Hyderabad: A session at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy (SVPNPA) in Hyderabad took an unexpected turn when Pulluri Prasada Rao, a surrendered Maoist central committee member popularly known as Chandranna, walked into a classroom full of IPS probationers.
What began as a routine interaction under the Left Wing Extremism (LWE) module soon transformed into an intense, unfiltered dialogue between a man who spent 45 years underground and young officers preparing to begin their careers in policing, according to Telangana Police and NPA sources.
The room reportedly fell silent before erupting into questions, as probationers seized the rare opportunity to engage directly with a former top Maoist leader.
Inside the Maoist Movement: Questions and Candid Answers
Once the discussion opened, IPS trainees pressed Chandranna on issues they had previously encountered only in training manuals — how the Maoist organisation sustained itself for decades, who supported it, how networks were built, and how arms, logistics, and cadres moved through dense forest terrains.
Sources said Chandranna answered every question candidly, offering insights into operational structures, survival strategies, and internal functioning of the Maoist movement.
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‘Never Targeted Upright Officers,’ Says Chandranna
One remark in particular instantly gripped the hall. Chandranna told the probationers that Maoists “never targeted police officials who were upright and stood for the cause of the people.”
He urged the young officers to anchor their careers in public service, stressing that integrity and people-centric policing mattered more than force.
Chandranna had surrendered to the Telangana Police on October 28, and the interaction took place nearly six weeks after his surrender.
Reflection on Surrender and Life Underground
Reflecting on his life, the 64-year-old leader said his decades in the jungles brought him no personal gains.
“I came out empty-handed. Forty-five years underground gave me nothing personally, but we could impact the lives of the people,” he told the probationers.
While he said he continues to adhere to Maoist ideology, Chandranna added that he and other surrendered cadres were now joining the democratic mainstream.
“We are joining the mainstream to fight for the people, among the people,” he said.
Adapting to a Technology-Driven World
Probationers also asked how he planned to adjust to a technology-driven society after decades in the jungle. Chandranna replied that surrendered cadres now wished to work democratically for people.
“As per the changed situation, we will work for the people. Our cadres are still among the people,” he said.
Part of Rigorous Anti-Naxal Training at NPA
The interaction was part of the IPS probationers’ Left Wing Extremism module, which includes training in counter-insurgency, anti-Naxal operations, and jungle warfare in collaboration with the elite Greyhounds force.
The curriculum covers:
- Map reading, GPS and compass navigation
- Ambush and patrol drills
- Tactical demonstrations and simulated jungle operations
- A two-day jungle stay to mirror real-life field conditions
Probationers are also trained in handling weapons such as SLRs, INSAS rifles, AK-47s, pistols, MP5s, grenades, and explosives, and study operational casework from Jammu & Kashmir, the North-East, and LWE-affected regions.
A Perspective Beyond the Classroom
For many probationers, listening to Chandranna trace his journey from the forests to the mainstream offered a perspective no classroom module could replicate — a rare, first-hand account of insurgency, ideology, and the long road back to society.
