Chhattisgarh: 2025 Lays Foundation for Shah’s Target To End Maoism

Raipur: The ‘historic success’ gained by the security forces in the battle against the Leftwing extremism in Bastar in Chhattisgarh in 2025 may prove to be the turning point ahead of the March end target to end Maoism.

The 31-day-long anti-Naxal operation in March-April this year in the Karregutta Hills along south Bastar in Chhattisgarh and Telangana, in which 38 Maoists were killed and their combat infrastructure such as weapon and Improvised Explosive Device (IED) factories, destroyed, laid the foundation for the ‘final assault’ against Naxalism.

“The Karregutta encounter, code-named Operation Black Forest, has shattered the backbone of the Leftwing extremism in the country. The operation had not only destroyed the safe hideout of senior Maoists and the weapon-making factories but broke the most significant strategic Maoist corridor in the country”, a senior police officer told this newspaper.

The second major success gained by the security forces in 2025 is breaching Abujhmad, the 4,000 sq km area extending from Bastar in Chhattisgarh to Gadchiroli in Maharashtra, once considered the impregnable fort of Naxals.

For the first time in the four-decade-long history of Naxalism, a CPI (Maoist) general secretary was killed in an encounter in 2025.

CPI (Maoist) general secretary Basavaraju was gunned down in an encounter with security forces in Abujhmad area in Narayanpur district in south Bastar in May this year.

“Basavaraju’s killing had shattered the morale of Naxal cadres, top to bottom, inflicting a deep sense of insecurity in them, " the police officer said.

His killing followed a neutralization spree of top and middle level Maoists in Bastar, in the form of killing and surrenders, he added.

As many as 16 key Maoists, including Central Committee (CC) members and Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee (DKSZC) members, were gunned down in separate encounters in Bastar in the last seven months.

According to the Bastar police action and outcome report 2025, a record number of 1562 Maoists surrendered, a record number of 256 Naxals including top leaders were killed, a record number of 884 ultras were arrested, a record number of 645 fire arms including automatic weapons like AK 47, SLR and INSAS were recovered and a record number of 875 IEDS were seized during the anti-Naxal operations in Bastar in the current year.

Besides, as many as 52 Forward Operating Bases (FOB) were opened in the year right in the core areas of Maoists, called by the Naxals as their ‘Liberated Zones’.

“Intelligence-led operations dismantled Maoist top leadership, with unpreceded recovery of weapons and surrender of senior cadres. Strong inter-force synergy and sustained area control established decisive operational dominance over Naxal activities”, Bastar inspector general of police P Sunderraj told this newspaper while highlighting the counterinsurgency strategy.