Timeline of the Naxalite-Maoist insurgency
Encyclopedia
1960s-1990s
- On April 22, 1980, the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) People's War, commonly called as People's War Group (PWG) was founded by Kondapalli SeetharamaiahKondapalli Seetharamaiah-Early life:Kondapalli Seetharamaiah was born into a rich family in lingavaram village, Krishna District, Andhra Pradesh. Brought up in Jonnapadu village, Krishna District, Andhra Pradesh.-Political career:...
. - On February 12, 1992, 36 people belonging to BhumiharBhumiharBhumihar or Babhan or Bhuin-har is a Brahmin Hindu community mainly found in the Indian states of Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh and Bundelkhand region of Madhya Pradesh.- Varna status :...
Brahmin community were killed in Bara village under the jurisdiction of Gaya districtGaya DistrictGaya is one of the thirty-eight districts of Bihar state, India. The district is having a common boundary with the Jharkhand state in the south. Gaya city is its largest city and the district headquarters.-History:...
in BiharBiharBihar is a state in eastern India. It is the 12th largest state in terms of geographical size at and 3rd largest by population. Almost 58% of Biharis are below the age of 25, which is the highest proportion in India....
. - On March 18, 1999, 34 people belonging to BhumiharBhumiharBhumihar or Babhan or Bhuin-har is a Brahmin Hindu community mainly found in the Indian states of Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh and Bundelkhand region of Madhya Pradesh.- Varna status :...
Brahmin community were killed in Senari village under the jurisdiction of JehanabadJehanabadJehanabad is a city and a municipality in and the headquarters of Jehanabad district in the Indian state of Bihar. Earlier, Jehanabad was part of Gaya district. It is 50 km away from both Patna and Gaya.-Demographics:...
district in Bihar.
2000s
- In February 2005 the CPI (Maoist) killed 7 policemen, a civilian and injured many more during a mass attack on a school building in Venkatammanahalli village, Pavgada, TumkurTumkurTumkur is one of the busiest industrial towns located in the state of Karnataka. Since 28 August 2010, Tumkur has been accorded the status of a Corporation city. It is situated at a distance of 70 kilometers north west of the city of Bangalore along National Highway 4...
, KarnatakaKarnatakaKarnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
. On August 17, 2005, the government of Andhra PradeshAndhra PradeshAndhra Pradesh , is one of the 28 states of India, situated on the southeastern coast of India. It is India's fourth largest state by area and fifth largest by population. Its capital and largest city by population is Hyderabad.The total GDP of Andhra Pradesh is $100 billion and is ranked third...
outlawed the Communist Party of India (Maoist) and various mass organizations close to it, and began to arrest suspected members and sympathizers days afterwards. The arrested included former emissaries at the peace talks of 2004. - In August 2005 Maoists kidnapped from the Dantewada district of the state of ChhattisgarhChhattisgarhChhattisgarh is a state in Central India, formed when the 16 Chhattisgarhi-speaking South-Eastern districts of Madhya Pradesh gained separate statehood on 1 November 2000....
. This follows violent incidents in 2004 in the same region when 50 policemen and about 300 villagers were killed in the Dantewada district and over 50,000 villagers were staying in relief camps out of fear from Maoists. - On 13 November 2005 CPI (Maoist) fighters stunned authorities by attacking JehanabadJehanabadJehanabad is a city and a municipality in and the headquarters of Jehanabad district in the Indian state of Bihar. Earlier, Jehanabad was part of Gaya district. It is 50 km away from both Patna and Gaya.-Demographics:...
in BiharBiharBihar is a state in eastern India. It is the 12th largest state in terms of geographical size at and 3rd largest by population. Almost 58% of Biharis are below the age of 25, which is the highest proportion in India....
, freeing 250 captured comrades and taking twenty imprisoned right wing paramilitaries captive, executing their leader. They also detonated several bombs in the town. A prison guard was also reported killed. - On February 28, 2006 the Maoists attacked several anti-Maoist protesters in Erraboru village in Chhattisgarh using landmines, killing 25 people.
- On March 24, 2006 over 500 heavily armed rebels attacked police camps in Orissa’s Udayagiri town of Gajapati district, freeing 40 prisoners from the sub-jail.
