Nagpur: As the iron grip of anti-Naxals operations tightens across the Red Corridor, the Communist Party of India (Maoist), once the most feared insurgent force in central India, appears to be cracking under pressure. In an extraordinary turn of events, the outfit has written a dramatic letter to the Chief Ministers of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, signalling its readiness to lay down arms and dismantle its network by February 15, 2026.
The letter arrives at a time when security forces have intensified their offensive, eliminating several high-ranking Naxal commanders and cornering the group’s remaining leadership. With the government’s massive push to end the insurgency by March 2026, the Naxals seem to have reached a breaking point.
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In the letter, the party claims it has “assessed the changing circumstances in the country and the world,” and decided to surrender. However, it has sought time, until February 15, 2026, to communicate the decision across its scattered formations deep inside the forests.
“We wish to leave Hatia and accept the government’s rehabilitation and Poonamargam plan,” the letter states, “but we request the governments of all three states to give us time. We need time to contact our comrades and convey this message in accordance with our methodology.”
In a surprising tone of vulnerability, the Naxals asked the states to temporarily halt anti-Naxal operations, insisting that their appeal carried “no ulterior motive.”
The Maharashtra-Madhya Pradesh-Chhattisgarh Special Zonal Committee, through its spokesperson, echoed the request, urging Maoist cadres to pause all violent activities. They also appealed to the government to broadcast their surrender message on radio so it could reach guerrilla groups hiding in remote jungles.
Security forces close in
The Naxal overture comes against a backdrop of relentless counter-insurgency action. Dozens of Naxal cadres have fallen in recent encounters, and many have voluntarily surrendered under government rehabilitation schemes. The biggest blow came recently with the killing of Madvi Hidma, one of the most ruthless and strategic Naxal commanders, in a fierce encounter near the forested tri-junction of Chhattisgarh, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
With leadership decapitated and ranks dwindling, experts say the organisation may be seeking a safe exit before it collapses completely.
A movement at a crossroads
The letter marks one of the most significant signals of weakening resolve within the Naxal hierarchy in years. Whether the governments will grant the requested pause in operations — or continue pressing ahead with the momentum — could determine the fate of a decades-long insurgency that once threatened the heart of India.
For now, the Red Corridor watches closely as a militant movement stands on the edge of surrender — or survival.
