India's Maoist insurgency once controlled 200 districts across ten states, with varying degrees of fear or allegiance. It now has control of only seven. Over 12,000 people died in Naxal-related violence between 2000 and 2019. In 2024, that number was 290, which is still significant, but a fraction of what it was before. Reports  indicate that no new cadres have been recruited since 2019.  Illustration by The Geostrata To truly grasp the reality of a Naxal cleanup, one must g