Daijiworld Media Network - Raipur
Raipur, Sep 24: In a major boost to peace and rehabilitation efforts in Chhattisgarh’s insurgency-hit South Bastar region, 71 Maoists, including 30 with bounties totaling Rs 64 lac, surrendered before security forces on Wednesday. The mass surrender took place under the state’s flagship initiatives — ‘Lon Varratu’ (Come Back Home) and ‘Puna Margem’ (Rehabilitation and Regeneration).
Among those laying down arms were 21 women and 50 men, many of whom were involved in decade-long violent Naxalite operations. Their surrender is being seen as a strategic win for the state’s ongoing deradicalization and reintegration campaigns.
The most high-profile among them was Baman Madkam, a key Maoist figure carrying an Rs 8 lac bounty, known for participating in multiple deadly encounters with security forces in villages like Dugaiguda, Ambeli, Velagadaram, and Gundam between 2011 and 2024.
Other notable surrenders include:
• Shamila alias Somli Kawasi (Rs 5 lac bounty), linked to arson and armed conflict in Bhairamgarh and Bodga
• Gangi alias Rohni Barse (Rs 5 lac), involved in the 2024 Paradi encounter
• Deve alias Kavita Madvi (Rs 5 lac), active in Jiram forest clashes
• Joga Madkam (Rs 2 lac), associated with attacks in Marjum and Gogunda Dunginpara
The Maoists confessed to participating in a range of disruptive and violent activities, including road blockades, tree felling, extortion, and spreading propaganda during Naxalite bandh calls.
The surrender ceremony was held at the Superintendent of Police office in Dantewada, in the presence of senior officers from the District Police, CRPF, and intelligence units. Key officials involved included:
• IG Bastar Range Sundarraj P. (IPS)
• DIG Dantewada Kamalochan Kashyap (IPS)
• DIG CRPF Rakesh Chaudhary
• SP Dantewada Gaurav Rai (IPS)
• ASP Ramkumar Barman (RPS)
Personnel from special units such as the DRG (District Reserve Guard), Bastar Fighters, and the Special Intelligence Branch played a pivotal role in outreach, persuasion, and building trust among the surrendered cadres.
Under the Chhattisgarh government’s surrender and rehabilitation policy, each ex-Maoist will be granted Rs 50,000 in immediate financial aid, along with access to:
• Skill development training
• Agricultural land
• Livelihood support schemes
• Healthcare and education assistance
Officials stated that this large-scale surrender signals a turning point in the fight against Left-Wing Extremism in Bastar, representing not just a tactical win but a significant step toward restoring peace, governance, and development in conflict-affected areas.
Security forces and administration continue to focus on community engagement, trust-building, and development-led interventions to further weaken the Maoist influence in the region.