On the first day of the Maoists’ party merger day in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur district, eight active Maoists surrendered before the police, abandoning violence on Saturday. A total of 8 Maoists surrendered, including the commander of platoon number 12 with a reward of Rs. 8 lakhs, a party member of platoon number 2 with a reward of Rs. 2 lakhs, the president of the Jantana Sarkar with a reward of Rs. 1 lakh and three Maoists with a reward of Rs. 11 lakhs.
The surrendered Naxalites were involved in many major incidents like arson, encounter, murder, loot, ID blast, kidnapping and murder since the year 1994. Warrants were also pending against some Naxalites. So far in the year 2024, 178 Maoists have surrendered before the police, while 378 Maoists involved in various Maoist incidents have been arrested.
Impressed by the Chhattisgarh government’s rehabilitation and surrender policy and the ‘Niyad Nella Nar’ scheme being run by the Chhattisgarh government, eight Maoists including the platoon commander (PPCM), party member and Jantana Sarkar president of Gangalur Area Committee, National Park Area Committee and Usur-Pamed Area Committee surrendered. On surrendering, they were given a cash incentive of Rs 25,000 each under the government’s surrender and rehabilitation policy to encourage them.
Also read: Naxal-affected people of Chhattisgarh told their plight to Murmu
When Naxal-affected people from Chhattisgarh met President Draupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Saturday, the victims told how Maoist attacks have destroyed their lives. This meeting was also meant to put forth the problems of the people affected by Naxal violence before the supreme power of the country and to appeal to free Bastar from the terror of Maoism.
A delegation of 70 people from the Naxal-affected Bastar region of Chhattisgarh, under the sensitive initiative of Chief Minister Vishnudev Sai, met President Draupadi Murmu to share their sufferings. The delegation apprised the President that the people of Bastar have been suffering the brunt of Maoist terror for the last four decades. Thousands of people have lost their lives in Maoist attacks and hundreds have been crippled. Landmines and bomb blasts have devastated their lives. The blasts have not only caused physical damage but have also completely shattered them mentally.
The representatives said that the Maoists have also destroyed their homes, land and culture. More than 8,000 people in Bastar have fallen victim to Maoist violence in the last two and a half decades. Even today many people are forced to live under the shadow of fear of Naxalites. While people in other parts of the country are enjoying freedom, the people of Bastar are fighting for their land and survival.