- On July 16, 2006 the Maoists attacked a relief camp in the Dantewada district where several villagers were kidnapped. The death toll was 29.
- On October 18, 2006 women belonging to the Maoist guerrilla forces blasted four government buildings in the BastarBastar DistrictBastar District is a district of the state of Chhattisgarh in central India. Jagdalpur is the district headquarters. The district has an area of 8755.79 km²...
region of ChhattisgarhChhattisgarhChhattisgarh is a state in Central India, formed when the 16 Chhattisgarhi-speaking South-Eastern districts of Madhya Pradesh gained separate statehood on 1 November 2000....
. On the day before, over a dozen armed cadres of the group, with support from male colleagues, blocked traffic on the Antagarh-Koylibera Road in the Kanker district, near the city of Raipur. They also detonated explosives inside four buildings, including two schools, in Kanker. This incident occurred two days after a major leader of the party's operations in OrissaOrissaOrissa , officially Odisha since Nov 2011, is a state of India, located on the east coast of India, by the Bay of Bengal. It is the modern name of the ancient nation of Kalinga, which was invaded by the Maurya Emperor Ashoka in 261 BC. The modern state of Orissa was established on 1 April...
and Andhra PradeshAndhra PradeshAndhra Pradesh , is one of the 28 states of India, situated on the southeastern coast of India. It is India's fourth largest state by area and fifth largest by population. Its capital and largest city by population is Hyderabad.The total GDP of Andhra Pradesh is $100 billion and is ranked third...
, Kone Kedandam, surrendered to authorities in the town of SrikakulamSrikakulamSrikakulam is a town, municipality and headquarters of Srikakulam district in the north-eastern Andhra Pradesh, India. It is part of Srikakulam Assembly constituency and Srikakulam Parliament Constituency. Srikakulam was formerly called as Gulshanabad during Muslim rule and was headquarter of...
. - On December 2, 2006 the BBC reported that at least 14 Indian policemen had been killed by Maoists in a landmine ambush near the town of Bokaro, 80 miles from Ranchi, the capital of the State of Jharkhand.
- On March 4, 2007 Maoist shot dead a member of the parliament (Sunil Mahato) of the Jharkhand Mukti MorchaJharkhand Mukti MorchaJharkhand Mukti Morcha is a state political party in the state Jharkhand, India. It has a strength of 2 in the 15th Lok Sabha. Shibu Soren is the president of JMM...
(JMM) party from JharkhandJharkhandJharkhand is a state in eastern India. It was carved out of the southern part of Bihar on 15 November 2000. Jharkhand shares its border with the states of Bihar to the north, Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh to the west, Orissa to the south, and West Bengal to the east...
state. - On March 5, 2007 Maoist shot dead a local Congress leader (Prakash, a member of the local Mandal Praja Parishad (MPP)) in Andhra Pradesh while he was inspecting a road construction project in Mahabubnagar district. However, police reportedly believe that political rivals of Mahato, including organized criminal groups, may have been behind the assassination.
- On March 15, 2007 an attack happened in the rebel stronghold area of DantewadaDantewadaDantewada is a town and a nagar panchayat in the Dantewada district in the state of Chhattisgarh, India. It is the administrative headquarters of Dantewada District....
, in Chhattisgarh state. Fifty-four persons, including 15 personnel of the Chhattisgarh Armed Force, were killed in an offensive by 300 to 350 CPI (Maoist) cadres on a police base camp in the Bastar region in the early hours of Thursday. The remaining victims were tribal youths of Salwa JudumSalwa JudumSalwa Judum refers to a militia in Chhattisgarh, India, which is aimed at countering the naxalite violence in the region...
, designated as Special Police Officers (SPOs) and roped in to combat the Maoists. Eleven people were injured. The attack, which lasted nearly two-and-a-half hours, was spearheaded by the "State Military Commission (Maoist)", consisting of about 100 armed Naxalites. - On February 16, 2008 a group of 50 rebels armed with bombs and firearms, including women cadres, raided a police training school, police station and armoury in Orissa killing 12 police and leaving 4 wounded. Before launching the attack, the Naxals announced that they would not harm the public as their target was the police.
