Rama Krishna Sangem
Killing of top Maoist leader Madvi Hidma in the forests of Andhra on November 17 night suggests a massive blow to the Naxalite movement based on armed struggle. So far, close to 400 armed militants were killed (neutralized in police language) and another 600 were either surrendered or arrested in the last two years. Hidma carries a reward of Rs 1 crore on his head and was the supreme commander of militants in Dandakaranya belt.
His killing in East Godavari agency areas of Andhra forests indicates the falling of Maoist bastions in the strongholds. The Centre has set a deadline of freeing central India of Maoists by the end of March, 2026. As of now, armed militants of CPI(ML) Maoists are concentrated only parts of Chhattisgarh and Orissa. Parts of Maharashtra which once were dens of them are cleared by the paramilitary forces since 2023.
An encounter broke out between security forces and Maoists in the Maredumilli forest area of Alluri Sitarama Raju district in Andhra Pradesh today. Six Maoists were killed in the operation. Among the dead were senior Maoist leader and Central Committee member Madvi Hidma, his wife Raje, and several close followers.
Andhra Pradesh DGP Harish Kumar Gupta said security personnel had launched combing operations in the area from 6 a.m. today. He said the operation was taken up after receiving inputs on the Maoist movement along the border regions of Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Odisha. Security forces continue to monitor the region as the search operation remains in progress.
Rift among Maoists on armed struggle
After the Centre has intensified its attacks on Maoists especially since 2019, underground armed leadership has been facing a dilemma – whether to continue the present guerilla type militancy or give up arms and join the mainstream, though carrying on with the core ideology of Ultra Left – like several other groups in the country. Some called it two-line struggle, while others simply dismissed it as bowing before the state or police.
Once over 2,500, the ranks of Maoists have now been reduced to around 200, as per the police sources. What made their life worse is the relentless attacks by the security forces in the heart of the country’s vast forest tracts. Unlike the previous Congress regimes, the present BJP government at the Centre is single mindedly focused on eliminating Maoists by early 2026.
Though the Congress led UPA government, from 2004-14, too tried its best to take on Maoists, the campaign was consistent – sometimes intense, sometimes lax. Internal groups of Congress party too tried to take advantage of Naxals to settle scores with their rivals. BJP is not like that. Continuous operations with modern warfare technologies have reduced their size and stature.
