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Indian Express
a day ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Maoist-hit Bijapur gets closer to mainstream, one mobile tower at a time
A mobile tower may be ubiquitous in most parts of India, but in Bijapur, a sprawling 6,500 sq km district in Chhattisgarh that is one of the worst-hit by Left-Wing Extremism, it is a means to bring villagers living under the shadow of Maoists closer to the mainstream. Over the last 18 months, as operations against Maoists have picked up pace, the local administration has also embarked on a mission to bolster mobile connectivity, installing twice as many mobile towers as compared to the previous two years. The Bastar region comprises seven districts — Bastar, Kondagaon, Kanker, Narayanpur, Dantewada, Bijapur and Sukma. A look at anti-Maoist operations indicates Bijapur is the worst-hit, which makes implementing development activities a challenge, officials say. According to officials, Maoists destroy mobile towers as they believe these will help police informers in remote villages alert security forces. Maoists have set on fire eight mobile towers in the district since 2022, including six in 2024-2025. However, the pushback by forces since 2024 has helped the administration install 48 mobile towers between January 2024 and June 2025, providing coverage to 110 villages in Bijapur. In comparison, 24 towers were installed in 2022 and 2023. One of the mobile towers installed last month was in the Kutru area, where eight security personnel and a civilian driver were killed in an IED blast in January. 'As of mid-2025, significant strides have been made in enhancing mobile connectivity across Bijapur, particularly in its remote and previously insurgency-affected areas. Bijapur likely has around 45% of its villages covered by mobile network, with approximately 300 villages having coverage, many of which are currently part of ongoing government tower deployment efforts,' District Collector Sambit Mishra told The Indian Express. Still, nearly 400 villages in Bijapur district continue to experience limited networks. Detailing the challenges, Bijapur SP Jitendra Kumar Yadav said, 'We made 20 camps in the last two years. It is difficult to install mobile towers; in the last two years, six towers have been sabotaged. We are able to install towers close to the camps. In a security vacuum, this is always difficult.' 'Ongoing initiatives are expected to continue to bridge these gaps, bringing essential services and connectivity to all corners of the district. Erecting mobile towers is challenging due to tough terrain, limited connectivity, and persistent security threats. Yet, every mobile tower we install brings a village closer to the mainstream — enabling digital access, financial inclusion, and emergency services. The grateful smile on the face of the villagers makes every effort worth it.'
News18
28-04-2025
- Politics
- News18
24 Naxalites, Including 11 Women, Surrender During Anti-Maoist Operation In Chhattisgarh's Bijapur
Agency: PTI According to an official, with this surrender, 203 Naxalites have so far laid down arms the district, while 90 have been killed and 213 arrested. Twenty-four Naxalites, including 14 with a total reward of Rs 28.50 lakh on their heads, surrendered in Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh on Monday, a police official said. The surrender comes amid a massive anti-Naxal operation involving around 24,000 security personnel underway on hills of Bijapur bordering Telangana since April 21. The surrendered Naxalites include 11 women, the official said. "They cited disappointment with the inhuman Maoist ideology, atrocities on local tribals by ultras and growing differences within the outlawed outfit. They are also impressed by 'Niyad Nellanar' (your good village) scheme of the state government aimed at facilitating development works in remote villages around security camps," Bijapur Superintendent of Police Jitendra Kumar Yadav said. "The surrendered cadres belong to different formations of east Bastar division, Partapur area committee and west Bastar division of the Maoists. Of them, Sudru Hemla (33), a member of Bhairamgarh area committee, and Kamli Modiam alias Urmila (36), Partapur area committee member, carried rewards of Rs 5 lakh each on their heads," he said. Jaymoti Punem (24) and Mangu Punem (21) carried a reward of Rs 3 lakh and Rs 50,000, respectively, the SP added. "Shamnath Kunjam (40), Chaitu Kursam (30), Buchchi Madvi alias Roshni (25), Sukhmati Ursa (28) and Somli Hemla (45) carried a bounty of Rs 2 lakh each, while Bujji Padam (20), Sukko Punem (28), Hidme Veko (22), Soni Korsa (30) and Lachha Tati (25) were carrying reward of Rs 1 lakh each," Yadav informed. With this surrender, 203 Naxalites have so far laid down arms the district, while 90 have been killed and 213 arrested, he said. All the surrendered Naxalites were provided assistance of Rs 50,000 each and will be further rehabilitated as per the government's policy, he said. In 2024, a total of 792 Naxalites surrendered in Bastar region, comprising seven districts, including Bijapur, as per police. PTI) First Published: April 28, 2025, 22:56 IST