- On June 29, 2008 CPI(M) forces attacked a boatBoatA boat is a watercraft of any size designed to float or plane, to provide passage across water. Usually this water will be inland or in protected coastal areas. However, boats such as the whaleboat were designed to be operated from a ship in an offshore environment. In naval terms, a boat is a...
on the Balimela reservoir in Orissa carrying 4 anti-Naxalite police and 60 Greyhound commandos. The boat sunk, killing 38 troops, while 26 survived. The bodies of a total of 38 Greyhound commandos and police personnel were found after a two week long search. They are still looking for 40 missing weapons. The attack came just months after Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy stated that the elite commando force, which is the highest paid in the entire country, should have their operations expanded throughout all affected regions and that "things are more or less under control. Every now and then, they (Maoists) indulge in high-profile attacks but that is just to show their token presence". - On July 16, 2008 a landmine hit a police van in Malkangiri district, killing 21 policemen.
- On April 13, 2009 10 paramilitary troops were killed in eastern OrissaOrissaOrissa , officially Odisha since Nov 2011, is a state of India, located on the east coast of India, by the Bay of Bengal. It is the modern name of the ancient nation of Kalinga, which was invaded by the Maurya Emperor Ashoka in 261 BC. The modern state of Orissa was established on 1 April...
when Maoists attacked a bauxite mine in the Koraput district. - On May 22, 2009 Naxalite guerrillas ambushed a police party, after luring it into the jungles of Gadchiroli district to investigate a roadblock, killing 16 policemen.
- On June 10, 2009 Nine policemen including paramilitary jawans and a CRPF officer were killed in a Naxalite attack while on routine patrol in what is considered to be a rebel-stronghold area deep in the Saranda jungle. Sudhir Kumar Jha, superintendent of police said: "As Naxalites are aware of the topography and knew that the convoy would have to return through the same spot, they had planted a powerful can-bomb and ambushed the police vehicle."
- On June 13, 2009 Naxalites launched two daylight attacks in and around a small town close to Bokaro, killing 10 policemen and injuring several others using landmines and bombs. Two Naxalite guerrillas were also injured.
- On June 16, 2009 4 policemen were killed and 2 others seriously injured when Maoists ambushed them at Beherakhand in Palamau district. Reportedly the guerrillas were waiting inside the deep jungles and started firing indiscriminately as the policemen went past them, killing four of them on the spot.
- On June 16, 2009 at least 11 police officers were killed in a landmine attack followed by shooting between police and suspected Maoist rebels. 7 rebels were also killed in the gunfire.
- On June 23, 2009 during a 48 hour BandhBandhBandh , originally a Hindi word meaning 'closed', is a form of protest used by political activists in some countries like India and Nepal. During a Bandh, a political party or a community declares a general strike....
orchestrated by the Naxalites in protest against intensified paramilitary activity in Langargh a group of motorcycle borne armed Naxal rebels opened fire at the Lakhisarai district court premises in Bihar and freed four of their comrades. One of the four rescued was Ghaskar Marandi, who is the zonal commander of Ranchi. On the same day the Indian government banned the Communist Party of India (Maoist)Communist Party of India (Maoist)The Communist Party of India is a Maoist political party in India which aims to overthrow the government of India through violent means. It was founded on 21 September 2004, through the merger of the People's War, and the Maoist Communist Centre . The merger was announced to the public on October...
. Many including the Left FrontLeft FrontThe Left Front is an alliance of Indian leftist parties. After a 34-year reign in West Bengal, the Left Front was swept from power in the 2011 election...
oppose the ban arguing that "there is a requirement to bring all such outfits back into the mainstream politically." - On July 12, 2009 at least 29 members of the Indian Police were killed in an ambush attack by Maoist rebels in ChhattisgarhChhattisgarhChhattisgarh is a state in Central India, formed when the 16 Chhattisgarhi-speaking South-Eastern districts of Madhya Pradesh gained separate statehood on 1 November 2000....
. (see Rajnandgaon ambushRajnandgaon ambushThe Rajnandgaon ambush occurred on 12 July 2009, when at least 29 members of the Indian Police were killed in an ambush attack by Maoist rebels in Rajnandgaon, from Raipur ....
