VIJAYAWADA: Six Maoists, some of them hardcore and carrying rewards on their heads, have surrendered in Andhra Pradesh and said they are fed up with the militancy. DGP Gautam Sawang made an announcement about their surrender, here on Thursday.
"The tribals in AP do not support Maoists. Hence Maoists are trying to recruit people from other states to their ranks," the DGP told the media.
Among the six, all of them CPI (Maoist) activists of AOBSZC (Andhra Odisha Special Zonal Committee), was Chikkudu Chinna Rao @ Sudheer, divisional committee member (DCM) of Peddabailu-Korukonda. He was commander of the divisional command at Kondrungu village in Pedabayalu mandal of Visakhapatnam district, who carried a reward of Rs 5 lakh on his head.
The second was Vanthala Vannu @ Mahitha @ Sailu, area committee member (ACM) of Pedabayalu – Korukonda belonging to Sampangigondi of GK Veedhi mandal in Visakhapatnam district. He carried on his head a reward of Rs 4 lakh.
Madakam Somidi, area committee member (ACM) of Pedabailu – Korukonda and wife of Ranadev (DCM who died) belonging to Durda village in Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh state, was another, who carried on her a reward of Rs 4 lakh.
Another was Madakam Manglu @Deepak, protection team member who belonged to Bidiya Bhoomi village of Chhattisgarh, who carried a reward Rs 1 lakh for his capture.
Yet another arrested, Poyam Rukini @ Rinky belonged to Mavada village of Chhattisgarh carried on her a reward of Rs 1 lakh. The last was Sodi Bheeme, who belonged to Koyila village of Chhattisgarh and carried a reward of Rs 1 lakh.
Surrendered Maoist Chinna Rao said the pitiable conditions of tribal populations have changed due to implementation of welfare schemes and development activities by the government led by chief minister Jaganmohan Reddy.
This apart, lack of local public support, poor response to Maoist recruitment from local adivasi habitations and the direct reaching out of benefits to the poor via various government schemes have prompted them to shun Maoist activities, he said.
The surrendered women Maoists said discrimination of top cadres who hailed from the plains towards the Adivasi cadre and neglect of women cadres in the party were reasons why they were fed up with the Maoist movement.
DGP Sawang said tribals’ disillusionment with the obsolete Maoist ideology, the series of exchanges of fire, arrests and surrenders in the recent past, the attractive surrender and rehabilitation policy, the establishment of new police camps in AOBSZC area and a drastic decrease in the party’s mass base in strategic areas etc have distanced tribals from the Maoists.
This apart, the extensive police out-reach as also the welfare and developmental programmes in interior tribal areas also prompted them to quit the Maoist movement for good.