Time of India
28-04-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Chhattisgarh: 24 Naxalites, including 14 with total bounty of Rs 28.50 lakh, surrender in Bijapur
Twenty-four Naxalites, including 14 with a total reward of Rs 28.50 lakh on their heads, surrendered in Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh on Monday, a police official said. The surrender comes amid a massive anti-Naxal operation involving around 24,000 security personnel underway on hills of Bijapur bordering Telangana since April 21. The surrendered Naxalites include 11 women, the official said. #Pahalgam Terrorist Attack India stares at a 'water bomb' threat as it freezes Indus Treaty India readies short, mid & long-term Indus River plans Shehbaz Sharif calls India's stand "worn-out narrative" "They cited disappointment with the inhuman Maoist ideology , atrocities on local tribals by ultras and growing differences within the outlawed outfit. They are also impressed by 'Niyad Nellanar' (your good village) scheme of the state government aimed at facilitating development works in remote villages around security camps," Bijapur Superintendent of Police Jitendra Kumar Yadav said. "The surrendered cadres belong to different formations of east Bastar division, Partapur area committee and west Bastar division of the Maoists. Of them, Sudru Hemla (33), a member of Bhairamgarh area committee, and Kamli Modiam alias Urmila (36), Partapur area committee member, carried rewards of Rs 5 lakh each on their heads," he said. 5 5 Next Stay Playback speed 1x Normal Back 0.25x 0.5x 1x Normal 1.5x 2x 5 5 / Skip Ads by Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Villas For Sale in Dubai Might Surprise You Villas In Dubai | Search Ads View Deals Undo Jaymoti Punem (24) and Mangu Punem (21) carried a reward of Rs 3 lakh and Rs 50,000, respectively, the SP added. "Shamnath Kunjam (40), Chaitu Kursam (30), Buchchi Madvi alias Roshni (25), Sukhmati Ursa (28) and Somli Hemla (45) carried a bounty of Rs 2 lakh each, while Bujji Padam (20), Sukko Punem (28), Hidme Veko (22), Soni Korsa (30) and Lachha Tati (25) were carrying reward of Rs 1 lakh each," Yadav informed. Live Events With this surrender, 203 Naxalites have so far laid down arms the district, while 90 have been killed and 213 arrested, he said. All the surrendered Naxalites were provided assistance of Rs 50,000 each and will be further rehabilitated as per the government's policy, he said. In 2024, a total of 792 Naxalites surrendered in Bastar region, comprising seven districts, including Bijapur, as per police.
New York Times
09-02-2025
- Politics
- New York Times
Dozens of Maoist Guerrillas Killed in Central India, Officials Say
Dozens of Maoist guerrillas were killed in central India by government forces on Sunday, one of the deadliest operations in recent years against leftist rebels who have waged an insurgency that has ebbed and flowed over several decades. The operation, in the forested Bijapur area in the state of Chhattisgarh, was carried out against the so-called Naxalite movement, and left 31 rebels dead, along with two members of the police forces, according to the area's police chief, Jitendra Kumar Yadav. Chief Yadav said the authorities had also recovered a number of AK-47 assault weapons and several other automatic rifles after the clashes. 'We will completely eradicate Naxalism from the country, so that no citizen of the country has to lose his life because of it,' said Amit Shah, India's home minister, referring to the left-wing insurgency. The Maoist insurgency began in eastern India in the 1960s and spread widely in central and southern parts of the country. The violence peaked in 2010, when more than 600 civilians and over 250 security forces were killed in the conflict. In recent years, civilian deaths have dwindled, after government operations shrunk the space for the insurgents to operate. The insurgency's leadership has also struggled, analysts say, in the face of targeted operations, old age and illness. The Home Ministry told Parliament last year that the threat of leftist extremism had dropped significantly in recent years, in terms of the number of deaths as well as the amount of affected territory. Deaths of civilians and security forces related to the insurgency in 2023 were 86 percent lower than at their peak in 2010, the ministry said, adding that the number of districts affected by the violence had shrunk to 38 from 126. Niranjan Sahoo, who studies left-wing extremism at the Observer Research Foundation, an Indian think thank, said the Maoists were struggling to recruit members, among other problems. He also said they were concentrated their activities in several districts around the Abujhmad forest, including Bijapur, after suffering losses over the years. 'The Maoists are at their weakest point, largely because they have lost a lot of their territory,' he said.
