India, April 1 -- With the Centre's target to eliminate Maoism from the country less than a year away, Sundarraj P, inspector general (IG) of Bastar range, who is leading the anti-Maoist operations in Chhattisgarh, sounded confident of meeting the March 31, 2026 deadline. Edited excerpts of his interview to HT:

Security forces have in the past tried to eliminate Maoism. What is different this time?

I won't speak much about the political reasons but the fact that we have the same party ruling at the Centre and in the state has helped. There is a clear focus to get rid of the Naxal menace and greater synergy with regard to the political decisions. This is a fact that can't be denied.

Operationally, the main advantage is the work done ove...