Dantewada: Days after Union Home Minister Amit Shah made an appeal to the Maoists to lay down arms and join the mainstream of development, as many as 26 Maoists including 3 carrying a collective bounty of Rs4.5 lakhs on their heads surrendered before the police in Chhattisgarh’s Dantewada district, said officials on April 7.
The surrendered took place at the headquarters of District Reserve Guard (DRG) under the flagship Lon Varatu (an appeal of home coming in local dialect) scheme being undertaken jointly by the security forces and the administration.
The initiative has turned out to be a major success in the insurgency-hit district since its inception, paving way for return of over 950 former members of the proscribed Maoist outfit in the mainstream, including 224 carrying bounties on their heads.
Senior officials of the police and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) were also present during the event, where the surrendered Maoists announced their reintegration into the mainstream, citing disillusionment with the extremist’s hollow ideology.
Each of the surrendered cadres will receive immediate assistance of Rs 50000 as per the new surrender cum victim rehabilitation policy of the state government. They will further be benefited by various training programs being run by the state government with an aim to organise the lives of surrendered Maoists.
#WATCH | Chhattisgarh | 26 Naxalites, including three with carrying rewards on their arrest, surrender before Dantewada Police
(Video source: Dantewada Police) pic.twitter.com/5Riienurui
— ANI (@ANI) April 7, 2025
Notably, over 500 Maoists have laid down weapons by joining the mainstream in the state since the beginning of this year, marking a major achievement for the security forces who have managed to gun down over 130 Maoist cadres in separate operations launched in the contemporary period. Over 800 Maoist cadres had also announced their return to the mainstream in the year 2024.
86 Maoists surrender in Telangana
Significantly, a total of 86 Maoists, including 20 female members of the banned CPI (Maoist) had also surrendered before the officials in Bhadradi Kothagudem district of Telangana on April 4.
The surrendered took place before the senior officials of the police under the Cheutha program, marking a significant success for the police in Bhadradi Kothgudem district, adjacent to the Chhattisgarh border.
Those who surrendered before the authorities were reportedly involved in various unlawful activities in the state of Chhattisgarh.
Union Home Minister Shah during his recent visit to the state had appealed to the extremists to lay down weapon and join mainstream. “The era of violence in Bastar is coming to an end. I appeal to my Maoist brothers to give up arms and join the mainstream as development cannot be blocked with bullets and bombs,” said the Minister while stressing that no one rejoices when a Maoist is killed as they are our own people.
