At least 33 Naxalites, including 17 carrying a cumulative bounty of ₹49 lakh, surrendered before security forces in Chhattisgarh's Sukma district on Friday. The surrenders took place in two phases: first, 22 cadres—including nine women—turned themselves in before senior officials of the police and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), followed by 11 others, including two women, who surrendered before police officials later in the day.

The surrendered Naxalites cited disillusionment with the "hollow" and "inhuman" Maoist ideology and expressed their disappointment over atrocities committed against local tribals as key reasons for leaving the movement. They were also influenced by the state government's 'Niyad Nellanar' (Your Good Village) scheme, which aims to promote development in remote villages, and the new surrender and rehabilitation policy.

Among the 22 who surrendered earlier in the day, many were active in the Maad (Chhattisgarh) and Nuapada (Odisha) divisions of the Maoists. Notable among them were Muchaki Joga (33), deputy commander in the PLGA (People's Liberation Guerrilla Army) company no. 1 under the Maad division, and his wife Muchaki Jogi (28), both carrying a reward of ₹8 lakh each. Other prominent cadres included Kikid Deve (30) and Manoj alias Dudhi Budhra (28), both area committee members with a reward of ₹5 lakh each. Seven others carried a bounty of ₹2 lakh each, and one had a reward of ₹50,000.

The remaining 11 Naxalites who surrendered were active in Badesatti village panchayat under the Phulbagdi police station limits. With their surrender, Badesatti has now been declared a Naxalite-free village panchayat. Four of these individuals carried a reward of ₹2 lakh each, and one had a bounty of ₹50,000.

The district police, District Reserve Guard (DRG), CRPF, and its elite CoBRA unit played a significant role in facilitating these surrenders. The police had been working closely with local panchayat representatives for the past 15 days to encourage the surrender of village-level Naxal members, including those from the militia and revolutionary party committee.

Under the new Chhattisgarh Naxal Surrender/Victim Relief and Rehabilitation Policy-2025, the state government has introduced the 'Elvad Panchayat Yojna,' which provides for development works worth ₹1 crore to village panchayats that help facilitate the surrender of Naxalites and pass a resolution declaring themselves Maoist-free.

All surrendered Naxalites received immediate assistance of ₹50,000 each and will be further rehabilitated according to government policy. Last year, 792 Naxalites surrendered in the Bastar region, which includes Sukma and six other districts, reflecting a broader trend of insurgents returning to the mainstream as a result of sustained security operations and comprehensive rehabilitation efforts.

PTI