In a significant development, 41 Naxalites, including 12 women, have laid down their arms in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur district. The surrendered cadres were reportedly disillusioned with the Maoist ideology and inspired by the government’s progressive surrender and rehabilitation policies. A striking detail is that 32 of these individuals carried a cumulative bounty of Rs 1.19 crore, highlighting their senior positions within the banned CPI (Maoist) outfit.
The surrendered rebels were primarily associated with the South Sub-Zonal Bureau, with members hailing from crucial committees like the Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee, the Telangana State Committee, and divisional units covering Dhamtari, Gariaband, and Nuapada. Officials stated that these cadres surrendered before senior police officers, expressing their desire to embrace a dignified and secure life within the constitutional framework.
Among the 41 individuals, nine carried an individual reward of Rs 8 lakh each. Others had bounties ranging from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 5 lakh. This mass surrender underscores the effectiveness of the ‘Poona Margham’ initiative, a rehabilitation drive by the Bastar range police aimed at reintegrating former Maoists into society. Since January 2024 alone, Bijapur has seen 790 Maoist cadres abandon violence, with a total of over 2,200 surrendering in Chhattisgarh over the past 23 months.