New Delhi, Dec 25 : "Proud of our forces for this remarkable success. Our Government is committed to eliminating the menace of Maoism and ensuring a life of peace and progress for our people," Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on his official social media account in May 2025, praising security forces after the neutralisation of 27 Maoists, including CPI-Maoist General Secretary Nambala Keshava Rao alias Basavaraju.

This sentiment captured the year's momentum, as PM Modi repeatedly emphasised the nearing end of the insurgency.

The roots of Naxalism in Chhattisgarh trace back to the 1967 Naxalbari uprising in West Bengal, inspiring armed Marxist-Leninist rebellion against exploitation. After Chhattisgarh's formation in 2000, the dense forests of Dandakaranya became a stronghold for the Communist Party of India (Maoist), formed in 2004 through mergers of various groups.

Maoists exploited grievances over land rights, displacement due to mining, and lack of development to recruit from indigenous communities, establishing "liberated zones" with parallel governance. The Jhiram Ghati ambush on May 25, 2013, in Sukma epitomised the violence; Maoists killed 32, including Congress leaders Nand Kumar Patel and V.C. Shukla, and Salwa Judum founder Mahendra Karma, intensifying national anti-Naxal resolve.

One of the most brutal incidents highlighting early Naxalite audacity in central India was the murder of Likhiram Kavre (also spelled Kanware or Kawre), the then Transport Minister in the erstwhile undivided Madhya Pradesh's Congress government under Digvijaya Singh.

On the night of December 15-16, 1999 (or February 16 in some reports), a group of 10-12 armed People's War Group (PWG) Naxalites stormed Kavre's native Sonpuri village in Balaghat district. After reconnaissance the previous day and confirming his identity by calling villagers, they hacked him to death in a planned retaliation for a police encounter in Andhra Pradesh that killed four PWG cadres.

The killers left a poster claiming revenge, marking one of the most gruesome political assassinations in the region's history and underscoring the spread of Maoist violence into Madhya Pradesh's border areas.

The year 2025 began grimly with a Maoist IED attack on January 6 in Bijapur, killing eight DRG personnel and a civilian driver -- the largest such assault in two years. However, security forces quickly gained momentum. On February 9, a major clash in Bijapur's Indravati National Park eliminated 31 Maoists, with two security personnel also losing their lives.

Spring brought landmark victories. "Operation Black Forest" (or Operation Kagar), launched on April 21, 2025, along the Chhattisgarh-Telangana border in Karreguttalu Hills, lasted until May 11 and neutralized 31 Maoists, including key PLGA battalion members carrying bounties totalling Rs 1.72 crore. Forces destroyed arms factories and dismantled infrastructure in this erstwhile impregnable stronghold.

The biggest blow came on May 21 in the Abujhmarh forests of Narayanpur, where 27 Maoists, including Basavaraju with a Rs 1.5-3 crore bounty, were killed. This decapitation strike, involving DRG units, shattered the Maoist central leadership and was hailed as a turning point. Operations continued relentlessly. In December alone, encounters in Bijapur on December 3 killed 12 Maoists, while ongoing gunfights in the Bhairamgarh-Indravati region further weakened cadres.

Overall, 2025 saw over 280 Maoists neutralised state-wide -- predominantly in Bastar -- with Bijapur accounting for 144 eliminations. Surrenders surged to record levels: over 1,000-1,300 cadres laid down arms, including senior leaders, driven by rehabilitation policies and mounting pressure. Arrests exceeded 500-680, with hundreds of weapons seized.

These gains reflect enhanced intelligence, forward operating bases, drone surveillance, and coordinated multi-force deployments by central forces -- CRPF, CoBRA, BSF -- and state police under the March 2026 eradication target. Civilian and security force casualties declined sharply compared to previous decades, while Maoist violence waned amid internal disillusionment.

"I guarantee that the day is not far when every corner of Chhattisgarh and India will be completely free from Maoist terror," PM Modi declared in November at Chhattisgarh's silver jubilee celebrations in Nava Raipur. He noted Maoist influence shrinking from 125 to three districts, adding, "The day is not far when India will be totally free from Naxalism and Maoist violence -- this too is Modiâ??s guarantee."

Union Home Minister Amit Shah reinforced this in December at the Bastar Olympics closing. He said, "Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, we have resolved to make Bastar and India Maoist-free. By Bastar Olympics 2026, Red terror will be eradicated."

He said, "We are on the cusp of fulfilling the resolve to eliminate Left Wing Extremism before March 31, 2026."

PM Modi blamed past Congress policies for fueling Naxalism through neglect, stating in March, "Over the decades, Naxalism got encouragement... due to policies of Congress," while praising development bringing peace. Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai echoed, "The backbone of Naxalism is broken," with Deputy CM Vijay Sharma declaring 80 per cent of the state Maoist-free.

Enhanced intelligence, camps, drones, and rehabilitation drove success. Violence plummeted, opening areas for roads, schools, and electricity. As PM Modi affirmed, "Chhattisgarh is steadily freeing itself from the grip of Maoist terrorism," 2025 positioned the state -- and India -- on the brink of a Maoist-free era, honouring decades of sacrifices.

As 2025 ends, Chhattisgarh stands on the cusp of becoming Maoist-free, with officials confident of meeting the 2026 deadline ahead of schedule. The year's operations have not only decimated ranks but also opened remote areas for development, indicating the insurgency's twilight after decades of conflict.

/IANS