The Maredumilli forest in Andhra Pradesh has long been a tourism hotspot, drawing people to its waterfalls and some of the best views in the Eastern Ghats. But its dense cover, not far from the Andhra Pradesh-Chhattisgarh-Odisha trijunction, also camouflages a dark secret: A red corridor.

It was in this area that security forces finally caught up with Madvi Hidma, the feared Bastar Maoist commander who was killed in a gunbattle Tuesday. Hidma’s elimination will rank high in the list of operations aimed at decapitating the Maoist leadership and its armed wing as security forces chase the Centre’s March 31, 2026 deadline to snuff out one of India’s gravest internal security threats.

The recent killings and spate of surrenders indicate that the tables are finally being turned, after more than two decades. Security operations now involve not just the use of helicopters and drones, but also anti-mine vehicles, highly-trained state police personnel, and fortified police stations. This May, the government reiterated it would establish the rule of law and quickly compensate for losses in areas deprived of development via its Special Central Assistance scheme to fill gaps in public infrastructure.

But in August 2004, when this reporter and a photographer colleague embarked on an exercise in cartographic reportage on the red corridor from Tirupati (Andhra Pradesh) to Pashupati (Nepal), the odds were heavily stacked against the security forces. Atal Bihari........

© Indian Express