With the security forces mounting pressure through sustained operations on the Red brigade in the Naxal corridor and a large number of top rebel ‘commanders’ being eliminated in encounters, large-scale desertion in the Maoist ranks have come to the fore.
During the last six months, as many as 234 Naxals including those carrying rewards have been killed in the Maoist-affected States but officials in the CRPF admit the core military capabilities of the ultra outfit remains intact. The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), the lead anti-Naxal force, has launched massive operations in the last seven months of the year in Palamau, latehar and Gumla in Jharkhand to track top Maoist leaders and armed formations.
In the process, over a dozen Maoists have been so far killed this year in contrast to liquidation of just eight ultras in 2012. Sustained operations also resulted in apprehension of senior military commanders, busting of training infrastructure in Parasnath and recovery of two mortar making factory near Charadera in Chhota Nagra area. likewise, in Chhattisgarh the security forces busted training infrastructure from the interiors of Bijapur and Narayanpur districts and neutralised some top Maoist leaders including Ratna Sambi Reddy, a member of the Central Technical Committee of Communist Party of India (Maoist) who carried a reward of Rs 6 lakh. Member of North Telangana Special Zonal Committee and Secretary of Karimnagar-Khammam-Warrangal Divisional Committee who carried a reward of Rs 8 lakh on his head was also killed in joint operations by the CRPF and State police.
According to top CRPF officials, sabotage of highways has been stopped and traffic plies normally even on bandh/Naxal celebration weeks in Chhattisgarh as a result of the operations deep inside their strongholds. Armed capability of the Maoists has been decimated in Rohtas,, Motihari and Champaran by establishment of new camps including at lutua, Sewra, Barha, Mahulan and Bhimbandh in highly Naxal infested area of Chakarbandha and Bhimbandh forest, CRPF officials said. Huge haul of arms from West Bengal has and apprehension of top Maoist leader Eklanta Rabha, a Central Committee member from Assam has further boosted the morale of the security forces.
Nine Maoists were killed in an encounter on April 16 this year at Puvvarti village of Sukma including secretary of NTSZC Marri Ravi (with a reward of Rs 8 lakh on his head), area committee member with a reward of Rs 1 lakh Durga Ram Raju, Dalam members Reena, Maddi Sita, Malkam Bheema, district committee member of Warrangal Guguloth laxmi (who carried a reward of Rs 5 lakh) Area Committee member of Karimnagar Arelli Venkati (carrying Rs 4 lakh reward) and Yetti Narasakka of Warrangal with a reward of Rs 5 lakh.
likewise on May 1, security forces killed two unidentified Naxals. On May 17, Naxal Karam Badru and Murram Maso in two different encounters. While one woman Naxal was killed on June 12 in Narayanpur district of Chhattisgarh, another woman comrade was liquidated in Bijapur. In Jharkhand, the security forces killed 12 Naxals in the last few months including platoon commander Sanjay Oraon. “Continuous operations by the security forces and the lurking threat have demoralized the cadres. This besides, excesses by the Naxals on its cadres especially women comrades and the area residents have dealt a significant blow to ultra-left movement,” a senior CRPF official said.