Communist Party of India (Maoist)

Template:Short description Template:Protection padlock {{SAFESUBST:#invoke:Unsubst||date=__DATE__ |$B= Template:Ambox }} Template:Use Indian English Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox political party Template:Communist Parties Template:Communism in India The Communist Party of India (Maoist) is a banned Marxist–Leninist-Maoist<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref name=":0">Template:Cite news</ref> communist political party and militant organization<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> in India which aims to overthrow the Republic of India through protracted people's war. It was founded on 21 September 2004, through the merger of the CPIML People's War and the MCCI. The party has been designated as a terrorist organisation in India under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act since 2009.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In 2006, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh referred to the Maoists as "the single biggest internal security challenge" for India,<ref name=time20080529>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=econ20091105>Template:Cite news</ref> and said that the "deprived and alienated sections of the population" form the backbone of the Maoist movement in India.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The government officials have declared that, in 2013, 76 districts in the country were affected by "left wing extremism", with another 106 districts in ideological influence.<ref name="SATP–2014">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In 2020, the activities of the party began to increase again in Telangana and other areas.<ref name=TheHindu>Template:Cite news</ref> Chhattisgarh is often affected by the party's militant activities.

In 2024, the party faced a major setback when the government increased their counterinsurgency operations in states affected by the insurgency.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Another setback occurred in 2025 when the leader of the group Nambala Keshava Rao was killed in an encounter with Security forces in Chhattisgarh.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

History

The Communist Party of India (Maoist) was founded on 21 September 2004, through the merger of the Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) People's War (People's War Group), and the Maoist Communist Centre of India (MCCI). The high-level bi-lateral meetings between the two erstwhile parties started in February 2003<ref name=":0"/> and continued for several months, entailing discussions on major questions concerning their future political orientation. In the course of these, unity could be found and 5 Key Papers for the new, unified organisation were finalized and adopted:

• "Hold High the Bright Red Banner of Marxism-Leninism-Maoism", a primarily ideological document explaining the unified party's understanding of the development and content of Marxism–Leninism-Maoism. It forms the cornerstone of the party's ideological-political principles and views.

• "Party Programme", a concise 35-point outline of the party's general political line, synthesized out of more than 30 years of experience of the MCCI and the PWG. It includes the Indian Revolution's minimum and maximum programmes for establishing Socialism-Communism as to the Maoists.

• "Party Constitution", the foremost political-organisational document laying down the Maoists' general programme, the rights and duties of their members, party discipline, organisational structure and how they acquire their funds for operations.

• "Strategy and Tactics of the Indian Revolution", an elaborate class analysis of Indian society, followed up by "the determination of the main blow" of the CPI (Maoist)'s forces at its given stage, as well as the forms of struggle and organisation the Maoists see as appropriate for achieving their aim of "New Democratic and Socialist Revolution".

• "Political Resolution", a detailed analysis of India's Domestic Situation, as well as the International Situation, alongside its call for build the "subjective forces", i.e. the communists' vanguard-capability, to utilize what they evaluated as an "excellent revolutionary situation".

The merger was first declared in a "Unity Commune" formed with extensive cultural programmes and security precautions which went on from early September to early October.<ref>"Hail the Formation of Communist Party of India (Maoist)", a 32-page pamphlet by Redical Publications, published in Kolkata in 2004. (see: pp. 2-4 & materials between pp. 12-14)</ref> Following that, the founding of the unified party was finally announced to the public on 14 October of the same year.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In the course of the merger, a provisional central committee was constituted, with the erstwhile People's War Group leader Muppala Lakshmana Rao, alias "Ganapathi", as general secretary.<ref name="satpprofile"/> Further, on May Day 2014, the Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) Naxalbari merged into the CPI (Maoist).<ref name="CPIML-MAO-Merge">Template:Cite news</ref>

