RAIPUR: In a breakthrough for the ‘peace and development’ initiative in tribal-dominated Bastar, 51 Maoist cadres, including 24 women, laid down their arms on Saturday.
Inspired by the relief and rehabilitation policy of the government, the cadres renounced violence to join the mainstream.
The cadres surrendered in the South Bastar region, involving 21 Red rebels from the Sukma district and 30 from the Bijapur district. The group also surrendered a cache of sophisticated weaponry, including AK-47 rifles, SLR rifles, INSAS rifles, and BGL (Barrel Grenade Launcher) launchers.
According to officials, the 51 surrendered individuals collectively carried a total bounty of ₹1.61 crore."In the last 24 months alone, over 2,400 Maoist cadres in the Bastar Range have abandoned the path of violence to embrace a life of peace, progress, and dignity,” said Sundarraj Pattilingam, Inspector General of Police (Bastar Range).
The surrender of 24 women cadres is seen as a blow to the internal structure of the banned CPI (Maoist) organisation, indicating a shifting tide in the ideological hold of the insurgency over local populations.