On 15th September, security forces achieved a major breakthrough in the fight against Left-Wing Extremism. In an encounter at the Pati Piri forest in Hazaribagh, Jharkhand, three top Maoist leaders were neutralised, together carrying a bounty of ₹1.35 crore.
The slain included Sahdev Soren alias Pravesh Da, a Central Committee member of the outlawed CPI (Maoist), with a reward of ₹1 crore. Alongside him, Raghunath Hembram, from the Bihar-Jharkhand Special Area Committee with a bounty of ₹25 lakh, and Birsen Ganjhu alias Ramkhelavan, a regional committee member carrying ₹10 lakh, were also eliminated.
Police recovered weapons, including an AK-47, and combing operations are underway to flush out any remaining Maoists in the area. Superintendent of Police Anjani Anjan confirmed the encounter, stressing that these were high-value targets central to Maoist strategy in Jharkhand.
This follows a string of recent successes. Earlier in Chaibasa, zonal commander Aaptan, alias Amit Hansda, with over 95 cases and a bounty of ₹10 lakh, was killed. Just weeks ago in Chhattisgarh’s Gariyaband, 10 Maoists, including senior leader Modem Balkrishna, who had a ₹1 crore reward, were neutralised.
Modi Government’s Mission to Eradicate Naxalism
Since 2014, the government has pursued a zero-tolerance approach to Left-Wing Extremism. In January 2024, “Operation Kagar” was launched, combining security force coordination, technology-driven surveillance, and parallel development measures in affected districts.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah has repeatedly asserted that Naxalism will be wiped out by March 2026. The numbers back this claim. In 2015, 106 districts across 10 states were affected by Naxal violence. By 2024, this number dropped to 38, and today only 18 districts report significant activity, with just six still severely impacted.
Forces on the ground, CRPF, CoBRA, DRG, and state police, are better equipped than ever. With drones, AI-driven intelligence, and satellite support, operations have grown sharper, leaving Maoists with shrinking ground and dwindling recruits.
A Civilisational Battle
Naxalism has long claimed to represent “the oppressed,” but its reality has been bloodshed, police officers murdered, villagers coerced, and development projects stalled. These are not revolutionaries, but terrorists who feed on poverty while keeping regions trapped in fear.
The fact that Maoist leaders with crore-level bounties are now being hunted down signals a decisive shift. What once seemed an endless insurgency is being dismantled step by step.
The larger message is clear: Bharat is on the verge of becoming truly Naxal-Mukt. The sacrifices of our security forces, backed by political will, are turning that vision into reality.
For decades, Naxalism was the shadow over India’s heartland. Today, the dawn of its end is in sight.
