CHHATTISGARH, BIJAPUR: Thirty Naxalites, including nine women, turned themselves in to police and paramilitary troops in the Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh on Wednesday. This was a big blow to the Naxal cause. This mass surrender is a big win for the ongoing counter-insurgency efforts in the area. The 20 surrendered cadres alone have a total bounty of ₹79 lakh.
Bijapur Superintendent of Police Jitendra Kumar Yadav says that the Naxalites who gave up are high-ranking members who had been active for years. Sonu Hemla, also known as Koroti, is one of them. He is a member of the divisional committee and the head of the Maoist’s KK sub-division bureau. He has been active since 2003. Hemla and his wife, Sukdi Gawde, each got a reward of ₹8 lakh and ₹2 lakh.
Other important surrenders are Kallu Punem and Kosi Kunjam, who are members of the platoon party committee, and Moti Punem and Pande Punem, who are party members. Chhotu Kunjam, a member of the People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA), too gave up. There was a ₹8 lakh bounty on each of these people’s heads. Also, two of the surrendered cadres had a bounty of ₹5 lakh apiece, nine had a bounty of ₹2 lakh each, and two more had bounties of ₹50,000 each.
This latest occurrence brings the total number of Naxalites who have given up in Bijapur district since the start of this year to 307.
The police officer said that the Naxalites decided to give up because they were becoming more and more disillusioned with what he called “hollow” Maoist doctrine, fighting inside the group, and the increased violence against local tribal tribes.
The surrendering cadres also said that they trusted the state government’s attempts to help them get back on their feet. They were especially impressed by the “Niyad Nellanar” (Your Good Village) program, which focuses on development in distant communities that have been devastated by Naxal violence. They also liked the new state surrender and rehabilitation policy. The Bastar Police are also operating a unique program called “Poona Margham” (A New Path) to help Naxals who give up their weapons get back on their feet.
To help them get back into mainstream life, all of the surrendered Naxalites were given ₹50,000 each right away.
The surrender operation worked because several parts of the state police worked together with the 199th, 170th, and 85th battalions of the CRPF and the 202nd battalion of the CoBRA (Commando Battalion for Resolute Action).
The Superintendent of Police ended by stressing how well these government programs have worked to bring peace and development to areas affected by Naxal violence. He said that the new rules give surrendered Maoists a clear road to rehabilitation, work, and education, while also helping people who have been hurt by Maoist violence.