Raipur, February 14: In a significant move to weaken Maoist influence in Chhattisgarh’s volatile South Bastar region, security forces launched coordinated operations across several police jurisdictions in Bijapur district on Saturday, destroying five Maoist memorials. The demolition is part of an ongoing effort to dismantle Maoist propaganda and their psychological hold on local communities.
Police officials confirmed that the operation was a part of the continued campaign to counter Maoist insurgency. In the area under Tarrem police station, a joint team consisting of CRPF battalions successfully located and demolished a memorial in the Mandimarka forest. The operation was conducted following established security protocols.
In the Usur police station jurisdiction, security forces achieved notable success, destroying a total of four memorials. A combined unit of the CRPF and Cobra battalion brought down two memorials in the Marudhabaka forests, while another CRPF team eliminated two more in the Paurguda and Singanapalli forest areas. These memorials, typically erected in honor of fallen Maoist leaders and cadres, act as symbols of rebel ideology and tools for recruitment in remote tribal areas.
By dismantling these structures, security forces aim to disrupt the insurgents' narrative of martyrdom and weaken their influence over the local population. The operation forms part of a broader strategy to remove Maoist propaganda and restore state authority in the region.
Authorities emphasized that this success contributes to the ongoing efforts to erode Maoist influence in South Bastar. The forces continue with search, patrol, and area domination operations to sustain pressure on insurgents.
This operation follows a series of anti-Maoist activities in the region, including the defusing of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and the destruction of more Maoist memorials on February 13. Notably, one memorial dedicated to Nambala Keshava Rao, alias Basavaraju, the former general secretary of CPI-Maoist, was destroyed. Basavaraju was killed in a 2025 encounter. Other operations neutralized IEDs aimed at security vehicles and razed memorials in forested areas such as Todka-Korcholi and Peddakorma.
The Chhattisgarh government, led by Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai, has stepped up efforts to eradicate Left-Wing Extremism by March 2026, a commitment made by Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Bijapur, located in the Bastar division, remains a Maoist stronghold, with insurgents continuing to exploit issues surrounding land rights and tribal development grievances.
