Security forces raze massive Maoist monument in Chhattisgarh

Raipur/Narayanpur:In a significant blow to Naxalite influence in Chhattisgarh’s insurgency-hit Bastar region, Narayanpur Police, in collaboration with personnel from the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), demolished a massive monument erected by Maoists in Farsgaon village, located in the Kutul area that is long considered a key epicentre of illegal Naxalite activities.

The operation was launched under the ongoing ‘Maad Bachao (Save Maad)’ anti-Naxal campaign, a joint initiative by the Government of India and the Chhattisgarh government aimed at eradicating Left-Wing Extremism and realising a Naxal-free, empowered Bastar.

Police officials said that a joint team ventured into Kutul, Farsgaon, and surrounding interiors for area domination and anti-Naxal activities. During the patrol, security forces discovered the imposing Naxalite monument constructed by Maoists in Farsgaon village, falling under the Kohkameta police station and the Kutul Police Assistance Centre.

Using earthmoving equipment like a jumbo excavator, the forces swiftly razed the structure, symbolising a direct challenge to the insurgents’ attempts to establish ideological dominance and commemorate their cadres in remote villages.

This monument, like similar ones in the region, often served as a propaganda tool to glorify fallen militants and intimidate locals.

The demolition aligns with intensified efforts to reclaim Abujhmad — the dense, Naxal-stronghold forest — from extremists.

Authorities are simultaneously establishing new security camps across the area, accelerating road and bridge construction, and rolling out public welfare schemes to reach interior villages long isolated by fear and violence.

These development drives, combined with security operations, have fostered greater cooperation from locals, who increasingly share Intelligence and reject Maoist extortion and recruitment.

The ‘Maad Bachao’ campaign has gained momentum in recent months, with repeated successes including arms recoveries, surrenders, and camp expansions that strengthen the security grid.

Police emphasised that such actions dismantle symbols of terror while paving the way for governance, education, healthcare, and economic opportunities in previously inaccessible pockets.

This latest operation underscores the state’s resolve to break the Naxalites’ grip on Narayanpur and surrounding districts, promoting peace and mainstream integration for tribal communities.

IANS