Editor's Pick | At least 28 Naxalites killed in Chhattisgarh operation

At least 28 Naxalites were killed by security forces in a gunfight in Chhattisgarh’s Bastar region on Friday, according to the police. The toll may rise, it said. One policeman was injured in a grenade blast during the operation. The gunfight began around 1 p.m. in the Abujhmad area of Narayanpur district in the left-wing extremism-affected Bastar region. At 8 p.m., the police provided the final number of bodies recovered, after which Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai congratulated the forces in a post on X. “In a fierce encounter between security forces and Naxalites in the border area of Narayanpur and Dantewada districts, reports suggest that 28 Naxalites have been killed. This major achievement by our brave soldiers is commendable. I salute their courage and indomitable spirit,” Mr. Sai said. In a statement issued earlier in the day, the police said a joint team of security forces from Dantewada and Narayanpur set out on an operation after receiving specific information about the presence of Naxalites in Abujhmad, a largely unsurveyed area in southern Bastar. The clash broke out around 1 p.m., after which firing continued at regular intervals. An AK47 rifle, a Self-Loading Rifle and other weapons were found at the site of encounter, the police said. After Friday’s anti-Naxal operation — the second biggest in terms of casualties inflicted by the State this year and in the conflict zone’s history — the number of Naxals killed by the forces this year has shot up to 185. There has been a surge in anti-Naxal operations since the new BJP government came to power in December 2023. On April 16, at least 29 Maoists were killed in an operation by security forces along the Kanker-Narayanpur border in Chhattisgarh’s Bastar. Based on the number of casualties inflicted, the State police had said it was possibly the “biggest encounter ever” in Chhattisgarh. Nationally, a 2018 operation in Maharashtra’s Gadchiroli, in which 37 Maoists were killed, was the only one where more deaths were reported in recent years. A day after the April 16 incident, Inspector General (Bastar Police) P. Sundarraj had said that not following usual routes, improved coordination between forces, and additional backup helped security personnel minimise risk and inflict more damage to Maoists. “We made tactical adjustments drawing from our previous experiences that have helped us limit damage in this operation and the other recent ones including the Bijapur incident where 13 Maoists were killed. On each occasion, we effectively cordoned off the areas where Maoists were present,” he explained. On Friday, Mr. Sai’s post on X added: “Our fight to eliminate Naxalism will only end when we achieve complete success, and for this, our double-engine government is fully committed. The eradication of Naxalism from the State is our ultimate goal.” In a media interaction, the Chief Minister appealed to the Naxalites to shun violence and join the mainstream and reiterated Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s assertion that Naxalism would be eliminated from the State by March 2026. The Opposition Congress in the State also congratulated the forces, with its spokesperson Sushil Anand Shukla claiming that the confidence building measures taken by the previous Congress government had allowed the forces to set up camps and gain a foothold in Naxal areas. He also said there should not be any questions raised about the encounter by villagers as has been the case in the past. In an editorial, The Hindu had pointed out that the no-holds barred approach of Chhattisgarh government’s “Operation Prahar” might have succeeded in eliminating scores of Maoist cadres, effected surrenders and arrests, but it has also targeted peaceful activists fighting for tribal rights. As for the Maoist movement, “far from reaching any of its lofty goals, it has only brought misery for those whom the insurgents claim to fight for. The earlier they realise the futility of their ideology and work towards using spaces in the Indian democratic system to articulate concerns, the better it would be for the tribals who are caught in this never-ending crossfire between security forces and the Maoists.” The Hindu’s Editorials Caste in jail: On discrimination in prisons The other monsoon: On the northeast monsoon The Hindu’s Daily Quiz What is the name of the U.N. body that asses the science related to climate change? IPCC Climate Action Tracker UNFCCC Climate Watch To know the answer and to play the full quiz, click here. [logo] Editor's Pick 05 October 2024 [The Hindu logo] [EP Logo] Editor's Pick 05 October 2024 In the Editor's Pick newsletter, The Hindu explains why a story was important