RAIPUR: A high-ranking member of the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist) outfit, along with an associate, have surrendered to the authorities in Chhattisgarh's Kanker district.
The surrendered individuals have been identified as Mallesh, a Divisional Committee Member (DVCM) of the North Bastar Division Committee, and party member Ranu Podiam.
According to Kanker district police chief Nikhil Rakhecha, the duo recently established contact with the Kanker police and Border Security Force (BSF) personnel. Expressing their desire to benefit from the state’s rehabilitation and surrender policy, they approached the security forces to begin their transition.
"The formal ceremony for the laying down of arms and their official reintegration into society will be conducted once all procedural formalities and documentation are finalised. Few more would join soon," SP Rakhecha told TNIE.
During preliminary interactions, Mallesh and Podiam shared critical insights regarding the operational dynamics in the region. Based on this information, Kanker police are actively reaching out to other active Maoist cadres in the North Bastar Division, encouraging them to abandon insurgency and follow their colleagues' footsteps.
Inspector General of Police (IGP), Bastar Range, Sundarraj Pattilingam, reiterated his appeal to the remaining Maoist cadres to give up arms. He emphasised that the government is committed to providing a dignified and peaceful life to those who surrender.
"Any cadre who comes forward to live a life of peace and dignity will be provided with all possible assistance and benefits under the government’s comprehensive rehabilitation policy," the IG stated.
The surrender of these two cadres is part of a larger, accelerating trend in the region. Over the past 24 months, more than 2,400 Maoist cadres have surrendered across Chhattisgarh, citing disillusionment with the movement and the effectiveness of the state’s rehabilitation incentives.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah, on February 8, chaired a high-level security review meeting on Left-Wing Extremism (LWE) in Raipur, cited as a strategic stock-taking exercise, as the Centre and states approach the deadline of March 31, 2026, to completely eradicate Naxalism from the country.