Who Was Madvi Hidma And Why His Death May Be the Beginning of the End for Maoists in India

The dramatic shootout in the deep jungles of Maredumilli, in the Alluri Sitharama Raju district of Andhra Pradesh, that eliminated top Maoist leader Madvi Hidma early this morning, is not just another Maoist encounter with police because Hidma was not just another Maoist. Widely considered to be one of the fiercest leaders and members of the Communist Party of India (Maoist), his career is one of the most significant chapters of the violent Maoist movement in the country.

Also Read: Top Maoist Commander Madvi Hidma, Behind 26 Armed Attacks, Eliminated

Early origins of Madvi Hidma and his rise in the CC
Hidma was born in a tribal family of Puvarti village in Chhattisgarh (then Madhya Pradesh) and joined the Maoist movement at a young age. Puvarti, popularly known as the ‘farm’ among security officials working in the area, was the place where Maoists grew their sustenance and Hidma supposedly was exposed to the radical ideas fairly early in his life.

After he joined the movement, his rise was swift. He quickly gained a reputation for his fighting capabilities and tactical acumen, rising through the ranks to become not only the youngest member of the Central Committee, the highest decision-making body of the movement, but also the only tribal member from the Bastar region to be inducted into the elite political leadership.

From then on, he went on to lead the 1st Battalion of People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA), the most heavily armed and fight-ready wing of the movement.

Major attacks and an elusive presence
Madvi Hidma’s reputation in the Maoist movement came from two key ‘achievements’. He was known for constantly evading security forces and was the mastermind behind some of the most deadly Maoist actions that led to heavy casualties. Some of the major Maoist attack that had Hidma behind it includes the 2010 attack on the CRPF camp in Dantewada that killed 76 personnel, the 2013 Jhiram Ghati attack that resulted in the deaths of several prominent Congress politicians, notably Mahendra Karma, Chhattisgarh Congress chief Nand Kumar Patel, and Vidya Charan Shukla. Reports say, Hidma was behind almostt 26 major Maoist actions across the country that killed several.

Recent Maoist leadership deaths and surrenders
Madvi Hidma’s encounter is not an isolated incident. In fact, in the last few years, the security forces have been successful in eliminating major Maoist leaders, including Basavaraj,u who was killed in an encounter in Abujhmad forest of Chhattisgarh in May this year. The death of Basavaraju, the General Secretary of the party was a major blow to the movement only leaving them scrambling for leadership.

What’s next for the bloody Maoist movement
With the death of Madvi Hidma, the leadership of the 1st Battalion will likely be taken over by Barse Deva, an old comrade of Hidma. However, other key figures in the Maoist leadership, like Ganapathi, are inactive, and Bhupathi has already surrendered. Thus, Hidma’s death might finally mark an end to the bloody Maoist movement in the country that is dwindling due to a lack of leadership and heavy crackdown by security forces.