Hindi English Translation || Editorial || ​Decisive moment: On Chhattisgarh anti-Maoist operation

​Decisive moment: On Chhattisgarh anti-Maoist operation

Basavaraju’s killing could defang Maoists (माओवादी) and serve as chance for peace

In a blow (झटका, आघात) to the outlawed (अवैध) Communist Party of India (Maoist), its general secretary was killed in security operations in Chhattisgarh on Wednesday (May 21, 2025). The elimination of Namballa Keshav Rao, alias Basavaraju, is perhaps (शायद) the biggest blow to the insurgents (विद्रोही) since the death of Cherukuri Rajkumar, the then CPI (Maoist) spokesperson in 2010, also in a security operation. Basavaraju, who had been the head (leader, chief) of the party’s central military commission (आयोग, समिति) before becoming the general secretary in 2018, had masterminded (initiate, organize, coordinate, mobilize, stage, engineer, orchestrate, choreograph) several attacks against paramilitary (अर्धसैनिक) and police forces. His rise within the CPI (Maoist) marked (indicate, represent, signify) the insurgents’ reiteration (the process of repeating something (some action) for clarity/emphasis; repetition, repeating, restatement, retelling, iteration) of its militarist (सैन्यवाद से संबंधित) strategy (रणनीति), to continue their “protracted (दीर्घकालिक, लंबा खिंचा हुआ) peoples’ war” as against the alternative of political struggle and agitations to achieve their aims. His death — a number of Maoist personnel (कर्मचारी, कार्यबल) have been killed in the last couple of years — represents the failure of this strategy. Home Minister Amit Shah has been on record (सार्वजनिक रूप से) to say that the government is keen (उत्सुक, इच्छुक) to overcome the Maoist threat by 2026 and Basavaraju’s killing would suggest (indicate, denote, point to, signify) a major win. The fact that (यह तथ्य कि) the Maoists had reportedly (supposedly, seemingly, apparently, allegedly, professedly, ostensibly, purportedly) sought peace talks (discussion, discourse, debate, dialogue, negotiation, deliberation, parley), even while continuing their armed struggle (conflict/fight involving weapons), calls into question whether the Maoist leaders and activists (a person who supports a political change or cause; (or societal change/cause)) could have been apprehended (arrest, catch, capture, incarcerate, imprison, take into custody) rather than eliminated (annihilate, remove, eradicate, destroy). The surrender of Maoist cadres (a member of an activist group; a small group of people who are specially chosen and trained for a particular purpose) in recent days is also a case in point (example, instance, typical case, sample). But it is also well understood that the senior Maoist cadre, with roots (origin, beginning) in the People’s War naxalite movement (campaign, crusade, drive, push) in united Andhra Pradesh, have shown little inclination (interest, liking, disposition, penchant, partiality, preference, affection) to give up (admit defeat, concede defeat, stop trying, give in, surrender, capitulate) their armed struggle and such “encounters (fight, clash, conflict, confrontation, engagement, skirmish, run-in)” are perhaps inevitable (necessary, compulsory, required, obligatory, mandatory; unavoidable, inescapable, unpreventable).

In recent years, and according to the Maoists’ own admission (acknowledgement, acceptance, confession, revelation, recognision), there has been a significant reduction in recruitment by the insurgents, with flagging (weakening, failing, declining, waning, sinking, fading, decreasing) support from the tribal population in south Chhattisgarh. Tribal youth, many of whom have experienced (encounter or undergo, go through, be subjected to, be faced with) enormous suffering in the decades-long insurgency (uprising, revolt, rebellion), are no longer (not any more) inclined (ready, prepared, willing, agreeable, accommodating, compliant, in the mood) to adhere to (comply with, abide by, conform to, stand by, stick to, follow, obey, observe) the radical (fanatic, militant, extremist, fundamentalist, sectarian, partisan) agenda of the Maoists. The group’s poor understanding of the Indian state (government) and its complete rejection of the electoral process as a “mere facade” have found fewer takers (receiver, recipient) in the forested (covered with many trees; afforested, tree-covered) areas that were hitherto (until now, up to this point, so far, thus far, to date) inaccessible (unreachable, out of reach, unapproachable) to the Indian government. With the government’s increased tribal welfare (social security, government/state benefit, public assistance) measures and outreach (the level of reaching out/activity/effort; involvement) and its redoubled (make something more intense/ stronger; to increase, strengthen, intensify something considerably) emphasis on defeating the guerilla warfare, the Maoists have seen an erosion (decline, decrease, deterioration, disintegration, weakening) of their limited military and support bases (a group of people considered as supporting an organization/party). With the death of senior leaders, the Maoist movement is surely gasping for survival, but the intensive security operations have also resulted in scores of (a lot of something; several, various, many, countless, numerous, innumerable) tribal youth being killed. The government should use this situation to renew its call (demand, requirement, appeal) for peace talks to pressure the Maoists to abandon their armed struggle rather than continue the policy of “annihilation (the total destruction, elimination, obliteration, eradication, wiping out, removal, devastation)” as that could only engender (cause, give rise to, bring about, produce, create, (a particular feeling, atmosphere, or situation)) fresh resentment (bitterness, indignation, irritation, hatred, hard feelings, hostility, enmity, antipathy; disappointment, dissatisfaction, disgruntlement, discontent, unhappiness, displeasure) among the tribal people.