Ideology

The CPI (Maoist) observes that the Indian state is being "run by a collaboration of imperialists, the comprador bourgeoisie and feudal lords."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> According to the South Asia Terrorism Portal, the two factions of the Party adhered to differing strands of communism prior to their 2004 merger, although "both organizations shared their belief in the 'annihilation of class enemies' and in extreme violence as a means to secure organizational goals." The People's War Group (PWG) maintained a Marxist–Leninist stance, while the Maoist Communist Centre of India (MCCI) took a Maoist stance. After the merger, the PWG secretary of Andhra Pradesh announced that the newly formed CPI-Maoist would follow Marxism–Leninism–Maoism as its "ideological basis guiding its thinking in all spheres of its activities." Included in this ideology is a commitment to "protracted armed struggle" to undermine and to seize power from the state.<ref name=satpprofile/> On May Day 2014, Ganapathy and Ajith (Secretary of the CPI (ML) Naxalbari) also issued a joint statement stating that "the unified party would [continue to] take Marxism-Leninism-Maoism as its guiding ideology."<ref name="CPIML-MAO-Merge"/>

The ideology of the party is contained in a "Party Programme." In the document, the Maoists denounce globalisation as a war on the people by market fundamentalists and the caste system as a form of social oppression.<ref name=anand>Template:Cite journal</ref> The CPI (Maoist) claim that they are conducting a "people's war", a strategic approach developed by Mao Zedong during the guerrilla warfare phase of the Chinese Communist Party. Their eventual objective is to install a "people's government" via a New Democratic Revolution.<ref name=anand/>

Location and prominence

CPI(Maoist) currently operates in the forest belt around central India in the states of Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Odisha. It is present even in remote regions of Jharkhand and Andhra Pradesh, as well as in Bihar and the tribal-dominated areas in the borderlands of Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, West Bengal, and Odisha. The CPI (Maoist) aims to consolidate its power in this area and establish a Compact Revolutionary Zone from which to advance the people's war in other parts of India.<ref name=satpprofile/> A 2005 Frontline cover story called the Bhamragad Taluka, where the Madia Gond Adivasis live, the heart of the Maoist-affected region in Maharashtra.<ref>Guerilla zone Template:Webarchive, Frontline, 22(21), 8–21 October 2005 DIONNE BUNSHA in Gadchiroli</ref> Recently, the Indian government has claimed that in 2013, Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Gujarat, Haryana, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal experienced [ideological] "influence" of "Left Wing Extremism"; while claiming that armed activity by the "Left Wing" extremists was noticed in Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Odisha and West Bengal.<ref name="SATP–2014"/>

Organisation

The current General Secretary is Thippiri Tirupathi, who was appointed in September 2025.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="Rajappan">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> His predecessor, Nambala Keshava Rao (alias "Basavaraj") along with 27 other Naxals were killed during a gunfight with Indian security forces in Abujhmarh, Chhattisgarh on 21 May 2025.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Rao, in turn, took the post after Muppala Lakshmana Rao, who uses the alias "Ganapathy".<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="OPEN-Ganapathy">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The party hierarchy consists of the Regional Bureaus, which look after two or three states each, the State Committees, the Zonal Committees, the District Committees, and the "dalams" (armed squads).<ref name="toi74">Template:Cite news</ref> Communist writer Jan Myrdal noted that the CPI (Maoist) also organises events like "The Leadership Training Programme" to endure the forces of the state.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Politburo

As per the communist party policies the highest decision-making body of the CPI (Maoist) is the Politburo, with thirteen or fourteen members, six of whom were killed or arrested between 2007 and 2010.<ref name="ht1">Template:Cite news</ref> Shamsher Singh Sheri alias Karam Singh, who died of Cerebral Malaria-Jaundice on 30 October 2005, was a Politburo member.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Between 2005 and 2011, the State captured several Politburo members of the party, which includes – Sushil Roy alias "Som", Narayan Sanyal alias "N. Prasad", Pramod Mishra, Amitabh Bagchi, Baccha Prasad Singh, Anukul Chandra Naskar<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and Akhilesh Yadav. Arvind Ji alias "Deo Kumar Singh", died in heart attack on 21, March 2018.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> B. Sudhakar alias "Kiran" was another Politburo member of CPI (Maoist), but he surrendered in 2019.<ref name="HT-981635">Template:Cite news</ref> Akkiraju Haragopal alias "Ramakrishna" died in October 2021 due to illness.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Katakam Sudarshan, alias Anand,<ref name="HT-963499">Template:Cite news</ref> was a prominent Politburo member until his death in 2023.<ref name="ET-30189393">Template:Cite news</ref> Ashutosh Tudu<ref name="ht1" /> and Anuj Thakur<ref name="TOI-20322245">Template:Cite news</ref> are another two of the arrested Politburo members of the party. Among those killed, Cherukuri Rajkumar alias "Azad"<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="MR" /> and Mallojula Koteswara Rao alias "Kishenji",<ref name="MR" /><ref name="thehindu-2665736">Template:Cite news</ref> were two past members of the CPI (Maoist)'s Politburo. Prashant Bose alias "Kishan-da" was a member of the Politburo until his arrest. In October 2025, Top politburo member Mallujola Venugopal surrendered to Maharashtra police.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

