In a major breakthrough in the war against left-wing extremism or Naxalism, the security forces have eliminated top Maoist terrorist Nambala Keshav Rao also known as Basavaraju. The Maoist leader was killed in an encounter in the Abujhmadh (also spelt Abujmarh) forests of Chhattisgarh’s Narayanpur district.
Basavaraju was among the 26 Naxal terrorists killed by the security forces on the 21st of May 2025. Basavaraju, the general secretary of the banned outfit Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-M). The 70-year-old Maoist leader was among India’s most wanted Maoist leaders and had a bounty of Rs 1.5 crore on his head. He was behind the 2010 Chintalnar massacre of 76 CRPF jawans and the 2013 attack in Jhiram Ghati wherein several Congress leaders were killed.
Earlier, security forces conducted ‘Operation Black Forest’ to break the backbone of Naxals near Karreguttalu Hill (KGH) at the Chhattisgarh-Telangana border. The 21-day-long operation carried out by the joint forces of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and state police between April 21 and May 11 neutralised 31 Naxals carrying a bounty of Rs 1.72 crore. A total of 214 Naxal hideouts and bunkers have been destroyed in the operation and a total of 450 IEDs, 818 BGL shells, 899 bundles of Codex, detonators and a huge amount of explosive material have been recovered during the searches. In addition, nearly 12,000 kilograms of food supplies have also been recovered.
Taking to X, Union Home Minister Amit Shah lauded the security forces for the “landmark achievement” in eliminating Naxalism and killing Basavaraju.
“A landmark achievement in the battle to eliminate Naxalism. Today, in an operation in Narayanpur, Chhattisgarh, our security forces have neutralized 27 dreaded Maoists, including Nambala Keshav Rao, alias Basavaraju, the general secretary of CPI-Maoist, topmost leader, and the backbone of the Naxal movement. This is the first time in three decades of Bharat’s battle against Naxalism that a general secretary-ranked leader has been neutralized by our forces. I applaud our brave security forces and agencies for this major breakthrough,” the Home Minister said.
Minister Shah also expressed joy over completion of Operation Black Forest and reiterated the Modi government’s commitment to annihilating Naxalism before 31st March 2026.
“Also glad to share that after completion of Operation Black Forest, 54 Naxalites have been arrested and 84 Naxalites have surrendered in Chhattisgarh, Telangana, and Maharashtra. The Modi government is resolved to eliminate Naxalism before the 31st of March 2026,” Shah said.
A landmark achievement in the battle to eliminate Naxalism. Today, in an operation in Narayanpur, Chhattisgarh, our security forces have neutralized 27 dreaded Maoists, including Nambala Keshav Rao, alias Basavaraju, the general secretary of CPI-Maoist, topmost leader, and the…
— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) May 21, 2025
Quoting Amit Shah’s post, Prime Minister Narendra Modi lauded the security forces for eliminating Maoist leader Basavaraju in Abujhmadh and said that his government is committed to eliminating the naxal menace.
“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,” PM Modi said.
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. https://t.co/XlPku5dtnZ
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 21, 2025
As the “red citadel” of Naxalism, Abujhmarh has fallen, it is pertinent to know the bloodied history of this region infested by Maoist terror for decades.
Abujhmadh: The last naxal fortress and its ultimate fall after 40 years
Abujh means what cannot be understood, while Madh means hill. Abujhmadh has been the only piece of land in India which has had no revenue map; villagers have no title deeds (patta) to the land they live in or cultivate, even though the area (4000 km) is bigger than the state of Goa.
Due to naxalism, this area had little to no civil administration. With population of around 40 to 45 thousand, mostly Abhujhmadhia tribe people, Abujhmadh included the Orcha block and some regions of the Narayanpur district. Abujhmadhia are among the Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) of Chhattisgarh and are entitled to special benefits and rights from the government meant for endangered groups like them.
The area also includes the parts of Dantewada and Bijapur in Chhattisgarh, and Gadhchiroli in Maharashtra.
There has been no roads, hospitals and other basic facilities in Abujhmadh since Naxalites would not allow any development work or any step towards mainstreaming of this region and its people take place. As per locals, Naxalites used to set buses ablaze if they entered villages in Abujhmadh. Maoists made sure that no land deeds were earmarked in Abujhmadh, no motorable roads are constructed and no development ever reaches the villages on this hill. To ensure this, the Maoist terrorsts would either resort to violence or propaganda, mostly both.
After independence in 1947, the Orcha and Narayanpur areas underwent development, with motorable roads constructed by 1980s, however, Abujhmadh Hill remain untouched since it was deliberately left out of reach to ensure that the culture and traditions of local tribals are diluted.
The situation however, began turning hostile as Maoists eyed the so far tribal-inhabited unknown hill in the 1990s. By 2000s, the Maoists transformed Abujhmadh into their stronghold. They destroyed roads, burnt over 50 schools and cut off the region from whatever connect it had with the mainstream. The Maoists began operating “Jantana Sarkar” in Abujhmadh. They ran their own schools in Murumwada and Botor, where even till the recent years, Maoists taught their own syllabus.
Abujhmadh is covered by the single Assembly constituency of Narayanpur. Around 90 per cent of its area remains unsurveyed. Back in April 2017, a revenue survey was conducted in Akabeda and other villages with the assistance of IIT-Roorkee, however, the survey could not make much progress due to security concerns and lack of infrastructure.
