The 21 day operation in the Karregutta hills has ended and the CRPF invited a press conference with the national media to brief on the progress albeit a few days late. Claiming the recovery of 31 bodies along with a huge cache of weapons it was claimed that it is the beginning of the end of Maoism in the country and the deadline of 31st march 2026 stands. While Maoist militancy poses grave challenge to the integrity of the nation and the authority of the state, and needs to be eliminated, the methods are debatable. The issue of innocent tribals being caught in cross fire and being treated as collateral damage is a serious one and it undermines the constitutional guarantee of life and dignity along with the idea of shared future and integrity of the nation. Next is the question over the scale of operations. The DG CRPF claimed that 320 new security camps and 68 night landing helipads have been built in the area over the last year. This scale of operations for an indigenous localized militancy is unprecedented. It raises the chances of excessive force and spillover violence. Thirdly the fixing of a deadline hints at an assumption that Maoists are a static force with no new recruitment. Lastly it is a truism that ideologies live beyond their adherents and political action can not be substituted.
Reconquering dandakaranya
