We publish below an unofficial translation of the Communist Party of India (Maoist) statement found here on the Turkish revolutionary news site Yeni Demokrasi.
The General Secretary of the CPI (Maoist), Comrade Nambala Keshav Rao, also known as Basavaraj, is immortal!
Revolutionary greetings to the immortal martyrs of Gundekot!
Condemn the Gundekot massacre on May 21!
Our beloved comrade, the great leader of the Indian revolutionary movement, the General Secretary of our party, CPI (Maoist), Comrade Nambala Keshav Rao (Basavaraj, BR Dada), was martyred on May 21, 2025, in the Gundekot forest massacre in the Mad area of Narayanpur district. The Dandakaranya Special Regional Committee pays respectful tributes to the memory of this revolutionary hero. Comrade Nageshwar Rao (Madhu, Jung Naveen), who served at the central and state levels, along with Comrades Sangeetha, Bhumika, and Vivek, who also served at the Central Committee level; Comrade Chandan (Mahesh), Secretary of the CPYPC, Guddu, along with Rame, Lalsu, Surya, Mase, Kamala, Nagesh, Rago, Rajesh, Ravi, Sunil, Sarita, Reshma, Raju, Jamuna, Geeta, Hungi, Sanki, Badru, Nilesh, and Sanju—they were martyred in this massacre. We, the Dandakaranya Special Regional Committee, humbly pay respects to all our comrades and vow to fulfill the legacy of our comrades. We express our deep condolences and sorrow to the families and friends of the martyrs.
We call on all our people, party members, PLGA [People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army] fighters, and international revolutionary organizations, as well as the workers of the world, to organize commemorative events in honor of the martyrs. We must resolutely continue the path of struggle to realize the martyrs’ unfulfilled ideals. We condemn this barbaric massacre planned by the Brahminist Hindutva-fascist government.
The police intelligence officers already knew that our Party Secretary, Comrade BR Dada, was in the Mad forests. Over the past six months, several members of various units in the Mad region gave in and surrendered to the police, thus becoming traitors. The enemy constantly received information from these individuals. In January and March, there were two major attacks on Comrade BR Dada based on this information, but these attacks were unsuccessful. Following these operations, six more members of this unit surrendered to the enemy in the past month and a half. The CPYPC member who played a vital role in ensuring BR Dada’s security was also among these traitors. At the same time, one of the members of the Joint Command leading the Mad movement also became a traitor during this process. This situation made the enemy’s work easier. These traitors, including the individual codenamed “Ricky,” also directly participated in reconnaissance and operations. It was because of them that we suffered such heavy losses. The success of Operation Kagaar, which aimed to deprive people of their forests, lands and resources and hand them over to corporations, was entirely due to these traitors.
From May 17, they began moving DRG [District Reserve Guard] troops from Orcha district to Narayanpur and Kondagaon districts. On May 18, DRG soldiers from Dantewada, Bijapur, and Bastar entered the area. They approached our units at 9:00 a.m. on May 19. The day before the operation, on May 17, a PPC member from the unit escaped with his wife. Their whereabouts are still being investigated. After they escaped, we shifted the camp from there. On the morning of May 19, after receiving information that the police had reached a nearby village, our unit began moving. The first engagement with the police took place on the road at 10:00 a.m. There were five more engagements that day. There were no casualties in these engagements. On May 20, attempts were made throughout the day to break the perimeter, but they were unsuccessful. 20,000 police officers surrounded the area all night. The final assault was launched on the morning of May 21. On one side were thousands of enemy forces equipped with state-of-the-art weapons. Their food and water needs were met by helicopters. On the other side, a revolutionary group of 35 people fought to address the country’s socioeconomic problems. These people had not eaten or drunk for 60 hours and were starving. A war broke out between these two sides. Our comrades resisted by keeping BR Dada in a safe place between them. Kotlu Ram of the DRG was killed in the first skirmish. After that, they dared not advance for a while. Then they began firing again. First, Commander Chandan, who actively led the resistance, was martyred. Despite this, everyone resisted bravely until the end; many soldiers were wounded. A group advanced and broke the encirclement. Those who remained behind could not escape due to the intense shelling. The group that broke the perimeter separated from the main unit. All comrades fulfilled their duty to protect the leadership with great devotion and did not allow BR Dada to be harmed until the last moment. After all the comrades were martyred, Comrade BR Dada was captured alive and killed. We had 35 comrades in this unit; 28 of our comrades were martyred, and 7 survived the engagement. The list of martyrs’ names is separate. The body of Comrade Nilesh was found by the PLGA. The enemy, who arrogantly returned, lost another soldier, Ramesh Hemla, in an action carried out by means of a pre-planted explosive device on the banks of the Indravati River. Ramesh Hemla had served as LOS (Local Organizational Squad) Commander in the same area a few years ago.
