Operation Green Hunt: PM Manmohan Singh's Key Initiative That Weakened Maoist Insurgency In Red Corridor

Operation Green Hunt, launched under Dr Manmohan Singh, unified states to combat Maoists, establishing COBRA units and successful pickets, weakening insurgents' strongholds.

Palamu: Operation Green Hunt, a significant anti-Maoist campaign, was launched during the tenure of former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh. The operation played a crucial role in weakening the Maoist insurgency, particularly in the Red Corridor, which includes states such as Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh. The campaign united the states in a coordinated effort to combat the Maoists, a step that marked a pivotal shift in India's approach to tackling left-wing extremism.

Before 2007-08, each state in the Red Corridor had been running its campaigns against the Maoists. However, under Dr Singh's leadership, a unified command was established, allowing the states to collaborate effectively and share intelligence. This new approach saw the formation of the Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (COBRA), a specialised unit of CRPF soldiers designed to infiltrate and dismantle Maoist strongholds.

According to Satish Kumar, a former top Maoist leader and current AJSU leader, "Green Hunt brought all the states together and enabled them to launch coordinated campaigns. It was after this that the Maoists began to come under pressure."

One of the most significant milestones of the Green Hunt campaign was the establishment of a picket in Chak, a Maoist stronghold in Jharkhand's Palamu district. This was the first such picket in both Jharkhand and Bihar. Former IG and retired IPS officer Deepak Verma, who was involved in the operation, recalled, "The establishment of the Chak picket was a monumental task. We camped for a week to set it up, and during that time, there were two attacks. But once it was established, it became a key asset in weakening the Maoists."

The creation of the Chak picket was not only a tactical success, but also a morale booster. Shivraj Singh Patil, the Union Home Minister at the time, visited the picket to encourage the soldiers. The Maoists, in retaliation, had closed Chak for nearly a year and a half in protest. Despite this, the security forces' perseverance made the operation a success. Verma added, "The picket's success demonstrated the strength of the unified campaign and marked a significant shift in the fight against Maoists.

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