CPI (Maoist) shifts focus to Odisha-Chhattisgarh border

The death of Central Committee member Milind Teltumbde and the arrest of Prashant Bose (or Kishan Da) within months of the demise of Akkiraju Harigopal has changed the scenario.
For representational purposes. (File Photo)
For representational purposes. (File Photo)

BHUBANESWAR: With the security forces inflicting heavy damage to the CPI (Maoist) across the LWE axis, the outlawed outfit is reported to have shifted focus from Swabhiman Anchal to Odisha-Chhattisgarh borders. The death of Central Committee member Milind Teltumbde and the arrest of Prashant Bose (or Kishan Da) within months of the demise of Akkiraju Harigopal has changed the scenario. The development activities and consolidation by the security forces in Odisha have only contributed to the dynamics.

Sources said the ultras are making attempts to expand their footprint in the Tulasi Pahad forest region on the Odisha-Chhattisgarh border as their activities in Swabhiman Anchal and regions bordering Andhra Pradesh have declined. Ground inputs suggest the red ultras’ unsuccessful attempts in recent months to recruit new cadres from the Swabhiman Anchal area were mainly because of the reducing support by the locals in the region.

“Andhra-Odisha Border Special Zonal Committee (AOBSZC) was active in Malkangiri and the neighbouring south-eastern coastal State but many reverses took place in recent times as several security camps were set up in the region. The leadership of CPI (Maoist) has shifted focus towards Odisha-Chhattisgarh bordering areas,” said a senior officer of State Police.

In October, three Maoists were neutralised in an encounter with security forces in Tulasi forest range in Malkangiri district.”The Naxals have now started focusing on south Bastar which shares border with Malkangiri. Operations are being launched in Tulasi forest region and efforts are on to set up more number of security camps in the area,” said the police officer.

After the losses in Gadchiroli where the elite commando forces gunned down Teltumbde and over 20 other cadres on Saturday last in the Maharashtra-Madhya Pradesh-Chhattisgarh zone, security forces believe the ultras would try to regroup and it might happen in the Chhattisgarh-Odisha borders.

It is in this background, senior officers of Odisha and their Chhattisgarh police held a virtual meeting earlier this week to discuss measures to discuss the strategies for the bordering areas of the two States. DGP Abhay, Director Intelligence Lalit Das and IG (Operations) Amitabh Thakur had elaborate discussions with Chhattisgarh DGP DM Awasthi and heads of Operations and Intelligence wings.
The two DGPs decided to intensity cooperation. Chhattisgarh ADG (Operations) and Odisha IG (Operations) will be the nodal officers to check this menace, said an officer. To check offences related to

Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, Odisha STF DIG and Chhattisgarh Crime Branch DIG have been asked to be the nodal officers. This year, six Naxals have been neutralised in Odisha, 21 have surrendered and 32 have been arrested by the State Police. 

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