By Deepak Kumar Nayak
On July 20, 2025, four to five unidentified cadres of the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) killed two villagers, Kawasi Joga (55) of Chutwai village and Mangalu Kursam (50) of Bada Tarrem, with sharp-edged weapons, after reportedly dragging the duo from their homes under the Tarrem Police Station limits in the Bijapur District of the Bastar division of Chhattisgarh. It is said that, due to the joint action of the Centre and the state against Naxalism, the Maoists repeatedly vent their anger by killing innocent villagers on the pretext of they being ‘informers’. The Jagargunda Committee of the Maoists claimed responsibility for the attack.
On July 16, 2025, a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) General Duty Constable (CT/GD), Parneswar Koch of Kokrajhar, Assam, was killed in a gunfight between the Security Forces (SFs) and the Maoists in the Birhordera Forest under the Gomia Police Station area in the Bokaro District of Jharkhand. SFs also gunned down two Maoists during the encounter. The identities of the killed Maoists are being ascertained.
On July 16, 2025, Kawasi Hunga (38), a resident of Perampalli village, was reportedly attacked and killed with sharp weapons by 4 to 5 unidentified CPI-Maoist cadres in Perampalli village under Usoor Police Station limits in Bijapur District. According to a preliminary investigation, the attackers, dressed in plain clothes, barged into the village around midnight and accused Hunga of working as a ‘police informer’ before killing him.
These recent killings orchestrated by the Maoists are a demonstration of the inflexible stand the rebels have adopted, notwithstanding their demands for peace talks and a ceasefire.
According to partial data collated by the South Asia Terrorism Portal (SATP), at least 60 persons (35 civilians and 25 SF personnel) have been killed by the Maoists in the Left-Wing Extremism (LWE)-affected districts across the country in the current year, thus far (data till July 27, 2025). During the corresponding period of 2024, 61 persons (44 civilians and 17 SF personnel) were killed, while another 40 (36 civilians and four SFs) were killed in the remaining period of 2024. Significantly, at least 156 persons (111 civilians and 45 SFs) have been killed by the rebels since January 20, 2024, when Union Home Minister (UHM) Amit Shah proclaimed that the entire country would be 100 percent free from the Naxal problem within the following three years.
During the period from January 20, 2024, to July 27, 2025, the Maoists have engineered at least 78 incidents of explosion (58 in Chhattisgarh, 12 in Jharkhand, five in Telangana, two in Odisha, and one in Maharashtra), carried out at least 13 arson-related incidents (seven in Jharkhand, five in Chhattisgarh, and one in Andhra Pradesh), and exchanged fire with the SFs on at least 176 occasions (108 in Chhattisgarh, 25 in Jharkhand, 12 in Madhya Pradesh, 15 in Odisha, eight in Maharashtra, three in Telangana, two in Andhra Pradesh, and one each in Bihar, Karnataka, and Kerala), and called for a bandh (general shut-down) on at least eight occasions across the country.
Interestingly, following the killing of the ‘general secretary’ of the party (the highest executive post), a ‘Politburo member,’ ‘Central Committee (CC)’ member, and a Central Military Commission (CMC)’ member, Nambala Keshava Rao aka Basava Raju, on May 21, 2025, in an operation in Narayanpur, Chhattisgarh, the CPI-Maoist ‘CC’ on May 28, 2025, again proposed that it was ready for peace talks on the condition that the Government halt its anti-Maoist operations in the region and stop the establishment of new armed forces’ camps in various States, including Chhattisgarh. The Maoist statement read, “We are always ready for peace talks in the interest of the public. Therefore, on this occasion, we are proposing to create a positive atmosphere for peace talks in front of the Central and State governments.”
Without receiving any positive response from the central government, the rebels repeated their appeal on April 2, 2025, April 18, 2025, and April 25, 2025, to stop anti-Naxalite operations (‘Operation Black Forest,’ also called ‘Operation Kagar’), to call back SFs, and to suspend the campaign for a month, after which the Maoists would hold peace talks when a favourable environment had been created. Significantly, the leaders of different political parties, people’s organisations, and rights groups have staged demonstrations on different occasions in Telangana in support of immediate ‘talks’.
Meanwhile, according to a July 4, 2025, report, the National Investigation Agency (NIA), following the interrogation of a CPI-Maoist operative, Rajesh Deogam, of the West Singhbhum District of Jharkhand, found that the overground workers (OGW) and sympathisers of the Maoists’ central zone have been actively involved in extortion and harbouring cadres of the banned organisation. NIA found that Deogam had been actively supporting the criminal conspiracy of the proscribed organisation to commit terrorist acts, organise meetings, and extort money from contractors and traders. The case was related to the recovery of a large amount of money and various incriminating materials pertaining to key CPI-Maoist member Misir Besra in March 2024.
An unnamed senior security official privy to the development claimed, “Between January-February, the central zone of the CPI (Maoist) held a meeting where it was decided to intensify extortion, arms collection and other activities to revive the Maoists. We have the anticipation that following pressure from the security agencies, the ultras would try to revive the organisation by any means.”
The meeting, according to the official, took place in the jungles of Chhattisgarh. Some of the OGWs and sympathisers who were present at the meeting had been instructed to handle arms, collect ‘levy’ (extortion money), and harbour cadres of the banned organisation. The central zone of the Maoists involves areas of Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha, Bihar, Maharashtra, and Andhra Pradesh.
