Gadchiroli blasts: Maoist chief Basavaraju stamps his name in blood

The site of the IED blast in Gadchiroli that killed 15 jawans and a civilian driver

The police have pointed to three major reasons behind Wednesday's attack in Gadchiroli that claimed 16 lives - revenge, regaining lost clout and marking the dominance of Basavaraju, the new Maoist party chief. Security forces had on April 22 last year killed 40 naxals after which the cadre had been told to respond in kind.

Posters released by the naxals last month mentioned that they were celebrating the Kasnur incident for their martyrs from April 22 to 28, and will "fulfill their martyrs' dreams." Nambala Keshava Rao alias Basavaraju, 61, was appointed as the new CPI (Maoist) general secretary last November, after which the state intelligence officials predicted that the banned outfit might become aggressive. Basavaraju took over from Muppala Lakshmana Rao alias Ganapathy, 71.

Basavaraju has served as the chief of the outfit's Central Military Commission (CMC) for over 30 years, intelligence sources said. He is known for being an expert in explosives and military tactics but has been underground for the past 28 years. Sources from the security forces revealed that ever since Basavaraju took over, he has issued several pamphlets and posters to avenge the killings of the 40 naxals including a senior cadre. The new chief prefers IED blasts, used only by 12 per cent naxals earlier.

The 15 jawans killed in the naxal attack on Wednesday

Something called Tactical Counter Offensive Campaign (TCOC) is used by naxals, sources said. "They are aware of the March to June period is when dry tree leaves start falling and thus increase visibility. This is the reason they chose this time to easily spot their targets. This is the sixth attack under Basavaraju's supervision. They usually use 30 to 50 kg of IED," he said.

Also Read: Gadchiroli blast: Rajnath Singh speaks to Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis

Going the Telangana way

Northern Gadchiroli has been relatively peaceful since 1994, unlike the densely-forested southern Gadchiroli, sources said, adding, "This attack is thus a clear message to the forces and villagers to mark the naxals' presence in this region so that it does not go the Telangana way." Maoist activities in Telangana have reduced over time and it has become quite peaceful which is what the naxals here allegedly did not want for Gadchiroli. The attack is a setback to the morale of the police force, who conduct more successful combing operations here with their strong intelligence network and suitable terrain.

When compared with Bastar and other areas of Chhatisgarh, Gadchiroli has been peaceful in the recent past. Sources said that villagers have stopped supporting naxals because of their diminishing strength. The attack was therefore planned to regain their lost territory. A special MMC zone (Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh) too was formed by the CPI (Maoist) in 2015 to expand operations in this region. The zone, allegedly headed by wanted naxal Deepak Teltumbde was often used by the naxals' urban leadership for travelling to meet the underground cadres.

Also Read: Gadchiroli blasts: Senior officers puzzled by use of IEDs in attack

No. of security personnel killed:

20152
20163
20173
2018Nil
201915

No. of naxals killed:

20152
201611
201719
201850
20193

No. of civilians killed by naxals:

201518
201621
201713
20189
201910

Also Read: Gadchiroli blasts: Naxals upset with voter turnout, say local leaders

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