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.decisive (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - निर्णायक
English Meaning - key, significant, important, critical, crucial.

2.Maoist (noun)

Hindi Meaning - माओवादी
English Meaning - a follower of Maoism (Maoism is a form of communism developed by Mao Tse Tung. It is a doctrine to capture State power through a combination of armed insurgency, mass mobilization and strategic alliances). The largest and the most violent Maoist formation in India is the Communist Party of India (Maoist).

3.blow (noun)

Hindi Meaning - झटका, आघात
English Meaning - shock, surprise; setback/misfortune.

4.outlawed (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - अवैध
English Meaning - illegitimate, unlawful, wrongful, forbidden, illicit, unconstitutional, prohibited

5.perhaps (adverb)

Hindi Meaning - शायद
English Meaning - possibly, feasibly, may be, it may/could be, very likely.

6.insurgent (noun)

Hindi Meaning - विद्रोही
English Meaning - rebel, rioter, subversive, guerrilla.

7.commission (noun)

Hindi Meaning - आयोग, समिति
English Meaning - committee, panel.

8.the fact that (phrase)

Hindi Meaning - यह तथ्य कि
English Meaning - used to refer to a specific situation under consideration/discussion.

9.paramilitary (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - अर्धसैनिक
English Meaning - (of semi-militarized force) organized like a military force.

10.militarist (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - सैन्यवाद से संबंधित
English Meaning - relating to militarism.

11.strategy (noun)

Hindi Meaning - रणनीति
English Meaning - plan of action (in order to achieve a more expansive set of political, economic, and security interests).

12.protracted (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - दीर्घकालिक, लंबा खिंचा हुआ
English Meaning - lengthy, longish, extended, stretched, prolonged, elongated, long-drawn-out, never-ending, lingering, endless.

13.personnel (noun)

Hindi Meaning - कर्मचारी, कार्यबल
English Meaning - employees, workforce, force, staff.

14.on record (phrase)

Hindi Meaning - सार्वजनिक रूप से
English Meaning - publicly and officially; in public.

15.keen (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - उत्सुक, इच्छुक
English Meaning - eager, ready, determined, desirous, willing.

16.mastermind (verb)

English Meaning - initiate, organize, coordinate, mobilize, stage, engineer, orchestrate, choreograph.

17.reportedly (adverb)

English Meaning - supposedly, seemingly, apparently, allegedly, professedly, ostensibly, purportedly. ​

18.defang (verb)

English Meaning - make something less harmful; make less powerful; make ineffectual, make powerless, make harmless (defang literally means to remove the fangs (sharp tooth) of some animals and particularly of poisonous snake).

19.serve as (verb)

English Meaning - act as, function as.

20.head (noun)

English Meaning - leader, chief.

21.mark (verb)

English Meaning - indicate, represent, signify.

22.reiteration (noun)

English Meaning - the process of repeating something (some action) for clarity/emphasis; repetition, repeating, restatement, retelling, iteration.

23.militarism (noun)

English Meaning - the belief or the desire of a government or a people that a state should maintain a strong military capability and to use it aggressively to expand national interests and/or values.

24.suggest (verb)

English Meaning - indicate, denote, point to, signify.

25.sought past tense of seek (verb)

English Meaning - ask for, request, appeal, demand.

26.talks (noun)

English Meaning - discussion, discourse, debate, dialogue, negotiation, deliberation, parley.

27.armed (adjective)

English Meaning - using firearms/weapons.

28.armed struggle (noun)

English Meaning - conflict/fight involving weapons.

29.call into question (phrase)

English Meaning - cast doubt on something, have doubts about, feel apprehensive about, make something seem less certain; distrust, mistrust, suspect.

30.activist (noun)

English Meaning - a person who supports a political change or cause; (or societal change/cause).

31.apprehend (verb)

English Meaning - arrest, catch, capture, incarcerate, imprison, take into custody.

