GADCHIROLI: Former CPI (Maoist) leader Mallojula Venugopal Rao alias Sonu Bhupathi, on February 19, appealed to Maoist cadres still operating in the jungles to lay down arms and surrender. He stated that the time has come for those involved in armed struggle to return to the mainstream and work among the people.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with ANI on Thursday, Sonu, who surrendered on October 15, 2025, along with 60 People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA) fighters, said changing ground realities have made continued armed struggle impractical and urged remaining cadres to follow the same path.
In a landmark development last year, the 69-year-old former PLGA central military commission chief, carrying a bounty of Rs 60 lakh, had trekked nearly 25 kilometres from his Maoist encampment to the designated surrender point.
His second-in-command, Prabhakaran, was initially part of the surrender contingent but reportedly disappeared into the forests along with four women guerrillas during the final stretch of the journey. Bhupathi’s surrender marked the end of a 35-year journey as a Maoist outlaw, during which he exercised significant influence over the outfit’s military stronghold in Abujmarh, Chhattisgarh.
Officials described the surrender as a turning point in counter-insurgency operations and said rehabilitation and reintegration measures would be extended to surrendered cadres.
Reflecting on his decision, Sonu said, “This was not a one-day decision. I had been observing the party’s functioning for years and thinking about the mistakes we made.” He explained that ideological differences began surfacing for him around 2003 while he was part of the leadership structure.
“I served as a Central Committee member for 28 years and a PB Politburo member for 18 years. I repeatedly raised my views, but the organisation failed to change direction,” he said.
Admitting strategic failures, Sonu said the Maoist movement misread both the Indian state and its own capabilities.
“There is a principle, know your enemy and know yourself. We failed on both counts,” he said, adding that the organisation overestimated its armed strength and underestimated the Indian state. According to him, this miscalculation weakened the movement over time and pushed it towards decline.
He said the biggest mistake was the inability to build mass support. “People support struggles based on their own issues, but we focused mainly on weapons,” he added.
Sonu admitted that the idea of creating permanent revolutionary base areas in India remained unrealistic and that the movement gradually shrank from activity across several states to limited areas in Dandakaranya.
“We were speaking one thing while conditions on the ground were different,” he said. Sonu also acknowledged that opposing certain welfare measures had damaged the movement’s credibility among tribal communities.
“The PESA law and Forest Rights Act started helping people in places like Gadchiroli, but we opposed these schemes. That was a wrong approach,” he said.
He described Gram Sabha-led governance initiatives in Maharashtra as a lifeline for Adivasis and said such changes reduced support for armed rebellion.
Speaking about the period before surrender, Sonu said he held discussions with fellow cadres, and many chose to leave with him.
“Hundreds came out with us. Those who initially opposed later realised conditions had changed,” he said, adding that several cadres from Telangana also left the movement. He claimed that after the 2021 encounters, no general secretary was officially appointed within CPI (Maoist).
“Media created that narrative, but till today there is no general secretary,” he said.
He further revealed that demonetisation had dealt a major financial blow to Maoist networks. “We suffered huge losses because large amounts of money could not be exchanged. Some funds were never returned,” he said, adding that he personally handled around Rs 20 crore at one point.
He also acknowledged that weapons were largely obtained through raids carried out by the PLGA on police camps and stations.
Explaining why he chose Gadchiroli for surrender, Sonu said he had worked extensively in Maharashtra under the name Bhupathi and had witnessed development changes in the region. “I learned from Gadchiroli and saw development there. That influenced my decision,” he said.
He added that appeals from the government encouraging Maoists to return to mainstream life also contributed to the collective decision taken by his group.
Now living outside the jungle after decades underground, Sonu reiterated his appeal to those still active in the insurgency. “Conditions have changed. Armed struggle cannot continue in today’s situation. They should temporarily lay down arms and work among the people,” he said.
He stressed that movements must adapt to changing realities and added, “We cannot remain trapped in dogma.”
Sonu said he intends to remain in Maharashtra and work within constitutional limits.
“It is because of the Constitution that we came out. We will work according to it and raise people’s issues,” he said, adding that movement and politics are interconnected and that he now wants to continue his work through democratic means. (With inputs from ANI)
