More fissures appear in the banned Communist Party India (Maoist). A month after the outfit’s ideological head and chief spokesperson Mallojula Venugopal Rao wrote a letter that laid bare the divide within embattled outfit on whether to lay down their arms, he appears to be getting more support from some quarters in the outfit – this time from the once-impregnable Maoist fortress of Abujhmad. According to security forces, three more Maoist divisions – North Bastar, Gadchiroli, and Abujhmad, also known as Maad – have written in support of Mallojula Venugopal Rao alias Sonu’s calls for “cessation of armed struggle”. The development comes as Maoists get squeezed as security forces intensify their push deeper into Maoist strongholds ahead of the central government’s March 2026 deadline to eradicate Left Wing Extremism looms. “Apart from the three divisions, there are four more Division Committees in Bastar Range namely West Bastar Division, East Bastar Division, South Bastar Division and Darbha Division Committee. But Darbha and East Bastar Division Committee have almost become defunct due to depleted cadre strength and eroding base area,” said a source in Bastar Police. Bastar Range Inspector General of Police Sundarraj P called it a “decisive shift in the internal dynamics of the region” and claims it “reflects the changing realities on the ground”. “We are verifying the authenticity of all these press notes and keeping a close vigilance over the internal issues brewing inside the Maoist camp,” he said. He added: “For decades, Abujhmad served as a safe haven for Maoists, who exploited dense forests and rugged terrain to conceal their leadership and operations. Today, the scenario has changed. The Maad Division now appears to be distancing itself from the cruel and inhumane ideology of top leadership. Voices of reason and disillusionment are emerging within the organisation — advocating peace, stability, and development in Bastar”. This comes on a day when 16 more Maoists having a collective bounty of Rs 38 lakh turned themselves in, taking the total number of such surrenders from 2024 to date to 1,850. In comparison, some 813 Maoists have laid down their arms in the previous two years of 2022 and 2023. In his letter ‘Temporarily abandoning the armed struggle’, Sonu, also known by his pen-name Abhay, said the outfit had “decided to declare a temporary halt to the armed struggle”. “We are making it clear that in the future, we will fight shoulder to shoulder with all political parties and struggling organisations as far as possible on public issues,” the purported letter, written on August 15 and released on September 17, said. Soon after this, Thippiri Tirupathi alias Devuji, the current general secretary and former head of the Central Military Commission - the armed wing of the CPI (Maoists) – released a rebuttal on September 19, stating that Sonu’s letter had “expressed only his personal opinion”. This one was signed by Jagan, the state committee’s spokesperson. “It is not our policy to betray the oppressed people by surrendering weapons to the enemy and joining the mainstream,” this letter said. To this, Sonu purportedly responded with another letter reiterating his previous stance. In the latest letter, Sonu said: “The statement I made on August 15 was discussed step by step within the party ranks and finally released on September 12 after discussions ended. The letter was released without any changes to it”. The exchanges, which laid bare the growing ruptures, came at a time when security forces continued to push deeper and deeper into Maoist ground, resulting in a series of “encounters” – including the killing of top Maoist leader Nambala Keshava Rao alias Basva Raju and eight other Central Committee Members (CCM). According to the government, 471 Maoists have been gunned down since security forces intensified their operation in 2024. Meanwhile, surrenders have gone up by 128 percent compared to previous two years, officials said. In his speech during a visit to Bastar on October 4, Union Home Minister Amit Shah ruled out peace talks with the banned outfit. “Some people talk about having talks. I want to make it clear again …both our state and central governments are dedicated to the development of Bastar and other Naxal affected areas. What talk do you (Naxals) want us to have? We have made a lucrative and attractive surrender policy. Drop [your] weapons… The date March 2026 is fixed to eradicate Naxalism from the country,” he said.
