Jhiram Ghati massacre verdict out: Why this attack was a turning point in the Red Corridor battle

Internal Security · 7 September 2026 · Based on Indian Express (original report)

Worth reading — 1 past UPSC question on this theme (Mains GS-3 2018).

2-minute summary

A special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court in Jagdalpur has convicted 10 individuals for their involvement in the 2013 Jhiram Ghati massacre. The ambush by Maoists in Chhattisgarh's Bastar district killed 27 people, virtually wiping out the state's senior Congress leadership, including Mahendra Karma (the face of the anti-Maoist Salwa Judum movement). While not the deadliest attack in terms of casualties, Jhiram Ghati was a strategic turning point. Instead of forcing a state retreat, it solidified the political resolve to pursue the 'clear, hold and develop' strategy. This approach involves security forces establishing camps in core insurgent areas, followed by administrative and infrastructure development. Over the years, this sustained strategy—bolstered by enhanced Centre-state coordination, night evacuation capabilities, and massive infrastructure pushes (over 15,000 km of roads and 9,000 mobile towers)—has led to a reduction of over 80% in Left-Wing Extremism (LWE) related incidents and deaths since 2010.

Why it's in the news

Thirteen years after the devastating Jhiram Ghati Maoist ambush, a special NIA court in Chhattisgarh has convicted 10 accused individuals. This verdict brings judicial closure to a landmark event that fundamentally reshaped India's counter-insurgency strategy in the Red Corridor.

Facts to remember

• A special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court in Jagdalpur convicted 10 individuals for their involvement in the 2013 Jhiram Ghati massacre.
• The 2013 Jhiram Ghati ambush in Chhattisgarh's Bastar district killed 27 people, including senior Congress leadership.
• In 2006, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh termed LWE the country's biggest internal security threat.
• In the 2011 Nandini Sundar v. State of Chhattisgarh case, the Supreme Court banned Salwa Judum and declared arming untrained tribal youth unconstitutional.

Background and context

Left-Wing Extremism (LWE) in India, often referred to as the Naxalite movement, originated in 1967 in Naxalbari, West Bengal. By the mid-2000s, it had spread across a vast swath of central and eastern India, termed the 'Red Corridor'. In 2006, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh termed LWE the country's biggest internal security threat. In response, the state of Chhattisgarh supported 'Salwa Judum' (purification hunt), a state-sponsored civil vigilante movement started in 2005 by local leader Mahendra Karma. However, in 2011, the Supreme Court of India in the landmark *Nandini Sundar v. State of Chhattisgarh* case banned Salwa Judum, declaring the arming of untrained tribal youth as Special Police Officers (SPOs) unconstitutional. Following this, the government shifted to a structured 'clear, hold and develop' paradigm, which was tested and ultimately reinforced by the political shock of the 2013 Jhiram Ghati massacre.

Constitutional provisions

• Article 21 — Invoked by the Supreme Court in the Nandini Sundar case (2011) to rule that arming untrained tribal civilians (Salwa Judum) violates their right to life and places them in extreme danger without adequate state protection.
• Seventh Schedule (List II, Entry 1 & 2) — 'Public Order' and 'Police' are state subjects, meaning state police forces lead operations, while the Central Government provides CAPFs, intelligence, and financial assistance, highlighting the need for cooperative federalism in internal security.

Committees and reports

• D. Bandyopadhyay Committee Report (Planning Commission) — Highlighted that the root causes of LWE are socio-economic alienation, land displacement, and lack of governance, recommending land reforms and developmental interventions alongside security measures.

Government schemes

• SAMADHAN Strategy — The comprehensive one-stop solution for the LWE problem, encompassing Smart leadership, Aggressive strategy, Motivation/training, Actionable intelligence, Dashboard-based KPIs, Harnessing technology, Action plan for each theatre, and No access to financing.
• Special Central Assistance (SCA) for LWE Districts — Provides funds to the most LWE-affected districts to fill critical gaps in public infrastructure and services like education, health, and connectivity.

Previous UPSC questions on this theme

• Mains GS-3 2018 — Left Wing Extremism (LWE) is showing a downward trend, but still affects many parts of the country. Briefly explain the Government of India's approach to counter the challenges posed by LWE.

Mains practice: The 'clear, hold and develop' strategy has successfully shrunk India's Red Corridor. Analyze the challenges in synchronizing security operations with administrative and developmental footprints in LWE-affected regions.

The 'clear, hold and develop' strategy has been the cornerstone of India's counter-LWE operations. It involves security forces clearing insurgent strongholds, establishing tactical camps to hold the territory, and enabling the civil administration to develop infrastructure. While this has reduced LWE-related incidents by over 80% since 2010, significant challenges persist in synchronizing security with development.

