Ideology is the most powerful weapon against common man. A person indoctrinated with a particular ideology can go any length to defend/serve it – even taking up arms and taking lives. Naxalites were no different. Having no faith in the constitution, they abhorred the guardians of constitution whether in Khaki uniform or civil whites of politicos.
At one point of time, they controlled over 200 districts across 15 states, killing anyone and everyone they perceived to be a police mole/informer. Almost entire Congress leadership was wiped out in Chhatisgarh was wiped out in an ambush set up by almost 250-odd Maoist militants on May 25, 2013. In another incident, 38 security personnel including 32 Greyhound Commandoes – trained especially to combat Naxals – were killed on June 29, 2008 in Malkangiri hills on Andhra-Odisha border.
Cut to 2024-25, almost entire Naxal leadership has either been eliminated or has surrendered. How did this happen? How did it survive for almost 50 years? Former DGP of Jharkhand Mr. Kamal Nayan Choubey, a 1988-batch IPS officer, has seen Naxalism in Bihar and Jharkhand from very close quarters. In an exclusive interview with Indian Masterminds, Mr Choubey delineates the rise and fall of one of the most dreaded ideologically driven militia in India.
Please watch the full video by clicking on this link…
Three says after Mr. Choubey took over as the DGP, Naxals struck a tribal weekly market and killed couple of cops. They lost due to steady development stream built by the state government and the centre. Besides, Naxal leaders also lost confidence of their own cadre because of their own waywardness. Their children used to study in cities whereas they used to enrol tribal children for arms training.
People gradually saw through this duopoly and started providing actionable intelligence to security forces. Villagers also often provided logistic support to government forces as well.
