Maoism in India: Know its history and King Pin "Ganapathy"

New Delhi: Maoism in India started way back in 2004 when the CPI (ML), People's War Group, and the Maoist Communist Centre of India merged together to form CPI (Maoist). The kingpin of Indian Maoists is “Ganapathy”. His real name is Muppala Lakshmana Rao alias Ganapathy. He is the General Secretary of CPI (Maoist).“Politburo”, comprising of thirteen or fourteen members, is the highest decision making body of the party. However, in between 2007 and 2010, around six members of the party were killed or arrested.The two most prominent Politburo members are Prashant Bose alias "Kishan-da" and Katakam Sudarshan alias Anand. Security forces killed two Politburo members M. Koteswara Rao, popularly known as Kishenji, and C. Rajkumar knows as Azad. From 2005 to 2011, security forces have arrested nine politburo members of the CPI (maoist). Their names are – Sushil Roy, Narayan Sanyal, Pramod Mishra, Amitabh Bagchi, Kobad Ghandy, Baccha Prasad Singh, Akhilesh Yadav. Ashutosh Tudu and Anuj Thakur.The main armed body of the CPI (Maoist) is Central Military Commission which is responsible for directing all Maoist attacks in India. Apart from CMC, the party has also raised state military commissions.The armed Maoists working under the directives of Central Military Commission are headed by Nambala Keshava Rao. His popular name is Basavaraj. Anand and Arvindji are another two members of the CMC. They issue commands to Maoists, when and where to attack. The party hierarchy consists of the Regional Bureaus, which look after two or three states each, the State Committees, the Zonal Committees, the District Committees, and the "dalams" (armed squads).The military wings of Maoists, the People's Guerrilla Army (the military wing of the PWG) and the People's Liberation Guerrilla Army (the military wing of the MCCI) also merged together. Among these People's Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA) is the unified military organization. It is segregated into three sections — the Basic, the Secondary and the Main squad.All the PLGA members are volunteers and they do not receive any wages.During his stay in the guerrilla zones, Jan Myrdal noted that the female cadres of CPI (Maoist) constituted about 40% of its PLGA, and held numerous "command positions"; but currently, the female members comprises 60% of the Maoist cadres, and women commanders heads 20 of the 27 divisions of the guerrilla zones.According to one estimate, the correct Naxilities' strength is 9,000–10,000 armed fighters, with access to about 6,500 firearms.As per the seizures, Maoists used varied arms and ammunitions such as gelatine sticks, detonators, RDX cable wires, country-made weapons, INSAS rifles, AK-47s, SLRs, and improvised explosive devices.The party has always shunned down the accusations that they procure arms through China, Myanmar and Bangladesh.Talking on the issue, Ganapathy says, “Our weapons are mainly country-made. All the modern weapons we have are mainly seized from the government armed forces when we attack them.”As per the latest estimations, PLGA members have decreased from 10,000 − 12,000 to 8,000 − 9,000.However, another report is vise versa and said that the PLGA has strengthened over the past few years. It claims that PLGA has mustered 12 companies and over 25 platoons and a supply platoon in year 2013 as compared with 8 companies and 13 platoons of 2008. The People's Militia which is armed with bows, arrows, and machetesis and is believed to logistically assist the PLGA is estimated to be around 38,000.At present, the CPI (maoist) party has a wide spread presence in remote regions of Jharkhand and Andhra Pradesh. Their presence can also be felt in Bihar and the tribal-dominated areas in the borderlands of Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, West Bengal, and Odisha. Around 87 districts in nine states of the country are declared as Maoist-affected by the Home Ministry of India.Here are some of the Major Maoist attacks in India so far:1. Koraput, Odisha, 2004 The Peoples' War extremists led one of the most horrifying Naxal attacks, in Koraput, Odisha. The attack involved 1000 advanced guns and 1000 other weapons worth over Rs 50 crore. The horror ran for about six hours, looting the district armoury, demolishing five police stations, and the Koraput jail. The SP police, Arun Bothra had a providential escape, while killing and injuring many members of the Orissa State Armed Police battalion (OSAP).2. Nayagarh, Odisha, 2008 One of the deadliest Naxalite attack occurred in February, 2008 in Nayagarh, Odisha. Buses and trucks full of Maoists took hostage the district headquarters of Orissa. The attack killed 14 policemen. However, in defence, the Police Force led a massive attack with over 700 state police personnel, CRPF, SOG Commandos, Special Greyhound Forces from Andhra Pradesh and IAF Helicopters to fight back the Maoists.3. Darbha Valley, Chattisgarh, 2013 Naxalites struck a body blow to the state Congress leadership in Chattisgarh on 25th May 2013, when insurgents belonging to Communist Party of India (Maoists) attacked a convoy of Indian National Congress leaders who were headed for a election rally. In all 27 people, which included Mahendra Karma, leader of a counter Maoist movement and Nand Kumar, Patel, president of state congress unit were brutally attacked and killed in the ambush on the convoy. Vidya Charan Shukla later succumbed to his injuries on 11th June. 4. Dantewada, Chattisgarh, 2007 Another attack was led in the prime Naxalite area of Dantewada, Chattisgarh in April 2007. More than 350 Maoists killed 54 people including 15 personnel from the Armed Force. The police base camp in the Bastar region was slammed in a matter of hours. Several victims belonged to the tribal youth community of Salwa Judum, as Special Police Officers.5. Rani Bodi, Chattisgarh, 2007More than 500 Naxalites attacked a police post in Rani Bodi village in Chattisgarh in 2007. 55 policemen succumbed to the attack, including 24 police personnel of the state police and 31 Special Police Officers. The attack was cleverly planned for night, when most of the police force was asleep.6. Dantewada, Chattisgarh, 2006 800 armed rebels lashed the Errabore relief camp in Dantewada district of Chattisgarh on July 17. 25 people were killed and 80 other were injured. The Maoists also abducted about 20 people from the relief camp that housed over 4000 people.7. Jehanabad, Bihar, 2005 A fierce gun-battle was fought with the police of Jehanabad district during the Jehanabad Jail Break in June 2005. 12 people were reported to die in the incident. CPI (Maoist) guerrillas disguised in police uniforms, crashed the Jehanabad jail located in the centre of the town, thus questioning the entire security system. Even today, people of the town recall the tragedy with dismay.8. Naxalites kill Babulal Marandi's son, 2007 Former Jharkand CM Babulal Marandi's son Anup and 17 others were killed in a Naxal attack at the Chilkhadia village in Giridh district of Jharkhand. The Naxals opened indiscriminate fire and exploded bombs when a cultural programme was being held.9.Naxalites kill JMM MP Sunil Mahato, 2007 Armed Naxalites shot dead JMM MP (Lok Sabha) Sunil Kumar Mahato, his bodyguards and a party colleague while they were watching football match at Bakuria village near Jamshedpur in Jharkhand.10.Attack on Chandrababu Naidu, 2003 The TDP chief and then Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu had a narrow escape, when he was on his way to Tirupati on October 1, 2003. The attack was carried out by a special team of Maoists at the foothills of Tirumala. A few seconds delay in triggering claymore mines saved his life.