Friday, 11 Jul, 2025
The highest number (481) of incidents of killing were reported in 2010 as it was one of the worst years affected by the naxal insurgency. Image Source: IANS
Basavaraju, the General Secretary and supreme commander of the CPI (Maoist), had long eluded capture and was considered the most-wanted Maoist insurgent in the country.
In a significant breakthrough for India’s security forces, Nambala Keshava Rao, better known by his alias Basavaraju was neutralised on Wednesday, May 21, 2025 during a high-intensity anti-Naxal operation deep within the dense Abujhmad forests of Chhattisgarh’s Narayanpur district.
Basavaraju, the General Secretary and supreme commander of the CPI (Maoist), had long eluded capture and was considered the most-wanted Maoist insurgent in the country, carrying a reward of ₹1.5 crore on his head. His elimination marks what officials are calling one of the most decisive setbacks for the Maoist insurgency in recent years.
A native of Andhra Pradesh’s Srikakulam district and an engineering graduate from the erstwhile Regional Engineering College (REC) Warangal now NIT Warangal, Basavaraju was drawn into Maoist ideology early in life. He joined the People’s War Group in the early 1980s, which later merged with the Maoist Communist Centre (MCC) in 2004 to form the CPI (Maoist).
Regarded as both the ideological architect and strategic mastermind of the Maoist movement, Basavaraju played a key role in planning and executing some of the deadliest attacks on Indian security forces. He was reportedly behind the 2010 massacre of 76 CRPF personnel in Chintalnar and the brutal 2013 ambush at Jhiram Ghati, which targeted a Congress convoy and left several senior political leaders dead.
Basavaraju succeeded Muppala Lakshman Rao, alias Ganapathy, as General Secretary of the CPI (Maoist) in 2018 after the latter’s resignation. Ganapathy, who had been the organisation’s first leader following the 2004 merger, is believed to have gone underground abroad, possibly in the Philippines.
Known for his technical acumen, Basavaraju was also an explosives expert, credited with crafting many of the deadly IEDs used in ambushes against security personnel. His operational influence spanned across Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, and Chhattisgarh, and he reportedly had links with international guerrilla outfits, including the LTTE.
His death represents a critical blow to the Maoist leadership and is being seen as a potential turning point in India’s decades-long battle against left-wing extremism.The successful elimination of top Maoist leader Basavaraju was the result of an extensive intelligence-led offensive in the dense and volatile tri-junction region of Narayanpur, Bijapur, and Dantewada in Chhattisgarh.
Dubbed Operation Kagar, the mission was launched on May 19 by combined forces of the Chhattisgarh Police’s District Reserve Guard (DRG), with crucial support from the Special Task Force (STF) and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). The high-stakes mission culminated in an intense 50-hour-long gun battle, which led to the death of more than 30 Maoist fighters.
During combing operations at the encounter site, security personnel seized a large cache of weapons, ammunition, and key Maoist documents. Officials described the recovery as a major setback for the Maoist insurgency’s logistical and operational framework in central India.
Preliminary assessments indicate that several senior operatives from the Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee (DKSZC) and the People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA) may have been killed or severely wounded in the operation. Security forces continue to scour the surrounding forest areas in search of injured or fleeing Maoist cadres.
The LWE picture has much improved in terms of decreased violence and limited geographic spread as a result of the Policy's uncompromising implementation. Compared to 2010, there were 73% fewer violent events due to LWE in 2023. Additionally, there were 138 resulting deaths (security forces plus civilians) in 2023 as opposed to 1005 in 2010, an 86% decrease. The number of districts affected by LWE has decreased from 126 to 90 in April 2018, to 70 in July 2021, and then to 38 in April 2024 as a result of the better LWE scenario.
