On 31st March, 2026 the Home Minister Amit Shah had enunciated that the Maoists are official annihilated. That there is no threat of red terror in the country. From the inception of Maoist Party onwards the Indian government had tried hard to tackle it, especially at the level of military. Indian government both under the rule of Congress and BJP had launched several military operations; from the Green Hunt to Operation Kagar. Though Maoists sustained themselves for significantly long time throughout these operations but in the last few years and specifically in the last year (2025) they have suffered a great amount of loss. The losses of their high rank leaders in this year were higher than ever.[i] This was the result of the BJP governments target to end the armed movement of Maoists by March 2026 on the pretext of which they had launched the Operation Kagar a year ago.[ii]
By the current weakened situation of Maoists, many are of the view that this is the end of Maoist armed rebellion, some even say it is the end of Maoism (as an ideology) at large. But the recent developments in North India make it hard to believe. Recently, a number Statement by a new committee of CPI(Maoist) appeared on the YouTube channel ‘Samar Bhumi’[iii] and various other Maoist news portals. The name of this committee was never heard before. It goes by the name of NCC (North Co-ordination Committee). Google shows no history of it from previous years but more deep research led to some interesting revelations about it. In 2023 a case was filed in Lucknow by NIA, which we now know as NRB revival case or the Lucknow Conspiracy case.[iv] NRB (North Regional Bureau), a Bureau of CPI(Maoist) which used to function in north India nearly 10 years ago. The NIA (National Investigating Agency) firstly arrested an old leader and CC member of CPI(Maoist), Parmod Mishra alias Sohan Da.[v] Later on, it arrested some other people (Ajay and Priyanshu)[vi] under the same case for being allegedly attempting to revive this bureau of north. Though CPI(Maoist) never revealed any developments in recent years in the North Indian part of the country, this statement in this critical period for the Maoist party, represents some interesting developments not only in the Maoist party but also of the North India’s politics which could be influenced by the presence of Maoists. Although it will not be the first time when the CPI(Maoist) has extended their work towards North India. A mere YouTube search about “Maoism in Haryana” shows significant amount work of the Maoists in Delhi, Haryana, Punjab and other states till 2014-15. Even some armed squads of the Maoists were also active in Yamuna Nagar area of Haryana
.In one statement of NCC, it appealed many news channels to take the cognizance of their mode of development in alternative to the Indian government’s model of development. The claim made by the NCC in its statement could be debatable but the most important thing here is not the content of the statements but the fact that inspite of the severe losses, how the Maoists can possibly build a committee on the level of North India? Did the Maoists have completed their revival of NRB in the new avatar of NCC? These are the questions which we must ask the agencies like NIA who are in the forefront of the March 2026 target, especially in handling the NRB revival case. Where the Indian government and its agencies are flaunting with great achievements in annihilating the Maoists, this coming up of NCC can be poisonous thorn in their victory flower.
Another worrying thing in this is the media blackout on this issue. Such media blackout can only do more harm than any good. This blackout only means sheer ignorance to one of the burning issues of our country which our government claims to be eradicated. It will only build an assumption among the citizens of this country that Maoists are finished while they’ll be working among the people in a vast area. Therefore, there must be a discourse on this new development, at least in the alternate media, so we can find an actual solution to this problem and not live with presumptions that it has ended.
The root cause to this problem, the Liberal social scientists have always argued, is drastic inequality existing in our society. They, every now and then, warned the Indian government to tackle such inequality or to face such rebellions. The Maoist rebellion has always remained different from any hotheaded anarchic terroristic activity of a group of few. The Maoists carry the policy of working within the people “like a fish in the water” (Mao Tse-Tung). They base their agendas on the political and economic demands of the people (workers and peasants) due to which they receive a huge acceptance from the people too. Due to this reason the government always failed to tag them as terrorists. Even some leaders at local levels called them “Deshbhakats” to gain votes from Maoist influenced areas. The CPI(ML)Liberation’s MP candidate even called himself Naxalite before the election to gain the votes in Bihar.
Therefore, many people used to see or still see Maoists as their saviors from all the exploitation and oppression in the society.[vii] This spectare of Maoism will continue to haunt the Indian Government unless the basic necessities of the majority of the people will not be fulfilled. Whereas considering the current situation of the country we see no path leading on that road of development. The increasing income inequality, joblessness, homelessness, caste atrocities, minority atrocities and various other disparities in the life of common people could only serve as weapon for resurging of such rebellion any time in the future.