**Challenges in Synchronization:**

• **Infrastructure Lag:** Security forces often expand their footprint faster than civil administration can follow. For instance, critical road projects in core areas like Sukma-Bijapur frequently face delays due to security threats to contractors and difficult terrain.

• **Trust Deficit and Alienation:** Decades of administrative vacuum and historical injustices, such as land alienation and displacement, make local tribal populations suspicious of state developmental initiatives, which they may perceive as exploitative.

• **Governance Deficit:** Establishing physical infrastructure (roads, mobile towers) is easier than deploying functional social infrastructure. Schools and healthcare centers in remote areas often suffer from chronic absenteeism of staff due to safety fears.

• **Asymmetric Warfare Tactics:** Maoists actively target developmental infrastructure, such as blowing up mobile towers and destroying newly constructed roads, to prevent the state from gaining legitimacy among locals.

**Way Forward:**

• **Holistic Implementation of SAMADHAN:** Ensure strict execution of the MHA's SAMADHAN framework, focusing on choking insurgent finances and leveraging technology (UAVs, GIS mapping) to secure developmental projects.

• **Tribal Empowerment:** Implement the PESA Act, 1996, and the Forest Rights Act, 2006, in letter and spirit to restore tribal trust and ensure community-led development.

• **Integrated Command Structure:** Strengthen institutional coordination between Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs), state police, and local civil administration to ensure development projects commence immediately after an area is secured.

In conclusion, while security forces have successfully 'cleared' and 'held' vast tracts of the Red Corridor, the ultimate resolution of LWE lies in bridging the developmental deficit with empathy, local participation, and robust local governance.

Prelims practice questions

Q1. With reference to the landmark 'Nandini Sundar v. State of Chhattisgarh' (2011) judgment, which of the following statements is/are correct? 1. The Supreme Court declared the practice of arming local tribal youth as Special Police Officers (SPOs) to fight insurgents as unconstitutional. 2. The Court ruled that such practices violate the Right to Equality (Article 14) and the Right to Life (Article 21) of both the SPOs and the local population. Select the correct answer using the code given below:

1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: C. In the Nandini Sundar v. State of Chhattisgarh (2011) case, the Supreme Court banned Salwa Judum and ruled that appointing poorly trained tribal youth as SPOs violated Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution, as it endangered their lives and the lives of others without providing adequate training or protection.

Q2. The 'SAMADHAN' strategy, often seen in the news, is primarily associated with which of the following?

1. A dispute resolution mechanism for direct tax litigations.
2. A digital platform for agricultural marketing and MSP procurement.
3. A comprehensive framework to combat Left-Wing Extremism (LWE).
4. An urban waste management and sanitation initiative.

Answer: C. The SAMADHAN strategy was launched by the Ministry of Home Affairs in 2017 as a comprehensive, multi-pronged approach to tackle Left-Wing Extremism (LWE) in India.

Q3. Consider the following statements regarding the National Investigation Agency (NIA): 1. It is a statutory body established under an Act of Parliament. 2. It functions as the Central Counter-Terrorism Law Enforcement Agency in India. 3. It has concurrent jurisdiction that empowers it to investigate terror-related cases across states without requiring special permission from state governments. Which of the statements given above are correct?

1. 1 and 2 only
2. 2 and 3 only
3. 1 and 3 only
4. 1, 2 and 3

Answer: D. The NIA is a statutory body established under the NIA Act, 2008. It is India's premier central counter-terrorism agency and possesses concurrent jurisdiction, allowing it to investigate scheduled offences across any state without needing prior permission from the state government.

Revision flashcards

• What is the 'Clear, Hold and Develop' strategy in the context of LWE? A security-development paradigm where security forces enter insurgent strongholds ('clear'), establish tactical camps to secure the area ('hold'), and then enable civil administration to build infrastructure like roads, schools, and telecom ('develop').
• What was Salwa Judum and why was it stopped? A state-sponsored anti-Maoist civil vigilante movement launched in Chhattisgarh in 2005. It was banned by the Supreme Court in 2011 (Nandini Sundar case) because arming untrained tribal youth as Special Police Officers (SPOs) violated Articles 14 and 21.
• What does the acronym 'SAMADHAN' stand for in MHA's anti-LWE strategy? S-Smart Leadership, A-Aggressive Strategy, M-Motivation and Training, A-Actionable Intelligence, D-Dashboard Based KPIs, H-Harnessing Technology, A-Action Plan for each theatre, N-No Access to Financing.
• Which elite state police commando force is credited with successfully eliminating LWE in Andhra Pradesh? The 'Greyhounds'—an elite, highly trained counter-insurgency unit of the Andhra Pradesh (now also Telangana) police, widely studied as a model for jungle warfare.
• How much have LWE-related incidents and deaths declined since 2010? They have fallen by more than four-fifths (over 80%), driven by sustained security operations, increased security camps, and massive infrastructure expansion in core areas.