Ballot Is Powerful Than A Bullet: CM Revanth

Hyderabad: In the biggest-ever surrender by Maoists in Telangana, 130 cadres of the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist) laid down their arms before Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy at the Integrated Command Control Centre (ICCC) in Banjara Hills on Saturday. They handed over 124 weapons in the presence of Director-General of Police B. Shivadhar Reddy and senior officials. Emphasising that violence had no place in a democracy, the Chief Minister said people’s problems can be resolved only through peaceful and democratic means.

“The ballot is more power ful than the bullet. Violence cannot be a solution to every problem. Let us resolve issues through dialogue and democratic processes,” he said, recalling that Mahatma Gandhi had led the country to independence through peaceful struggle. Of 130 Maoists who surrendered, 125 belonged to Chhattisgarh. The group included three state committee members, a regional committee member, 10 from divisional committees, 40 from area committees and 76 party activists. Four of the surrendered cadres are from Telangana and one from Andhra Pradesh. The cadres who joined the mainstream included 42 members of the first battalion of the People's Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA), 30 from the Telangana state committee (TSC), 32 from the Dandakarnya special zonal committee (DKSZC), 16 from the second CRS and 10 staff members attached to central committee leaders.

The weapons surrendered included a light machine gun, 31 AK-47 rifles, 21 Insas and 20 self-loading rifles, 18 .303 rifles and 33 other arms. The Maoists also handed over 5,205 rounds of live ammunition of various calibres. Chief Minister Revanth Reddy appealed to all members of the Maoist central committee, including its general secretary Muppala Lakshmana Rao alias Ganapathi, to lay down their arms and join the mainstream to participate in the reconstruction of Telangana. He said the remaining Maoists had 20 days to come forward and sur render as the Union government was determined to make the country Maoist-free by March 31. The Chief Minister said six senior Maoists who surrendered recently had met him on February 27 and conveyed that if certain assurances were given by the state and Central governments, all underground cadres, including Ganapathi, were ready to give up. Revanth Reddy said he had later met Union home minis ter Amit Shah in Delhi and placed before him the proposals. Revanth Reddy said the government was sympathetic towards surrendered Maoists and was prepared to withdraw cases wherever legally possible. If required, a committee would be constituted to review the pending cases. He added that the government would also consider increasing the financial rehabilitation package for surrendered cadres and would take responsibility for providing them better medical care. The Centre had already given states a free hand to extend healthcare, financial assistance and housing to surrendered Maoists, he said. He also congratulated the police for persuading the Maoists to surrender by assuring them of rehabilitation and a dignified life.

DGP Shivadhar Reddy said the surrender marked a major mile stone in the fight against Maoism. He said that with this development the PLGA, considered one of the three "magic weapons" of the Maoists, had effectively ceased to exist in the region. The DGP said that with Saturday's development the Telangana state committee of the banned outfit had also ceased to exist. He added that 250 Maoists had sur rendered before Telangana police in the last four to five months and a total of 721 cadres had laid down their arms since 2024. The DGP said only seven active under ground cadres from Telangana are now believed to be operating in different formations across the country.

For this particular lot of surrendered Maoists, the government announced rewards amounting to ₹4.18 crore, under the rehabilitation policy. Senior leaders who sur rendered include Endri Karithram alias Uike Kallu and Korsa Lakku (Battalion Party Committee Members), Chalasani Navatha alias Chandra (DKSZC member and Regional Political School member), Irpa Ramu alias Vinod (RCM), Muchaki Ungal alias Sudhakar (DVCM) and Pottam Aruna alias Saniki (DVCM). The incentives offered by the govern ment include ₹20 lakh for SCM-level leaders, ₹5 lakh for DVCM/CyPCM cadres, ₹4 lakh for ACM/PPCM cadres and ₹1 lakh for party members. In addition, 125 cadres from Chhattisgarh were given interim financial assistance of ₹25,000 each, officials said.