Maroc - EURASIAREVIEW.COM - A la une - 04/Feb 00:03

India: Maoist Autumn In Telangana – Analysis

By Deepak Kumar Nayak On January 18, 2025, as many as 22 Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) party 'militia' (people's army of the Maoists) members of the Errapalli Revolutionary People's Committee (RPC) of Sukma District in Chhattisgarh, surrendered before Superintendent of Police (SP) B. Rohith Raju in Bhadradri Kothagudem District. SP Raju stated that the 22 'militia' members decided to surrender to the Kothagudem Police as they were impressed with the rehabilitation policy offered by the Telangana government. The District Police organised an Athmeeya Sammelanam at Cherla Police Station on January 18, with the families of the Maoists who surrendered during the last year and those who were underground. The identities of the surrendered Maoist 'militia' members are yet to be disclosed. On January 16, 2025, A woman CPI-Maoist cadre, Kalamu Pai (28), active in the restive Darbha area of Chhattisgarh's Bastar region, surrendered in the coal town in the Bhadradri Kothagudem District. Pai, a resident of Palya village in the Sukma District of Chhattisgarh, was an 'area committee member (ACM)' of the CPI-Maoist of the Kerlapal area committee in Chhattisgarh, and carried a reward of INR 400,000 on her head. She cited the spurt in incidents of exchange of fire between the Maoists and Police, the establishment of new Police camps in the forested Bastar region, and her ill health as the main reasons for her decision to quit the banned outfit and join the mainstream, the Police said. On January 11, 2025, Macha Somaiah aka Surender aka Satish (62), serving as the 'district committee secretary' and 'in-charge of the agriculture wing' for the CPI-Maoist, surrendered to the Police in Jayashankar Bhupalpally District. Somaiah, hailing from Pambapur village in Bhupalpally Mandal (administrative sub division), joined the Maoist organisation in 1990, encouraged by Gali Agaiah aka Janardhan, the former Mahadevpur 'area committee secretary'. Over the past 32 years, Somaiah operated as an underground cadre, participating in numerous violent incidents across Telangana and Chhattisgarh. Senior CPI-Maoist cadres over 60 years old, like Somaiah, have been increasingly affected by health issues and lack adequate medical care due to intensified anti-extremist operations in Chhattisgarh. Frustrated with the Maoist party's inability to provide necessary support, Somaiah was motivated by Telangana government's rehabilitation schemes aimed at helping surrendered cadres lead peaceful lives with their families. According to partial data collated by the South Asia Terrorism Portal (SATP), at least 24 Naxalites (Left Wing Extremists) have already surrendered in Telangana in the current year (data till Fabruary 2, 2025). 30 Naxalites had surrendered in 2024, in Telangana, in addition to nine surrenders in 2023. In total, 354 Naxalites have surrendered since June 2, 2014, when the state was formed. In the meantime, no incident of arrest has been recorded in the current year (data till Fabruary 2, 2025). However, at least 48 Naxalites were arrested through 2024, in addition to 69 arrested in 2023. A total of 536 Naxalites has been arrested since June 2, 2014. Telangana recorded six incidents of killing resulting in 18 fatalities (three civilians and 15 Naxalites) through 2024. Two Naxalites were killed in 2023, in one such incident of killing. Since June 2, 2014, the SFs have killed 54 Naxalites. Strikingly, SFs maintaining total dominance over the rebels on the ground, and have not suffered a single loss in the state since its formation. However, Telangana recorded 15 civilian fatalities in the intervening period, and the last of these was reported on November 21, 2024, when CPI-Maoist cadres hacked to death two villagers, Uika Ramesh and Uika Arjun, in Penugolu colony of Wajedu Mandal in Mulugu District, accusing them of being 'police informants'. The Maoists left notes, signed by Wajedu Venkatapuram area secretary 'Shanta', near the dead bodies, claiming that both the deceased were collecting information and passing it on to the Special Intelligence Bureau (SIB), an elite agency of the state police involved in anti-Maoist operations. The 18 fatalities in 2024 were recorded from Mulugu (three civilians and seven Maoists) and Bhadradri Kothagudem (eight Maoists). The two fatalities reported in 2023 were recorded from Bhadradri Kothagudem. Meanwhile, of 69 fatalities recorded in the state since its formation in 2014, a maximum of 36 (five civilians