Abujhmadh got its first operation theatre and two new mobile towers in 2023, however, over most of the area has been without a mobile network.
The Election Commission has been making efforts to bring the people of Abujhmadh into the electoral mainstream and since 2018, more than 300 names have been added to the electoral roll in this erstwhile Maoist fortress. These low numbers make it clear that the people of Abujhmadh have historically been non-participant of electoral process.
In December 2024, a District Reserve Guard (DRG) head constable was killed by Maoists in Abujhmadh’s Kohkameta during an encounter. Maoists have also been killing former Sarpanch (village leaders) in areas controlled by them. Last year, two ex-sarpanches including a BJP functionary were killed by Maoists in Bijapur district under south Bastar. In 2023, an ex-Sarpanch named Ramji Dodi from the Zara village in Abujhmadh was abducted by Maoists along with his two nephews and taken to a jungle area where he was strangled to death. The sarpanch was brutally murdered by Maoists for being a ‘Mukhbir’ or police informer.
Despite the challenges, the security forces and the government relentlessly continued their efforts to end the Naxal menace in not only Abujhmadh but the entire Dandakaranya region.
In February 2025, a former Maoist, Giridhar, told TOI that Abujhmadh, the red citadel of Maoists, has “fallen”. The former commander of PLGA, who surrendered and quit Naxalism in 2024, said, “Abujmarh is no longer an impregnable Red citadel. The liberated zones have been smashed, commandos are conquering every inch of Dandakaranya jungles. Maoist cadre base has been practically wiped out.”
Highlighting the change in mindset of the youth in Naxal-infested areas and the administration’s friendly approach towards them, Giridhar who masterminded the 2009 ambush that killed Rajanandgaon SP Vinod Chaubey said, “Our cadre base was fast depleting. Police seemed friendlier, with their civic actions, freebies, jobs, and promise of a better life. With education and the lure of urban dazzle, nobody wanted to join us. The youth did not want to die with a police bullet in their head.”
Fight against Naxalism: Centre and security forces continue non-stop action to make India naxal-free
Earlier this month, the security forces have killed 31 Naxalites in the biggest-ever operation against Naxalism, on the Karregutta Hill (KGH) at the Chhattisgarh-Telangana border.
So far, a total of 214 Naxal hideouts and bunkers have been destroyed in this operation and a total of 450 IEDs, 818 BGL shells, 899 bundles of Codex, detonators and a huge amount of explosive material have been recovered during the search. In addition, nearly 12,000 kilograms of food supplies have also been recovered.
A large number of forces, equipment, and other logistics were mobilized in a professional manner for the implementation of the action plan of this historic operation. In the joint briefing, the forces were primarily warned about the tough and challenging terrain of KGH, hundreds of caves for hiding, ambush points, and the dangers of IEDs. Detailed information about their area of operation was provided to the security forces to ensure there was no confusion.
As part of the anti-naxal operation, the security forces also destroyed four Naxal technical units that were being used for the production of BGL shells, homemade weapons, IEDs, and other deadly weapons. During the operation, a large quantity of ration supplies, medicines, and daily-use items were also recovered from various Naxal hideouts and bunkers.
It is noteworthy that building on the success of the anti-Naxal operations in 2024, the security forces have neutralsed 197 hardcore Naxalites in the last 4 months as part of the ongoing anti-Naxal operations in 2025. In 2014, 35 districts were most affected by Naxalism, and by 2025, this number hasd reduced to only 6. Similarly, the number of Naxal-affected districts has decreased from 126 to just 18. In 2014, 1080 Naxal incidents were recorded in 330 police stations across 76 districts, whereas in 2024, only 374 incidents were recorded in 151 police stations across 42 districts. In 2014, 88 security personnel were martyred in Naxal violence, which decreased to 19 in 2024. The number of Naxalites killed in encounters has increased from 63 to 2089. In 2024, 928 Naxalites surrendered, and so far, 718 have surrendered in the first four months of 2025. From 2019 to 2025, the central forces, in collaboration with state police, have established a total of 320 camps in Naxal-affected states, including 68 night-landing helipads. The number of fortified police stations, which was 66 in 2014, has now increased to 555.
The long-term results of this extensive operation against the Naxalites are being observed, such as the division of large and armed Naxal units into several smaller units. The security forces’ hold on these areas has strengthened, and they are continuously advancing in the National Park area under the Bijapur district and the Maad region under the Narayanpur district.
Under the Operation Kagar, around 1 lakh para-military troops, including the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), its elite CoBRA units, District Reserve Guards DRG), and state police were deployed in the left-wing terrorism affected areas. These security personnel have been equipped with modern technology like drones for information gathering, AI for intelligence gathering, and satellite imagery, among others.
With the fall of Abujhmadh after Karreguetta, India is striding towards eradicating the menace of left-wing extremism/Maoism/Naxalism and bringing areas infested with this ideology and violence into the mainstream of peace, prosperity, education and development.
OpIndia earlier reported how the leftists in an open letter blatantly sided with the Maoist terrorists and emphasised that the government should discontinue its anti-Naxal crackdown. However, despite all the challenges and hurdles brought up by Maoists and their cheerleaders in politics and ‘civil society’, the Modi government and the security forces have continued their crackdown on the Naxalites unabated.
