Bastar Police Adopt New Strategy in Maoist Fight: Engaging with Families of Militants

Bastar Police Launches ‘Poona Margham’ to Weaken Maoist Movement Through Community Outreach

In a strategic shift in its fight against Maoist insurgency, the Bastar Police in Chhattisgarh has launched a new initiative titled ‘Poona Margham’, meaning ‘New Path’. This initiative aims to reach out directly to the families of active Maoist cadres, encouraging them to persuade their relatives to surrender and reintegrate into mainstream society. The programme also includes holding community outreach and development programmes in villages affected by Maoist activity.

Poona Margham is part of the state government's broader anti-insurgency effort aligned with the central government’s target of eliminating the Maoist threat by March 2026. It follows closely on the heels of the recently launched ‘Naxal Surrender and Victim Rehabilitation Policy-2025’, which offers benefits to surrendered insurgents and victims of Maoist violence.

The Bastar Police plans to carry out this initiative with the help of surrendered Maoists who have now been recruited into the District Reserve Guard (DRG) and the Bastar Fighters. These ex-combatants will play a vital role in contacting families of still-active cadres. According to Inspector General of Police for Bastar Range, Sundarraj P, this humanised approach is intended to promote peace, facilitate surrender, and reintegrate the Maoists into society. It also involves engaging with village elders and local communities to stress the importance of peace and inclusive regional development.

Beyond persuasion and communication, Poona Margham includes concrete support measures for those who surrender. These include vocational and skill development training, promoting self-employment opportunities, and offering psychological counselling. The aim is to equip surrendered Maoists with the means to lead independent and constructive lives. Additionally, the programme includes medical camps, sports events, and cultural activities as part of the reintegration and confidence-building process.

The campaign is rooted in the belief that the Maoist movement is in decline. Police officials want to communicate to the cadres that continuing violence is futile and counterproductive. Instead, they are being encouraged to think of their responsibilities towards their families, society, and the nation. By choosing peace and rehabilitation, cadres can secure a better future for themselves and contribute positively to their communities.

The urgency and intensity of this campaign come at a time when counter-insurgency operations in Chhattisgarh have escalated dramatically. Since the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power in the state in December 2023, more than 400 Maoists have been killed — with 221 deaths reported in 2025 alone. However, the conflict continues to extract a heavy toll on both sides, with 38 security personnel and 97 civilians losing their lives in Maoist-related violence during the same period.

Poona Margham is being seen as a critical attempt to reduce bloodshed and accelerate the end of the decades-long insurgency through peaceful, community-centered interventions. The focus is on reconciliation, rehabilitation, and rebuilding fractured relationships between the state and tribal communities affected by insurgency.