and 31 Maoists) were reported from Bhadradri Kothagudem, followed by Mulugu 20 (five civilians and 15 Maoists), Khammam five (four civilians and one Maoist), and Komaram Bheem Asifabad and Warangal (Rural) two each (all Maoists), and Hyderabad and Warangal (Urban) one (Maoist) each, and Adilabad one (civilian). Telangana has a total of 31 districts. Meanwhile, according to the SATP database, based on underground and over-ground activities of the Maoists in 2024, two Districts (Bhadradri Kothagudem and Mulugu) were categorised as moderately affected; while five (Hanamkonda, Jayashankar Bhupalpally, Khammam, Komaram Bheem Asifabad, and Siddipet), were marginally affected. By comparison, in 2023, one District (Bhadradri Kothagudem) was categorised as moderately affected; while seven (Hyderabad, Jayashankar Bhupalpally, Karimnagar, Komaram Bheem Asifabad, Mancherial, Mulugu and Warangal Urban), were marginally affected. On December 4, 2024, Minister of State for Home Affairs, Nityanand Rai in a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha (Upper House of the Parliament), stated that Adilabad, Jayashankar-Bhupalpally, Khammam, Komaram-Bheem, Mancherial, Peddapalle, and Warangal Rural, were the districts excluded from the list of Left Wing Extremism (LWE)-affected districts during preceding five years (Between 2018 and 2024) in the state. In an earlier reply to a question, the Lok Sabha (Lower House of the Parliament) on August 6, 2024, was informed that Bhadradri Kothagudem and Mulugu were still on the list of 38 LWE-affected districts across the country. Several parameters suggest the Maoists' declining strength in the state. The Maoists failed to carry out any incident of arson in 2024 as well in 2023. The last such incident was recorded on February 22, 2022, when Maoist cadres and its jan militia (people's army) members, set ablaze six vehicles at a construction site at Chintaguppa village of Dummugudem Mandal under Dummugudem Police Station limits in Bhadradri Kothagudem. In addition, two major incident (each involving three or more fatalities) were recorded, in which 13 Maoists were killed, in 2024, though no major incident was recorded in 2023. One such incident was recorded in 2022, in which three Maoists were killed. Speaking at the 25th KS Vyas Memorial lecture at the Integrated Command and Control Centre (ICCC) organised by the Raja Bahadur Venkata Rama Reddy Telangana Police Academy (RBVVR TPA), on January 27, 2025, Telangana Director General of Police (DGP) Dr. Jitender asserted that the state was far ahead in eliminating Maoists from society. Earlier, on December 29, 2024, DGP Jitender had warned the CPI-Maoist to stay out of Telangana state, emphasising that any further provocation would prompt the Police to take action: They (Maoists) engaged in criminal activity, killing two people under the guise of being police informers. We cannot tolerate such actions. Therefore, we had to launch an operation. We have warned them not to operate in Telangana. If they continue their activities, we will take necessary action, as the safety and security of Telangana's citizens is our priority. In the interim, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) took actions against the Maoist rebels on three occasions, to curb their activities. On December 12, 2024, the NIA took over a key case involving the CPI-Maoist conspiracy to target Police personnel and public representatives using explosives and booby traps in the Mulugu District. The case was first registered on June 13, 2024, by the Venkatapuram Police. NIA registered the case on December 4, 2024, under multiple sections of the Arms Act, the Explosive Substances Act, and the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), 1967. Earlier, on May 7, 2024, NIA filed a chargesheet against three CPI-Maoist cadres in the Nampally Court in Hyderabad District in the case of the alleged supply of explosives and drones to the rebels. The most wanted and absconding Maoists Hidma, Chokka Rao alias Damodar and Kamala, were also charge-sheeted in the case. The case was first registered on June 5, 2023, by the Cherla Police after they arrested alleged couriers Nageswara Rao, Mallikarjun and Umashankar, who bought the explosives from S. Kumaraswamy, who was in possession of an explosives license. Further, on March 11, 2024, the NIA chargesheeted a top Maoist leader from Telangana in a case relating to a conspiracy to promote LWE in the country. Sanjoy Deepak Rao aka Sanjay Deepak Rao aka Vikas aka Anand aka Aravind, was a CPI-Maoist 'central committee (CC)' member, who