In a significant development for security forces in Chhattisgarh, twenty-six Maoist insurgents laid down their arms in Sukma district on Wednesday. This mass surrender is part of the ongoing 'Poona Margham' campaign, which translates to 'New Path' in the Gondi language, aimed at convincing rebels to abandon violence.
Key Insurgents Among Those Who Surrendered
According to police statements, the group of surrendered individuals includes three Maoists allegedly involved in separate ambushes that resulted in the deaths of 56 security personnel. The notable figures among them are Lali, also known as Muchaki Ayte, a deputy commander with a bounty of Rs 10 lakh; Hemla Lakhma, a platoon commander active since 2011 with an Rs 8 lakh reward; and Muchaki Sandeep alias Hidma, an Area Committee Member carrying a Rs 5 lakh bounty.
Police detailed that Hemla Lakhma was allegedly involved in a 2017 IED blast on Koraput road that killed 14 personnel and a 2020 ambush in Minpa forest that claimed 17 police lives. Muchaki Sandeep was accused of participation in the 2021 Tekulagudem ambush, where 22 jawans were killed, and the 2023 Jagargunda attack that left three personnel dead.
PLGA Battalion 1 Loses Ground in Sukma
The Chhattisgarh police have asserted that this surrender wave has critically weakened the Maoist armed wing in the region. They claim that the dreaded Battalion 1 of the People's Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA) has been nearly pushed out of Sukma district as a direct consequence.
Sukma Superintendent of Police, Kiran Chavan, stated that following these surrenders, only an estimated 20 armed cadres from the Darbha and Jagargunda divisions remain active in Sukma. He added that the remaining members of the battalion have reportedly taken shelter in the Karegutta hills near the Telangana-Bijapur border.
Surrender Policy and Future Implications
Under the surrender policy, each of the 26 individuals, which included seven women, will receive an immediate relief amount of Rs 50,000. Furthermore, they are set to receive a cumulative reward money of Rs 64 lakh that was previously declared for their arrest. The police noted that while the cadres surrendered from various Maoist units, they did not bring their weapons due to fears of reprisal.
This development occurs as security forces intensify operations in Maoist strongholds. The push aligns with the central government's deadline to eliminate the insurgency by March 2026. The 'Poona Margham' campaign, central to this effort, works by appealing to the families of insurgents to persuade them to choose a peaceful path.
SP Kiran Chavan emphasized that the insurgents' territorial control in Sukma has substantially shrunk, marking a pivotal moment in the long-standing conflict in the Bastar region.
