Centre and Chhattisgarh government plan major anti-Maoist operation

(This story originally appeared in on Apr 05, 2021)

Hit by two Maoist attacks that killed 27 security personnel and injured 46 in less than two weeks, the Centre and Chhattisgarh government seem to be on the same page that a massive anti-Maoist operation must be carried out soon, sources told TOI on Monday.

There are indications that security forces may launch a targeted operation within a month to take the fight deep into so-called Maoist strongholds and hunt down guerrilla, the sources said.

Multiple sources in the state government confirmed that both the state and Centre agreed on an operation to neutralise Maoist military commander Hidma, said to be the mastermind of the recent massacre and most major attacks on forces over the past decade.

Union home minister Amit Shah, CM Bhupesh Baghel, Union home secretary A K Bhalla, government of India’s security advisor K Vijaykumar, CRPF DG Kuldip Singh, Intelligence Bureau director Arvind Kumar, Chhattisgarh DGP D M Awasthi, Special DG (Naxal operations) Ashok Juneja and other officials attended a review meeting on Monday in the aftermath of the Tekulguda massacre.

“A detailed plan was drawn up at the review meeting to step up operations against Maoists,” an official said.

Besides, the security apparatus has gathered information on a few other Maoist commanders, who are active in the forests of Sukma, close to the inter-state border with Telangana and Odisha.

A joint operation against the rebels could start very soon, sources said.

The southern half of Bastar division is a hotbed of Maoist activity as the insurgents use this corridor to move in and out of Maharashtra, Telangana and Odisha.

Guerrilla squads are mobilised from other regions for major attacks, who cross borders, carry out their task and escape into their own territory and into other areas where they wait out the pursuit.