Bijapur, Chhattisgarh – A large group of 41 Naxalites, including 12 women, surrendered to authorities in Bijapur district on Wednesday. The significant aspect of this surrender is that 32 of these individuals collectively carried bounties amounting to Rs 1.19 crore, indicating their senior positions and importance within the Naxal movement.
Senior police officials received the surrendering cadres, who expressed their desire to return to mainstream society. The Superintendent of Police for Bijapur, Jitendra Kumar Yadav, explained that the successful implementation of the government’s progressive surrender and rehabilitation policies, coupled with the ‘Poona Margham’ drive by the Bastar police, has encouraged these cadres to give up their violent activities.
The surrendered individuals represented a cross-section of the Naxal organization. They included members of the elite PLGA battalion no.1 and its various companies, along with cadres from area committees, platoons, and militia units. A notable concentration of 39 cadres were associated with the south sub-zonal bureau, a key operational arm linked to the Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee and the Telangana State Committee.
The substantial bounties placed on these individuals reflect their past roles in Naxal operations. Nine cadres were each worth Rs 8 lakh, with others carrying rewards of Rs 5 lakh, Rs 2 lakh, and Rs 1 lakh. This mass surrender is seen as a major blow to the Naxal infrastructure in the region.
Upon surrendering, the cadres pledged their loyalty to the Constitution and committed to living a peaceful life. They were immediately provided with Rs 50,000 as an incentive under the state’s rehabilitation policy. This surrender adds to the growing number of cadres choosing to leave the Naxal movement, with 790 having surrendered in Bijapur district alone since January 2024.