<p class="bodytext">The mass surrender by Maoists in Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh last week is seen as an important sign of the continuing decline of left wing extremism in the country. Mallojula Venugopal Rao alias Bhupathi, a top level leader, and 60 of his associates laid down arms before Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in Gadchiroli district. As many as 78 Maoists, including 43 women, surrendered in three districts of Chhattisgarh. Bhupathi was a founding member of the banned People’s War Group. He had some months ago expressed the desire to abandon armed struggle against the state. As many as 1,639 cadres are reported to have surrendered this year. A large number of leaders and cadres have been eliminated in the operations launched by the security forces. Much of the left wing extremism in the country had over the years been confined to the forests in southern Chhattisgarh and nearby areas. It has steadily weakened there. </p>.<p class="bodytext">Union Home Minister Amit Shah has declared that Maoism will be eradicated in the country by March 31, 2026. The security forces have been on the offensive in the last few months, inflicting serious damage on the Maoists. The Maoist threat, which former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had described as the ‘’greatest security threat to the nation’’, had peaked in the 2000s. The weakening of the movement since then had a number of reasons related to ideology, organisation, and strategy. The increased importance given to violence and militarism did not help the cause. Some groups and individuals left the organisation and adopted the path of electoral democracy and peaceful agitation. Differences are plenty within the movement. Some of Bhupathi’s communications with his comrades have shown such fissures and the failures caused by them.</p>.<p class="bodytext">It would be wrong on the part of the government to rely only on a heavy-handed policy to deal with the Maoists. Maoists gained popularity and set up bases in the most backward regions of the country because they tried to address the basic demands of the people. Denial of land and economic rights, caste oppression, social injustice, bureaucratic apathy and corruption had made many areas, especially the tribal-dominated central districts, fertile ground for the spread of the Maoist ideology. Maoists responded to the needs and aspirations of the people and so they gained influence among them. As long as the reasons that gave rise to Maoism exist, the ideology and organisation can’t be said to be vanquished. Democratic outreach, good governance and equitable development policies are the best means to fight Maoism. No social and economic battle has been won by force. </p>
<p class="bodytext">The mass surrender by Maoists in Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh last week is seen as an important sign of the continuing decline of left wing extremism in the country. Mallojula Venugopal Rao alias Bhupathi, a top level leader, and 60 of his associates laid down arms before Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in Gadchiroli district. As many as 78 Maoists, including 43 women, surrendered in three districts of Chhattisgarh. Bhupathi was a founding member of the banned People’s War Group. He had some months ago expressed the desire to abandon armed struggle against the state. As many as 1,639 cadres are reported to have surrendered this year. A large number of leaders and cadres have been eliminated in the operations launched by the security forces. Much of the left wing extremism in the country had over the years been confined to the forests in southern Chhattisgarh and nearby areas. It has steadily weakened there. </p>.<p class="bodytext">Union Home Minister Amit Shah has declared that Maoism will be eradicated in the country by March 31, 2026. The security forces have been on the offensive in the last few months, inflicting serious damage on the Maoists. The Maoist threat, which former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had described as the ‘’greatest security threat to the nation’’, had peaked in the 2000s. The weakening of the movement since then had a number of reasons related to ideology, organisation, and strategy. The increased importance given to violence and militarism did not help the cause. Some groups and individuals left the organisation and adopted the path of electoral democracy and peaceful agitation. Differences are plenty within the movement. Some of Bhupathi’s communications with his comrades have shown such fissures and the failures caused by them.</p>.<p class="bodytext">It would be wrong on the part of the government to rely only on a heavy-handed policy to deal with the Maoists. Maoists gained popularity and set up bases in the most backward regions of the country because they tried to address the basic demands of the people. Denial of land and economic rights, caste oppression, social injustice, bureaucratic apathy and corruption had made many areas, especially the tribal-dominated central districts, fertile ground for the spread of the Maoist ideology. Maoists responded to the needs and aspirations of the people and so they gained influence among them. As long as the reasons that gave rise to Maoism exist, the ideology and organisation can’t be said to be vanquished. Democratic outreach, good governance and equitable development policies are the best means to fight Maoism. No social and economic battle has been won by force. </p>
