The reign of Madvi Hidma, one of India’s most wanted Maoist commanders, has come to an end. Security forces successfully eliminated him in a targeted operation near the Chhattisgarh-Andhra Pradesh border on Tuesday. Hidma, also known by aliases Hidmalu and Santosh, was a central figure in the CPI (Maoist) for two decades, leading their most lethal strike force, Battalion No. 1. He was directly implicated in a series of brutal attacks, including the 2010 Dantewada massacre, the 2013 Darbha valley attack that killed political leaders, and multiple ambushes in Sukma and Bijapur. His deep local knowledge of the Dandakaranya region, particularly the challenging Abujhmad and Sukma-Bijapur forests, made him a dangerous adversary. The elimination of Hidma is heralded as a significant strategic victory, expected to create a substantial leadership void and disrupt the operational capabilities of the Maoist insurgency in South Bastar. Security forces are intensifying their counter-insurgency efforts and are committed to continuing operations until the threat is fully neutralized.
