Who is Madvi Hidma, most wanted Chhattisgarh Maoist leader
What's the story
Following the fatal IED attack in Dantewada, Chhattisgarh, that killed ten jawans and one civilian, reports surfaced that Maoists issued a letter last month threatening to target security personnel as retaliation to the ongoing anti-Naxal operations.
The letter also claimed that for months, armed forces made several attempts to capture Maoist leader Madvi Hidma but failed.
But, who is Hidma? Here we explain.
Details
Who is Hidma
Hidma is a well-known tribal from the Puvarti village of Sukma district who reportedly joined hands with the rebels in the 1990s.
The Maoist leader commands People's Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA) battalion number one and is infamous for his deadly and fierce ambushes.
Hidma is also a member of the Maoists' Dandakaranya Special Zonal (DKSZ) committee, a notorious Maoist unit.
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Hidma behind several attacks on security personnel
Per accounts, Hidma was in charge of planning and executing multiple attacks on security forces.
In 2021, a group of security personnel was attacked with IEDs and machine guns by 400 insurgents who surrounded them from all sides in an area devoid of vegetation in Chhattisgarh.
Hidma also allegedly masterminded the IED blast at Shyamagiri village in Kuakondablak in 2019, which killed four people.
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Naxals battling significant shrink
Prior to that, Hidma was allegedly involved in the ambush that killed 14 soldiers in Kasalpad. He is also suspected of being responsible for the deaths of 32 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) officers in a clash with Naxals in the Burkapal-Chintagufa area in 2017.
However, it is worth mentioning that Naxal-related violent occurrences have dropped by 77% since their all-time peak in 2010.
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Centre's move to corner Hidma yet to see success
With three multi-agency, multi-force operations launched in the past year, the Centre has ramped up its efforts to nab Hidma.
While the first operation to capture Hidma was initiated in April last year, the second and third operations were launched in January and April this year.
However, the Maoist leader got away on all three occasions, and the manhunt for him is still ongoing.