citation

CitationClass=web }}</ref>	Name	Alias(es)	Notes
Thippiri Tirupati	Devuji	Current general secretary.<ref name="Rajappan"/>
Mupalla Laxman Rao	Ganapathy	Former General Secretary.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Misir Besra	Sagar

Central Committee

The Central Committee of the CPI (Maoist) takes command from the Politburo and passes on the information to its members, and has 32 members. During an interview in 2010, Anand told media personnels that out of the 45 members of the Central Committee of CPI (Maoist), 8 has been arrested and 22 has been killed by the agencies of the Indian government.<ref name="TI-12311694">Template:Cite news</ref> Anuradha Ghandy, who died on 12 April 2008, was an eminent member of CPI (Maoist)'s Central Committee.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Kadari Satyanarayan Reddy alias "Kosa", Thippiri Tirupathi alias "Devuji", Malla Raji Reddy<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and Mallujola Venugopal alias "Bhupati" are another three cadres and Central Committee members of the party.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Madvi Hidma is the youngest Central Committee member of the party. As of 22 September 2011, nine of the Central Committee members were jailed, which includes – Moti Lal Soren, Vishnu, Varanasi Subramanyam, Shobha, Misir Besra, Purnendu Sekhar Mukherjee, Vijay Kumar Arya.<ref name="ET-30189393"/><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> One more Central Committee member, Ravi Sharma, was also captured later.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Ginugu Narsimha Reddy alias Jampanna surrendered to police in December 2017.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Varkapur Chandramouli,<ref name="MR">Template:Citation</ref> Patel Sudhakar Reddy,<ref name="MR"/> Narmada Akka,<ref name="HT-981635"/> and Milind Teltumbde who were killed by armed forces. Another Central Committee member Haribhushan died due to Covid. Another CC member B.G. Krishnamoorthy alias BGK, Vijay was arrested in 2021 November along with another PLGA Savithri by Kerala ATS.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Another member Uday was killed in 2025 by Greyhounds in Andhra Pradesh.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In September 2025, Kosa was killed in an encounter in Chattisgarh.<ref name="hindustantimes.com">Template:Cite news</ref> and in October 2025, Mallujola Venugopal who is also a politburo member surrendered to Police in Maharashtra and another Central Commitee member Pullari Prasad Rao alias Chandranna surrendered in Telegana.<ref name="hindustantimes.com"/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>. Another member and leader of Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee Madvi Hidma was killed in Andhra Pradesh in Noveember 2025.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Current CPI (Maoist) Central Committee Members

Name	Alias(es)	Notes
Mupalla Laxman Rao	Ganapathy	Former General Secretary, also member of Politburo. Source
Thippiri Tirupathi	Devji, Deoji, Devuji	Current General Secretary, also Politburo member. Source
Misir Besra	Sagar	Also Politburo member. Source
Paka Hanumanthu	Ganesh Uike	Active member; limited media presence.
Pathiram Manjhi	Anil Da
Mall Raja Reddy	Sangram
Ramdev	Majidev

Publication division

The CPI (Maoist) has a "publication division". B. Sudhakar alias "Kiran" who was a Politburo member before his surrender used to work for this division.<ref name="HT-981635"/>

Military Commissions

The Central Military Commission (CMC) is the main armed body of the CPI (Maoist), and it is constructed by its Central Committee. In addition to the CMC, the party has also raised state military commissions.<ref name="Rahul"/>Template:Rp The CMC has been headed by Nambala Keshava Rao alias Basavaraj, Anand and Arvind Ji.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Anuj Thakur is an arrested member of the CMC of the party.<ref name="TOI-20322245"/> Kishenji<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and Chandramouli<ref name="MR"/> were also the members of the CPI (Maoist)'s CMC.

