[ad_1]
Nambala Keshava Rao, alias Basavaraj, the general secretary of the CPI (Maoist), was killed in an encounter in Chhattisgarh, marking a significant blow to the Maoist insurgency.
HYDERABAD: The death of Nambala Keshava Rao, alias Basavaraj, in Wednesday’s encounter in Chhattisgarh marks a critical juncture in India’s decades long Maoist insurgency. At 70, Basavaraj was the general secretary of the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist), making him the highest-ranking leader ever killed in action. His elimination in the Maoist stronghold of Maad division, deep in the Dandakaranya forest, is being hailed as a watershed moment by security agencies.
Srikakulam roots
Born in Jiyannapeta village of Andhra Pradesh’s Srikakulam district, Basavaraj came from a middle class Kalinga family. A B Tech graduate from the Regional Engineering College (now NIT), Warangal, he was drawn into radical politics through the Radical Students Union (RSU) during his college days.A 1979 campus clash with RSS members, which resulted in a student’s death, led to Basavaraj being arrested and later jumping bail in 1980. He soon disappeared underground, beginning his revolutionary career in the tribal belts of the Andhra-Odisha border, organising peasant movements and laying the foundation for armed resistance. He formally entered the Maoist armed struggle with three country-made pistols and a mission to form the Rythu Coolie Sangham.
Architect of armed strategy
Joining the People’s War Group in the 1980s, Basavaraj steadily rose as its chief military strategist. Between 1989 and 1990, he is believed to have trained in explosives and landmines under the LTTE. He used this expertise to train Maoist cadres and orchestrate large-scale attacks across Chhattisgarh and beyond.In 2001, he became the head of the Central Military Commission, overseeing operations such as the 2003 Alipiri blast targeting then Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu and the 2013 Jhiram Ghati ambush, which killed senior Congress leader Mahendra Karma and 25 others.Always accompanied by his elite armed guard of ‘Company 7,’ Basavaraj was known to carry an AK-47 and was fluent in Telugu, Hindi, English, and Gondi.After the 2004 merger of the People’s War and Maoist Communist Centre, Basavaraj remained in the top echelons. He succeeded Muppala Lakshmana Rao (Ganapathy) as general secretary in 2018, after the latter stepped down citing health concerns.
Focus on militarisation
Unlike Ganapathy’s cautious ideological approach, Basavaraj prioritised militarisation and rejected peace talks unless preceded by a complete state withdrawal. He continued to direct operations from the forests of Maad, maintaining contact with both central and regional Maoist units.Intelligence sources suggest he acted as a liaison with international extremist networks, allegedly travelling to Turkey, Peru, and Germany to establish foreign military ties.Basavaraj’s wife, Sharada, was a Maoist commander who died by suicide in 2010. His family in Andhra Pradesh, however, chose conventional lives — one brother is a vigilance officer in Visakhapatnam Port Trust, while others include a doctor, teachers, and a local politician. This stark contrast reflects the ideological and personal dualities he embodied.With a bounty of Rs 25 lakh on his head in Andhra Pradesh alone, Basavaraj was among India’s most wanted Maoist leaders.
Pivotal blow
Security agencies believe his death could destabilise the Maoist leadership, as he held multiple top positions—general secretary, politburo member, and Central Committee member. Telangana director general of police Jitender told TOI, “It’s a big blow to Maoists and a major success for security forces in Chhattisgarh.”While Basavaraj’s death closes a significant chapter, whether it signals the decline of the Maoist insurgency remains uncertain.
