The Greyhounds’ last leap
The Greyhounds, Telangana's elite counter-insurgency police force, is undergoing a review of its operational strength and future role as Maoist insurgency-related activity in its traditional areas of operation has sharply declined.
The force completed over three decades of jungle-warfare operations against Left Wing Extremism (LWE) since its raising in 1989 in undivided Andhra Pradesh.
Official assessments of the force's preparedness and possible downsizing or role expansion are underway, reflecting the broader contraction of the Maoist insurgency across central India.
The force is reported to be exploring an expanded mandate beyond anti-Maoist operations as the security landscape in its former theatre of operations changes.
Left Wing Extremism (LWE) and the National Policy and Action Plan, 2015
Left Wing Extremism refers to the Maoist/Naxalite insurgency operating primarily in the tribal, forested belt of central and eastern India (the "Red Corridor"), seeking to overthrow the Indian state through armed struggle. The Government of India's National Policy and Action Plan (2015) adopted a multi-pronged approach combining security operations, development initiatives, and protection of local (especially tribal) rights and entitlements, rather than a purely security-centric response.
Key Details
- The 2015 policy is operationalised through the "SAMADHAN" doctrine — an acronym for Smart leadership, Aggressive strategy, Motivation and training, Actionable intelligence, Dashboard-based KPIs, Harnessing technology, Action plan for each theatre, and No access to financing.
- LWE-affected districts declined from 182 in 2014 to just 11 by October 2025, and further to near-zero by 2026, with only a handful of districts retaining "District of Concern" or "Legacy & Thrust" classification.
- LWE-related violent incidents fell from 2,213 in 2010 to 33 (up to 21 July 2026); related deaths fell from 1,005 to 11 over the same period.
The Greyhounds' reassessment of its role is a direct institutional consequence of this measured decline in LWE activity, which the SAMADHAN-era strategy explicitly aimed to achieve.
Specialised State Counter-Insurgency Forces
The Greyhounds were raised in 1989 by IPS officer K.S. Vyas as a specialised jungle-warfare unit of the (undivided) Andhra Pradesh Police to counter the growing Maoist insurgency, and are credited with substantially weakening Left Wing Extremism in the erstwhile state. Their operational model — recruiting personnel for jungle and guerrilla-warfare specific duty with a fixed age ceiling, after which they rotate back into regular policing — inspired the creation of analogous state-level forces in other LWE-affected states, alongside a dedicated central paramilitary unit.
Key Details
- Greyhounds personnel are trained specifically in guerrilla and jungle warfare and typically rotate out of the unit at age 35 into regular civil police service.
- Analogous state forces include Odisha's Special Operations Group (SOG), Maharashtra's C-60, and West Bengal's Counter Insurgency Force.
- At the central level, the CRPF's Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) was raised on 12 September 2008, with roughly ten CoBRA battalions approved between 2008 and 2011, specifically trained for guerrilla and jungle-warfare operations against Naxal insurgents.
The Greyhounds pioneered the specialised counter-insurgency template that state and central forces (CoBRA, SOG, C-60) later replicated; its current downsizing debate mirrors similar recalibration questions facing these sister forces as LWE recedes nationally.
Fifth Schedule, PESA Act 1996 and the Governance Dimension of Anti-LWE Strategy
Much of the Maoist insurgency's historical base lies in Fifth Schedule tribal areas across central India, where grievances over land, forest rights, and displacement have fuelled recruitment. The Panchayats (Extension to the Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996 (PESA) was enacted to extend self-governance through Gram Sabhas to Fifth Schedule areas, giving tribal communities a statutory say over local resources, minor forest produce, and land acquisition — treated by the government as a governance-side complement to security operations under the National Policy and Action Plan.
Key Details
- PESA was enacted on 24 December 1996, applicable to Fifth Schedule areas across states including Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh.
- Fifth Schedule of the Constitution provides for special administration of "Scheduled Areas" and "Scheduled Tribes" through the Governor and Tribes Advisory Councils.
- PESA mandates Gram Sabha consultation before land acquisition and grants Gram Sabhas powers over minor minerals, minor forest produce, and money-lending regulation in Scheduled Areas.
The Greyhounds' "future beyond the Maoist conflict" is set against a strategy that pairs security operations with tribal self-governance under PESA, intended to address the root socio-economic drivers of the insurgency the force was created to fight.
Judicial Limits on Counter-Insurgency: Salwa Judum and Nandini Sundar v. State of Chhattisgarh (2011)
Not all counter-insurgency models have withstood judicial scrutiny. Salwa Judum, a state-backed civilian militia formed in Chhattisgarh (2005) to counter Maoists, was challenged before the Supreme Court, which on 5 July 2011 in Nandini Sundar v. State of Chhattisgarh declared the appointment of tribal youths as Special Police Officers for counter-insurgency duties unconstitutional under Articles 14 and 21, ordering the state to disarm and disband the militia. This distinguishes a professional, trained state police force like the Greyhounds from an informally armed civilian militia.
Key Details
- Petition filed under Article 32 by sociologist Nandini Sundar, historian Ramachandra Guha, and former civil servant E.A.S. Sarma.
- The Court held that arming poorly trained, underpaid tribal youth as Special Police Officers violated the right to life and equality of both the SPOs and the local population.
- The judgment directed compensation for those affected and investigation of abuses attributed to Salwa Judum cadres.
The Greyhounds' longevity and institutional trust rest on their status as a trained, accountable state police force rather than an informal militia — the model the Supreme Court struck down in the Salwa Judum case.
- Greyhounds raised: 1989, by IPS officer K.S. Vyas, in undivided Andhra Pradesh.
- Operational age ceiling for Greyhounds personnel: 35 years, after which they transfer to regular civil police.
- LWE-affected districts: 182 (2014) to 11 (October 2025) to near-zero (2026, per Ministry of Home Affairs classification).
- LWE-related incidents: 2,213 (2010) to 33 (till 21 July 2026); LWE-related deaths: 1,005 (2010) to 11 (2026).
- CoBRA (CRPF) raised: 12 September 2008; around 10 battalions approved 2008–2011.
- PESA Act enacted: 24 December 1996; Salwa Judum declared unconstitutional: 5 July 2011 (Nandini Sundar v. State of Chhattisgarh).