Bhagya Rupi’s death marks collapse of Maoist presence in Bastar

By Harsh Thakor*

Maoist leader Bhagya, known as Rupi, was killed on April 13 in Chote Betiya, Kanker district of Chhattisgarh. Police reported she refused to surrender and was shot during the encounter. Her death marked the end of the last surviving Maoist cadre from the Telugu states, highlighting the decline of the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist) in Bastar, where nearly 400 cadres surrendered in the first four months of 2026. She was also the widow of Vijay Reddy, a Maoist commander killed in August 2025.

Bhagya joined the guerrilla force in 2002, emerging from Siddipet district, a hub of revolutionary activity. Despite limited education and physical challenges due to polio, she adapted to guerrilla life, learning local languages and customs. By 2013, she had risen to become an Area Committee member in North Bastar, taking charge of the Revolutionary Adivasi Women’s Association and later leading efforts in Partapur. Alongside Vijay, she played a central role in sustaining the movement despite intensified police operations.

She was active in mass mobilization, notably during the indefinite praja dharna in Vechghat from 2022 to 2025, demanding implementation of PESA under the slogan “Jal-Jangal-Zameen.” The campaign drew solidarity from intellectuals, students, and tribal communities nationwide. Her leadership reflected the blend of armed resistance and grassroots activism.

By 2024, police offensives escalated, leading to mass casualties among Maoist ranks. While many surrendered, Bhagya remained defiant. Her final days were marked by betrayal when a police informer revealed her location, leading to her arrest and killing. Her life is remembered as one of persistence and sacrifice, symbolizing revolutionary resilience even as the movement weakened.

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*Freelance journalist

The silent epidemic: What numbers tell us about India's youth mental health crisis

By Jyotiradiya Singh* Every year, the National Crime Records Bureau publishes a report that most people never read. It is called Accidental Deaths and Suicides in India, and buried inside its tables and percentages is one of the clearest pictures we have of what young India is going through right now. The numbers are not abstract. Each one is a person, a family, a room that went quiet.

UCC push would lead to state surveillance, erosion of women’s rights: Feminist alliance

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From caste to race: Reading 'Black & Buddhist' through an Indian lens

By Rajiv Shah A few days ago, while visiting a local library in a relatively small town on the eastern coast of the United States, the person who took me there asked if I wished to borrow a book. I looked around. While I couldn't find much that immediately connected with me, one book seemed of particular interest: Black & Buddhist .

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