210 Naxalites Surrender in Chhattisgarh

Jagdalpur (Chhattisgarh):  In the largest ever mass surrender of Naxals in Chhattisgarh, 210 ultras, including one Central Committee Member (CCM) and 108 other senior cadres, on Friday laid down arms, ‘completely wiping out’ the bases of the ultras in the two rebel- strongholds in the Leftwing extremism- hit Bastar in the state.

The surrendered Maoists who included 110 females came along with 153 weapons including 92 automatic ones to surrender at Jagdalpur, headquarters of Bastar.

This is also the first time; such a large number of automatic weapons were returned in a mass surrender of Maoists in Chhattisgarh.

The senior cadres among the surrendered Maoists included one Central Committee Member (CCM), four members of Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee (DKSZC), one Regional Committee Member (RCM), 21 Divisional Committee Members (DVCMs), 61 Area Committee Members (ACMs), and 22 cadres of People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA).

“Maoist cadres, literally from top to bottom, in two divisions of the Naxals- Maad and North Bastar-, once considered their strongest pockets of influence in Bastar, were mostly among the surrendered ultras. It means the two pockets of influence of Maoists have now become Naxal-free”, a senior police officer told this newspaper, unwilling to be quoted.

Prominent among those surrendered included Rupesh alias T Vasudev Rao, who was the CCM and also held important posts of in-charge of North-Western Sub-Zonal Bureau and chief of military intelligence wing of Maoists, Ronita, secretary of Maad (Abujhmad) Divisional Committee and DKSZC members Rajman Mandavi alias Bhaskar, Raju Salam, Dhanu Vetti, and Ratan Elam.

The weapons returned by the surrendered Maoists included 19 numbers of AK 47, 17 numbers of Self-Loaded Rifles (SLRs), 23 numbers of INSAS rifles, one INSAS light machine gun (LMG), 36 numbers of .303 rifles, 11 numbers of barrel grenade launchers (BGLs), 41 numbers of 12 bore guns and one pistol.

Describing it a ‘landmark moment for Chhattisgarh’s anti-Naxal campaign’, chief minister Vishnu Deo Sai said that “For the long-troubled regions of Abujhmad and North Bastar, this unprecedented mass surrender will be recorded as a decisive turning point’ in the four-decade-long history of Leftwing extremism in Bastar.

Mr. Sai along with two deputy chief ministers Vijay Sharma and Arun Sahu and senior officers of Chhattisgarh police and Central forces were present on the occasion.

Mr. Sharma revealed that the mass surrender of Naxals led to the complete collapse of two divisions, Maad (Abujhmad) and North Bastar, three military companies of Maoists, one, five and ten, all units of North Bastar Zonal Bureau and zonal technical and communication wing of Maoists.

He admitted that the surrender of Maoists was linked to preconditions such as release of undertrial Naxals, lifting of ban on a tribal outfit, Mul Adivasi Sangh, and not to mount pressure on them to join the district reserve guard (DRG), a tribal counterinsurgency wing of Chhattisgarh police.

He said that the government would explore ways to fulfil them.

As a symbol of reintegration of the surrendered Maoists into the society, chiefs of various tribes welcomed them by presenting them roses.