Bhubaneswar, February 26 – As the Naxalite movement nears its end in the state, villagers in Odisha's once Maoist-dominated hinterlands voluntarily dismantled memorial structures erected by the outlawed organization on Thursday, marking a significant shift in the state's internal security landscape.
"In a positive development from the Swabhiman Anchal area and various interior pockets of Kalimela, Mathili, and Khairput in the Malkangiri district, local villagers have voluntarily dismantled a total of 20 memorial structures that were previously erected by members of the banned CPI (Maoist), and are further removing the remaining structures," informed the Malkangiri police on Thursday.
They further added that the villagers, through collective discussions, decided that these structures no longer represented their aspirations.
The villagers emphasized that years of extremist influence had only brought fear, disruption of basic services, and stalled development work in their areas.
The villagers praised the sustained efforts of the district police and civil administration, stating that measures such as area domination, community policing, civic action programs, and welfare initiatives have restored confidence in previously affected regions and created conditions for lasting peace.
In the context 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 to 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 revealed on February 23 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.