32.rather than (phrase)

English Meaning - instead of.

33.eliminate (verb)

English Meaning - annihilate, remove, eradicate, destroy.

34.cadre (noun)

English Meaning - a member of an activist group; a small group of people who are specially chosen and trained for a particular purpose

35.case in point (phrase)

English Meaning - example, instance, typical case, sample.

36.root (noun)

English Meaning - origin, beginning.

37.People’s War Group (PWG) (noun)

English Meaning - It was an underground communist party in India. PWG was founded in Andhra Pradesh in 1980. It traces its ideology to the Chinese leader Mao Tse Tung’s theory of organised peasant (small farmer) insurrection. It rejects parliamentary democracy and believes in capturing political power through protracted armed struggle based on guerrilla warfare. The eventual objective is to install a “people’s government” through the “people’s war”.

38.Naxal/Naxalite (noun)

English Meaning - Deriving its name from the Naxalbari village of West Bengal, Naxals or Naxalites are members of the Communist Party of India-Maoists (CPI-Maoist), classified under the banned LWE (Left Wing Extremism) groups.

39.movement (noun)

English Meaning - campaign, crusade, drive, push.

40.inclination (noun)

English Meaning - interest, liking, disposition, penchant, partiality, preference, affection.

41.give up (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - admit defeat, concede defeat, stop trying, give in, surrender, capitulate.

42.encounter (noun)

English Meaning - fight, clash, conflict, confrontation, engagement, skirmish, run-in.

43.inevitable (adjective)

English Meaning - necessary, compulsory, required, obligatory, mandatory; unavoidable, inescapable, unpreventable.

44.admission (noun)

English Meaning - acknowledgement, acceptance, confession, revelation, recognision.

45.flagging (adjective)

English Meaning - weakening, failing, declining, waning, sinking, fading, decreasing.

46.experience (verb)

English Meaning - encounter or undergo, go through, be subjected to, be faced with.

47.decade (noun)

English Meaning - a period of ten years.

48.insurgency (noun)

English Meaning - uprising, revolt, rebellion.

49.no longer (phrase)

English Meaning - not any more.

50.inclined (adjective)

English Meaning - ready, prepared, willing, agreeable, accommodating, compliant, in the mood.

51.adhere to (verb)

English Meaning - comply with, abide by, conform to, stand by, stick to, follow, obey, observe.

52.radical (adjective)

English Meaning - fanatic, militant, extremist, fundamentalist, sectarian, partisan.

53.state (noun)

English Meaning - government.

54.mere (adjective)

English Meaning - only.

55.facade (noun)

English Meaning - outward appearance, false display, posture, pretence.

56.taker (noun)

English Meaning - receiver, recipient.

57.forested (adjective)

English Meaning - covered with many trees; afforested, tree-covered.

58.hitherto (adverb)

English Meaning - until now, up to this point, so far, thus far, to date.

59.inaccessible (phrase)

English Meaning - unreachable, out of reach, unapproachable.

60.welfare (noun)

English Meaning - social security, government/state benefit, public assistance.

61.measure (noun)

English Meaning - action, step, procedure, initiative, plan.

62.outreach (noun)

English Meaning - the level of reaching out/activity/effort; involvement.

63.redouble (verb)

English Meaning - make something more intense/ stronger; to increase, strengthen, intensify something considerably

64.emphasis (noun)

English Meaning - importance, significance, priority.

65.guerrilla warfare (noun)

English Meaning - guerrilla struggle; military and paramilitary operations conducted in enemy-held or hostile territory by irregular, predominantly indigenous forces.

66.erosion (noun)

English Meaning - decline, decrease, deterioration, disintegration, weakening.

67.base (noun)

English Meaning - a group of people considered as supporting an organization/party.

68.gasp for (verb)

English Meaning - breathe hard, breathe heavily, struggle for air.

69.result in (verb)

English Meaning - cause, lead to, bring about, give rise to.

70.scores of (adjective)

English Meaning - a lot of something; several, various, many, countless, numerous, innumerable.

71.call (noun)

English Meaning - demand, requirement, appeal.

72.annihilation (noun)

English Meaning - the total destruction, elimination, obliteration, eradication, wiping out, removal, devastation.

73.engender (verb)

English Meaning - cause, give rise to, bring about, produce, create, (a particular feeling, atmosphere, or situation)

74.resentment (noun)

English Meaning - bitterness, indignation, irritation, hatred, hard feelings, hostility, enmity, antipathy; disappointment, dissatisfaction, disgruntlement, discontent, unhappiness, displeasure.