Technical Committee

Central Technical Committee (CTC) is given the responsibility of fabricating weapons and explosives. The Technical Committee consists of few selected members having special knowledge on science and research and works under the direct supervision of the Central Military Commission (CMC) of the Party. Sadanala Ramakrishna, a senior Maoist leader was the Secretary of the Committee who was arrested in February 2012 in Kolkata.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Estimated strength

The military wings of the founding organisations, the People's Liberation Guerrilla Army (the military wing of the MCCI) and the People's Guerrilla Army (the military wing of the PWG), also underwent a merger. The name of the unified military organisation is the People's Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA), and it is grouped into three sections — the Basic, the Secondary and the Main squad.<ref name=satpprofile/> All the PLGA members are volunteers and they do not receive any wages.<ref name="AR">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> During his stay in the guerrilla zones, Jan Myrdal noted that the female cadres of CPI (Maoist) constituted about 40% of its PLGA, and held numerous "command positions";<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> but currently, the female members comprises 60% of the Maoist cadres,<ref name="T-September">Template:Citation</ref> and women commanders heads 20 of the 27 divisions of the guerrilla zones.<ref name="Gautam"/>

P.V. Ramana, of the Observer Research Foundation in Delhi, estimates the Naxilities' current strength at 9,000–10,000 armed fighters, with access to about 6,500 firearms.<ref name="Armed strength">"A spectre haunting India", the Economist Volume 380 Number 8491 (19–25 August 2006)</ref> The analyses, as of September 2013, suggested that the estimated number of PLGA members has decreased from 10,000 − 12,000<ref name="T-September"/> to 8,000 − 9,000.<ref name="BS-113092700488">Template:Cite news</ref> But, Gautam Navlakha has suggested that the PLGA has strengthened over the past few years, and has mustered 12 companies and over 25 platoons and a supply platoon in 2013 as compared to 8 companies and 13 platoons of 2008.<ref name="Gautam">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The People's Militia which is armed with bows, arrows, and machetes is and is believed to logistically assist the PLGA is estimated to be around 38,000.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Medical units

The Maoists had structured "medical units" in the villages of Bastar,<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> and the CPI (Maoist) operates "mobile medical units."<ref name="Rahul"/>Template:Rp Rahul Pandita writes:

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Furthermore, the CPI (Maoist)'s medical services squads also move from village to village and provides "basic medical training" to selected young tribal people which enables them to identify frequently occurring diseases through their presages so that they can also distribute vaccines to the patients.<ref name="Rahul"/>Template:Rp

Frontal organisations

The frontal organisations of the party include the Radical Youth League, Rythu Coolie Sangham, Radical Students Union, Singareni Karmika Samakya, Viplava Karmika Samakhya, Porattam Kerala, Ayyankali pada Kerala, Njattuvela Kerala and All India Revolutionary Students Federation,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Krantikari Adivasi Mahila Sangathan,<ref name="AR"/> and Chetna Natya Manch.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Strategy

Governance tactics

The "organising principles" of the Maoists are sketched out from the Chinese Communist Revolution and the Vietnam War. The CPI (Maoist) has organised Dandakaranya into ten divisions, each comprising three area committees; and every Area Committee is composed of several Janatana Sarkars (people's governments). The party says that a Janatana Sarkar is established by the election procedure involving a group of villages, and has nine departments — agriculture, trade and industry, economic, justice, defence, health, public relations, education and culture, and jungle.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The Janatana Sarkar provides education up to primary level in the subjects of mathematics, social science, politics, and Hindi, in the "camp schools" using the textbooks published by the party in Gondi. They also use DVDs to educate the children in the streams of science and history.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In their efforts to intimidate their political adversaries and consolidate control, the Maoists tax local villagers, extort businesses, abduct and kill "class enemies" such as government officials and police officers, and regulate the flow of aid and goods.<ref name=time20080529/> To help fill their ranks, the Maoists force each family under their domain to supply one family member, and threaten those who resist with violence.<ref name="alertnet.org"/>

The organisation has been holding "Public Courts", which have been described as kangaroo courts,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Deccan Chronicle, 27 August 2009 Template:Webarchive</ref> against their opponents. These "courts" function in the areas under de facto Maoist control.<ref name="achr"/> The Maoists have also taken care to demolish government institutions under their de facto jurisdiction.<ref>Maoists use guns to enforce poverty Daily Pioneer – 1 November 2009</ref> They have also demolished railroad tracks and school buildings that are often used as temporary camps by security forces.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Military strategies and tactics

