People's Liberation Guerrilla Army (India)

2021-11-17T08:56:43Z

2A02:85F:F566:DB00:5880:A3EE:5B0C:8CE6:

{{Short description|Illegal Maoist Militant Organization in India}}
{{Other uses|Communist Party of India (disambiguation)}}
{{EngvarB|date=October 2013}}
{{use Indian English|date=July 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2021}}
{{Infobox Military Unit
|unit_name= People's Liberation Guerrilla Army (India)
|native_name=जन मुक्ति सेना
| role = Guerilla Warfare
| colors = {{colorbox|Red}} [[Red]]
|image=Flag_of_the_PLGA.svg
| battles = [[Naxalite-Maoist insurgency]]
| equipment = Rifles, Bows, Machetes, Land mines
|image_size=
|caption=
| commander1 = [[Muppala Lakshmana Rao]] (1967-2018)
| commander1_label =Commander-in-chief
|country= {{flagdeco|India}} [[Republic of India]]
|size= 12,000 (peak)
|allegiance= [[File:South Asian Communist Banner.svg|25px]] [[Communist Party of India (Maoist)]]
|branch=
}}

The '''People's Liberation Guerrilla Army''' ('''PLGA''') is the armed wing of the [[Communist Party of India (Maoist)]], a [[Communist Party of India (Maoist)#Legal status|banned]] organisation in [[India]]<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.hindu.com/2009/06/23/stories/2009062358320100.htm | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090626145746/http://www.hindu.com/2009/06/23/stories/2009062358320100.htm | url-status=dead | archive-date=26 June 2009 | title=Centre bans CPI (Maoist) | date=23 June 2009 | newspaper=[[The Hindu]] | accessdate=7 September 2013}}</ref> which aims to overthrow the [[government of India|Indian Government]] through protracted [[people's war]].<ref>{{cite web | url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2010-03-06/india/28147504_1_telugu-deepak-maoists-kishenji | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131016083356/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2010-03-06/india/28147504_1_telugu-deepak-maoists-kishenji | url-status=dead | archive-date=16 October 2013 | title=Maoists will overthrow govt much before 2050 : Kishenji | date=6 March 2010 | work=[[The Times of India]] | accessdate=1 September 2013}}</ref>

== Background ==
The People's Liberation Guerrilla Army was founded on 2 December 2000<ref>{{cite web | url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-12-17/india/35868361_1_mass-contact-programmes-people-s-liberation-guerrilla-army-plga | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131016084607/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-12-17/india/35868361_1_mass-contact-programmes-people-s-liberation-guerrilla-army-plga | url-status=dead | archive-date=16 October 2013 | title=CPI (Maoist) marks PLGA anniversary with mass contact programmes | date=17 December 2012 | work=[[The Times of India]] | accessdate=31 August 2013}}</ref> and known as the People's Guerrilla Army (PGA) by the [[Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) People's War]], also known as the People's War Group.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.satp.org/satporgtp/countries/india/terroristoutfits/peoples_guerrilla_arms_left_wing_extremists.htm | title=People's Guerrilla Army, Left Wing Extremists | publisher=satp.org | accessdate=31 August 2013}}</ref> The PLGA was founded on the first death anniversary of their three Central Committee members, who were killed in an encounter in [[Koyyuru]].<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/formation-of-plga-a-turning-point-in-the-maoist-movement/article931919.ece | title=Formation of PLGA a turning point in the Maoist movement | newspaper=The Hindu | date=5 December 2010 | accessdate=1 September 2013| last1=Reddy | first1=K. Srinivas }}</ref> In 2004, when the People's War Group merged with the [[Maoist Communist Centre of India]] (MCCI) to form the [[Communist Party of India (Maoist)]], their respective armed wings also merged.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.thehindubusinessline.in/2004/10/15/stories/2004101502561900.htm | title=PW, MCCI merge to form CPI (Maoist) | work=Business Line | date=15 October 2004 | accessdate=1 September 2013}}</ref> Therefore, the People's Guerrilla Army (the military wing of the People's War Group) and the People's Liberation Guerrilla Army (the military wing of MCCI) combined to form the People's Liberation Guerrilla Army.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.satp.org/satporgtp/countries/india/terroristoutfits/CPI_M.htm | title=Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) | publisher=satp.org | accessdate=31 August 2013}}</ref>