[ad_2]
Source link
About the author
Designing Thug Life: Amritha Ram on Styling Kamal Haasan
Costume design in Indian cinema often dances between fantasy and realism. But in Thug Life, Amritha Ram collaborates with cinematic icons Kamal Haasan and Mani Ratnam to craft a fashion-forward yet character-driven wardrobe that breaks norms. In an exclusive with ETimes, Amritha reveals how meticulous planning, storytelling, and visual language drove her designs. Tip 1: Collaboration Is the Key to Vision When asked what excited her most about working on Thug Life, Amritha simply said, “Two names: Kamal Haasan and Mani Ratnam.” The sheer reputation of these legends shaped her approach. Mani Ratnam was clear about the film’s visual tone—stripping away Bollywood glamor for something minimalistic yet powerful. “Mani sir guided me all the way. He knew exactly what he wanted,” she shared. Working with Kamal, who understands fabric, dyeing, and even costume history, was a learning curve. His feedback […]
If It Happened There: Donald Trump sends central troops to quell protests in opposition-ruled California | World News
[ad_1] Protesters confront police on the 101 Freeway near the Metropolitan Detention Center of downtown Los Angeles, Sunday, June 8, 2025, following last night's immigration raid protest. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong) Note: The following piece is inspired by Joshua Keating’s If It Happened There which uses tropes and tones normally used by American media to describe events in other countries. The facts presented deal with as much exactitude and accuracy as an American media outlets’ reporting about a foreign country.Los Angeles, Mexican for the city of angels, is home to Hollywood – America’s answer to Bollywood – and a city where starstruck aspirants come with the dream of being immortalised on the silver screen. Yet, the city, which falls under America-administered California, an opposition state which overwhelmingly voted for Mr Donald Trump’s rival from the Democratic Party, Ms Kamala Harris, […]
Apple prepares for new ‘Games’ app as domain goes live ahead of WWDC 2025 keynote
[ad_1] Apple is expected to launch iOS 19 (or rumoured iOS 26) and one of new features that is reported to come is a new Apple Games app. Apple appears to be laying the groundwork for this new application, which is said to curate games from the App Store and Apple Arcade, as a domain purportedly leading to the platform has gone live.As per a report by 9to5mac, the company's new games.apple.com domain has just gone live. However, it is currently displaying a blank page, signaling imminent content.This shift from a "Safari Can’t Find The Server" error message to a blank white page strongly suggests Apple is preparing to push content to the URL very soon, potentially coinciding with the conclusion of the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) keynote.What Apple’s new Games app is all aboutWhile the exact function of the […]
MS Dhoni inducted into ICC Hall of Fame | Cricket News
[ad_1] MS Dhoni, former India cricket captain, has been inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame, recognizing his extraordinary career spanning 16 years with 17,266 international runs, 829 dismissals and 538 matches across formats for India. The wicketkeeper-batsman revolutionized the sport through his unique playing style, tactical leadership and achievements including winning all three ICC men's white-ball titles as captain. "It is an honour to be named in the ICC Hall of Fame, which recognises the contributions of cricketers across generations and from all over the world. To have your name remembered alongside such all-time greats is a wonderful feeling. It is something that I will cherish forever," Dhoni said about his induction. Dhoni's journey began in 2004 when he made his ODI debut. Though he was dismissed for a duck in his first match, he soon announced his […]
160-million-year-old blue-stain fungi in China found to be harmful to trees |
[ad_1] In a groundbreaking discovery, researchers have uncovered 160-million-year-old blue-stain fungi fossils from the Jurassic Tiaojishan Formation in China. The new findings offer fresh insights into the ecological relationships between blue-stain fungi, plants, and insects during the Jurassic period. These fungi are generally nonfatal to their hosts but often accelerate tree mortality when associated with wood-boring insects.According to ScienceDaily, a Chinese team of scientists highlights the discovery of well-preserved blue-stain fungal hyphae within Jurassic fossil wood from northeastern China, pushing back the earliest known fossil record of this fungal group by approximately 80 million years.Know about the blue-stain fungi, deadly to treesBlue-stain fungi are known for their ability to colonize wood, particularly in conifer trees, causing characteristic discoloration in the sapwood. While these fungi do not decompose wood, they often cause considerable damage when associated with wood-boring insects. Their role […]
America burning: LA reels under anti-immigration protests for third straight day despite Trump’s National Guard order
[ad_1] Multiple Waymo taxis burn near the Metropolitan Detention Center of downtown Los Angeles, following last night's immigration raid protest. (Video credit: X) For the third night in a row, downtown Los Angeles became the epicentre of chaos and confrontation as protests against US President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown boiled over into violence, with police deploying tear gas, rubber bullets, and flashbangs to subdue demonstrators. Protesters set self-driving cars ablaze, blocked the 101 freeway, and clashed with law enforcement late into Sunday night, leaving parts of the city scorched and on edge.The flashpoint came after Trump took the extraordinary step of deploying the National Guard to California without the consent of the state's governor, an act not seen in decades. More than 300 troops arrived over the weekend, with 2,000 authorised and 500 US Marines on standby.Meanwhile, California governor Gavin […]