Source: Press Information Bureau
The highest number (481) of incidents of killing were reported in 2010 as it was one of the worst years affected by the naxal insurgency. Seventy Six CRPF policemen were killed in a naxal attack in Chhattisgarh’s Dantewada in 2010. This is one of the deadliest attacks carried out by the naxalites in the 21st century. The year 2010 also registered the highest number of civilian casualties as 630 lost their lives due to naxal violence. The highest number of security forces were killed in 2009 as 319 security personnel lost their lives. Highest numbers of naxals (343) were killed in 2006.
Left-Wing Extremism (LWE), commonly known as Naxalism, remains one of India’s most pressing internal security threats. Rooted in deep-seated socio-economic disparities and driven by Maoist ideology, the insurgency has primarily taken hold in remote, underdeveloped, and tribal regions of the country. The movement seeks to destabilize the Indian state through armed rebellion, the establishment of parallel governance structures, and consistent attacks on security forces, infrastructure, and democratic institutions.
Source: Press Information Bureau
Emerging from the Naxalbari uprising in West Bengal in 1967, the insurgency gradually expanded across what is now known as the "Red Corridor," affecting states such as Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha, Maharashtra, Kerala, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, and parts of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. While Maoist groups claim to represent the interests of marginalized and tribal populations, their tactics often involve violence, extortion, destruction of public assets, and the recruitment of children and civilians into their ranks.
In recent years, however, the Indian government’s comprehensive counter-LWE approach, blending intensified security operations with developmental initiatives and community outreach has delivered measurable success. Maoist influence has been significantly curbed, violence levels have dropped sharply, and several previously affected districts are now on a path toward reintegration and progress.
The central government has set an ambitious goal of eradicating Naxalism entirely by March 31, 2026. Officials view the insurgency as a major impediment to development, particularly in tribal and remote areas, where it hampers access to essential services like education, healthcare, roads, banking, and postal facilities.
The number of districts severely impacted by Naxalism in India has seen a significant drop, reflecting the success of sustained counter-insurgency measures. The count of the most critically affected districts has decreased from 12 to just 6. These include four in Chhattisgarh- Bijapur, Kanker, Narayanpur, and Sukma along with West Singhbhum in Jharkhand and Gadchiroli in Maharashtra.
Source: Press Information Bureau
Similarly, among the 38 districts officially recognized as LWE-affected, those identified as Districts of Concern, areas requiring intensified support beyond the worst-hit regions have been reduced from 9 to 6. These include Alluri Sitarama Raju in Andhra Pradesh, Balaghat in Madhya Pradesh, Kalahandi, Kandhamal, and Malkangiri in Odisha, and Bhadradri-Kothagudem in Telangana.
The number of Other LWE-Affected Districts, which fall under a lower intensity of threat but still require monitoring, has also declined from 17 to 6. These are Dantewada, Gariaband, and Mohla-Manpur-Ambagarh Chowki in Chhattisgarh, Latehar in Jharkhand, Nuapada in Odisha, and Mulugu in Telangana.
Over the past decade, more than 8,000 Maoist insurgents have surrendered and given up violence, leading to a sharp decline in the overall number of affected districts to fewer than 20.
To aid in the development of these areas and bridge critical infrastructure gaps, the central government provides financial assistance under the Special Central Assistance (SCA) scheme- ₹30 crore annually for the most affected districts and ₹10 crore for the Districts of Concern. Additionally, targeted development projects are implemented based on specific needs of these regions.
The Government of India has adopted a firm zero-tolerance stance against Left-Wing Extremism (LWE), aiming for the complete implementation of welfare schemes to drive development in affected regions. Central to this approach are two core principles: first, to enforce the rule of law by eliminating unlawful violence in Naxal-affected areas; and second, to swiftly make up for the development lost over decades due to insurgent activity.
In line with this, the government launched a National Policy and Action Plan in 2015 to tackle LWE in a comprehensive and integrated manner. This strategy focuses on a multi-dimensional approach, combining intensified security operations, targeted development initiatives, and efforts to safeguard the rights and entitlements of local and tribal communities.
