Sukma (Chhattisgarh) [India], February 27 (HBTV): The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) on Thursday demolished a memorial of Maoist leader Ravula Srinivas alias Ramanna in Gogunda village of Chhattisgarh's Sukma district.
The action comes after the CRPF established a forward operating base in Gogunda on November 20, 2025, marking a significant push to curb Maoist influence in the region.
Speaking to ANI, Assistant Commandant of the 74th Battalion, Videkho Kiye, said the area had long remained under Naxal control and was inaccessible to security forces.
“This area in Gogunda had been under Naxal control for a long time and was a cutoff area for the security forces. But the 74th Battalion established a forward operating base on November 20, 2025. Today, the monument of a Maoist central committee member, Ramanna, was demolished by the Battalion in a joint operation. This will pave the way for a brighter future for the upcoming generation,” he said.
Ramanna, a senior Maoist leader, died of cardiac arrest in 2019. He was alleged to be the mastermind behind the 2010 attack in Chhattisgarh in which 76 CRPF personnel were killed. He was also linked to the 2013 Jhiramghati attack that claimed 28 lives, including senior state Congress leaders.
Kiye highlighted that joint efforts by the government and security forces are underway to rehabilitate residents who had lived for years under Maoist influence.
“Efforts are being made to facilitate supply of electricity and water. A school building and a helipad are also almost ready,” he added.
Earlier, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai informed that Left Wing Extremism-related violence has declined by 88 per cent since 2010, while deaths of civilians and security personnel have reduced by 90 per cent.
Replying to an unstarred question from BJP MP Roopkumari Choudhary, Rai said 100 deaths of civilians and security forces were reported in 2025 compared to 1,005 in 2010.
He stated that security forces neutralised 364 Naxals, arrested 1,022 and facilitated 2,337 surrenders in 2025.
“The LWE perpetrated violence incidents have come down from a high of 1,936 in 2010 by 88 per cent to 234 in 2025. Resultant deaths of civilians and security forces have also come down from 1,005 in 2010 by 90 per cent to 100 in 2025,” Rai said.
He further informed that only eight districts remain affected by Left Wing Extremism — six in Chhattisgarh, one in Jharkhand and one in Odisha.
The developments align with the government’s stated goal of eliminating Left Wing Extremism by March 31, 2026.
(ANI)