enough to be carried on the front page of today's edition of our newspaper. [View in browser]( [More newsletters]( At least 28 Naxalites killed in Chhattisgarh operation [At least 28 Naxalites were killed]( security forces in a gunfight in Chhattisgarh’s Bastar region on Friday, according to the police. The toll may rise, it said. One policeman was injured in a grenade blast during the operation. The gunfight began around 1 p.m. in the Abujhmad area of Narayanpur district in the left-wing extremism-affected Bastar region. At 8 p.m., the police provided the final number of bodies recovered, after which Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai congratulated the forces in a post on X. “In a fierce encounter between security forces and Naxalites in the border area of Narayanpur and Dantewada districts, reports suggest that 28 Naxalites have been killed. This major achievement by our brave soldiers is commendable. I salute their courage and indomitable spirit,” Mr. Sai said. In a statement issued earlier in the day, the police said a joint team of security forces from Dantewada and Narayanpur set out on an operation after receiving specific information about the presence of Naxalites in Abujhmad, a largely unsurveyed area in southern Bastar. The clash broke out around 1 p.m., after which firing continued at regular intervals. An AK47 rifle, a Self-Loading Rifle and other weapons were found at the site of encounter, the police said. After Friday’s anti-Naxal operation — the second biggest in terms of casualties inflicted by the State this year and in the conflict zone’s history — [the number of Naxals killed by the forces this year has shot up to 185.]( has been a surge in anti-Naxal operations since the new BJP government came to power in December 2023. On April 16, [at least 29 Maoists were killed]( an operation by security forces along the Kanker-Narayanpur border in Chhattisgarh’s Bastar. Based on the number of casualties inflicted, the State police had said it was possibly the “biggest encounter ever” in Chhattisgarh. Nationally, a 2018 operation in Maharashtra’s Gadchiroli, in which 37 Maoists were killed, was the only one where more deaths were reported in recent years. A day after the April 16 incident, [Inspector General (Bastar Police) P. Sundarraj had said]( not following usual routes, improved coordination between forces, and additional backup helped security personnel minimise risk and inflict more damage to Maoists. “We made tactical adjustments drawing from our previous experiences that have helped us limit damage in this operation and the other recent ones including the Bijapur incident where 13 Maoists were killed. On each occasion, we effectively cordoned off the areas where Maoists were present,” he explained. On Friday, Mr. Sai’s post on X added: “Our fight to eliminate Naxalism will only end when we achieve complete success, and for this, our double-engine government is fully committed. The eradication of Naxalism from the State is our ultimate goal.” In a media interaction, the Chief Minister appealed to the Naxalites to shun violence and join the mainstream and reiterated Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s assertion that Naxalism would be eliminated from the State by March 2026. The Opposition Congress in the State also congratulated the forces, with its spokesperson Sushil Anand Shukla claiming that the confidence building measures taken by the previous Congress government had allowed the forces to set up camps and gain a foothold in Naxal areas. He also said there should not be any questions raised about the encounter by villagers as has been the case in the past. In an editorial, T[he Hindu]( had pointed out that the no-holds barred approach]( Chhattisgarh government’s “Operation Prahar” might have succeeded in eliminating scores of Maoist cadres, effected surrenders and arrests, but it has also targeted peaceful activists fighting for tribal rights. As for the Maoist movement, “far from reaching any of its lofty goals, it has only brought misery for those whom the insurgents claim to fight for. The earlier they realise the futility of their ideology and work towards using spaces in the Indian democratic system to articulate concerns, the better it would be for the tribals who are caught in this never-ending crossfire between security forces and the Maoists.” The Hindu’s Editorials [Arrow][Caste in jail: On discrimination in prisons]( [Arrow][The other monsoon: On the northeast monsoon]( The Hindu’s Daily Quiz What is the name of the U.N. body that asses the science related to climate change? - IPCC - Climate Action Tracker - UNFCCC - Climate Watch To know the answer and to play the full quiz, [click here](. 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