Another report on July 17, 2025, indicated that the extremists were now operating in smaller groups, with many of their top leaders shifting their bases to isolated places to evade arrest or gunfights with forces. Reports indicate that stronger Maoist units have shifted their base to the inaccessible terrain of south Bastar, abandoning their traditional attires/uniforms in order to avoid detection. Officials familiar with the development disclosed that, following the neutralisation of Basava Raju, larger groups of Maoists were instructed by the top leadership to reconstruct themselves into smaller units and shift their bases to the Indravati Park Area to avoid aerial surveillance and detection. The tough terrain of the park area, which to date lacks forward operating bases and roads, makes it difficult for the security forces to launch frequent operations, providing a safe haven to the outlaws. Additionally, the forested region is, believed to have a heavy concentration of pressure-activated IEDs placed by the Maoists with the aim of inflicting grievous harm on any advancing parties of security personnel, making it a risky affair for the latter. The other notable change in the strategy relates to the mingling of Maoist cadres with the local residents. According to reports, the increased presence of Maoists in plain clothes among locals has been observed lately by intelligence units.
A July 16, 2025, report revealed that the proscribed CPI-Maoist has admitted to heavy losses amid intensified anti-insurgency operations and called for a flexible guerrilla war by mobilising the broad masses in the class struggle to counter the campaign against insurgents. The CPI-Maoist’s ‘CC’ circulated a 22-page document dated June 23, 2025, among its cadres and sympathisers, acknowledging the killing of 357 Maoists over the last year. Further, the Maoist document analysed the reasons for the debacle and blamed improper implementation of the committee’s secret method of functioning, and the rules and tactics of guerrilla war.
The document read, “The guerrilla war goes as per the tactics like ‘breeze’ and ‘flowing water.’ Like the breeze is to be in constant mobility instead of staying in one place. The meaning of flowing like water is to not climb the hills that come in its way, not to fight decisive wars with the enemy that is many times stronger like water flowing from slopes, but to implement tactics to save its strength.”
It reiterated the ‘CC’ and ‘Politburo’ circulars released in February and August 2004, that the Maoists must spread out into wider areas, not confining themselves to small ones.
The document read, further, “We must be decentralised, class struggle must be made in coordination of legal-illegal, open-secret forms of struggle and organisation. The attempts of the government to eliminate the movement before March 31, 2026, should be defeated by strictly following the tactics of the central committee and Politburo, including strengthening the party and protecting the PLGA [People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army].”
The CPI-Maoist added that it was mounting pressure on the government through civil society groups in 9-10 states to stop anti-insurgent operations. The ‘CC’ called upon the party cadres and people to observe “Martyrs’ Week” from July 28 to August 3 in their areas of influence across the country.
Despite these tactical realignments, on the other hand, on June 29, 2025, reiterating the resolve to make India free of Maoists by March 31, 2026, Union Home Minister (UHM) Amit Shah ruled out talks with the extremists’ while they still held weapons. Making it clear that there would be no talks with Maoists holding guns, he asked the LWEs to give up arms and join the national mainstream. Stating that the Maoists who want to surrender are free to do so, UHM Shah thus declared, “Shun violence, give up arms and surrender. If you don’t surrender, we have resolved that by March 31, 2026, we will end Naxalism from this country.”
Indeed, taking a tough stand against the rebels, since January 20, 2024, the SFs have neutralised at least 573 Naxalites (465 in Chhattisgarh, 35 in Jharkhand, 28 in Maharashtra, 15 in Telangana, 14 in Madhya Pradesh, nine in Odisha, four in Andhra Pradesh, two in Bihar, and one in Karnataka) across the country, so far (data till July 27, 2025).
Meanwhile, since January 20, 2024, at least 713 Naxalites have been arrested (data till July 27, 2025). Mounting pressure also resulted in the surrender of at least 1,417 Naxalites across the country.
Amidst all this, the top leadership of the rebels has been systematically decimated over the past years. According to an SATP estimate, some 30 of 43 members of the Maoist ‘CC’ and ‘Politburo’ have now been neutralized – arrested, killed, or surrendered – with Nambala Keshava Rao aka Basava Raju, the party’s ‘chief,’ killed on May 21, 2025, in the Narayanpur District by the Chhattisgarh Police, the latest among these.
Besides, the CPI-Maoist’s 22-page document dated June 23, 2025, admitted, “The 357 Maoists killed included 136 women. Four of them died of ill health and improper treatment, one in an accident, 80 in “fake encounters”, and 269 in encirclement attacks. Four of those killed were members of the Central Committee, including Basavaraju, 16 state committee rank leaders, 17 People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA) members, six from people’s organisational wings, and 34 common people. The details of 36 people are not available.”
The target set by the Centre to eliminate Naxalism by March 31, 2026, appears attainable, but Maoist adaptations are already in play. The purpose of the rebels will no longer be to advance their revolution in the foreseeable future, but to survive beyond the target date, even as heavy handed SF operations create a pool of resentment among at least some segments of the population. It remains to be seen whether the aggressive coordinated approach against the CPI-Maoist in all the Naxalite-affected states fashions the comprehensive victory the Centre seeks, or leaves behind a volatile detritus that may rise in rebellion once again, as it has done before.
- Deepak Kumar Nayak
Research Associate, Institute for Conflict Management
