In an effort to counter Maoist influence in South Bastar, security forces in Bijapur district conducted joint operations, destroying five memorials erected by the Maoists. This operation is part of the ongoing anti-Maoist campaign to dismantle insurgent propaganda and their hold over local communities. Police officials stated that these actions were crucial measures against the Maoists, aiming to disrupt their narrative of martyrdom and weaken their influence.
Under the Tarrem police station’s jurisdiction, a joint team of CRPF battalions demolished a memorial in the Mandimarka forest area following security protocols. In the Usur police station area, operations led to the destruction of four memorials. A combined force of CRPF and Cobra battalions razed two structures in the Marudhabaka forests, while another CRPF team eliminated two more in the Paurguda and Singanapalli forest regions.
These memorials, often honoring fallen Maoist leaders and cadres, symbolize rebel ideology and serve as recruitment tools in remote tribal areas. By removing these structures, security personnel aim to disrupt the insurgents’ grip on vulnerable populations and counter their propaganda effectively. This successful operation contributes to eradicating Maoist influence in the South Bastar region, with security forces maintaining pressure through search, area domination, and patrol activities.
Recent reports from February 13 highlighted security forces in Bijapur defusing improvised explosive devices and demolishing additional Maoist memorials, including one honoring Nambala Keshava Rao, alias Basavaraju, the former general secretary of the CPI-Maoist killed in a 2025 encounter. Similar actions were observed in areas like Awapalli-Murdanda and Gangaloor, where IEDs targeting security vehicles were neutralized, and memorials in forested areas like Todka-Korcholi and Peddakorma were razed.
The Chhattisgarh government, led by Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai, is intensifying efforts to eliminate Left-Wing Extremism by March 2026, as pledged by Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Bijapur, a Maoist hotspot within the Bastar division, remains vulnerable due to its dense jungles and tribal demographics, where insurgents exploit grievances over land rights and development.
