Who are the DRG, Chhattisgarh’s tribal force that played key role in eliminating top Maoist Basavaraju

IG (Bastar) P Sundarraj bries media

The District Reserve Guard (DRG), a special force created by the Chhattisgarh government about a decade ago, played a key role in killing top Maoist leader Basavaraju. Formed to fight Maoists in the most affected areas, the DRG has become a crucial part of anti-Naxal operations in the state.

Basavaraju (70), who had a reward of Rs 1.5 crore on his head, was one of India’s most wanted Maoist leaders. He was known as the main planner behind several deadly attacks. The encounter that killed Basavaraju happened after weeks of careful planning and intelligence gathering. Security forces, including the DRG, tracked the movement of Maoist leaders in the forested border area between Narayanpur, Bijapur, and Dantewada districts.

The DRG is made up of local tribal youth, including many who were once Maoists themselves. These recruits, often former informers (Gopniya Sainiks), bring valuable knowledge of the terrain and villages. The idea to form the DRG came in 2015, with 600 posts in districts like Sukma, Bijapur, and Dantewada. Today, 1,160 DRG posts have been approved across all seven districts in Bastar.

During the Salwa Judum movement, some civilians who worked as Special Police Officers (SPOs) later joined the DRG. While some rights groups criticised this, police believe it helped them fight better using local knowledge. In recent years, DRG teams have faced serious losses too, with multiple attacks by Maoists resulting in the deaths of several jawans and drivers.

The mission, named ‘Operation Kagar,’ started on April 21, and involved the DRG, Special Task Force (STF), and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). However, the recent part of the operation, started on May 19, lasted 50 hours and ended with over 30 Maoists being killed, according to a report by India Today.

Security forces recovered many weapons, ammunition, and important Maoist documents from the site. However, the success came at a cost. One DRG soldier was killed during the fierce gun battle. His body is being brought back to Narayanpur headquarters, the report said.