RANCHI: There was a time when Maoist camps used to be permanent structures for years, where they hid themselves and held Jan Adalat (People's Court or Kangaroo Court), a parallel judicial system run by rebels, where they often executed civilians, suspected police informers, or individuals who opposed their ideology. But the situation has completely changed now, and there is complete chaos in the forests.
The Maoists, who once considered themselves kings of the jungle, have now been forced to move to temporary, mobile camps after the encounter of top Maoist leader Anal Da on January 22.
Notably, 17 Maoists, including their top leader Patiram Manjhi alias Anal Da, who had a bounty of Rs 1 crore on his head, were cornered from all sides and killed in a fierce gunbattle with security forces in Saranda Forest of West Singhbhum.
According to police officials, the handful of Maoists who are still left in Saranda Forests of West Singhbhum have now shifted to mobile camps to avoid being detected by security forces.
“They are setting up camps in the dense forests, but these camps only last for a brief period of time. After hiding there for a night, they pack up their belongings and move to another location to evade the security forces,” said IG (Operations) and Jharkhand police spokesperson Michaelraj S. They have adopted a new system of mobile camps, carrying all their belongings with them and changing their location every day, he added.
According to official figures, merely 50 to 55 Naxalites are still active in Saranda, two of whom have a reward of one crore rupees each.
As the security forces are penetrating deeper into the forests, they are surprised to see the structures built by the Maoists. They had prepared strong structures in the forest like a war-like strategy by constructing a large number of bunkers. Advanced technology was used to safely store weapons in these bunkers.
To prevent police from reaching the bunkers, a strong network of spike holes and IEDs was laid around them. Last year, more than 45 bunkers were recovered during the campaign launched by the security forces against the Maoists. These bunkers were used to store grain, medicines, weapons, and other essential supplies, which were part of the Maoists’ long-term survival strategy.
Since 2022, nearly four dozen police camps have been established in the dense forests of Saranda. In the last five years of the operation, approximately 380 Naxalites have been arrested. From 2023 to 2026, 27 Naxalites have been killed in encounters. More than 70 weapons have also been recovered from them.
During this period, more than 600 IED bombs, over 170 spike traps, and nearly 100 Naxalite bunkers have been destroyed. Five years of hard work and continuous operations have brought the security forces to a position where they can declare Maoist-free Saranda very soon.