While recent headlines have largely centred on India’s external conflict with Pakistan, a quieter yet enduring anti-insurgency operation may be nearing a decisive turning point within India. Earlier this month, the death of a top Maoist commander, signalled a possible endgame in the country’s decades-long anti-insurgency campaign. New Delhi’s fight against Left-Wing Extremism (LWE), commonly known as Naxalism or the Maoist insurgency, has stretched over five decades and spanned multiple governments.

The central government’s recent pledge to eliminate the Maoist threat by 31 March 2026 reflects both an ambitious target and growing confidence within its security and political circles of achieving the deadline. Such confidence has also been heavily inspired by the recent high operational success of eliminating CPI (Maoist) Supreme Commander, Basava Raju. Officials believe Raju’s elimi nation has created a leadership vacuum within Maoist ranks, potentially triggering internal disarray and a dip in overall morale for the movement. The operation is also being hailed as a milestone in India’s campaign to dismantle LWE, which has undoubtedly shifted the balance in favour of Indian security forces in several of the most affected regions.

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The Maoist movement traces its origins to the late 1960s uprising in Naxalbari, West Bengal, a radical left uprising that sought to rectify perceived social and economic injustices. Over the years, it spread across central and eastern Indian states, evolving into a violent insurgency that has repeatedly challenged state authority, targeted security forces, stalled development projects and claimed an estimated 8,800 civilian lives in the past decade alone. Despite intermittent crackdowns in the 1970s and 1980s, the insurgency gained operational momentum in the early 2000s, with the formal merger of Maoist factions under the Communist Party of India (Maoist).

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At its peak, the insurgency operated in over 100 districts, employing guerrilla warfare tactics, ambushes and targeted assassinations,........

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