Exclusive: Inside Bastar's Final Battle To End Last 300 Maoists

Union Home Minister Amit Shah's declaration to end Maoists by March 31, 2026 has injected new urgency into security operations across central India. However, the epicentre of the 'Red Corridor' in Bastar remains a cauldron of violence, fear, and fading ideologies.

According to top security officials, around 300 hardcore Maoists are still active in the deep forests of south Bastar. Leading them are four men whose names have become synonymous with the insurgency - Devji, Paparao, Hidma, and Ganesh Uikey. Each carries a Rs 1 crore bounty, and until they are neutralised, the mission's success will remain uncertain.

Bastar's geography mirrors the internal fracture within the Maoists. The north sub-zonal bureau which was once dominated by Maoists from East Bastar, Gadchiroli, and Mar divisions has largely collapsed. Its members have surrendered, have been captured or killed.

But the south sub-zonal bureau covering West Bastar, South Bastar, and the treacherous Darbha region continues to resist. Here, the four wanted Maoists and their estimated 300 insurgents have dug in, determined to defend their last strongholds.

The Bastar police led by Inspector General Sundarraj P said the Maoists are at a final phase. But those remaining Maoists are the most hardcore, he said.

"Around 300 remain active, along with local militia at the grassroots level. If they surrender, we will take them back into the mainstream, but if not, the operation will continue face-to-face, there will be retaliation," Mr Sundarraj said.

This bloody stalemate unfolds against a backdrop of massive surrenders and growing rebellion within the Maoist ranks. On October 17, at least 210 Maoists including central committee member Rupesh gave up 175 weapons before the police.

The wave of capitulation has been building for years. Between 2001 and 2025, some 7,826 Maoists surrendered with 1,319 doing so in 2025 alone - the highest in two decades. But this apparent victory has triggered deep ideological fissures within the ranks.

Just days after the October surrender, Maoist leader Abhay issued a pamphlet denouncing the defectors as "traitors." In response, Rupesh said his surrender was approved by the party's general secretary Basava Raju, as part of a larger ceasefire initiative. What was once a unified insurgency has now split into two camps - one seeking to return to normal life, and another still clinging to the gun.

This division has created dangerous new dynamics in Bastar - surrendered Maoists and active ones living side by side, bound by shared pasts but divided by suspicion and revenge. Many who have rejoined the mainstream fear retaliation from their former comrades. The police say they are working to provide protection and rehabilitation for those who surrendered, but the shadow of retribution looms large in villages where loyalty can change overnight.

"Those who trusted us to return to the mainstream are our responsibility now," said IG Sundarraj. "We are ensuring their safety and supporting them to live normal lives."

As Chhattisgarh marks 25 years of its statehood, the cost of this long insurgency is staggering. In a quarter century, the state has seen 3,404 armed encounters, in which 1,541 Maoists were neutralised, 1,315 security personnel were killed in action, and 1,817 civilians lost their lives. Every statistic hides a story of shattered families and scorched villages, a reminder that this conflict has consumed not just guns and uniforms but generations of ordinary people.

Mission 2026 may indeed be possible as the Maoist network has shrunk, its leadership fractured, and its ideology eroded by fatigue and disillusionment. The price of this final victory will, however, be measured not only in numbers, but in trust, reconciliation, and the rebuilding of lives scarred by decades of conflict.