maoist insurgency

Maharashtra has declared Gadchiroli district Maoist-free following a 100-hour operation that resulted in zero active Maoists in police records. The coordinated action, codenamed 'Antim Prahar,' led to eight arrests and five surrenders, dismantling the Maoists' military wing and crippling their financial resources.

Four security personnel, including an inspector, tragically lost their lives in an accidental IED blast during a de-mining operation in Chhattisgarh's Kanker-Narayanpur border region. The blast occurred while the team was attempting to defuse a Maoist-planted explosive. This incident highlights the persistent dangers faced by forces in the insurgency-affected Bastar area.

Security forces gunned down a Maoist cadre, identified as Amrit alias Israel with a Rs 1 lakh bounty, in an encounter in Saranda forest. Amrit, a central technical committee cadre, specialized in assembling rockets and making IEDs. The operation intensified following intelligence about top Maoist Misir Besra's movements.

A Maoist stronghold in Madhya Pradesh's Balaghat district is transforming through education, not force. The 'Vidyanjali' initiative, led by SP Aaditya Mishra, sees police personnel and communities rebuilding neglected primary schools. This approach, focusing on development and engagement, has renovated 250 schools, fostering a future where every child has access to better learning conditions.

A Maoist commander, Rupi, with a Rs 5 lakh bounty, was killed in a gunfight with security forces in Kanker district. The encounter occurred in a forested area under Chhote Betia police station. Security forces recovered the commander's body and a weapon, and have intensified search operations in the vicinity.

A secular Left and a vulnerable minority should have been natural allies. So why do so many Muslims in north India still keep their distance?