In a significant blow to Maoist insurgency in the Bastar region, forty-one Naxalites, including twelve women and thirty-two who collectively carried bounties amounting to Rs 1.19 crore, surrendered before senior police officials in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur district on Wednesday, officials said.The cadres turned themselves in, stating that they were impressed by the state government’s new surrender and rehabilitation policy and the ongoing “Poona Margham” rehabilitation-for-social-reintegration drive of the Bastar range police, Bijapur Superintendent of Police Jitendra Kumar Yadav said.
Among the forty-one who laid down arms were four members of PLGA (People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army) Battalion No. 1 and various Maoist companies, three members of area committees, eleven platoon and area committee party members, two regular PLGA members, four militia platoon commanders, one militia deputy commander, six militia platoon members, and the rest belonging to frontal organisations of the outlawed CPI (Maoist).
Thirty-nine of these cadres belonged to the south sub-zonal bureau of the Maoists and were associated with the Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee, Telangana State Committee, and the Dhamtari-Gariaband-Nuapada divisions of the banned outfit.
Those who surrendered expressed complete faith in the Constitution and pledged to live a dignified and secure life within the democratic framework. Under the rehabilitation policy, each received an immediate financial assistance of Rs 50,000 as an incentive.
Among the key surrenderers carrying a reward of Rs 8 lakh each were Pandru Hapka alias Mohan (37), Bandi Hapka (35), Lakkhu Korsa (37), Badru Punem (35), Sukhram Hemla (27), Manjula Hemla (25), Mangali Madvi alias Shanti (29), Jairam Kadiyam (28), and Pando Madkam alias Chandni (35). Additionally, three cadres had a bounty of Rs 5 lakh each, twelve carried Rs 2 lakh each, and eight had Rs 1 lakh each.
Also Read: Seven Naxals killed in Bijapur anti-Maoist drive
SP Yadav said the state government’s rehabilitation policy has been encouraging Maoists to give up violence and return to the mainstream. He appealed to the remaining Maoists to abandon the path of violence.
“Maoists should shed misleading and violent ideologies and return to society without fear. The ‘Poona Margham’ drive ensures a secure, respectable, and self-reliant future for those who surrender,” he said.
With this latest surrender, a total of 790 Maoist cadres have quit violence and joined the mainstream in Bijapur district since January 2024. During the same period, 202 Naxalites were killed in separate encounters and 1,031 cadres arrested in the district.
Across Chhattisgarh, more than 2,200 Naxalites, including several top cadres, have surrendered in the last 23 months, according to police. The development is seen as a major setback to Maoist organisational strength in one of their traditional strongholds.
Also Read: 2 Naxalites killed in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur
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