UPSC Case Study : What if you were a security official in a Left-Wing Extremism (LWE) area?

The case study further helps aspirants understand real-world challenges in policy implementation, leadership in difficult terrains, the role of community engagement, and the importance of rehabilitation and surrender policies.

The Case

In the forested region of a Maoist belt, tribal communities face chronic poverty and weak state presence. This has allowed a small Maoist group to become influential in a village by settling disputes and offering basic support. One day, when their local commander was killed in an encounter, security forces saw it as a major victory. However, many villagers feared retaliation and were influenced by social media posts portraying him as a heroic defender of tribal rights. They felt uneasy and resentful. Rumours of excessive force spread quickly, and unmet development needs, combined with poor communication from authorities, created space for sympathy toward the insurgents. The major concern was that the movement could revive if governance gaps persisted.

The Problems

Do encounters alienate tribal populations? How can a counter-narrative be created to reduce the perceived legitimacy of insurgents? What should be the core elements of a long-term strategy to prevent the re-emergence of the movement?

The Solutions

(The following solutions are curated from the Idea Exchange article in The Indian Express, written by Deeptiman Tiwary, featuring an interview with former CRPF DG K. Durga Prasad. As the former Director General of the Central Reserve Police Force and an officer who helped shape Andhra Pradesh’s elite anti-Maoist force, the Greyhounds, K. Durga Prasad has spent the greater part of his career at the forefront of India’s battle against violent Left-Wing Extremism. To learn more, aspirants are advised to read the article. (Click here))

Even if you have removed the thorn, it doesn’t mean the field is ready for the seeds to be planted. We have only removed the weeds. The rest of the cultivation still has to happen. — Former CRPF DG K. Durga Prasad

— Villagers may feel sympathy towards Maoists because, for their parents, siblings, and the village, they are still “their” people.

“What we must do is help the village move past that loss — not by giving benefits to individuals but by improving the entire village. If facilities are created — roads, water supply, access to schools, medical care — people will see tangible improvement. The message must be: ‘If he was giving you 10 per cent, we will give you 90 or 100 per cent.’”

— Officials can have their own cultural troupes. They can go into the interiors of affected areas and enact what can happen if people actually join the movement—how they may lose touch with their family, their good life, and how they may inadvertently stop development being brought in by the government. Children from interior villages can be taken to cities and shown the world to help them understand how they can gain from a different life.

— To prevent the re-emergence of Maoist movements, the government and officials must ensure that schools, hospitals, and developmental agencies move in, stay where they are posted, and make their services available to the public. If there are no schools, they should be started. The environment should be such that women who earlier stayed only in villages can go out without fear. Teachers and medical staff should not fear being harmed while going into interior villages.

— Surrender Policy: The purpose of surrender is to allow individuals to join the mainstream. Anyone who wants to surrender can approach a schoolteacher, the school they studied in, a sarpanch, an MLA, a revenue officer, a contractor—anyone. Officials can provide an open and safe route. Security forces and the district administration can take proactive steps to reach out to families, encourage surrender, and offer protection in return.

“Naxalism from Maad is almost over,” Vivekanand Sinha, Additional Director General of Police (Naxal Operations) told The Indian Express. (Express photo)

Many leaders have surrendered over the years. “In fact, in Andhra, a former leader joined politics, became an MLA, and eventually a leader of the entire area,” says the former CRPF DG.

— Training people, even when operations are not being conducted, is essential. According to former CRPF DG K. Durga Prasad: “I sent my officers to different districts to train local people on jungle warfare. I got my boys to move from village to village.” While technology plays a growing role in surveillance and tracking today, human intelligence still forms a major component.

Beyond the case: What are Greyhounds?

The Greyhounds are an elite Indian police special forces unit, formed by Andhra Pradesh in 1989, specifically to combat Naxalite-Maoist insurgency through jungle warfare, stealth, and surprise attacks, becoming highly effective by training commandos for endurance, guerrilla tactics, and operating in small, agile squads, influencing national anti-Naxal strategy.

According to former CRPF DG K. Durga Prasad, an officer who helped shape Andhra Pradesh’s elite anti-Maoist force, the Greyhounds:

“One of the beautiful things with the Greyhounds was that this was a deputation force of people who used to come and go. Only fittest mattered. Whosoever joined the force, from an IPS officer to a constable, they were taken based on their fitness, strength and skill sets. It was totally rank neutral. They were given about 14 weeks of training in jungle warfare, totally unconventional. There are times when a sub-inspector was leading a unit which was supposed to be led by a DSP. Even among weapons, the AKs would be given not to the leader of the team but to the best shooter.”

POST READ QUESTION

How have counter-insurgency operations evolved? If you had to suggest measures to encourage Maoists to surrender and join the mainstream, what would you recommend?

Send your answers and comments to: manas.srivastava@indianexpress.com or write in the comment box.

(Refer: Former CRPF DG K. Durga Prasad at Idea Exchange: ‘Even if you remove the thorn (Maoists), it doesn’t mean the field is ready… cultivation has to happen, and the government and its agencies should move in.’)

Subscribe to our UPSC newsletter and stay updated with the news cues from the past week.

Stay updated with the latest UPSC articles by joining our Telegram channel – IndianExpress UPSC Hub, and follow us on Instagram and X.

🚨 Click Here to read the UPSC Essentials magazine for November 2025. Share your views and suggestions in the comment box or at manas.srivastava@indianexpress.com🚨