The Maharashtra–Madhya Pradesh–Chhattisgarh (MMC) Special Zonal Committee has issued a major offer to the state governments, expressing the readiness of its cadres to give up arms and join the mainstream by January 1, provided they receive assurances of security and a transparent rehabilitation process.
The offer, delivered in a letter addressed to the chief ministers of the three states on Thursday, comes amidst intensified anti-Maoist operations across the country.
Conditions for Surrender and Transition
Anant, spokesperson for the MMC Special Zonal Committee, underlined the urgency of securing the safety of surrendering cadres and their families, noting that previous rehabilitation efforts had often “remained on paper” and failed to protect those who returned to the mainstream.
To facilitate a peaceful transition, the Maoist committee has made several requests:
- Temporary Halt to Operations: A request for a temporary halt to security force operations in Maoist-affected areas until the surrender process is concluded.
- Reciprocal Ceasefire: In exchange, the committee promised that Maoist cadres would also cease all violent or organizational activity during the same period.
- Timeline Agreement: Anant referenced Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai’s comments suggesting a surrender could be completed in 10 to 15 days, agreeing to the timeline and reiterating that neither side should initiate offensive action until January 1.
- Confidence Building: A request for a meeting between government representatives and Maoist interlocutors in Madhya Pradesh to discuss key proposals and build confidence in the process.
As a proposed coordination mechanism, Anant stated that their cadres would be reachable via radio frequency 435.715 between 11 am and 11:15 am daily for the next month.
Context of Heightened Operations
This conditional offer follows significant successes against the Left-Wing insurgency, with the Union government setting a March 31, 2026, deadline for ending the conflict.
- Recent Successes: Security forces have neutralized over 270 Maoists over the past year across multiple states. Furthermore, at least 1,225 have surrendered, and 680 have been arrested. The killing of Maoist chief Nambala Kesava Rao, alias Basavaraju, on May 20 was marked as the most significant success in years.
- Reduced Scope: The Union government has noted that the number of Left-Wing insurgency-hit districts has fallen to 11, down from 18 in April.
The MMC committee is active in the strategically significant tri-junction forests of Gadchiroli (Maharashtra), Balaghat (Madhya Pradesh), and Rajnandgaon and Kabirdham (Chhattisgarh). This dense, multi-state region is a critical operational corridor historically used for logistics and recruitment.
As of the time of reporting, there was no immediate response from the three state governments regarding the MMC committee’s offer. The committee appealed to journalists and opinion makers to ensure trust in the peace and rehabilitation process is maintained.