Latest news with #LeftWingExtremism
New Indian Express
10 hours ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
435 Maoists, including 48 women, killed in 18 months of anti-Naxal operations in Chhattisgarh: Official data
NEW DELHI: Over the past 18 months, security forces have achieved significant success in anti-Naxal operations in Chhattisgarh, neutralising 435 Maoists, including a record 48 women operatives, officials said on Saturday. According to official data accessed by TNIE, women now account for approximately 10% of the total Maoists killed between 2024 and June 20 2025, the highest number of female Naxal casualties recorded in any such period since 2001. The sharp increase in neutralisation of Maoist operatives 198 in 2025 alone marks a significant blow to Left Wing Extremism (LWE) in the region.
New Indian Express
14 hours ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
435 maoists killed in 18 months of anti-naxal operations in Chhattisgarh; 48 were women: official data
NEW DELHI: Over the past 18 months, security forces have achieved significant success in anti-Naxal operations in Chhattisgarh, neutralising 435 Maoists, including a record 48 women operatives, officials said on Saturday. According to official data accessed by TNIE, women now account for approximately 10% of the total Maoists killed between 2024 and June 20 2025, the highest number of female Naxal casualties recorded in any such period since 2001. The sharp increase in neutralisation of Maoist operatives 198 in 2025 alone marks a significant blow to Left Wing Extremism (LWE) in the region.
India Today
14-06-2025
- Politics
- India Today
Red Terror or Dead Terror Ft. Sandeep Unnithan
Inside India's Fight Against Naxalism | Is This the End of Red Terror? | Ft. Sandeep Unnithan In this deep-dive episode of In Our Defence, veteran defence journalist Sandeep Unnithan joins host Dev Goswami to unpack India's decades-long battle with Left Wing Extremism (LWE) — often called Naxalism or Red Terror — and the recent decisive push to eradicate it by March 2026. Dev and Sandeep explore the evolution of the Naxal movement from its origins in Naxalbari in 1967 to its spread across India's infamous 'Red Corridor', and the multi-pronged strategy that has brought the insurgency to its lowest levels in decades. Key topics include: The historic neutralisation of CPI (Maoist) General Secretary Basavaraju in Operation Black Forest The spike in encounters and surrenders in 2024–25 Why counter-insurgency in jungles is as deadly — and complex — as high-tech border warfare. Why the Indian Army was never deployed against Naxals — and what could have happened if they had. The role of urban intellectual support in sustaining the movement — and why that's now faded. This episode is an eye-opening look at one of India's longest-running internal conflicts, now seemingly entering its final phase. Tune in. Produced by Garvit Srivastava Sound mixed by Rohan Bharti
Hindustan Times
29-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Bastar inches closer to gaining ‘Maoist-free' tag
In a notification dated March 2025, the Union home ministry has reclassified Bastar district in the Bastar division of Chattissgarh as a 'district of legacy and trust' from its previous classification as a district affected by Left Wing Extremism (LWE). The notification, which HT has seen, came into effect on April 1. The Bastar division comprises seven district including Bastar, Kanker, Konadagaon, Narayanpur, Sukma, Bijapur and Dantewada. Hindustan Times reported in December that the home ministry could consider removing Baster and Konadagaon from the list of districts affected by LWE. Konadagaon has also been re-categorised as a district of legacy and trust. 'This re-categorization, part of a broader LWE review by the Centre, places Bastar district among 28 districts across India where Maoist activity has significantly declined but where continued vigilance and sustained developmental and operational focus are still required. However, this marks a critical step toward declaring Bastar entirely free of Maoist influence,' a senior officer of Chhattisgarh police said. Inspector General of Police (Bastar Range), Sundarraj P, emphasized the strategic progress made in the region. 'The recent re-categorization underlines a significant shift in the LWE landscape of the Bastar Range, particularly with Bastar and Kondagaon now identified as 'districts of legacy'. This means that Maoist activities have come down to a great extent. Our focus will now be on consolidating peace through consistent anti-Naxal operations, development projects, and community engagement.' Sundarraj also explained the home ministry's new framework which 'classifies 18 LWE-affected districts nationwide into three equal categories: Most Affected, Other Affected, and Districts of Concern, with six districts in each.' Within the Bastar Range, Sukma, Bijapur, Narayanpur, and Kanker continue to be listed among the Most Affected LWE districts, while Dantewada is placed in the Other Affected category. The recent encounter in which 29 Maoists were killed happened at Kanker. 'Bastar and Kondagaon's shift to the legacy category reflects not just a decrease in violence but also an increasing presence of civil governance and infrastructure development,' Sundarraj added.
Time of India
28-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Turning point for Chhattisgarh: Bastar & Kondagaon shed Maoist-affected tag
Raipur: Bastar — once synonymous with the rise of Maoist insurgency — and Kondagaon have been removed from the list of Left Wing Extremism (LWE)-affected districts by the ministry of home affairs (MHA), marking a turning point in Chhattisgarh's mission to shed the baggage of Naxalism. his comes a week after Maoist general secretary Basavaraju was gunned down, along with 27 other Maoists, in neighbouring Narayanpur district. Bastar and Kondagaon have now been sub-categorized as 'districts of legacy and thrust', which means Maoist activities have come down to a great extent but still need sustained vigilance and developmental / operational focus. Other districts of Bastar division — Sukma, Bijapur, Narayanpur and Kanker — are still categorized as 'most affected LWE districts' while Dantewada is identified among 'other LWE districts'. Dhamtari, Kabirdham, Khairagarh-Chhuikhadan-Gandai and Rajnandgaon have also been sub-categorized under 'legacy and thrust districts'. Bastar and Kondagaon were once counted among the hotbeds of Maoist insurgency, but incidents of violence have dropped significantly in recent years. The lone encounter in Kondagaon in nearly five years was on April 16 when two senior Maoist commanders were gunned down. Both districts saw good voting in the 2023 assembly polls -- Bastar 84.6% and Kondagaon 81.7%. Speaking to TOI, Bastar range IG P Sundarraj said, 'Kondagaon and Bastar are among 30 districts across the country now brought under 'districts of legacy and thrust' category. This indeed removes Bastar and Kondagaon from the category of LWE-affected regions but it should be understood as the districts with significantly reduced Maoist activities that need development and vigilance on the operational front.' In the recent notification issued by MHA, 18 districts in the country are identified as 'LWE-affected', 'other LWE-affected' or 'districts of concern', including six in Chhattisgarh. 'It is worth mentioning that due to effective anti-Naxal operations in recent months, we have seen remarkable and positive outcomes in the overall LWE scenario in Bastar Range. Categorization of Kondagaon and Bastar as 'districts of legacy' is a significant step closer to being Maoist-free. In the forthcoming months, all our efforts would be focused on ensuring Naxal menace is totally finished off in the entire Bastar Range,' Sundarraj told TOI. The re-categorization underlines a shift in the LWE landscape of Bastar Range, particularly with Kondagaon and Bastar transitioning towards Naxal-free status. With sustained efforts in both security and development domains, the region is moving decisively toward complete elimination of LWE. The coming months will be critical in translating these gains into permanent peace and inclusive governance, IG added. Sources said that no formal disbursement of central financial aid has been made by MHA for the fiscal yet. Bastar has been receiving grants from Centre under LWE schemes, aimed at infrastructure development and counter-insurgency efforts.
