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In yet another breakthrough for the security forces in Maoist-hit Chhattisgarh, a total of 35 Maoist cadres of the proscribed Communist Party of India Maoist (CPI Maoist) surrendered before the forces on Sunday, May 5.
Those who have laid down arms include three cades who have been carrying a bounty on their heads. The surrender includes of a number of women Maoist cadres who have opted to join the mainstream, citing discrimination and disgruntlement with the hollow ideology of the Maoist outfit.
Briefing the media about the development, Gaurav Rai, Superintendent of Police (SP), Dantewada, informed that Anti-Naxal operations are being carried out in the district, where a total of 35 Maoists, including of three who have been carrying a bounty of Rs 1 lakh each, have surrendered before the police.
Those who have surrendered were associated with the Bhairamgarh, Malangir and Katekalyan area committees of the outlawed Maoist outfit and were involved in carrying out illegal activities like obstructing roads, pasting posters, banners during Maoist shutdown calls.
The surrendered Maoist cadres will be provided with immediate financial assistance of Rs 25000 each, along getting benefits under the State government surrender and rehabilitation policy, added SP Rai. The SP further made an appeal to the Maoist to shun the path of violence and to join the mainstream.
Lone Varatu Shines in Dantewada
It must be noted that scores of cadres of the banned Maoist outfit have surrendered before the forces under the flagship ‘Lone Varatu Campaign’ (An appeal of homecoming in the local Gondi dialect) lately.
Earlier, in another significant breakthrough for the security forces, a total of 23 Maoists had also laid down their arms before the police in Dantewada on April 29. The surrendered cadres were reportedly active with the Bhairamgarh Area Committee of the outlaws. The surrender included as many as six female cadres who had parted ways with the banned CPI Maoist.
Those who had surrendered were indulged in illegal activities carried on behest of the Maoist outfit, including planting Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) with the aim of causing harm to security forces, obstructing roads and others.
The mass surrender of the cadres follows another similar development that took place on April 24 where as many as 18 Maoists, including 3 female cadres of the outlawed Maoist outfit had also surrendered before the forces .
Those Maoist who had surrendered were reportedly fed up with the ill treatment given to them during their association years in the proscribed outfit. Earlier, in another similar exercise, a total of 26 Maoists 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 Maoist affected Dantewada district of Chhattisgarh, a hotbed of insurgency for a decade.
Significantly, as many as 796 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 180 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 months have exaggerated more pressure on the outlaws, leading to the surrender of scores of local cadres who have decided to part ways with the Maoist outfit by joining the mainstream. Additionally, the forces in separate operation launched in the Maoist-affected region of the State have so far gunned down over 90 Maoist in the last four months alone.
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