The CPI (Maoist) rejects "engagement" with what it terms as the "prevailing bourgeois democracy" and focuses on capturing political power through protracted armed struggle based on guerrilla warfare.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> This strategy entails building up bases in rural and remote areas and transforming them first into guerrilla zones, and then into "liberated zones", in addition to encircling cities.<ref name=satpprofile/>

The military hardware used by Maoists, as indicated through a number of seizures, include RDX cable wires, gelignite sticks, detonators, country-made weapons, INSAS rifles, AK-47s, SLRs, and improvised explosive devices.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The Maoists condemn the accusations that they manage arms through China, Myanmar and Bangladesh.<ref name="hindu=2010111064221100">Template:Cite news</ref> On the subject, Ganapathy says, "Our weapons are mainly country-made. All the modern weapons we have are mainly seized from the government armed forces when we attack them."<ref name="hindu=2010111064221100"/>

The CPI (Maoist)'s General Secretary says that they keep on appealing to the "lower-level personnel" in the paramilitary and police forces not to attack them, but rather "join hands with the masses" and "consciously" point their guns towards whom the Maoists view as "real enemies." They further claims that "only when the government forces come to attack us [Maoists] carrying guns do we attack them in self-defence."<ref name="Rahul"/>Template:Rp In Jharkhand, the police have also seized posters from various places which read, "Policemen keep away from the green hunt and try to be friends of poor. Police jawan, do not obey orders of the senior officials, instead join the people's army."<ref>Template:Citation</ref>

Funding

Some sources claim that the funding for the Maoists comes from abductions, extortion and by setting up unofficial administrations to collect taxes in rural areas where official government appears absent.<ref name=time20080529/><ref name="cfrbackgrounder">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="ipcs">Template:Cite journal</ref> Poppy cultivation is another suspected source of funding for Maoists in the Ghagra area of Gumla district in Jharkhand and in parts of Gumla, Kishanganj and Purnia districts in Bihar where security forces claim that opium fields are hidden among maize crops.<ref name=ipcs/> Reports from Debagarh district in Odisha indicate that the Maoists also support hemp cultivation to help fund their activities.<ref name=ipcs/>

Legal status

The party is regarded as a "left-wing extremist entity" and a terrorist outfit by the Indian government. Several of their members have been arrested under the now-defunct Prevention of Terrorist Activities Act.<ref name="satpprofile">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Article on CPI_M,MIPT Terrorism Knowledge Base Template:Webarchive</ref> The group is officially banned by the state governments of Odisha,<ref>Eastern Indian state bans communist rebel group,The China Post</ref> Chhattisgarh, and Andhra Pradesh, among others. The party has protested these bans.<ref>Maoists plan stir,The Hindu</ref> The Indian government, led by the United Progressive Alliance, banned the CPI (Maoist) under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) as a terrorist organisation<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> on 22 June 2009. On 22 June 2009, the central home ministry, keeping in mind the growing unlawful activities by the group, banned it under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Earlier, the union home minister, P. Chidambaram had asked the West Bengal Chief Minister, Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, to ban the Maoists following the Lalgarh Violence.<ref name="toi20090622">Template:Cite news</ref> Maoist Communist Centre (MCC) and all its formations and front organisations have been banned by the Government of India.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Controversies

