Naxalism on wane: Maoist incidents, civilian casualties drop sharply

Official data shows that the number of naxal-related incidents, comprising security operations as well as naxal-initiated violence, has been declining over the past 12 years with an aberration in 2022

Last week, a top leader of the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist), Nambala Keshava Rao — popularly known as Basavaraju — was among the 27 killed in an encounter with the security forces in Chhattisgarh. The operation formed a key part of Operation Black Forest which began in April this year. Following this, there has been a surge in Maoist encounters across Chhattisgarh, Telangana, and Jharkhand. Calling it “the most decisive strike” against insurgency in three decades, Home Minister Amit Shah asserted that Naxalism would be eradicated by March 31, 2026.    

Maoist-related incidents coming down 

According to data, the number of Maoist-related incidents, comprising security operations and Naxal-initiated violence, has been falling over the past 12 years. In 2022, while the LWE incidents rose marginally, casualties fell sharply. 

   

Share of civilian deaths fell in 2024  

Civilian fatalities as a proportion of deaths in 2024 halved over the previous year, while those of security forces fell to over a fourth. On the other hand, killings of Maoists as a proportion of total deaths doubled over the same period.