Mumbai: When Maharashtra was declared ‘Maoism-free’ on October 1, KP Raghuvanshi’s face was lit with a sense of pride. The now retired IPS officer felt that it was the moment to be cherished for a long time to come. After all, his brainchild ‘C-60’, a dedicated force for armed combat against the naxals in Gadchiroli district, had played a major role in achieving the success.
‘Tree Has Borne Fruit’
“I sowed the seeds but it was efforts from all of my successors that saw the tree growing taller. The tree has borne fruits now,” Raghuvanshi told ‘The Free Press Journal’ in an exclusive interview.
Raghuvanshi was transferred from Mumbai to Gadchiroli as Superintendent of Police in late 1990. At that time, he had little idea about the spread of naxalism in the East Vidarbha district. After studying the area for four months, he realised the problem could not be eradicated without local support. He opened a dialogue with residents, urging them to cooperate with the police. His efforts led to the formation of C-60.
Government Had Special Plan
“By the time I reached Gadchiroli, the Maharashtra government had come out with a special action plan. It had two components. One was for the development and another for strengthening the police force,” Raghuvanshi said.
He realised the naxals were preventing development work. Police officers lacked coordination, while locals had no sympathy for them as they all were outsiders. “I met retired officers, teachers and reporters,” Raghuvanshi said. “Most officers did not know Gond and Madia, the local languages. Naxals were threatening policemen’s families.”
Local Youths Joined Force
Raghuvanshi decided to raise a force of local youths to fight naxals in their home – the forest. He created a 100-member team, with 30 each posted in Gadchiroli and Aheri. At the time, the AK-47 was new.
“Then-DGP Vasant Saraf called the force ‘Cracking-60’. That is how it came to be known as the C-60 force,” Raghuvanshi said.
The ‘C-60’ force achieved its first success when it gunned down a Dalam commander Santosh in 1992. Raghuvanshi was transferred out of Gadchiroli two months before the encounter.
“Killing somebody has never been a pleasure for any human being. But when you are dealing with this kind of situation, whosoever fires first is the winner. They were the winners initially. Now, it is the police,” Raghuvanshi said.
The ‘C-60’ has won more than 300 gallantry medals since its first encounter. They include Shaurya Chakra and Police medals.
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