan Bai (45) and other members, Mangesh and Nande, by Police and armed forces. Significantly, the number of LWE-related incidents fell from eight in 2023, to six in 2024. All the fatalities in 2024 were recorded from just one District, Balaghat. Similarly, the fatality in 2023 was recorded from Balaghat as well. Further, an analysis of the underground and overground activities of the Maoists in 2024, according to the SATP database, categorized Balaghat District as ‘marginally affected’. In 2023, Balaghat was in the marginally affected category as well. Madhya Pradesh has a total of 52 districts, with Maoists active in this district alone. According to a February 22, 2025, report, the Maoists’ ‘Maharashtra-Madhya Pradesh-Chhattisgarh (MMC) zone’ was formed by the Maoists as a new front to provide a breather to their cadres in southern Chhattisgarh. However, the ‘MMC zone’ movement failed to take root, mainly owing to the lack of support from local people. While operations against Maoists have greatly intensified in neighbouring Chhattisgarh, Maoists have also not found it easy in Madhya Pradesh, which has often been treated by them as a ‘rest and recuperation’ zone. Coordinated operations by Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh and intelligence inputs from the Centre have further cornered the Maoists. To address the LWE menace holistically, the Government of India (GoI), on August 6, 2024, also designated Balaghat, along with Mandla, and Dindori in Adhya Pradesh, as LWE-affected districts, in its list of 38 districts from nine States across the country. Following the encounter of February 19, 2025, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav declared, "there is no place for Naxalism and violent activities" in Madhya Pradesh, adding, Under the guidance of the Honourable Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji, the Honourable Home Minister Shri Amit Shah ji is running a campaign to eliminate Naxalism from the country by the year 2026 and our government is also working seriously in this direction. Maoist efforts for revival in the state, however, have not ended. In order to demonstrate that they were fighting for the causes and rights of locals, CPI-Maoist called for a march to Delhi on January 7, 2025, to support the ongoing farmers' stir through a two-page pamphlet and red banner pasted in the Rupjhar jungles in Balaghat District. The pamphlet, issued under the name of the CPI-Maoist 'Maharashtra-Madhya Pradesh-Chhattisgarh Special Zonal Committee,' read, The ongoing farmers' stir is not just the agitation of farmers from Punjab and Haryana but is actually the movement of every farmer in the country, who has already been destroyed or is on the verge of being ruined due to the anti-farmer policies of the Modi government… We appeal to people, farmers and labourers, besides allied organisations, environmentalists, and intellectuals in the three states (Maharashtra, MP, and Chhattisgarh) to support the ongoing farmers movement in all possible ways. We appeal to one and all to stage protests, demonstrations, and road jams in cities and towns; resort to relay hunger strikes; and also, campaign on social media actively. If possible, march to Delhi and Punjab with the slogan, "Shambhu aur Kanauri border Chalo". Similar content was also written on a red banner put up by the Maoists on a Pradhan Mantri Gramin Sadak Yojana sign board, in the same Maoist infested jungles of Balaghat district The Madhya Pradesh Police continue to face deficits in capacities for Policing in the State. According to the latest Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&D) data, as on January 1, 2023, Madhya Pradesh had 121.13 Police personnel per 100,000 population, significantly below the inadequate national average of 154.84. More worryingly, the Police/Area Ratio (number of policemen per 100 square kilometres) was just 33.85, as against the national average of 65.14. Both the State and national averages on the Police/Area ratio were well below the sanctioned strength, at 40.67 and 82.82, respectively. The sanctioned strength for the States’ Police was 125,381, while just 104,348 personnel were in position, creating a deficit of 16.77 per cent. In addition, the sanctioned strength of the apex Indian Police Service (IPS) Officers in the State was 305, but just 247 officers were in position, a deficit of 19.01 per cent, considerably weakening the executive supervision of the Force. According to a December 13, 2024, report, more than 6,000 people living in Maoist-hit villages in Balaghat are facing mobile phone network problem. The places where this problem exists, include Mohanpur, Chalisbodi, Kaweli, and Kasangi in the District. The Maoists are losing the little foothold they had in Madhya Pradesh. Addressing the existing lacunae in the State, and the augmentation of security and developmental would help thwart any remaining opportunities for a LWE revival in the region. Deepak Kumar NayakResearch Associate, Institute for Conflict Management