Daijiworld Media Network - Raipur
Raipur, Apr 12: In a significant boost to Chhattisgarh’s counter-insurgency and rehabilitation efforts, eight Maoists, including two with cash rewards on their heads, have surrendered in Dantewada under the ongoing ‘Lon Varratu’ (Come Back Home) initiative.
According to police officials, most of the individuals who surrendered were affiliated with the Chetna Natya Manch (CNM) — the cultural propaganda wing of the Communist Party of India (Maoist) — from Rewali and Kakanadi Panchayats. The CNM is known for using theatre and music to mobilize and indoctrinate local communities in support of Maoist ideologies.
Among the group, others were linked to various Maoist outfits: one was part of the Timnar GRD (Gram Raksha Dal), another with the Bhairamgarh Area Student Organisation, while two belonged to the Pomra Panchayat Bhumkal Militia.
Two of the surrendered rebels, Mangdu Madkam and Deva Ram Kunjam, both CNM members, were carrying bounties of Rs 50,000 each, police said. They had been previously involved in anti-government propaganda activities, such as digging roads to hinder movement and putting up Maoist banners and posters in local areas.
The coordinated effort was led by Inspector General of Police (Bastar Range) Sundarraj P, supported by senior police officials and personnel from the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), as part of a sustained outreach strategy to encourage Maoists to renounce violence.
The ‘Lon Varratu’ campaign, which combines grassroots-level engagement with the Chhattisgarh government's rehabilitation policy, has seen increasing success, particularly in tribal and forested regions. The policy offers surrendered Maoists financial aid, vocational training, and land for farming — tools to help them transition to a peaceful civilian life.
Police sources say that disillusionment with the rigid ideology of Maoism, in-fighting within rebel factions, and the harsh living conditions in forest camps have driven many insurgents to rethink their path.
The latest surrender took place on April 12 at the Deputy Inspector General’s office in Dantewada, where the eight former insurgents — together carrying a combined bounty of Rs 1 lakh — formally turned themselves in.
Their surrender was facilitated by the RFT (Intelligence Branch) Dantewada, along with the 111th and 230th CRPF Battalions.
Under the government’s policy, each of these individuals will receive Rs 50,000 in initial assistance, as well as access to skill-building programs and support for agricultural livelihoods.
Since the inception of the ‘Lon Varratu’ initiative, officials report that 961 Maoists have surrendered, including 226 with bounties, marking a substantial step toward peace and reintegration in Bastar’s conflict-hit zones.