Hyderabad protest demands end to Operation Kagar as senior Maoist leaders killed in encounter

By Harsh Thakor*
A protest was held on June 17 at Indira Park in Hyderabad by the Shanti Charchala Committee, calling for an end to Operation Kagar and the start of peace talks with Maoist groups. The event brought together representatives from several political parties and civil society organizations. Among those who addressed the gathering were CPI (ML) New Democracy Central Committee member Vemulapalli Venkatramayya, along with leaders from the Congress, BRS, CPI, CPM, Telangana Janasamithi, MCPI, SUCI, CPI ML, RSP, and VCK. The programme also featured performances by cultural groups such as CLC, HRF, TVV, Arunodaya, Praja Kala Mandali, and Praja Natya Mandali. Public figures including actors Narayana Murthy and Tudundebba Upendar and academics like Professor Anver Khan and Professor Vinayaka Reddy participated as speakers.
Congress MP Mallu Ravi and Rajya Sabha member Anil Kumar Yadav took part in the protest, alleging that Operation Kagar was leading to civilian deaths in tribal areas, especially in Bastar. They called for a ceasefire and negotiations with Maoist groups, urging the central government to implement constitutional protections under the PESA Act and the Fifth Schedule. A resolution was passed at the protest demanding that the Centre halt its current operations and instead pursue dialogue. BRS MLC Dr Dasoju Sravan Kumar also spoke, criticising the operation as a violation of tribal rights and reiterating the BRS's support for peaceful and democratic solutions, referencing earlier remarks by party leader K. Chandrashekar Rao.
A day after the protest, on June 18, a reported encounter took place in the Maredumilli forest region of East Godavari district, Andhra Pradesh. Security forces, including the Andhra Pradesh Greyhounds, CRPF, and Chhattisgarh police, engaged with a Maoist group as part of ongoing combing operations under Operation Kagar. According to official reports, an exchange of fire began late on June 17 and continued into the early hours of June 18 in the Kinchakur-Kakavadi Gandi forest area in Devipatnam Mandal. The encounter reportedly lasted around 25 minutes and led to the deaths of three Maoist members. Security personnel recovered three AK-47 rifles, ammunition, and Maoist literature from the site. Search operations in the area remain ongoing.
The deceased were identified as Gajarla Ravi, alias Uday, a senior Central Committee member of the CPI (Maoist); Venkata Ravi Lakshmi Chaitanya, alias Aruna, a member of the AOB Special Zonal Committee; and Anju, an Area Committee Member from Chhattisgarh. Ravi, originally from Velishala village in Telangana’s Bhupalapally district, had been associated with the Maoist movement for nearly four decades. He had participated in the 2004–05 peace talks with the then Andhra Pradesh government and held responsibilities across regions including Malkangiri, Koraput, and Srikakulam. Considered a key strategist, he carried a government reward of ₹25 lakh.

Aruna, who was married to slain Maoist Central Committee member Chalapathi Rao, had also been active in the movement for several years. She had been involved in organizing women’s cadres and military operations and was reported to have played a role in the 2003 attack on former Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu. She carried a reward of ₹20 lakh. The third person, Anju, was identified as a cadre active in the AOB Special Zonal Committee.
Both Ravi and Aruna came from families with deep involvement in the Maoist movement. Aruna’s mother and brother had earlier participated in the movement and died in previous encounters. Ravi’s family had multiple members associated with the Maoist party. His brother Sarayya, also known as Azad, reportedly died in the same June 18 encounter. Another brother, Ashok, previously linked to Maoist-affiliated activities, later joined the Congress after a stint in the media. Their elder brother Sammayya, a retired Singareni worker, is known to have faced scrutiny over these associations.
The protest in Hyderabad and the subsequent encounter in the forest underline the continued divide between those advocating dialogue and those supporting armed operations in addressing the Maoist issue. While civil and political groups are urging peaceful solutions, state forces continue combing operations in Maoist-dominated areas.
The Hyderabad protest also coincided with the 10th death anniversary of Vivek Kodamagundla, a law student who joined the Maoist movement in his late teens and was killed in an alleged encounter on June 12, 2014, near the Chhattisgarh-Telangana border. Two tribal women, Madakam Deve (alias Kamala) and Kuhadam Jogi (alias Sony), also lost their lives in the same incident.
Vivek was born in Bhagat Singh Nagar of Kodamagundla, Suryapet, to government school teachers Madhavi and Yogananda Chari. Initially influenced by his father's political evolution from RSS to leftist ideology during his university years, Vivek developed an early interest in social issues. He attended Kakatiya Concept School in Suryapet and later enrolled in a five-year integrated law program at Pendekanti Law College in Hyderabad.
During his student years, Vivek became active in the Telangana statehood movement, participating in various protests organized by the Telangana Joint Action Committee, including the Million March, Sakala Janula Samme, and Chalo Assembly. He was affiliated with Telangana Vidyarthi Vedika, a student organization focused on democratic and decentralization issues.
Vivek also participated in the People Against Polavaram Project (PAPP) padayatra and expressed concern over restrictions on civil liberties following the formation of Telangana state. In 2014, after being arrested during a disrupted seminar on Maoist politics in Hyderabad, he left his law course and joined the Maoist movement in Dandakaranya. He reportedly continued to write and engage in political discourse under pseudonyms until his death.
According to police, Vivek and the two women were killed in an encounter on June 12, 2014. The police reported no casualties on their side. Questions about the nature of the encounter remain subjects of debate among human rights groups and political activists.
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*Freelance journalist

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