Top Maoist Commander Madvi Hidma, Behind 26 Armed Attacks, Killed

Notorious Maoist Madvi Hidma, responsible for leading at least 26 armed attacks against security forces and civilians, has been gunned down in an encounter at Andhra Pradesh's Alluri Sitharamaraju district. The encounter between the rebels and Andhra Pradesh cops took place at Maredumilli forest near the tri-junction of Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Telangana. At least six rebels' bodies have been spotted, and the operation is still on.

Andhra Pradesh's Director General of Police Harish Kumar Gupta said the encounter took place between 6 am and 7 am today. "In the exchange of fire, six Maoists were killed, including a top Maoist leader. A massive combing operation is currently underway," he said.

Born in 1981 in Sukma, then in Madhya Pradesh, Hidma rose to lead a battalion of the People's Liberation Guerrilla Army and became the youngest member of the Central Committee, the CPI Maoist's top decision-making body. He was the only tribal member from the Bastar region on the central committee. Hidma carried a bounty of Rs 50 lakh. His wife, Raje alias Rajakka, is also learnt to have been killed in the encounter.

Hidma is known for his role in several major Maoist attacks. These include the 2010 attack in Dantewada that claimed the lives of 76 CRPF personnel and the 2013 ambush in Jhiram Ghati that left 27 people, including top Congress leaders, dead. He also played a key role in the 2021 Sukma-Bijapur ambush in which 22 security personnel were killed.

The killing of Hidma in an encounter is a massive blow to the Maoists at a time when they are struggling due to security action and a flood of surrenders.

Addressing the NDTV World Summit last month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said more than 300 Maoists surrendered within 24 hours. "In the last 50-55 years, thousands were killed by Maoist terrorists. They would not allow schools or hospitals to be built, they would not let doctors enter clinics, and they would bomb institutions. Maoist terrorism was an injustice to the young people," he said.

This is why the government has worked to bring them back into the mainstream, the Prime Minister said. "Today the country is seeing the result of these efforts," he added.

Among the many key Maoist leaders who surrendered recently is Mallojula Venugopal Rao alias Bhupathi. Following his surrender on October 14, Bhupathi urged his active comrades to lay down arms and join the mainstream. He said his comrades involved in armed struggle for power and land must understand their acts have taken them away from people, which showed the "failure of the path". "Active Maoists must leave the way of violence, surrender, and join the mainstream and work among people," he said after the surrender.