Bhubaneswar, Feb 26 With the Naxalite movement nearing its end in the state, villagers in Odisha’s once Maoist-dominated hinterlands voluntarily dismantled memorial structures erected by the outlawed organisation on Thursday, marking a significant shift in the internal security landscape of the state.
“In a heartening development from Swabhiman Aanchal area and various interior pockets of Kalimela, Mathili, Khairput area of Malkangiri district, local villagers have voluntarily dismantled a total of 20 memorial structures that were earlier put up by cadres of the banned CPI (Maoist) and are further removing the remaining structures,” informed the Malkangiri police on Thursday.
It further added that the villagers, through collective discussions, decided that these structures no longer represent their aspirations.
The villagers emphasised that years of extremist influence only brought fear, disruption of basic services, and stalled development work in their areas.
Villagers praised the sustained efforts of the district police and civil administration, stating that measures such as area domination, community policing, civic action programmes, and welfare initiatives have restored confidence in previously affected regions and created conditions for lasting peace.
In the backdrop of Malkangiri being declared Naxal-free, this development is further a positive indicator of changing ground realities in the region.
The Malkangiri district in Odisha, once considered a bastion of Maoist insurgency, was officially declared Naxal-free after a senior CPI (Maoist) leader surrendered before the police on February 4, marking a breakthrough in the state’s efforts to eradicate Left-wing extremism.
Notably, with the deadline for the complete eradication of Left-Wing Extremism (LWE) approaching, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on February 23 revealed that as many as 40 Maoists are currently active in various parts of the state.
The Odisha Police is regularly carrying out intelligence-based operations and preventive area domination operations in various Maoist-affected areas to completely eradicate the menace.
--IANS
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