== Composition ==
The PLGA is controlled by the [[Central Military Commission]] of the CPI (Maoist).<ref name="guerrilla warfare">{{cite web | url=http://newindianexpress.com/states/kerala/article192205.ece?service=print | title=Dantawade a pointer to Maoist guerrilla warfare | work=The New Indian Express | date=8 April 2010 | accessdate=1 September 2013}}</ref> The analyses in September 2013, based on [[Maoist]]s' intercepted communication, suggested that the estimated number of PLGA members had decreased (from 10,000 − 12,000)<ref name="T-September">{{citation |title=Top Maoist Leader Ganapathi Admits To Leadership Crisis in Party |url=http://www.tehelka.com/top-maoist-leader-ganapathi-admits-to-leadership-crisis-in-party/ |author=Ushinor Majumdar |publisher=[[Tehelka]] |date=19 September 2013 |accessdate=15 October 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131016003451/http://www.tehelka.com/top-maoist-leader-ganapathi-admits-to-leadership-crisis-in-party/ |archive-date=16 October 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref> to 8,000 − 9,000.<ref>{{cite news |title=Reds in retreat |url=http://www.business-standard.com/article/beyond-business/reds-in-retreat-113092700488_1.html |first1=R. |last1=Krishna Das |first2=Sahil |last2=Makkar |first3=Probal |last3=Basak |first4=Dillip |last4=Satapathy |date=27 September 2013 |accessdate=15 October 2013 |newspaper=[[Business Standard]]}}</ref> Recently in March 2014, [[Gautam Navlakha]] has claimed that the PLGA's strength did not decrease but has increased, however, the guerrilla zone has been geographically reduced. He writes that "the number of companies and platoons of PLGA increased from 8 [[Company (military unit)|companies]] and 13 [[Platoon (military unit)|platoons]] in 2008 to 12 companies and more than 25 platoons, plus a supply platoon in 2013."<ref name="Gautam">{{cite web| title=Ambush amplifies a struggle |url=http://sanhati.com/excerpted/9499/ |first1=Gautam |last1=Navlakha |author-link=Gautam Navlakha |publisher=Sanhati |date=30 March 2014 |accessdate=16 May 2014}}</ref> All the PLGA members are volunteers and they do not receive any wages.<ref name="Walking with the Comrades">{{cite web | author-link=Arundhati Roy | url=http://www.outlookindia.com/article.aspx?264738-0 | title=Walking with the Comrades | publisher=[[Outlook (Indian magazine)|Outlook]] | date=29 March 2010 | accessdate=15 October 2013 | last1=Roy | first1=Arundhati | quote=It is an entirely voluntary army. Nobody is paid a salary.}}</ref> The count of ''Jan'' (People's) Militia is around 38,000 which is mostly composed of the tribal people who uses bows and arrows as their weapons and allegedly provide logistical support to the PLGA.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2013/08/2013812124328669128.html | title=Analysis: India's Maoist challenge | first1=Kamal | last1=Kumar | publisher=[[Al Jazeera]] | date=24 August 2013 | accessdate=31 August 2013}}</ref> During her visit to the Maoist's guerrilla zones few years back, [[Arundhati Roy]] noted that the PLGA was 45% female,<ref name="Walking with the Comrades" /> but the recent analyses suggests that now the female comrades compose 60% of the PLGA.<ref name="T-September"/> Now, the women commanders heads 20 of the 27 divisions in the [[Red corridor]].<ref name="Gautam"/> It has a military intelligence wing, Central Instruction Team and the Central Action Team.<ref name="guerrilla warfare" /> Maoists manufactures 80% of their arms and looted others from the security forces.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-12-21/delhi/35952735_1_maoists-cadres-dandakaranya-bastar | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131110160958/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-12-21/delhi/35952735_1_maoists-cadres-dandakaranya-bastar | url-status=dead | archive-date=10 November 2013 | title=LTTE training, police ammo strengthened Reds | date=21 December 2012 | work=[[The Times of India]] | accessdate=10 November 2013}}</ref> [[Kishenji]] was one of the commanders-in-chief of the PLGA who oversaw several attacks.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Flood |first1=Derek Henry |year=2010 |title=Kishenji:A Profile of the Leader of the Indian Maoist Insurgency |journal=Militant Leadership Monitor |publisher=The Jamestown Foundation |volume=1 |issue=4 |pages=8–11 |url=http://www.jamestown.org/uploads/media/Militant_Leadership_Monitor_-_Volume_I__Issue_4.pdf |accessdate=31 August 2013 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110409083455/http://www.jamestown.org/uploads/media/Militant_Leadership_Monitor_-_Volume_I__Issue_4.pdf |archivedate=9 April 2011 }}</ref>