The most important thing to note here is the following:
We had declared a unilateral ceasefire in this subregion.
This decision was made at the suggestion of Comrade BR Dada in order to create a conducive atmosphere for peace talks.
For this reason, we have decided not to carry out attacks against the armed forces of the state.
Not a single action was taken during these 40 days.
During this time, the central and state governments worked together in a conspiracy to launch such a large-scale attack.
It is truly worrying that no member of the media has raised any questions on this issue.
It’s normal for everyone to ask what the party is doing about the security of the party leadership. If I had to answer that question in one sentence, yes, we have failed. The number of this unit was over 60 until January. The number was reduced for easier movement under difficult conditions. During this process, some senior members of this unit surrendered. By the time the incident occurred, the number had dropped to 35. We had predicted that there would be a major attack in April and May. But Comrade Basavaraj did not want to go to a safe place. When we asked him about his safety, his response was: “Don’t worry about me; I can only bear this responsibility for another two or three years at most. Take care of the safety of the young leadership. Martyrdom does not weaken the struggle; martyrdom is not in vain. Nothing like this has happened in history. Martyrdom has given strength to the revolutionary movement. I still believe that with the inspiration of these martyrs, the revolutionary movement will be reborn much stronger. The malicious plan of this fascist government will not succeed. The final victory will belong to the people.” Although many of our comrades tried to persuade BR Dada, he didn’t listen. He chose to stay with the fighters and lead even under difficult conditions.
The politicians, police officers, and the media who spread false propaganda about our movement and our leadership should accept this. Anyone who spreads false propaganda about the leadership abdicating its responsibilities should be ashamed. True revolutionaries are never afraid. We are deeply concerned about the future of the country. The government and the reactionary forces are celebrating this as a victory. It is being described as a great success. It is a great success for them. It is a step towards implementing their plan to create an institutional Hindu nation. Millions of people who disagree with the RSS [Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh] and BJP [Bharatiya Janata Party, the Hindutva-fascist party of Modi] plan to transform the country into an open Hindu state in the name of a “New and Developed India” are worried about this loss. This is a great loss for the Indian revolutionary movement. May 21 will go down in history as a dark day. Revolutionary movements can suffer similar losses when faced with a strong enemy. This movement was built on the strong ideology and long-term contribution of Comrade Basavaraj. Strong cadres were trained under his leadership. There is a Central Committee composed of experienced comrades. On this foundation, the revolutionary movement will rise again from this adverse situation. The government is not only taking advantage of this, but is also using all its power with the help of the imperialists. The army is deployed in the country in violation of national and international laws and regulations. They use heavy artillery and tanks. They may be somewhat successful in physically eliminating armed revolutionaries, but they cannot eradicate revolutionary ideas.
Our appeal to the people of the country:
Understand the government’s true intention behind this massacre, known as Kagaar. Stand up for the ideas and policies of true patriots who sacrificed their lives to protect our land, our resources, and our environment. Respect these martyrs and organize against those who sold the land and its resources.
Ask this government:
Isn’t it the Indian government that claims to have provided evidence of links with Pakistani army officials and terrorists?
If we accept this as true…
How was a ceasefire achieved immediately through the mere word of a Pakistani deputy army general?
Why then does the government not listen when the democratic people, the revolutionary people in our country, call for a ceasefire to resolve the problems through peace talks?
On the contrary, it is putting into action a plan to massacre hundreds of indigenous people and revolutionaries.
Why does this happen?
What was the force that kept Modi from speaking out about a ceasefire with Pakistan?
For what success is the “Tiranga Yatra” (Tricolor Flag March) organized in the country?
Isn’t it to deceive the public?
Saying that does not mean that we want a war with Pakistan.
But the people must understand the secret collaboration of the powerful with large corporations and imperialists.
Rulers always create artificial circumstances for their own needs.
Note: Our Central Committee will publish a booklet about the struggles of our comrades who fell as martyrs in the revolutionary movement.
Vikalp, Press Officer
Regional Committee of Dandakaranya Zone
Communist Party of India (Maoist)
May 25, 2025
Image: Graphic by Yeni Democrasi with a portrait of General Secretary Basavaraj.
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