In a significant breakthrough for Chhattisgarh’s counter-insurgency campaign, 103 Maoists laid down their arms in Bijapur district, marking one of the largest mass surrenders in recent years.

The cadres, who abandoned weapons and equipment collectively valued at over ₹1 crore, formally joined the mainstream under the government’s rehabilitation programme. Each was provided with a cheque of ₹50,000 as an immediate incentive to facilitate their reintegration into civil society.

The mass surrender comes amidst sustained security operations in the Bastar division, which remains the epicentre of Left Wing Extremism. Officials, including Inspector General of Police (Bastar Range) P. Sundarraj, emphasised that the development reflects a growing disillusionment within Maoist ranks and the effectiveness of the state’s "surrender and rehabilitation" policy.

This development follows a series of high-intensity encounters targeting key Maoist strongholds. On September 28, three Maoists, including a woman cadre, were killed in Kanker district during a fierce gun battle with security forces.

The clash occurred in the forested hill region of Chhindkhadak village, when a joint team of the District Reserve Guard (DRG) from Kanker and Gariaband, along with Border Security Force (BSF) personnel, launched a focused search operation.

According to Kanker Senior Superintendent of Police I.K. Elesela, the exchange of fire resulted in the neutralisation of two male Maoists and one woman cadre. Among the slain was an extremist carrying a bounty of Rs 14 lakh. Security personnel recovered a cache of arms, including an SLR, a .303 rifle, a 12-bore gun, and Maoist-related propaganda material, underlining the importance of the operation.

These operations are part of the wider counter-offensive in Bastar, which has seen coordinated actions across several districts. Security forces have steadily eroded the Maoists’ leadership structure, with multiple top commanders killed or captured, and hundreds of cadres surrendering over the past year. This ongoing campaign has significantly weakened the CPI (Maoist) organisational hierarchy and logistics, making it harder for them to regroup.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah has repeatedly underscored the Centre’s commitment to eliminating Left Wing Extremism from India. Recently, he hailed security forces for a "major victory" in the Abujhmad region of Narayanpur, where two top Maoist leaders carrying multi-crore bounties were neutralised. These successes, Shah reiterated, represent a turning point in the government’s plan to make India “Naxal-free” by March 31, 2026.

Officials argue that the dual approach of intensified security operations combined with surrender and rehabilitation schemes has proven effective in shrinking the Maoist footprint. Mass surrenders such as the one in Bijapur, coupled with targeted eliminations of armed cadres in Kanker, signal a steady decline in Maoist influence across resource-rich districts long considered their bastion.

Based On ANI Report