41 Maoist Underground Cadres Surrendered Before Telangana Police
The cadres surrendered along with 24 firearms including an INSAS Light Machine Gun (LMG), three AK-47 rifles, five SLR rifles, seven INSAS rifles, one a Barrel-Launched Grenade Launcher (BGL) gun, four.303 rifles, one single shot rifle and two air guns
Hyderabad: In a major setback to the banned CPI (Maoist), as many as 41 underground cadres, including six senior functionaries of Company Platoon Committee Member and Divisional Committee Member rank (CyPCMs/DVCMs) surrendered before Telangana Director-General of Police B Shivadhar Reddy here on Friday.
They surrendered along with 24 firearms including an INSAS Light Machine Gun (LMG), three AK-47 rifles, five SLR rifles, seven INSAS rifles, one a Barrel-Launched Grenade Launcher (BGL) gun, four.303 rifles, one single shot rifle and two air guns.
The surrendered cadres formally renounced violence and joined the mainstream of society. Producing the surrendered Maoists before the media, Reddy said the surrender represents a significant erosion of organisational strength, morale, and leadership credibility of the CPI (Maoist).
As part of the surrender process, the cadres handed over 24 firearms and 733 live rounds of ammunition of various calibres and eight BGL shells. The surrender of weapons has significantly weakened the operational and combat capability of the CPI (Maoist) in the region.
The surrender follows the appeal made by Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on October 21, urging Maoist cadres to abandon violence, return to the mainstream, and participate in the saturation of development and welfare of the State and its people.
The surrendered cadres stated that their decision was driven by the CPI (Maoist) leadership that has been arbitrarily deploying cadres to unfamiliar and distant areas without their consent, often to regions where they lack basic geographical knowledge and local support. This has resulted in serious mobility constraints and acute logistical difficulties, including shortages of essential day-to-day necessities. Such conditions have caused growing frustration and hardship among the cadres, compelling many to disengage from the CPI (Maoist) organisation and choose to return to the mainstream of society.
Sustained pressure from security forces and non-cooperation and dilution of their logistic networks resulted in restricted mobility and operational setbacks. Ideological divergence and disillusionment, arising from the growing gap between leadership and ground realities was also one reason apart from internal rifts, factionalism, and leadership disputes within various formations of the CPI (Maoist).
Harsh living conditions, deteriorating health, and prolonged separation from families coupled with weakening of relevance towards ideology was another reason for surrendering before the police. Their decision reflects a positive, conscious, and pragmatic response to the State government’s appeal and a clear rejection of the path of extremism, for a State where public consciousness is towards development and peace.
The cadres have chosen to prioritise their health, family life, and personal dignity, and to lead a peaceful, law-abiding life through rehabilitation and reintegration.