DANTEWADA/RAIPUR: Dealing a severe blow to the insurgency in the Bastar region, 63 Maoist cadres surrendered en masse before security forces in Dantewada district on Friday. Police officials confirmed that 36 of the surrendered cadres carried a cumulative cash reward of ₹1.19 crore on their heads.
The surrender took place at the District Reserve Guard (DRG) office in Dantewada, marking a significant success for the district police’s ongoing rehabilitation initiatives.
High-Value Surrenders
According to Dantewada Superintendent of Police (SP) Gaurav Rai, the surrendered group comprises 45 men and 18 women. They were active across various divisions, including the Darbha Division, South Bastar, West Bastar, Maad Division, and areas bordering Odisha.
The breakdown of the bounties is significant:
• 7 cadres carried rewards of ₹8 lakh each.
• 7 cadres carried rewards of ₹5 lakh each.
• 8 cadres carried rewards of ₹2 lakh each.
• 11 cadres carried rewards of ₹1 lakh each.
• 3 cadres carried rewards of ₹50,000 each.
Impact of ‘Lone Varratu’ and ‘Puna Margam’
Officials stated that the cadres were disillusioned with the hollow ideology of the outlawed CPI (Maoist) and were influenced by the district’s aggressive rehabilitation campaigns.
The ‘Lone Varratu’ (Return to your home/village) campaign, launched to encourage local cadres to drop arms and return to the mainstream, has been particularly effective. Additionally, the ‘Puna Margam’ (Rehabilitation to Rejuvenation) initiative played a crucial role in today’s development.
Inspector General of Police (Bastar Range) Sundarraj P described the surrender as a “transformative step” towards lasting peace in the conflict-ridden region.
Rehabilitation and Aid
Following the surrender, the former cadres were provided with immediate assistance and will be rehabilitated as per the Chhattisgarh government’s surrender and rehabilitation policy. This includes financial aid, housing support, and vocational training to help them reintegrate into society.
This development comes as security forces continue to intensify operations in the Bastar division, pushing the Maoist leadership into a corner while simultaneously offering an olive branch to lower-rung cadres willing to join the mainstream.
