Raipur: In a significant success for security forces in Chhattisgarh’s Naxal-hit Bastar division, over hundred Maoists surrendered before the officials in Bijapur district, marking one of the largest surrender by members of Maoist’s outfit in a single day.
103 Maoists including 22 female cadres turned themselves before senior officials of the police and the Central Reserve Police Force [CRPF] on October 2, citing disappointment with “hollow ideology” of Maoists.
Those who laid down weapons were impressed by “Poona Margem,” a rehabilitation initiative of police in Bastar region and other welfare schemes. They were also impressed by the development work being carried out in the remote regions of the Bastar division under schemes like Niyad Nellanar, said officials.
“This is not merely a surrender but defeat of the Maoist ideology sustained for decades through violence,” remarked another senior official.
Among the surrendered lot, 6 were carrying a bounty of Rs 8 lakh each while 4 of them had a reward of Rs 5 lakh each as announced by the state. In all 49 of the surrendered Maoists were carrying a cumulative bounty of over Rs 1 crore.
Majority of those, who laid down weapons on Thursday were associated with the Revolutionary People’s Committee of the banned group.
The terms of the government’s rehabilitation policy have been encouraging Maoists to shun violence. Their families also wanted them to lay down arms and live a normal life by re-integrating with the society, said one of the officials.
All of the surrendered Maoists were given a financial assistance of Rs 50,000 each as provisioned in the state’s Surrender cum Victim Rehabilitation Policy.
Reacting to the development, Chhattisgarh deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma in a post on social media said ” The surrender and rehabilitation policy and Niyad Nellanar scheme of the government has installed a new ray of hope and belief in the misguided people, walking on the path of red terror.”
It must be noted that intensified campaign of security forces backed by smooth and swift implementation of government welfare schemes and development works in remote areas have encouraged a large number of former Maoists to surrender arms and join the mainstream lately.
With the latest inclusion on Thursday, over 400 Maoists have so far laid down weapons in Bijapur district since January this year alone. Notably over 1700 Naxals have joined the mainstream after parting ways with the extremist group in the last two years, marking a major turnaround in state’s insurgency-hit Bastar division.