) - On October 6, 2009 the body of a policeman, kidnapped a week before by Maoist rebels in JharkhandJharkhandJharkhand is a state in eastern India. It was carved out of the southern part of Bihar on 15 November 2000. Jharkhand shares its border with the states of Bihar to the north, Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh to the west, Orissa to the south, and West Bengal to the east...
, was found. - On October 8, 2009 at least 17 members of the Indian Police, including a top commander, were killed in an ambush attack by Maoist rebels in MaharashtraMaharashtraMaharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...
. The fighting started after a group of Maoists attacked a police station in Gadchiroli district. - On November 11, 2009, India launched a massive military offensive, codenamed Operation Green HuntOperation Green HuntOperation Green Hunt was the name used by the Indian media to describe the Government of India's paramilitary offensive against the Naxalite rebels in the late 2000s...
, deploying 50,000 soldiers. The operation is planned to last two years, with the objectives of rooting out insurgents and bringing stability to the regions. The Operation had been planned since October 9, 2009.
2010
| Date | Event | Deaths |
|---|---|---|
| February 15 | Shilda camp attack. A Naxalite attack on an para military camp in West Bengal kills 24 para military personnel, with many more reported missing. | 24+ |
| February 18 | The Maoists dragged a doctor out from his house and shot him dead. The Maoists then threatened the villagers with dire consequences if they inform the police. | 1 |
| February 18 | At least 12 villagers were killed and 12 injured in indiscriminate firing by the Maoists in Jamui district of Bihar. 25 village houses were also burned down. | 12+ |
| February 20 | Maoists killed a village guard by slitting his throat. | 1 |
| April 4 | 11 policemen were killed and ten wounded when rebels blew up a police bus in Orissa's Koraput district. | 11 |
| April 6 | Dantewada ambush April 2010 Maoist attack in Dantewada The 2010 Dantewada Maoist attacks, were a ambush by rebels from the Communist Party of India in Dantewada district, India, killing 76 CRPF policemen and 8 Maoists — the deadliest attack by the Maoists on Indian security forces.... . Naxalite rebels killed 75 Indian paramilitary Central Reserve Police Force The Central Reserve Police Force also known as CRPF is the largest of India's Central Armed Police Forces. It functions under the aegis of Ministry of Home Affairs of the Government of India. The CRPF's primary role lies in assisting the State/Union Territories in police operations to maintain... personnel and 1 state police constable in a series of attacks on security convoys in Dantewada district Dantewada District Dantewada District, also known as Dantewara District or Dakshin Bastar District , is a district in the Indian state of Chhattisgarh. Dantewada is the district headquarters. The district is part of Bastar Division... in the central Indian state of Chattisgarh. The attack resulted in the biggest loss of life security forces have suffered since launching a large-scale offensive against the rebels. |
76 |
| April 30 | 2 lorry drivers were dragged out from their truck and shot dead. | 2 |
| May 2 | A 16 year old girl who fled the Maoist camp was allegedly raped by the Maoists. | - |
| May 8 | Eight Indian paramilitary troopers were killed when Naxalite rebels blew up a police vehicle in the central state of Chhattisgarh Chhattisgarh Chhattisgarh is a state in Central India, formed when the 16 Chhattisgarhi-speaking South-Eastern districts of Madhya Pradesh gained separate statehood on 1 November 2000.... . |
8 |
| May 16 | Six villagers were murdered by slitting their throats by the maoists. | 6 |
| May 17 | 2010 Dantewada bus bombing 2010 Dantewada bus bombing The 2010 Dantewada bus bombing occurred on 17 May 2010 when a bus hit a landmine 50 km away from Dantewada, in Chhattisgarh's Dantewada district. Fatalities reports range from 31 to 44, including several Special Police Officers and civilians.... |
44 |
| May 28 | 2010 Gyaneshwari Express derailment | +150 |
| June 29 | 2010 Maoist attack in Narayanpur | 26 |
| July 8–10 | Maoist rebels carried out a series of attacks, including shootings and bombings across many numerous Indian states around the country, killing eleven. Six Naxalites were also killed by police | 11 |