A sensational letter from Mallojula Venugopal alias Sonu, a Central Committee and Politburo member of the CPI (Maoist), has stirred political and security circles. In his latest 22-page letter released on Monday, Sonu admitted that the revolutionary movement has weakened drastically and declared that the only way to revive it is by returning to the people.
He openly accepted that the once-powerful Maoist movement in India has now reached a near-extinction phase. Recalling the Central Government’s Operation Kagar, aimed at eliminating Naxalism completely by 2026, he noted that the operation has already decimated several top Maoist leaders in the Dandakaranya region, leaving the organization severely weakened.
In his letter addressed to fellow Maoists, Sonu wrote, “I take full responsibility for the mistakes made by the party and for failing to protect the revolutionary movement. I seek forgiveness as a Politburo member.” He stated that after witnessing the immense losses and sacrifices suffered by the movement, he no longer considers himself fit to continue in leadership.
Acknowledging that the timing of his decision might appear inappropriate during the party’s current crisis, he said that circumstances had forced him to speak out. “When hundreds of comrades are being lost, it’s time to abandon rigid and extremist ideologies and focus on saving those who remain,” he emphasized.
Sonu revealed that during his 28 years on the Central Committee and 18 years in the Politburo, he had observed serious internal flaws. He recalled that since 1998, the movement in the then undivided Andhra Pradesh had been declining, and by 2005, it had almost collapsed. He also mentioned the strategic shift of forces from North Telangana to Dandakaranya in 2003, which he now calls a “historical blunder.”
He criticized the leadership’s failure to connect with ground realities — including the rejection of government-issued land titles to tribal farmers and opposition to welfare measures like Aadhaar cards and government schools. “We underestimated the state’s strength and overestimated our own,” he wrote.
Calling for a new approach, Venugopal appealed to his comrades to end unnecessary sacrifices and adopt innovative methods to rebuild trust among the people. “The final victory will always belong to the people, not to weapons,” he concluded, urging his fellow Maoist leaders to read his letter carefully, discuss it collectively, and take a thoughtful decision for the movement’s survival.
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