has been charge-sheeted in the NIA Special Court at Hyderabad. An NIA release noted, Our probe revealed that the accused had actively recruited and radicalised other individuals to join the CPI(Maoist) in a systematic process and manner to carry [out] acts related to terror and violence, in conspiracy with other Maoist cadres. He also raised funds to further the activities of the proscribed terrorist organisation, including the procurement of arms and ammunition. The case was initially registered by the Kukatpally Housing Board (KPHB) Police, Hyderabad, Telangana, following Rao's arrest from the Malaysian Township Area in KPHB on September 15, 2023. A revolver with ammunition, multiple forged Aadhaar cards, a laptop and cash were seized from his possession at the time of his arrest. The NIA took over the investigation and re-registered the case on January 3, 2024. Though the Maoists have failed to make deep inroad inside Telangana since the formation of the State, their continuing efforts are a matter of concern. Three incidents of explosion were orchestrated by the rebels in 2024, as against no such incidents in 2023. There were three exchanges of fire between SFs and the Maoists in 2024 in the state, as against two in 2023. The Maoists also issued a bandh (shut down strike) call in 2024, as against no such call in 2023. However, the number of recoveries of arms and ammunition decreased to 12 in 2024, from 17 in 2023. In the current year, no such incident of recovery has been recorded in the state, so far (data till February 2, 2025). Overall Maoist-linked incidents increased, though marginally, to 44 in 2024, from 39 in 2023. On January 10, 2025, a CPI-Maoist threat letter was found pasted on a house at Jadcharla village, in the name of the Lachanna Dal of the CPI-Maoist State Committee in Mahbubnagar District. In the letter, the Jadcharla Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) Anirudh Reddy, his brother, and followers were warned to change their ways; otherwise, they would face punishment in a 'public court'. MLA Anirudh Reddy was accused of forcibly grabbing the lands of the poor. It was further alleged that the MLA and his followers were threatening companies in the Balanagar and Rajapur areas and extorting money. Nevertheless, the Maoists are failing to garner the support of the local masses, who have demonstrated their disapproved of the rebels' acts of violence. On November 23, 2024, tribal people from different parts of Mulugu District in Telangana took out a rally at Eturnagaram, the revenue division headquarters, in protest against the killing of two Adivasis, including Peruru Gram Panchayat (a village level local self-Government institution) secretary Uika Ramesh and a tribal youth Uika Arjun, allegedly by Maoists, in the Wazedu Mandal of the district. The protesters, comprising Adivasis from several remote tribal hamlets, marched through the main streets of Eturunagaram, displaying banners denouncing the brutal killing of the two Adivasis by the ultras after branding them as 'police informers'. For decades, the then Telangana region of Andhra Pradesh was the very heartland of the Maoist rebellion. After the creation of Telangana, it was presumed that the Maoists would try to implement their 'revival plan' in the new state. However, they have failed to establish any considerable sway in the state, thus far. The Telangana Police has been exceptional in countering the LWE-threat, despite critical shortages of personnel. According to the Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&D) data (as on January 1, 2023), the sanctioned strength for the States' Police was 86,058, but only 61,811 personnel were in position, yielding a vacancy of 24,247, or 28.17 per cent. Further, Telangana had 162.66 Police personnel per 100,000 population in position (as against a sanctioned ratio of 226.47). More worryingly, the Police/Area Ratio (number of policemen per 100 square kilometres) was just 55.13, 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 76.75 and 82.82, respectively. Moreover, against the sanctioned strength of the apex Indian Police Service (IPS) Officers in the State at 139, just 122 were in position, yielding a vacancy of 17, i.e., 12.23 per cent, significant enough to weaken the executive supervision of the force. SF dominance and consolidation are visible on the ground; however, the state needs to address the existing security gaps in capacities and deployment, in order to ensure lasting peace in Telangana. Deepak Kumar NayakResearch Associate, Institute for Conflict Management