In a significant blow to Maoist insurgency in Chhattisgarh, 23 hardcore Naxalites, including three couples and 11 senior cadres, surrendered before police and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) officials in Sukma district on Saturday. The surrendered Naxalites, many of whom were active in the People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA) battalion no.1, were carrying a cumulative bounty of ₹1.18 crore.
Sukma Superintendent of Police Kiran Chavan said the surrender reflects the weakening of PLGA battalion no.1 — one of the Maoists’ most formidable armed wings — as a result of intensified anti-Naxal operations near the Sukma-Bijapur border. “This battalion is weakening, and its members have been continuously quitting Naxalism,” he stated.
Disillusionment with Maoist Ideology and Tribal Atrocities
According to Chavan, the surrendered cadres, which included nine women, expressed disappointment with the “hollow” Maoist ideology, internal conflicts within the organisation, and atrocities inflicted upon innocent tribals. Several of them had been associated with the Aamdai, Jagargunda, and Kerlapal area committees.
The most prominent among the surrendered was Lokesh alias Podiam Bhima (35), a divisional committee member, along with ten others, including Ramesh alias Kalmu Kesa (23), Kawasi Masa (35), Madkam Hunga (23), Nuppo Gangi (28), Punem Deve (30), Paraski Pandey (22), Madvi Joga (20), Nuppo Lachchu (25), Podiam Sukhram (24), and Dudhi Bheema — each of whom carried a bounty of ₹8 lakh.
ALSO READ: 22 Naxalites with ₹37.5 lakh bounty surrender in Chhattisgarh’s Narayanpur
In addition, four other cadres carried a reward of ₹5 lakh, one carried ₹3 lakh, and seven others had a bounty of ₹1 lakh each.
Government Assistance and Rehabilitation
Each of the surrendered Naxalites has been provided with ₹50,000 in financial assistance and will be rehabilitated under the state’s surrender and rehabilitation policy, Chavan confirmed.
The development comes just a day after 22 Naxalites surrendered in Narayanpur district. Those individuals were active in the Abhujmad region and carried a combined bounty of ₹37.5 lakh.
