Chhattisgarh
29 Maoists Killed in Massive Chhattisgarh Encounter
- 17 Apr 2024
- 3 min read
Why in News?
According to the sources, in one of the largest operations by security forces in Chhattisgarh,29 Naxalites have been killed in the Kanker area.
Key Points
- Before this, Greyhound commandos had eliminated 30 Naxalites in an operation in 2016.
- In another operation in 2021, top Naxal leader along with 25 others was eliminated.
- On April 16, a search operation by a joint team of Kanker District Reserve Guard (DRG) and Border Security Force (BSF) was launched in the Chhottebetiya police station limit area in Kanker district.
- There was an exchange of fire between Maoists and security forces near Binagunda-Koragutta jungles of the Chhottebetiya Police station area.
The Greyhounds
- It is an elite anti-Maoist force raised in 1989 by IPS officer K.S. Vyas to combat the growing Maoist threat in Andhra Pradesh.
- The members are well-trained in guerilla and jungle warfare.
- Members of the force cannot be over 35 years.
- Once they cross 35, they are drafted into the civil police until retirement.
- This special police force became the root cause for the downfall of Left Wing Extremism in Andhra Pradesh.
- It also inspired other similar forces to fight the Maoists.
Naxalism in India
- The term Naxalism derives its name from the village Naxalbari of West Bengal.
- It originated as rebellion against local landlords who bashed a peasant over a land dispute. The rebellion was initiated in 1967, with an objective of rightful redistribution of the land to working peasants under the leadership of Kanu Sanyal and Jagan Santhal.
- Started in West Bengal, the movement has spread across Eastern India; in less developed areas of states such as Chhattisgarh, Odisha and Andhra Pradesh.
- It is considered that Naxals support Maoist political sentiments and ideology.
- Maoism is a form of communism developed by Mao Tse Tung. It is a doctrine to capture State power through a combination of armed insurgency, mass mobilization and strategic alliances.
