103 Naxalites, 49 of them with combined bounty of Rs 1 crore, surrender in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur

As many as 103 Naxalites, 49 of them carrying a collective bounty of more than Rs 1 crore, surrendered before authorities in Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh on Thursday, a police official said.

The cadres, including 22 women, turned themselves in before senior police and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) officials, citing disappointment with “hollow” Maoist ideology and differences within the banned outfit CPI (Maoist), Bijapur Superintendent of Police Jitendra Kumar Yadav said.

This was perhaps one of the largest-ever surrenders by Left-wing extremists in a single day in Chhattisgarh.

They were also impressed with development works being carried out in the Bastar region and decided to eschew the path of armed rebellion, he said.

The cadres said they were particularly impressed by “Poona Margem (Rehabilitation for Social Reintegration) - a rehabilitation initiative launched by Bastar Range police for Naxalites, ‘Niyad Nellanar’ (your good village) scheme of the Chhattisgarh government aimed at facilitating development works in remote villages, and the state administration’s new surrender and rehabilitation policy, the SP noted.

Of them, Lachhu Punem, alias Santosh (36), a divisional committee member of Maoists, Guddu Farsa (30), Bhima Sodhi (45), Hidme Farsa (26) and Sukhmati Oyam (27), all platoon party committee members, were carrying a reward of Rs 8 lakh each, he informed.

Among others, four Naxalites were carrying a reward of Rs 5 lakh each, 15 cadres a bounty of Rs 2 lakh each, ten a reward of Rs 1 lakh each, 12 cadres a reward of Rs 50,000 each, and three a bounty  of Rs 10,000 each, he said.

The number of RPC (Revolutionary Party Committee) members of Maoists among those who surrendered is high. They decided to quit the Left-wing extremist movement after several Maoist leaders were either killed by security forces or surrendered in the recent past, Yadav said.

With this, 410 Naxalites have surrendered in Bijapur district so far this year, while 421 others have been arrested, the SP stated.

“Terms of the government’s rehabilitation policy have been encouraging Maoists to shun violence.  The families of those who surrender also want them to live a normal life and integrate with society,” the SP affirmed, urging Maoists to return to mainstream society.

All the surrendered Naxalites were provided an immediate assistance of Rs 50,000 each and will be rehabilitated as per the government’s policy, police said.