Arun Ferreira
Stories written by
I saw firsthand how callous prison officials and their negligence lead to Stan Swamy's death
The deterioration of the 84-year-old in Taloja Jail was evident. Jail medical staff watched it happen, recalls a fellow prisoner.
Arun Ferreira
· 10 minutes ago
How the system broke Stan Swamy: A cell mate recalls the activist's last days in prison
The 84-year-old Jesuit priest and tribal rights activist, who had been arrested in the Bhima Koregaon case in October, died on July 5.
Arun Ferreira
· Aug 12, 2021 · 06:30 am
I was jailed on suspicion of being a Maoist. Kerala verdict could save others from my fate
Judge rules that mere membership of a banned organisation is not a crime. The police must prove that the accused person has actually been involved in an act of violence.
Arun Ferreira
· May 25, 2015 · 09:00 am
'As I stepped into freedom, the police abducted me from the gates of Nagpur jail'
In 2007, Arun Ferreira was arrested for being a Maoist. After spending nearly five years in jail, he was cleared of all charges. His searing diary about his time in prison will be in stores this week.
Arun Ferreira
· Sep 06, 2014 · 05:30 am
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India Today
2 hours ago
- India Today
How Gadchiroli moved on from rifle bore to iron ore
Today, when trains halt at Chandrapur and Ballarpur (formerly Balharshah) stations in eastern Maharashtra's Vidarbha region, passengers often get down on the quiet platforms to grab a cup of tea with vada paos and freshly fried banana is a stark contrast to how things used to be here just a decade ago — platforms had hardly any shops, and passengers rarely opened their coach doors. It's because Chandrapur, which borders the Maoism-hit district of Gadchiroli, was once equally scarred by Left-Wing Extremism (LWE).advertisementInterestingly, Gadchiroli, a hotbed of Maoist activity, was carved out of the larger Chandrapur district back in 1982. Chandrapur has been an industrial town since the 1970s — rich in coal mines, with a ferro alloy plant and a super-thermal power station. Most importantly, its neighbouring district has been Nagpur, a significant mainstream the other hand, Gadchiroli, equally rich in natural resources such as iron ore and forest produce, was defined more by its 76% forest cover, and its proximity to Chhattisgarh's Bastar region, India's most dangerous Maoist fact, until the late 2000s, Chandrapur was severely affected by LWE. But today, only sporadic incidents are reported, and the district no longer features among the Union Home Ministry's 38 LWE-affected after sunset, when trains pass through the Chandrapur-Ballarpur stretch, windows and doors remain shut due to the lingering fear of eyes watching from the surrounding fear stems from an incident that remains fresh in people's minds. Around 50 masked Maoists attempted to set a Mumbai-bound passenger train on fire in Chandrapur in up of railway tracks using dynamite was also common in the until a decade ago, this fear persisted even during the day. But today, just about 80 kilometres from Gadchiroli, when passengers step off the train, it signals an improvement not only in the law-and-order situation but also in the overall security perception of the progress appears to be spilling over into neighbouring Gadchiroli as well.A BEACON OF HOPE FORGED IN IRON OREToday, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis will inaugurate the first phase of a 5-Million Tonnes Per Annum (MTPA) iron ore grinding plant and a 10 MTPA slurry pipeline project at Hedri in Gadchiroli – the first operational iron ore slurry pipeline in the state, giving a much-needed infrastructural and industrial boost to the ore mining began in Gadchiroli's Surjagarh area in 2016, but the new iron ore beneficiation plant is the first dedicated facility of its kind in a district where the economy is primarily driven by forest produce and will also lay the foundation stone for several projects in the Maoist insurgency-affected region, including a 4.5 MTPA integrated steel plant at Konsari, a 100-bed multi-speciality hospital, a school, and the 116-acre Lloyds Township. Lloyds is India's leading iron ore bringing development to a region hasn't been 2010 to 2020, over 50 security personnel have lost their lives here. But there are positive signs too. Not a single fatality from among the security forces has been reported since 2020 in Gadchiroli, only the Gadchiroli Police's elite C-60 commandos, backed by CRPF units and drone surveillance, are disrupting Maoist networks with more force than ever MAOISTS SURRENDERED IN HORDES IN MAHARASHTRAOver the last five years, more than 70 Maoists, with a collective bounty of Rs 2.8 crore, have surrendered in Gadchiroli primary reason for this has been disillusionment with Maoist ideology. Additionally, the Surrender and Rehabilitation policy, which offers an immediate grant of Rs 5 lakh for higher-ranked LWE cadres, and Rs 2.5 lakh for middle/lower-ranked cadres per surrender, has also seemingly served as a major 2005, as many as 704 Maoists have surrendered in to officials, only 40 Maoist cadres remain on record and just 24 are active armed cadres in Gadchiroli, according to intelligence sources, reported The Indian Express in recent surrenders include that of Vimala Chandra Sidam, who had a bounty of Rs 25 lakh and gave herself up in January this year, and Nangsu Tumaretti, who surrendered last year with a bounty of Rs 41 of the biggest blows to the outlawed Communist Party of India (Maoist) came in 2021, when top fugitive commander Milind Teltumbde, brother of noted academic and writer Anand Teltumbde, was among 26 Maoists killed in an encounter in Gadchiroli. A central committee member of the CPI (Maoist), Teltumbde carried a bounty of Rs 50 2021, security forces have neutralised at least 56 Maoists in encounters in all comes amid Union Home Minister Amit Shah's declared deadline to end Maoism by March 31, IN GADCHIROLI IS A SLOW BURNThese successes are largely credited to the fact that Gadchiroli has mostly had influential or firebrand leaders as its guardian ministers. Over the past 25 years, the district has been overseen by former Maharashtra Home Minister RR Patil, former CM (now Deputy CM) Eknath Shinde, senior Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar, and current CM Devendra has been a significant contribution from the people too. It must be noted that in the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly elections, Gadchiroli recorded the second-highest voter turnout in the state at 73.68%, surpassing Mumbai (52.07%) and Pune (60.7%), showing the region's strong engagement with the democratic BJP's Milind Ramji Narote is