"Fear Of Death": Why Maoist Basavaraju's Trusted Aide Surrendered

Once a trusted gunman of Maoist chief Basavaraju, Babu Kawasi has laid down his arms. In an exclusive conversation with NDTV, Babu Kawasi opened up about the inner workings of India's most secretive insurgent network and the final days of Basavaraju - the top leader of the CPI (Maoist), who was gunned down in a massive encounter in Maad's Kilakot hills on May 21.

Fear of a similar fate led Babu and his wife to walk away from the jungle and surrender in Dantewada. 

For more than a decade, Babu had served as a personal guard to the most wanted Naxalite leaders including Ganapati and later Basavaraju, operating deep inside the dense, unforgiving forests of Bastar and Abujhmad.

Now, as the red corridors shrink under pressure from relentless anti-Naxal operations, the former guerrilla soldier has a message for those still holding on: "Come out before it is too late."

Q: You were with Basavaraju until the end. What made you surrender now?

Babu Kawasi: The fear of death. The government is not stopping. The jungle is no longer safe. Encounters are happening almost every week. I had appealed to a few comrades to surrender - they didn't, and they were among those killed with Basavaraju on May 21. That could have been me. So I left on April 29 and surrendered with my wife.

Q: Tell us about your role in the Naxal organization.

Babu: I was in Company No. 7 of the People's Liberation Guerrilla Army. I guarded Central Committee members from 2012 onwards. I was first assigned to Ganapati, then to Basavaraju from 2016 to December 2024. I used to carry automatic weapons. I was trained to ambush police and plant booby traps.

Q: What kind of leader was Basavaraju?

Babu: He was sharp, spoke clear Telugu, some Gondi, and broken Hindi. He focused a lot on tactical ambushes and taught us how to use terrain and traps against the forces, especially the DRG.

Q: Why is the Naxal group afraid of the DRG (District Reserve Guard)?
Babu: Because they are our own. Many DRG soldiers are former Naxals. They know our tricks, our routes, our strategies. The organization has no answer to them. Even Basavaraju used to say - "Yeh DRG sabse badi samasya hai (These DRGs are the biggest problems)." That's why we were trying to prepare new fighters with new strategies, but that didn't work.

Q: What is the situation inside the Naxal organization now?

Babu: It's breaking. People are scared. The people are not supporting us anymore. Villagers don't come forward like before. And the ideology has changed-what started as revolution has become about survival now.

Q: Do you regret your time in the movement?

Babu: Yes. If Basavaraju had surrendered, he would have been alive. I wish we had understood earlier. I've appealed to those still inside to come out, for their families, for their own future. There is nothing left in the jungle.