Opposition

The Party is regarded as a serious security threat by the Indian government.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> It says it will combine improved policing with socio-economic measures to defuse grievances that fuel the Maoist cause.<ref name="alertnet.org">Template:Cite news</ref> In 2005, Chhattisgarh State sponsored an anti-Maoist movement called the Salwa Judum. The group, which the BBC alleges is "government backed",<ref name="bbcvigilantes">Template:Cite news</ref> an allegation rejected by the Indian government<ref name=ple>Hearing plea against Salwa Judum, SC says State cannot arm civilians to kill The Indian Express, 1 April 2008.</ref><ref>SC raps Chhattisgarh on Salwa Judum Rediff.com, 31 March 2008. Template:Webarchive</ref> has come under criticism for "perpetrating atrocities and abuse against women",<ref name="The Hindu">Template:Cite news</ref> using child soldiers,<ref name="achr">Template:Cite journal</ref> burning people alive,<ref>Template:Citation</ref> and the looting of property and destruction of homes.<ref name=autogenerated1>Template:Cite news</ref> These allegations were rejected by a fact-finding commission of the National Human Rights Commission of India, appointed by the Supreme Court of India, who determined that the Salwa Judum was a spontaneous reaction by tribes against Maoist atrocities perpetrated against them.<ref name=nh>'Existence of Salwa Judum necessary' The Economic Times, 6 October 2008.</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The camps are guarded by police officers, paramilitary forces and child soldiers<ref name="alertnet.org"/><ref name="achr"/> empowered with the official title "special police officer" (SPO).<ref name="achr"/><ref name="fedachild">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> However, on 5 July 2011, the Supreme Court of India declared the Salwa Judum as illegal and unconstitutional. The court directed the Chhattisgarh government to recover all the firearms given to the militia along with the ammunition and accessories. It also ordered the government to investigate all instances of alleged criminal activities of Salwa Judum.<ref name="Hindu">Template:Cite news</ref> But, the state government did not abide by the Supreme Court's decision. In August 2013, the Supreme Court of India asked the state government to explain that "why its failure to execute the July 2011 order of disbanding the SPOs not considered as contempt of court.".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In March 2019, a municipal school teacher, Yogendra Meshram was killed by the Maoists in Korchi, which was vehemently protested by locals. The Maoist leadership later apologized for the killing stating it to be a mistake and that Meshram was innocent wrongly suspected to be a police informer.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

International connections

The CPI (Maoist) maintains dialogue with the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre) who control most of Nepal in the Coordination Committee of Maoist Parties and Organisations of South Asia (CCOMPOSA), according to several intelligence sources and think tanks.<ref name=satpprofile/> These links are, however, denied by the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist-Centre)<ref>"Nepali Maoists Deny Ongoing Links with Indian Counterparts" by Jason Motlagh, World Politics Review. 6/12/08 Template:Webarchive</ref>

While under detention in June 2009, a suspected Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) operative indicated that the LeT and the CPI (Maoist) had attempted to co-ordinate activities in Jharkhand state.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> But, Ganapathy has denied any links between CPI (Maoist) and LeT, stating that the allegations are "only mischievous, calculated propaganda by the police officials, bureaucrats and leaders of the reactionary political parties" to malign the Maoists' image with the aim of labeling them as terrorists in order to justify "their brutal terror campaign against Maoists and the people in the areas of armed agrarian struggle."<ref name="OPEN-Ganapathy"/> Kishenji also criticised LeT for having "wrong" and "anti-people" policies; though he said that the Maoists may consider backing up a few of their demands, if LeT will halt its "terrorist acts".<ref name="Tehelka-Kishenji">Template:Citation</ref>

Reports in 2010 indicate that the Communist Party of the Philippines, Southeast Asia's longest-lived communist insurgent group, has been reported to have engaged in training activities for guerrilla warfare with Indian Maoists.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

The Indian Maoists deny operational links with foreign groups, such as the Nepalese Maoists, but do claim comradeship.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Some members of the Indian government accept this,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> while others argue that operational links do exist, with training coming from Sri-Lankan Maoists and small arms from China.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> China denies any suggestion that it supports foreign Maoist rebels, citing improvements in relations between India and China, including movement towards resolving their border disputes. Maoists in Nepal, India, and the Philippines are less reticent about their shared goals.<ref>Template:Usurped</ref>

Indian Government's paramilitary offensive against the CPI (Maoist)

{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} In September 2009, an all-out offensive was launched by the Government of India's paramilitary forces and the state's police forces against the CPI (Maoist) is termed by the Indian media as the "Operation Green Hunt".<ref name="TH-101706">Template:Cite news</ref>

On 3 January 2013, government issued a statement that it is deploying 10,000 more central paramilitary personnel in Bastar, Odisha and some parts of Jharkhand.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> On 8 June 2014, the Minister of Home Affairs officially approved the deployment of another 10,000 troops from the paramilitary forces to fight against the Maoists in Chhattisgarh.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The count of personnel from State Armed Police Forces involved in counter-Maoism operations in the Red corridor is estimated to number around 200,000.<ref name="BS-113092700488"/> Along with firearms, the armed forces' personnel use satellite phones, unmanned aerial vehicles and Air Force helicopters.<ref name="BS-113092700488"/>

