78 Maoists say farewell to arms in Chhattisgarh; CM declares Naxalism collapsing on every front

Kanker/Sukma/Kondagaon | In a big blow to the Naxal movement, as many as 78 Maoists, including 43 women and at least two members of the CPI (Maoist)'s Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee, surrendered in three districts of Chhattisgarh on Wednesday, officials said.

This development follows Tuesday's mass surrender by senior Naxalite Mallojula Venugopal Rao alias Bhupathi and 60 other cadres in Gadchiroli district of neighbouring Maharashtra.

The Maoists who surrendered separately before authorities in Chhattisgarh's Bastar region also deposited more than three dozen weapons, including seven AK-47 rifles, as Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai hailed their move to give up armed struggle, saying the Left-wing extremism is collapsing.

In Sukma district, 27 Naxalites, including ten women, laid down their arms. Among them, 16 Naxalites were carrying a collective bounty of Rs 50 lakh, officials said.

In Kanker district, 50 Naxalites, including two members of the Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee (DKSZC), a key body of the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist), and 32 female cadres, turned themselves in at a Border Security Force (BSF) camp.

Kanker is the adjoining district of Gadchiroli.

The vast Dandakaranya region comprises the Bastar region and border areas of Maharashtra, Telangana, Odisha and Andhra Pradesh.

A woman cadre, carrying a bounty of Rs 5 lakh, surrendered in Kondagaon district.

A group of Maoist cadres led by Rajman Mandavi and Raju Salam, both members of the DKSZC, reached the Kamtera camp of BSF's 40th battalion under Koylaibeda police station limits in Kanker and turned themselves in, an official said.

They also surrendered 39 weapons, including seven AK-47 rifles, two Self-Loading Rifles, and four INSAS rifles, an INSAS LMG (light machine gun), and a Sten gun, he said.

The surrenders cadres include five members of the divisional committee -- Prasad Tadami, Heeralal Komra, Jugnu Kowachi, Narsingh Netam, and Nande (wife of Rajman Mandavi). The others included 21 area committee members and 21 party members, he said.

The Naxals, who surrendered in Sukma before senior police and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) officials, cited disillusionment with the "hollow" Maoist ideology, atrocities committed by Naxalites on innocent tribals and the growing influence of security forces, for shunning the path of armed movement, Sukma Superintendent of Police Kiran Chavan said.

The cadres said they were also impressed by the 'Niyad Nellanar' (your good village) scheme of the Chhattisgarh government, aimed at facilitating development works in remote villages, and terms of the state's new surrender and rehabilitation policy, he said.

The surrendered cadres in Sukma included Oyam Lakhmu (53), a member of the People's Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA) battalion No 1, considered the strongest military formation of Maoists. He carried a reward of Rs 10 lakh on his head, the official said.

Three others -- Madvi Bhima (18), a party member in a military platoon unit of PLGA battalion No 1, Sunita alias Kawasi Somdi (24), and Sodi Mase (22), members of regional military company No 2 -- carried a bounty of Rs 8 lakh each, he said.

Besides, a cadre carried a reward of Rs 3 lakh, two cadres had a bounty of Rs 2 lakh each, and nine cadres of Rs 1 lakh each, he said.

The surrendered cadres in Sukma were provided an immediate assistance of Rs 50,000 each and will be rehabilitated as per the government's policy, Chavan added.

A woman cadre, Geeta alias Kamli Salaam, an area committee member who was active as commander of tailor team under East Bastar division of the Maoists and carried a bounty of Rs 5 lakh, surrendered in Kondagaon, another official said.

With this, around 2,000 Naxals have surrendered in Chhattisgarh since December 2023, when the BJP came to power in the state after a five-year Congress rule.

In a post on 'X', Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai said, "Naxalism, which challenged the country's internal security, is now collapsing on every front and is going through its final stage.

The surrender of 61 Naxalites, including Maoist politburo member Bhupathi, in Gadchiroli was a decisive blow to the Naxalite ideology, he stated.

"Our valiant security forces are fighting this battle day and night with indomitable courage and are achieving success," the CM noted.

Sai said he has full faith that under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the leadership of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, the goal of a Naxal-free India by March 31, 2026, will be achieved.

Notably, Shah has underlined the government's resolve to eradicate Naxalism, largely concentrated in the Bastar region, by March 31, 2026.