Chikkamagaluru, Dec 9 (DHNS): Two Maoist leaders from Sringeri taluk, actively involved with the Maoist movement for more than a decade, surrendered before the district authorities on Monday.

The surrender, in response to the State government’s naxal surrender and rehabilitation initiative, took place in the presence of the members of a state-level committee and Shantigaagi Nagarika Vedike.

The district administration took the duo into custody and initiated legal proceedings. “As decided by the State-level committee, the two have surrendered to the district administration. We have taken them into custody according to law. The court will decide the next course of action,” Deputy Commissioner (DC) B S Shekarappa and Superintendent of Police R Chetan said in a joint statement.

The process of recording the self-declaration of the duo went on till 6 pm at the DC’s office. Since a number of cases are pending against the two surrendered Maoists at the Sringeri and Koppa taluk police stations, they will be produced in court in either of the two taluks, the DC said.

The duo had been underground since 2005. On Monday, they arrived at the traveller’s bungalow here at 1.50 pm by car, accompanied by Prof V S Sridhar. Members of the State-level committee for naxal surrender, rehabilitation package/joining mainstream of society, freedom fighter H S Doreswamy and journalist Gowri Lankesh were present there. With this move, the duo bid goodbye to their more than a decade long life in hiding.

Later, the committee members along with representatives of the Vedike and other progressive organisations handed over the Maoist leaders to the district administration.

As soon as they arrived, Doreswamy garlanded the duo, while CPM State secretary G N Nagaraj and other leaders hugged them, betraying the joy of reuniting with long-lost comrades.

Sirimane Nagaraj’s wife Hemalatha Shenoy and daughter Mallige, along with relatives and friends, were eagerly waiting at the traveller’s bungalow since morning. After meeting and shaking hands with members of the social movement, Nagaraj gave his wife and daughter a tight embrace. Though no relative of Noor Zulfikar had come, his collegemates and associates were present in large numbers.

BJP sees ulterior motives behind Naxals' surrender

Two naxals may have surrendered in the State on Monday. But the BJP seems to be unfazed. The party says that there is more to it than meets the eye.

State party president Pralhad Joshi and C T Ravi, MLA from Chikkamagaluru, said the much-touted return to the mainstream of the two extremists could well be for recruiting more people in the armed struggle that they profess.

Joshi told reporters in Belagavi, “The way the two naxals Sirimane Nagaraj and Noor Zulfikar were welcomed with garlands, as if they were heroes, apparently seemed like the naxals had not surrendered. Instead, the State government itself had surrendered to the naxals.”

“They need to surrender with their heads bowed for involving in an armed struggle. However, the duo was joining the mainstream without any feeling of guilt. The way they were welcomed has left me perplexed.”

Joshi said the gestures of the two ultras while surrendering did not give the impression that they had given up their ideology.

“They may have surrendered because of the age factor and I suspect they returned only to recruit people for their movement.”

MLA Sunil Kumar said those in the State committee to oversee rehabilitation of naxals are sympathisers of the movement.

In Mysuru, Ravi, addressing a press conference, suspected a hidden agenda behind the surrender.

He said there were questions as to why the two naxals were being made to surrender and not Vijay Krishnamurthy, Vikram Gowda and Latha, actively involved in such activities.
Attributing their surrender to “ill health and old age,” he said there were possibilities of the two recruiting more people as naxals once they are in the mainstream. “The State should not pay the price later,” he said.

He demanded that the government remove journalist Gowri Lankesh from a committee formed to bring naxals to the mainstream.

“Having a person who is a known naxal sympathiser will hinder the activities of the committee. A person with such antecedents should not be made part of a constitutional committee. In 2005-06, the State police had identified some of the organisations represented by Gowri Lankesh as pro-naxal,” he said.

He criticised the State government for “hindering” the activities of the Anti-Naxal Force (ANF) in the State. Recalling the incident in which a person suspected to be a naxal was shot down by the ANF, he said action against the ANF staff that followed had caused discord among the personnel.