== Notable attacks ==
On 6 April 2010, an attack on [[Central Reserve Police Force]] (CRPF) in their camp in [[Dantewada district]], Chhattisgarh [[April 2010 Maoist attack in Dantewada|killed 76 CRPF personnel]].<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/76-security-men-killed-by-naxals-in-chhattisgarh-414597 | title=76 security men killed by Naxals in Chhattisgarh}}</ref> This is considered to be the biggest attack by the armed wing of the Maoist. On 25 May 2013, the PLGA targeted the convoy of [[Indian National Congress|Congress]] leaders in Chhattisgarh; [[2013 Naxal attack in Darbha valley|twenty-seven people died]], including [[Mahendra Karma]], the founder of [[Salwa Judum]]. Karma had been the main target.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/chhattisgarh-attack-in-4-page-note-maoists-state-why-they-targeted-congress-leaders-372151 | title=Chhattisgarh attack: In 4-page note, Maoists state why they targeted Congress leaders | publisher=NDTV | date=28 May 2013 | accessdate=1 September 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/maoists-responsibility-for-attack-on-congress-leaders-in-chhattisgarh/1/273410.html | title=We punished Karma for launching Salwa Judum: Maoists | work=India Today | date=28 May 2013 | accessdate=1 September 2013}}</ref>

On 4 April 2021, [[2021 Sukma-Bijapur attack|Chhattisgarh Naxal attack]], A group of an estimated 400 Maoists, armed with LMGs, had ambushed security forces deployed for a special operation, killing at least 22 personnel and injuring 30 others, besides decamping with over a dozen sophisticated arms.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/chhattisgarh-encounter-who-is-maoist-leader-hidma-man-behind-the-ambush-of-22-soldiers-1787040-2021-04-04|title=Chhattisgarh encounter: Who is Maoist leader Hidma, man behind the ambush of 22 soldiers?}}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[Operation Green Hunt]]
* [[People's Liberation Army, Nepal]]
* [[People's Liberation Army of Manipur]]
* [[People's Liberation Army]]
* [[People's Liberation Front (Sri Lanka)]]
* [[New People's Army]]

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

[[Category:2004 establishments in India]]
[[Category:Communist militant groups]]
[[Category:Communist Party of India (Maoist)]]
[[Category:Guerrilla organizations]]
[[Category:Left-wing militant groups in India]]
[[Category:Maoist organisations in India]]
[[Category:Military units and formations established in 2004]]
[[Category:Military wings of political parties]]
[[Category:Naxalite–Maoist insurgency]]
[[Category:Volunteer organisations in India]]

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People's Liberation Guerrilla Army (India)