Also, if we see the operations which had pushed the Maoists to the back-foot, doesn’t serve as any relief to the local Adivasi people, where these guerillas held their base areas for several decades. Soni Suri in an interview[viii], after the surrender of Venugopal alias Sonu (PB member of CPI(Maoist)), raised this concern about the locals who are still facing severe exploitation of their Jungles and themselves. This exploitation or loot is pertinent from the mining deal with Adani days after the alleged encounter of Hidma (a famous Maoist leader). Even in the recent developments many reports are coming out of Adivasi lands being captured by the people with social and political dominance in the area. Every now and then social and human rights activists raised concerns about the rights of Adivasi people of our country. Though the Modi Government has always asserted that they are doing all this for the development of Adivasis residing in these areas but till today no such development can be seen apart from the celebration of festivals, ceremonies, sports events, etc., which majorly work as propaganda tool but not any real ground work for the empowerment of the Adivasi people. Consequentially, the marginalization of these people, still exist to an extensive level.
With deceleration of this new committee, NCC, of the CPI(Maoist), it could be said that state is has failed, though partially, to achieve its target to eradicate the Maoists completely by March of this year, otherwise such new developments inside the Maoist party would have never been possible. On the other hand, Indian government’s no interest to serve the interests of the people of India but only serving the big corporates build a strong ground for not only of survival but of resurgence of the Maoist or some other kind of rebellion. After the Venezuelan President was captured and US was threatening Colombia, Colombian President Gustavo Petro has said, while answering the US President Donald Trump’s threats, that if America would bomb its peasants, they will become the guerillas and will hide into the mountains.[ix] It shows that when people are ridden with crisis (internal or external) they resort to militancy or rebellion or an armed movement or whatever one could name it. It was the crisis (economic, political or social) due to which Adivasis of India had taken up arms against Indian government many years ago. Many have surrendered today and many are still continuing. But the real question is whether the crisis has really ended or is it rising time and again? There is no doubt about the worsening conditions of our country to any of us.[x] Thus, in such period if the government wants to tackle such armed upsurge it should work for the welfare of people and end the big corporates looting. It must understand that military operations would never serve as a permanent solution to this problem but public welfare could. Otherwise, the history will repeat itself; this NCC could become a nightmare for Indian agencies and the spectare of Maoism will soon be haunting the Indian government, again.
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Nishti Arora is a final year Law Student of CLC, Delhi University.
[i] Maoist ranks decimated, only 14 leaders remain alive by Siddharth Singh (https://openthemagazine.com/feature/maoist-ranks-decimated-only-14-leaders-remain-alive)
[ii] How war on Red terror is being won: Operation Kagar breaks Maoist strongholds; Amith Shah sets 2026 deadline https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/how-war-on-red-terror-is-being-won-operation-kagar breaks-maoist-strongholds-amith-shah-sets-2026-deadline/articleshow/125053057.cms
[iii] माओवादियों का मीडिया को दो–टुक : ‘दण्डकारण्य में जनताना सरकार के विकास को क्यों नहीं दिखाते ?’ – Samar Bhumi https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NuQ2QjOfPLs
[iv] UP man held in Delhi in CPI(M) revival conspiracy case – https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/lucknow news/up-man-held-in-delhi-in-cpi-m-revival-conspiracy-case-101750620232778.html
[v] CPI (Maoist) politburo member Pramod Mishra arrested in Bihar’s Gaya – By Prasun K Mishra https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/patna-news/top-maoist-ideologue-and-cpi-maoist-member-arrested-in-joint-operation-in-gaya-bihar-police-101691665159587.html
[vi] Activists, academics call for release of activist held for Lucknow conspiracy case https://maktoobmedia.com/india/activists-academics-call-for-release-of-activist-held-for-lucknow-conspiracy-case/
[vii] 58% in AP say Naxalism is good, finds TOI poll https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/58-in-ap-say-naxalism-is-good-finds-toi-poll/articleshow/6639631.cms?from=mdr
[viii] सोनी सोरी ने सोनू दादा और रुपेश पर लगाया गंभीर आरोप, कहा ये पहले से सरकार से मिले हुए थे – Bastar Talkies https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUbcjHFfZoA
[ix] Will take up arms, Colombian President responds to Trumps threats – Times of India https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/us/will-take-up-arms-colombian-president-responds-to-trumps-threats-us-prez-warned-of-military-action-against-bogota/articleshow/126355864.cms
[x] Interview | Prabhat Patnaik on India’s Rising Inequality and PoverWty Despite Economic Growth by Subhoranjan Dasgupta https://thewire.in/economy/interview-prabhat-patnaik-on-indias-rising-inequality-and-poverty-despite-economic-growth
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