Bijapur: In one of the largest-ever mass surrenders by left-wing extremists in a single day, 103 Maoists handed themselves over to authorities in Bijapur district, Chhattisgarh, on Thursday. Of these, 49 cadres carried a combined bounty of over Rs 1 crore, officials said.
The group, which included 22 women, cited disillusionment with the “hollow” ideology of the banned CPI (Maoist) and internal differences within the outfit. They were reportedly inspired by the development initiatives in Bastar, as well as government programs like Poona Margem (Rehabilitation for Social Reintegration), the ‘Niyad Nellanar’ scheme for village development, and the state’s new surrender and rehabilitation policy.
Among the surrenders, several senior cadres carried significant bounties. Lachhu Punem alias Santosh (36), Guddu Farsa (30), Bhima Sodhi (45), Hidme Farsa (26), and Sukhmati Oyam (27), all platoon party committee members, had rewards of Rs 8 lakh each. Other bounties included Rs 5 lakh for four cadres, Rs 2 lakh for 15, Rs 1 lakh for ten, Rs 50,000 for 12, and Rs 10,000 for three.
Bijapur Superintendent of Police Jitendra Kumar Yadav noted that the number of Revolutionary Party Committee members among the surrendering Maoists was high, reflecting the growing impact of security operations and voluntary rehabilitation. He added that the recent trend of Maoist leaders being killed or surrendering has encouraged others to abandon armed rebellion.
All the surrendering cadres were provided immediate financial assistance of Rs 50,000 each and will be rehabilitated under the government’s policy. So far this year, 410 Maoists have surrendered in Bijapur district, while 421 others have been arrested.
“Terms of the government’s rehabilitation policy are encouraging Maoists to shun violence. Families also want them to live a normal life and reintegrate with society,” the SP said, urging others to follow suit.
