In a historic development in Chhattisgarh’s fight against Left Wing Extremism (LWE), 208 Naxalites surrendered at an event held in Jagdalpur, Bastar on Friday. He was welcomed back into the mainstream and during this he also held the Indian Constitution in his hands.
According to officials, the surrendered group includes 110 women and 98 men, representing different strata of the banned CPI (Maoist) outfit.
These include one Central Committee Member (CCM), four Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee (DKSZC) members, one Regional Committee Member, 21 Divisional Committee Members (DVCM), 61 Area Committee Members (ACMS), 98 Party members and 22 PLGA/RPC/other workers.
Top Maoist leaders who laid down arms included Rupesh alias Satish (central committee member), Bhaskar alias Rajman Mandavi (DKSZC member), Ranita (DKSZC member), Raju Salam (DKSZC member), Dhannu Vetti alias Santu (DKSZC member) and Ratan Elam (regional committee member).
153 weapons were surrendered by the Maoists during the operation, including 19 AK-47 rifles, 17 SLR rifles, 23 INSAS rifles, one INSAS LMG, 36.303 rifles, four carbines, 11 BGL launchers, 41 twelve-bore or single-shot guns and one pistol.
Officials described the surrender as one of the most significant successes in recent years and said it underlines the growing success of the government’s Naxal Eradication and Rehabilitation Policy 2025, which combines development, dialogue and confidence-building measures to encourage militants to return to the mainstream.
Officials said that with this, most of Abujhmad has been freed from Naxalite influence, due to which the red terror that had been going on for decades in North Bastar has ended.
“Now only South Bastar is affected,” top government officials said.
Earlier on Thursday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah had announced that 258 Naxalites have surrendered in Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra in the last two days.
Describing the development as a “historic day” in the fight against Naxalism in the country, Shah said the problem is now “taking its last breath.”
According to the Home Minister, 170 Naxalites surrendered in Chhattisgarh on Thursday, whereas a day earlier 27 Naxalites had laid down arms in the same state. On Wednesday, 61 Naxalites surrendered in Maharashtra.