Strong government efforts lead to significant Maoist surrenders and reduction in left-wing extremism in the region.
In a notable event in Chhattisgarh, 210 Maoists, including a member of the central committee of the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist), surrendered in Jagdalpur on Friday. Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai described the day as historic for the country, emphasizing the significance of the Maoists laying down their arms and embracing the Constitution. Among those who surrendered were four members of the Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee, 21 from the divisional committee, and 61 from various area committees of the same party.
The surrendered individuals handed over a total of 153 weapons to security forces. This cache included 19 Avtomat Kalashnikova 1947 rifles, 17 Self-Loading rifles, 23 Indian Small Arms System rifles, one Indian Small Arms System light machine gun, 36 0.3 rifles, four carbines, and 11 barrel grenade launchers. This large-scale surrender took place a day after Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced that 258 individuals linked to the Maoist movement had surrendered in Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra between Wednesday and Thursday.
On the preceding Wednesday, 61 Maoists, including a key leader known as Mallojula Venugopal Rao, alias Bhupathi, also laid down their arms in Maharashtra. During his surrender, Bhupathi requested security forces to halt operations in Maoist strongholds for one month to facilitate discussions with other party leaders and those incarcerated. The Union government has consistently stated its goal of eradicating Maoism by March 31, 2026.
In a report from the Union home ministry, it was noted that the number of districts impacted by left-wing extremism has decreased from 18 to 11 since March. Furthermore, the count of ‘most affected’ districts has diminished from six to three, specifically highlighting Bijapur, Sukma, and Narayanpur in Chhattisgarh. Chief Minister Sai pointed out that in the last 22 months, 477 suspected Maoists were killed, 2,110 had surrendered, and 1,785 had been arrested in the state.
He stated that areas like Abujhmad and North Bastar have been completely liberated from Naxal terror, while the situation in South Bastar is at a critical juncture. In 2024 alone, security forces reportedly killed 217 suspected Maoists across Chhattisgarh. However, reports indicate that some families of those killed dispute claims made by the police, asserting that many of the deceased were civilians rather than combatants.
The ongoing situation raises questions about the approach taken by security forces and the impact of government policies, including the provision of skill training for surrendered Maoists. Additionally, concerns persist regarding the potential for forced detention of those involved in the movement. The complexities of the conflict in Chhattisgarh continue to evolve as the government pursues its objectives in the region.
