Amidst ceasefire plea: Massive anti-Maoist operation underway in Karregutta Hills

By A Representative 

A large-scale anti-Maoist operation is currently underway in the Karregutta hills region, involving coordinated efforts by security forces from Chhattisgarh, Telangana, and Maharashtra. Reports that began surfacing on April 22 indicate a major encirclement operation, believed to target top Maoist leaders, including Madvi Hidma and Damodar, as well as cadres of the People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA) and members of the Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee and Telangana State Committee of the CPI (Maoist).

While official details remain limited, multiple sources have suggested that over 20,000 state personnel have been deployed in the region. On April 24, reports confirmed the deaths of three Maoist cadres during the operation, which is reportedly ongoing and involves aerial bombardments, according to local journalists.

This operation comes days after the killing of seven Maoists in Bokaro, Jharkhand, including senior Maoist leader Prayag Manjhi. The simultaneous offensives have prompted criticism from several civil society groups. One such group, the Forum Against Corporatization and Militarization, has condemned the operations and accused the state of undermining peace efforts. They allege the use of military force is part of a broader strategy to enable corporate exploitation of natural resources.

The Forum has called for an immediate ceasefire and the initiation of peace talks with CPI (Maoist), citing recent Maoist appeals for dialogue and multiple civil society-led initiatives advocating for a peaceful resolution to the conflict.

There has been no official response from the central or state governments regarding these appeals. Security forces have maintained that the operations are part of ongoing efforts to address internal security threats.