Major Maoist Surrender Marks Turning Point in Bastar
In a significant development for peace efforts in Chhattisgarh, 37 Maoists including 27 carrying cash rewards totaling ₹65 lakh laid down their weapons in South Bastar's Dantewada district on Sunday. The mass surrender represents one of the most substantial blows to left-wing extremism in the region this year.
Poona Margem Initiative Drives Rehabilitation Success
The surrenders occurred under the district's innovative 'Poona Margem (Rehabilitation to Rebirth)' program, which has been gaining remarkable traction among insurgent cadres. According to Dantewada SP Gaurav Rai, the surrendered individuals include company members, area committee members, militia commanders, and key functionaries from several Maoist front organizations operating in the Dantewada–Bhairamgarh–Indravati belt.
This event continues an impressive trend witnessed over the past 20 months, where more than 508 Maoists—including 165 with cash rewards—have abandoned the violent movement in Dantewada alone to reintegrate into mainstream society.
High-Profile Surrenders Include Key Insurgents
Among those who surrendered on November 30 were several high-value Maoist operatives with substantial bounties on their heads:
Kumli alias Anita Mandavi, Company No. 06 member and personal guard of SZCM Kamlesh, carried a reward of ₹8 lakh.
Geeta alias Lakhmi alias Lakshmi Madkam, member of Company No. 10, also had an ₹8 lakh reward.
Ranjan alias Soma Mandavi from Company No. 06 and Bhima alias Jahaz Kalmu from Company No. 02 both carried ₹8 lakh rewards.
Kranti alias Podie Gawde, Area Committee Member of Aamdai Area Committee, had a ₹5 lakh reward.
The surrendered group also included multiple platoon members, militia commanders, Chetna Natya Mandali (CNM) leaders, Janatana Sarkar functionaries, and RPC leaders with rewards ranging from ₹50,000 to ₹2 lakh.
Involvement in Major Incidents Revealed
Police investigations revealed that several surrendered cadres participated in significant violent incidents that have plagued the region. Women cadres from Aamdai and Company No. 6 were identified as participants in the 2024 encounters in Thulthuli forests.
More notably, Bhima alias Jahaz Kalmu was allegedly involved in two major attacks: the firing on a police party near a bridge between Bhairamgarh and Keshkutul in May 2019, and the devastating March 2020 ambush at Minpa during the TCOC period that resulted in the death of 26 jawans, injuries to 20 others, and looting of weapons and ammunition.
Other surrendered individuals had been engaged in enforcing Maoist bandh calls through activities like digging roads, felling trees, and distributing Maoist propaganda materials in their operational areas.
Growing Trust in Peace Initiative
Bastar Range Inspector General of Police Sundarraj Pattilingam emphasized that the 'Poona Margem: Rehabilitation to Rebirth' program is emerging as "a transformative initiative for lasting peace, dignity and holistic progress in Bastar." He highlighted that the growing trust in the scheme is encouraging both senior and lower-rung cadres to abandon violence permanently.
The surrender ceremony took place under the supervision of senior security officials including Dantewada Range DIG Kamalochan Kashyap, CRPF Dantewada Range DIG (Operations) Rakesh Chaudhary, Dantewada SP Gaurav Rai, along with intelligence wing officers, signaling the coordinated effort behind this peace achievement.
This development represents a significant milestone in the ongoing efforts to restore normalcy in the conflict-affected Bastar region and demonstrates the effectiveness of rehabilitation-focused approaches in addressing left-wing extremism.