In 2011, the Indian Army while denying its direct role in the offensive operations accepted that it has been training the paramilitary personnel to fight against the Maoists, however, the Maoists have objected to the Army's stationing in the Red corridor.<ref>Template:Citation</ref> On 30 May 2013, the Indian Air Force's Air Chief Marshal declared that apart from the currently operating MI-17 helicopters, the Indian Force has decided to induce a unit of MI-17V5 helicopters to "provide full support to anti-Naxal operations."<ref name="TH-4763722">Template:Cite news</ref> In August 2014, the Ministry of Home Affairs had stated that 2,000 personnel from the Nagaland's Indian Reserve Battalions (IRB) were deployed in counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism operations against the Maoists in Bastar.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Since the start of the operation: 2,266 Maoist militants have been killed, 10,181 have been arrested and 9,714 have surrendered.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Notable attacks

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• On 12 June 2009, at least 29 members of the Indian Police were killed<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref> in an ambush attack by Maoist rebels in Rajnandgaon, 90 km (56 mi) from Raipur (India's Chhattisgarh state).<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

• On 15 February 2010, several of the guerrilla commanders of CPI (Maoist), all of whom are believed to be female, killed 24 personnel of the Eastern Frontier Rifles at Silda in West Bengal.<ref name="Rahul"/>Template:Rp The attack was reportedly directed by Kishenji,<ref name="ndtv">Template:Cite news</ref> and after the Maoist raid at the paramilitary camp, Kishenji addressed the news media saying, "We have not started it (violence) and we will not stop it first. Let us see whether the central government is honest about a solution and we will definitely co–operate.... This is the answer to Chidambaram's 'Operation Green Hunt' and unless the Centre stop this inhuman military operation, we are going to answer the Centre this way only."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
• On 6 April 2010, the Maoists ambushed and killed 76 paramilitary personnel who fell into a trap laid by the lurking Maoists. The CPI (Maoist) described the incident as a "direct consequence" of the Operation Green Hunt stating that "We have been surrounded by paramilitary battalions. They are setting fire to the forests and making adivasis (tribals) flee. In this situation, we have no other alternative (but to stage attacks)."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
• On 25 May 2013, the CPI (Maoist) ambushed a convoy of the Indian National Congress at Bastar, and killed 27 people including Mahendra Karma, Nand Kumar Patel and Vidya Charan Shukla.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> While regretting the death of a few "innocent Congress [INC] functionaries" during the incident, they hold the Bharatiya Janata Party and Indian National Congress' policies which they view as "anti-people" in nature, as directly responsible for the attack.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Later, 14 Maoist who had allegedly participated in the ambush<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> were gunned down in Odisha by the Special Operation Group with the assistance of Border Security Force.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
• On 3 April 2021, twenty-two soldiers were killed in a Maoist ambush on the border of Bijapur and Sukma districts in southern Chhattisgarh. Those killed included 14 Chhattisgarh policemen and seven jawans of the CRPF, including six members of its elite CoBRA unit, specially trained to take on Maoist guerillas.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

• On 4 January 2022, CPI (Maoist) attacked former BJP MLA of Manoharpur Gurucharan Nayak in West Singhbhum district of Jharkhand. Nayak escaped but the Maoists slit the throat of his two bodyguards, snatched their AK-47 rifles and fled. The two bodyguards died in the incident.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
• On April 26, 2023, 10 policemen and their driver belonging to the District Reserve Guard (DRG) of Chhattisgarh Police were killed in a IED attack by Maoists in Dantewada District, Chhattisgarh. The forces were attacked while returning from counterinsurgency operations in the area.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

See also

• List of organisations banned by the Government of India
• Anti-revisionism
• Revolutionary Internationalist Movement
• List of communist parties
• List of Naxalite and Maoist groups in India
• List of anti-revisionist groups
• Red Ant Dream

External links

• An exclusive interview to The Hindu by Azad, spokesperson of the Communist Party of India (Maoist), The Hindu
• Interview With Communist Party of India (Maoist) Spokesperson Azad, The Hindu
• Interview With Comrade Ganapathy, General Secretary (GS), CPI (Maoist) given to Swedish writer Jan Myrdal and Gautam Navlakha, January 2010
• The French journalist, Vanessa's conversation with Narmada and several other Comrades, OPEN
• What is daily life inside a Maoist forest hideout like? — BBC
• India's Red Tide — SBS Dateline
• International Campaign Against War on the People in India
• Are We The Enemy You Fear?, Tehelka
• The heart of India is under attack, The Guardian