Page 191 - Sanidhya 2025

But the path forward was anything but straight. The years arrival of not just troops but also teachers, doctors, and
that followed saw progress punctuated by pain. In 2021, ration trucks. Behind this coordination was the pull factor
the force suffered a devastating blow at Tekalgudiam, from the local populace to remove Maoism, and from
where an operation led to the martyrdom of 22 brave Delhi and Raipur—a relentless push from political and
soldiers. It was a setback that scarred the force but did administrative leadership to break the back of Maoism
not shatter its will. Instead, it reaffirmed the resolve to not just through force, but through development. In the
bring closure to unfinished battles. The expansion field, the fusion of local knowledge and national strategy
continued, with a new FOB in Chinnagelur established in was reshaping the battlefield. DRG’s tribal warriors,
2022, securing a vital axis along South Bastar’s main road COBRA’s jungle commandos, and CRPF’s deep-battle
to Dharmavaram and Cherla. The successes mounted experience created a formidable triad that left the Maoist
with each bold step—Gumdam, Chutwahi, Kondapalli, network disoriented and disrupted.
Vatevagu, Jidpalli 1/2, and Koragutta—each marking a
phase in the tightening encirclement of Karregutta from By early 2025, the time had come for the final move.
the South, South-East, and East directions. Initially, two FOBs were established at Gunjer Parthi and
Pujari Kanker in the foothills of Karregutta, and further—
A breakthrough came on the Awapalli–Nambi axis, when the capture of Karregutta Hills itself. The hill had been a

the FOB at Nambi in 2022 broke open a long-denied long-standing ‘soone’ (symbolic pillar) of Maoist
corridor. Nambi, a place known for its milky falls and dominance, serving as an observation post, munitions
serene beauty, had long served as a logistical and depot, and communication hub. What followed was the
operational node for insurgents. Its occupation was a launch of Operation Karregutta—a bold, 21-day high-
signal that the state was now capable of penetrating the altitude sanitization campaign, combining manpower,
very arteries of the Maoist command. The efforts were no drone surveillance, SIGINT, deep-penetration patrols, and
longer isolated. A new era of coordination between state mine-clearance units. The operation saw active
and Centre began to shine—CRPF, COBRA, DRG (District participation from senior officers, with leadership forged
Reserve Guards), and STF began to operate not in silos in years of jungle warfare.
but as a unified force. Areas like Bijapur, Sukma, and
Konta saw unprecedented synergy. The enemy had prepared well—IEDs were planted in
trees, animal paths, and even under makeshift water
The RAHE (Reach and Hold Expansion) plan of CRPF points. Yet the forces adapted faster. Drone mapping,
transformed tactical victories into long-term civil thermal imaging, and mine-detection robots led the way,
presence, ensuring that every secured zone saw the clearing the path inch by deadly inch. Massive recoveries