the MLA from of now, according to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Maoist insurgency in Maharashtra is limited to just two districts, Gadchiroli and claim in June, however, raised eyebrows as Fadnavis had declared part of Gadchiroli, particularly the northern part of the district, "free of Maoist activities" over five months ago and asserted south Gadchiroli would also soon be rid of the Maoist the latest groundwork for one of the most significant development projects in this Maoist-affected district may change the region's development projects come shortly after the state government passed the Maharashtra Special Public Security Bill, aimed at combating LWE and "urban Maoism". Introduced in the Assembly by Fadnavis himself, the law empowers the state to declare organisations unlawful, seize their assets, and impose prison terms ranging from 2 to 7 years for involvement in such INITIATIVES HAVE PLAYED A BIG ROLESeveral other initiatives also signal change in the Red the unique "Ek Gaon, Ek Granthalaya" ("One Village, One Library") programme, 71 libraries have been set up over the past two years, enroling more than 8,000 students and providing access to books and learning resources in remote May, Gadchiroli got Maharashtra's first state-of-the-art inflatable theatre. The facility features an air-conditioned auditorium, Dolby 5.1 surround sound, and push-back seating, with tickets priced at Rs 100, offering residents a modern cinema experience amid have been quiet contributors too. In the midst of insurgency, individuals like Dr Abhay and Dr Rani Bang have been providing low-cost healthcare to both tribals and local community since the by insurgency, their NGO, SEARCH (Society for Education, Action and Research in Community Health), based in Shodhgram, Gadchiroli, has been pioneered maternal and child health. They train tribal women to deliver neonatal care, and have significantly reduced infant mortality in the bamboo economy offers hope for the region. Reports suggest that villages like Mendha Lekha have benefited through direct sales of bamboo, bypassing middlemen and boosting farmers' incomes. The Forest Rights Act, 2006, which enables tribal villagers to harvest and sell bamboo directly, is proving successful in certain villages of Gadchiroli a region that has been gripped by the roots of Red terror for decades, change may be slow. But the much-needed push for infrastructure signals a potential turning education, and healthcare in the hinterland could further weaken the ideological hold of Maoist groups.- Ends
Hans India
2 hours ago
- Hans India
Stringent measures in place to curb ganja growth
Visakhapatnam: Visakhapatnam Range DIG Gopinath Jetti mentioned that with the cooperation of tribals, cultivation and transportation of ganja in the agency areas have been significantly reduced. Speaking to a select group of media persons in Visakhapatnam on Monday, the DIG suggested that the eradication of cannabis should be given high priority. He appealed to the media to help create awareness among people against ganja use, its implications and sensitise youths against drug abuse. Further, the DIG said that compared to the past five years, Maoist activities in the Andhra-Orissa border have decreased. He underlined that the media acts as a powerful tool to sensitise people. The Visakhapatnam Range DIG mentioned that in the few months, the cultivation of ganja has come down in North Andhra districts. This was achieved with the cooperation of officials, strict enforcement measures taken and incentives offered to the ganja cultivators for switching to alternative crops. This part, the police intend to include people's participation in tackling the major challenge faced in the undivided Visakhapatnam and neighbouring districts. Youngsters are going to play a proactive role in creating awareness among masses, passing the information about peddlers to the police. The Visakhapatnam Range police reached out to 3,000 educational institutions and carried out 11,000 awareness programmes on the implications of ganja menace in the past one year. Nabbing the peddlers, seizing their properties and encouraging tribals to eradicate ganja cultivation were some of the extensive programmes carried out by the police.
Indian Express
5 hours ago
- Indian Express
In fight against Maoists, Bastar police try a new approach – reaching out to their families
Holding village outreach programmes, reaching out to existing Maoist cadres through their families and persuading them to lay down their arms – that's what the Bastar Police plans to do with its new initiative 'Poona Margham'. Translated as 'New Path', the outreach comes as part of the state government's anti-insurgency push to meet the central government's March 2026 push against the Maoist movement. It also comes months after the state government introduced the 'Naxal Surrender and Victim Rehabilitation Policy-2025'. According to the police, the campaign aims at having security forces – especially surrendered Maoists recruited into the District Reserve Guard (DRG) and the Bastar Fighters – reach out to families of existing cadres and persuade them to 'shun violence and join the mainstream'. 'Poona Margham is an initiative in which we will emphasise on reaching out to Maoists and facilitate their surrender and reintegration into society,' Inspector General of Police for Bastar Range Sundarraj P told The Indian Express. 'We will be conducting various community outreach programmes, meeting the family of the existing Maoist cadres and village elders to highlight the need for peace for the region's inclusive development.' The initiative also promises skill development training, promoting self-employment and livelihood opportunities and providing psychological counselling and social reintegration to surrendered Maoists. Other measures under the campaign include continuing outreach measures such as medical camps, holding sporting activities and cultural reintegration programmes. 'The campaign is to make the cadres realise that the Maoist outfit is breathing its last and that, now, they are left with only one option — shun violence and join mainstream. They are urged to understand their responsibilities toward their families, society, and nation, and adopt the path of peace, harmony, and rehabilitation,' Sundarraj P said. Counter-insurgency operations in Chhattisgarh have intensified significantly since the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power in the state in December 2023. Since then, over 400 Maoists have been killed in the state – 221 in this year alone. Meanwhile, 38 security personnel and 97 civilians have also been killed in Naxal violence during the same period.