Related
Designing Thug Life: Amritha Ram on Styling Kamal Haasan
Costume design in Indian cinema often dances between fantasy and realism. But in Thug Life, Amritha Ram collaborates with cinematic icons Kamal Haasan and Mani Ratnam to craft a fashion-forward yet character-driven wardrobe that breaks norms. In an exclusive with ETimes, Amritha reveals how meticulous planning, storytelling, and visual language drove her designs. Tip 1: Collaboration Is the Key to Vision When asked what excited her most about working on Thug Life, Amritha simply said, “Two names: Kamal Haasan and Mani Ratnam.” The sheer reputation of these legends shaped her approach. Mani Ratnam was clear about the film’s visual tone—stripping away Bollywood glamor for something minimalistic yet powerful. “Mani sir guided me all the way. He knew exactly what he wanted,” she shared. Working with Kamal, who understands fabric, dyeing, and even costume history, was a learning curve. His feedback […]
If It Happened There: Donald Trump sends central troops to quell protests in opposition-ruled California | World News
[ad_1] Protesters confront police on the 101 Freeway near the Metropolitan Detention Center of downtown Los Angeles, Sunday, June 8, 2025, following last night's immigration raid protest. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong) Note: The following piece is inspired by Joshua Keating’s If It Happened There which uses tropes and tones normally used by American media to describe events in other countries. The facts presented deal with as much exactitude and accuracy as an American media outlets’ reporting about a foreign country.Los Angeles, Mexican for the city of angels, is home to Hollywood – America’s answer to Bollywood – and a city where starstruck aspirants come with the dream of being immortalised on the silver screen. Yet, the city, which falls under America-administered California, an opposition state which overwhelmingly voted for Mr Donald Trump’s rival from the Democratic Party, Ms Kamala Harris, […]
Apple prepares for new ‘Games’ app as domain goes live ahead of WWDC 2025 keynote
[ad_1] Apple is expected to launch iOS 19 (or rumoured iOS 26) and one of new features that is reported to come is a new Apple Games app. Apple appears to be laying the groundwork for this new application, which is said to curate games from the App Store and Apple Arcade, as a domain purportedly leading to the platform has gone live.As per a report by 9to5mac, the company's new games.apple.com domain has just gone live. However, it is currently displaying a blank page, signaling imminent content.This shift from a "Safari Can’t Find The Server" error message to a blank white page strongly suggests Apple is preparing to push content to the URL very soon, potentially coinciding with the conclusion of the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) keynote.What Apple’s new Games app is all aboutWhile the exact function of the […]
MS Dhoni inducted into ICC Hall of Fame | Cricket News
[ad_1] MS Dhoni, former India cricket captain, has been inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame, recognizing his extraordinary career spanning 16 years with 17,266 international runs, 829 dismissals and 538 matches across formats for India. The wicketkeeper-batsman revolutionized the sport through his unique playing style, tactical leadership and achievements including winning all three ICC men's white-ball titles as captain. "It is an honour to be named in the ICC Hall of Fame, which recognises the contributions of cricketers across generations and from all over the world. To have your name remembered alongside such all-time greats is a wonderful feeling. It is something that I will cherish forever," Dhoni said about his induction. Dhoni's journey began in 2004 when he made his ODI debut. Though he was dismissed for a duck in his first match, he soon announced his […]
160-million-year-old blue-stain fungi in China found to be harmful to trees |
[ad_1] In a groundbreaking discovery, researchers have uncovered 160-million-year-old blue-stain fungi fossils from the Jurassic Tiaojishan Formation in China. The new findings offer fresh insights into the ecological relationships between blue-stain fungi, plants, and insects during the Jurassic period. These fungi are generally nonfatal to their hosts but often accelerate tree mortality when associated with wood-boring insects.According to ScienceDaily, a Chinese team of scientists highlights the discovery of well-preserved blue-stain fungal hyphae within Jurassic fossil wood from northeastern China, pushing back the earliest known fossil record of this fungal group by approximately 80 million years.Know about the blue-stain fungi, deadly to treesBlue-stain fungi are known for their ability to colonize wood, particularly in conifer trees, causing characteristic discoloration in the sapwood. While these fungi do not decompose wood, they often cause considerable damage when associated with wood-boring insects. Their role […]
America burning: LA reels under anti-immigration protests for third straight day despite Trump’s National Guard order
[ad_1] Multiple Waymo taxis burn near the Metropolitan Detention Center of downtown Los Angeles, following last night's immigration raid protest. (Video credit: X) For the third night in a row, downtown Los Angeles became the epicentre of chaos and confrontation as protests against US President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown boiled over into violence, with police deploying tear gas, rubber bullets, and flashbangs to subdue demonstrators. Protesters set self-driving cars ablaze, blocked the 101 freeway, and clashed with law enforcement late into Sunday night, leaving parts of the city scorched and on edge.The flashpoint came after Trump took the extraordinary step of deploying the National Guard to California without the consent of the state's governor, an act not seen in decades. More than 300 troops arrived over the weekend, with 2,000 authorised and 500 US Marines on standby.Meanwhile, California governor Gavin […]
Be the first to leave a comment