Ex-PLGA Head Helps Commandos Navigate IEDs, Storm Abujmarh
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Nagpur: In the booby-trapped hills of Abujmarh, once the impregnable stronghold of Maoists, a new dynamic is reshaping the battle against the guerrillas. Giridhar, a former commander of the People's Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA) Company No.
10 has emerged as a pivotal figure in the security forces' mission to dismantle the Maoist fortress, said an official source.
Giridhar, who surrendered before CM Devendra Fadnavis along with his wife last year, has transitioned to a key asset with his intimate knowledge of Maoist camps, routes, exit points, hiding places, and locations of deadly booby traps and spike holes in Abujmarh and its adjoining areas. His inputs have been instrumental in fine-tuning ground-level commando operations in treacherous terrain, said top sources.
"After leading the PLGA for three decades, Giridhar's contributions have been critical in Gadchiroli and neighbouring Chhattisgarh, where the fight against Maoism has intensified," an official said. Their strategic deployment in operations has helped leverage their expertise in guerrilla warfare.
Beyond providing tactical intelligence, these ex-Maoists play a crucial role in identifying the bodies of neutralised Maoists after encounters, as most Maoist cadres lack recent photographs or verifiable records.
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Giridhar, in particular, has been summoned multiple times to Chhattisgarh to assist in this task. This week, Giridhar participated in a police-organised blood donation camp in Gadchiroli, joining 330 other such donors.
Sources indicate he has shared critical details on Maoist strategies, military techniques, arms training, and artillery information with Gadchiroli police. This intelligence significantly enhanced effectiveness of operations at ground zero, allowing security forces to anticipate and counter Maoist tactics.
Giridhar's insights also helped in planning operations that minimise risks to personnel, a key factor in a region where ambushes & IEDs remain constant threats.
Giridhar's personal journey is equally noteworthy. After Giridhar's surrender, his marriage was solemnised in the presence of chief minister Fadnavis, symbolising a new chapter in his life last week. His transformation from a Maoist commander to a state collaborator reflects the broader success of rehabilitation programmes for surrendered cadres.
Over the past two years, approximately 60 Maoists surrendered before Gadchiroli police under SP Neelotpal.
While senior officials remain tight-lipped about the specifics of how former Maoists are utilised, sources confirm that their clandestine involvement has saved commandos in Abujmarh's unforgiving terrain. Chhattisgarh, too, recognised the value of former Maoists, inducting some of them into its security forces.
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