In another breakthrough for the security forces in Maoist affected Bastar division of Chhattisgarh, a total of 23 Maoist have lay down their arms before the police in Dantewada on Monday, April 29. Those who have surrendered were reportedly active with the Bhairamgarh Area Committee of the outlaws.
The mass surrender exercise has taken place under the flagship ‘Lone Varatu’ (An appeal for homecoming in local Gondi dialect) campaign being run by the police in the insurgency-hit district. The surrender includes of as many as six female cadres associated with the banned Communist Party of India Maoist (CPI Maoist).
Those who have surrender were part of illegal activities carried on behest of the Maoist outfit including planting Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) with an aim to cause harm to security forces, obstructing roads and other.
The surrendered Maoist will be provided with an immediate financial assistance of Rs25000 each and will also get benefits under the State government surrender and rehabilitation policy.
Speaking with the media, Superintendent of police (Sp), Smritik Rajnaala informed that ‘Lone Varatu’ campaign is being run by the police, we are also making the people aware about the State government surrender and rehabilitation policy. Today as many as 23 Maoist have surrender out of which a total of 20 cadres have surrender before the District Reserve Guard while the rest have lay down arms before the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).
“Those who have surrendered will be provided with an immediate financial help along with other benefits provided under the State government surrender and rehabilitation policy. We appeal to the Maoist to shun the path of violence and return to the mainstream,” added Sp Rajnala further.
String of surrenders
It must be noted that this is overall the third occasion where mass surrender of the Maoist cadres has taken place in the month of April alone. Earlier in a similar development reported on Wednesday as many as 18 Maoists including 3 female cadres of the outlawed Maoist outfit had also surrendered before the forces .
Those who have surrendered were reportedly fed up with the ill treatment given to them during their association years in the proscribed outfit.
Briefing about the development, Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP), Sushma Patel, informed that “persistent efforts are being made by the police to make the villagers aware of the counter-insurgency and ‘Lone Varatu’ campaign, which has resulted in surrender of Maoist in large numbers.”
“As many as 18 Maoists, including militia members, members of Chetna Natya Mandali (CNM), Kisan Adivasi Mazdoor Sangh (KAMS), Dandkaranya Adivasi Kisan Mazdoor Sangh (DAKMS) under the Bhairamgarh Area Committee and KMS members of the Malangir Area Committee, have surrendered before the police,” added ASP Patel.
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Earlier, in another similar exercise a total of 26 Maoist had also turned themselves before the police and surrendered under “Lone Varatu” in Dantewada district on April 15.
“Those who have surrendered were all part of the banned CPI Maoist and were fed up with the anti-development, anti-people hollow ideology of the insurgents”, said Superintendent of Police (SP), Dantewada, Gaurav Rai in a press briefing. The development marked its significance as it had occurred on a day when the Maoist outfit had given a call for a shutdown,
“Lone Varatu Campaign”
Commenced in June 2020, the flagship campaign has turned out to be a success story for the security forces in Dantewada district of Chhattisgarh, which have been badly affected by left wing terrorism for over a decade.
Significantly, as many as 761 active cadres of the banned Maoist outfit have so far surrendered under the flagship campaign. Those who have surrendered under the initiative also include as many as 177 Maoists who were carrying a reward at the time of surrender.
The campaign was launched mainly with the aim to outreaching those local youths who had mistakenly joined the outlawed outfit under the influence of Maoist propaganda and wanted to make a come back in the mainstream by shunning the path of violence.
It should be noted that the security forces in recent few months have exaggerated more pressure on the outlaws leading to surrenders of scores of local cadres who have decided to part ways with the Maoist outfit by joining the mainstream.
