COPS FEEL NAXAL FOOTPRINT SHRINKING IN GADCHIROLI

Nagpur: Naxalite footprint in Gadchiroli, one of the two districts in Maharashtra affected by left-wing extremism, is shrinking with a significant drop in their activities over the last five years, say police officials. The police also claimed the Gadchiroli district, which shares a border with the state of Chhattisgarh, has barely seen any Naxal recruitment in the last few years, and their strength has gone down considerably. Senior officials attribute the decline in Naxal activities to a multitude of factors, including the elimination of top leadership in the district— through police encounters, cadres’ arrest or them voluntarily giving up their arms—and also the effective implementation of rehabilitation programs. “Naxalite activities and their presence have declined in the district in the last fivesix years, considerably in the last two to three years,” Gadchiroli Superintendent of Police, Ankit Goyal, said, adding that many Naxalite dalams have been disbanded, especially in the north Gadchiroli region.

“The number of dalam members has fallen from 180 to 120,” he said. According to Goyal, only 10 to 12 dalams are operational now. As per sources in Gadchiroli police, 137 Naxalites were killed in encounters with police from 2017 till August 31, 2022. Similarly, 196 alleged Naxalites were arrested from 2017, while 91 others surrendered, till August 31 this year. Police achieved a major success when top Naxalite leader Milind Teltumbde, and 26 others, including many leaders from North Gadchiroli, were gunned down in an encounter with the police in the Mardintola forest on November 13, 2021. Goyal said Naxalites are facing a serious leadership vacuum from middle to top level in the district, especially in the north Gadchiroli region. Goyal said senior Naxalite cadres exist only in the south Gadchiroli region, and though north Gadchiroli still sees such activities, they dropped significantly. “The Naxalite recruitment has come down close to zero in Gadchiroli. The recruits are mostly from neighbouring Chhattisgarh,” Goyal said. He attributed the success to various measures adopted by the police and local administration—including youth outreach with job-oriented vocational courses and placements. —PTI