In the dense forests of central and eastern India, a significant and often underreported shift is taking place: more women are joining the ranks of the Naxalite and Maoist insurgent groups. Once relegated to supportive or cultural roles, women today are emerging as full-time fighters, recruiters, and even commanders in these left-wing extremist (LWE) groups. This trend, confirmed by recent security operations and data, raises important questions about marginalization, empowerment, and the need for nuanced counter-insurgency strategies.
Sharp Rise in Female Cadres
According to police and intelligence reports, women now constitute up to 30–40% of active Maoist forces in areas like Bastar (Chhattisgarh), Gadchiroli (Maharashtra), and parts of Jharkhand and Odisha. Recent encounters show a rising number of women in tactical and combat roles.
For instance, in Narayanpur’s Abujhmad region on June 26–27, 2025, two senior female Maoists Seema and Linge alias Ranjhu, both carrying bounties of ₹6 lakh were killed in a joint STF–DRG operation. Officials said this was the first anti-Maoist operation conducted during monsoon season under a new central directive.
Earlier this year, in Madhya Pradesh’s Balaghat district, four top Maoists were gunned down three of them women, each carrying individual bounties between ₹14–16 lakh.
Why Women Are Joining
The rise of women in the movement is not coincidental. It is driven by both push and pull factors:
- Systemic Marginalization: Most women joining the movement belong to Adivasi or Dalit communities, who face generational poverty, displacement due to mining or land acquisition, and caste-based discrimination. Government neglect in tribal areas further compounds their vulnerability.
- Lack of Alternatives: Many tribal belts suffer from poor access to education, healthcare, and employment. With little hope for upward mobility, insurgency appears to offer power and purpose.
- Revenge and Justice: Some women are drawn to the movement after experiencing state violence, sexual exploitation, or extrajudicial killings of family members by security forces.
- Ideological Motivation: Maoist propaganda often projects the movement as a path toward gender equality and social justice. Women are promised leadership roles and equal participation in what they perceive as a revolutionary struggle.
According to a study by the Social and Political Research Foundation (SPRF), nearly 60% of armed cadres in certain zones are now female. Groups like the Krantikari Adivasi Mahila Sangathan (KAMS) operate as mass women’s fronts for the Maoist party, providing ideological training and manpower.
Life Inside the Movement: Empowerment or Exploitation?
Though the movement claims to uphold gender equality, testimonies from surrendered cadres paint a mixed picture. Some women speak of newfound agency and respect, while others recount sexual abuse, internal hierarchy, and lack of autonomy.
A 2025 New Indian Express investigation revealed that Maoists often deploy women in frontline combat, sometimes as human shields during firefights. In one major Bastar operation, 12 of the 27 Maoists killed were women.
Government Response: Tough Measures, Incomplete Rehabilitation
The Indian government has stepped up its counter-insurgency efforts under Home Minister Amit Shah, declaring that operations will now continue even during the monsoon, breaking from past strategy. Over the last 18 months alone, 414 Maoists have been killed, many of them women.
In parallel, the government promotes surrender-and-rehabilitation schemes. On June 13, 2025, three Maoists, including two women with ₹19 lakh combined bounty, surrendered in Narayanpur, stating disillusionment with the movement’s exploitation of tribal.
However, critics argue that rehabilitation lacks gender sensitivity. Surrendered women cadres often need psychological counselling, vocational training, and reintegration into a society that still views them as outcasts.
Conclusion: Beyond Guns and Guerrilla Warfare
The increasing presence of women in Maoist ranks is a symptom of India’s deeper developmental and gender injustices. While armed response is necessary to counter violence, sustainable peace can only emerge from inclusive governance, gender-sensitive policies, and grassroots empowerment.
Women must be given viable alternatives not just to pick up arms, but to claim their rights, dignity, and futures within the democratic framework.
Sources:
- https://m.economictimes.com/news/india/three-maoists-with-rs-19-lakh-bounty-surrender-in-chhattisgarh/articleshow/121811322.cms?utm_
- https://www.eurasiareview.com/24062025-india-persistent-maoist-threat-aggressive-consolidation-analysis/?utm_
- https://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2025/May/23/high-proportion-of-maoist-casualties-in-chhattisgarh-encounters-are-women-some-deployed-as-human-shields?utm_
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