The year 2021 has been the worst for the banned CPI(Maoist) ever since it has started extending its reach in the Andhra Odisha Border (AOB) region early in the 1980s.
Compared with the year 2016, when it had lost over 30 cadres and a few key leaders in the Ramaguda encounter, the movement has suffered a number of setbacks this year, which include the death of key leaders, surrenders, and arrests.
The surrenders have exposed their vulnerability, the deepening divide between the tribal and non-tribal leadership, and the growing disillusionment among the cadres.
The documents seized from the sites of encounter and from the arrested leaders suggest that for the first time since the 1980s, the Maoists are on the run from the AOB region.
Key leaders such Aruna, Gajarla Ravi alias Uday, and Kakuri Pandana alias Jagan have fled the region to take shelter in the Dandakaranya region.
As a result, the responsibility of taking forward the movement has been left to a couple of ACM-rank cadre such as Kora Nageswara Rao and Ashok.
Big blow
The death of Central Committee member Akkiraju Haragopal alias Ramakrishna alias RK due to illness in October this year was a big blow to the movement.
His death created a leadership void, as he was the last of the leaders who had commanded considerable respect from the tribal people.
The surrender of senior leaders Muttannagari Jalandhar Reddy alias Krishna, Chikkudu Chinna Rao alias Sudheer, and others such as Sreenu and Swarna was a big blow to the movement in the AOB region, said Superintendent of Police, Visakhapatnam, B. Krishna Rao.
Deepening divide
Sudheer, at the time of his surrender, had not minced words while explaining the growing discord between the tribal and non-tribal leaders, and the high-handedness of the non-tribal leaders.
“In all, about 12 to 13 leaders have surrendered this year,” DIG, Visakhapatnam Range, L.K.V. Ranga Rao, said.
The District Police were also successful in arresting about 14 to 15 key members this year, who included Rame and Devi.
They apart, the Odisha police had arrested Dubashi Shankar alias Mahender, a key member of the Andhra Odisha Border Special Zonal Committee (AOBSZC).
“The number of arrests by both A.P. and Odisha in the AOB region could be close to 30,” said a senior officer from the Intelligence wing (Extremism).
Teegalametta encounter
Post the encounter at Ramaguda in which 31 Maoist had been killed and the entire MKVB division was almost wiped out, the encounter at Teegalametta in Koyyuru in June this year was the biggest in the AOB region.
Six Maoists were killed in the encounter by the Greyhounds, who included a few key operatives such as Ranadev alias Arjun (DCM), Sande Gangiah alias Ashok (DCM), and Santu Nachike (ACM).
There were more than five exchanges of fire in the forested areas of the AOB.
With the security forces making deep inroads into the Maoist strongholds, the Left Wing Extremists (LWEs) were forced to flee to the safer zones in Dandakaranya.
Earlier, apart from Dandakaranya, the AOB was considered the hotbed for Maoists.
Eroding support base
“But now, the movement is at the low ebb in the AOB region. There is no fresh recruitment. The tribal people are shunning the Maoists and are seeking development. The ‘Andhra Model’ of taking development to the doorstep of the tribal people is weaning them away from the Maoists. The LWEs are fast losing their base,” DGP Gautam Sawang had told The Hindu .
The CPI(Maoist) had even failed to mobilise support in the urban areas. The crackdown of the security forces, including the NIA, on the urban supporters stifled the voice of the Maoists and affected their recruitment.
With dwindling support base and lack of issues to bank on, and with the security forces making deep inroads, the LWE are on the back foot, say security analysts. Their only stronghold now is the Dandakaranya region.
