16 more Naxals surrender in Chhattisgarh ; 220 lay down arms this year

The outlawed Maoist movement in Bastar region continued to lose its lower rung cadres as 16 ultras surrendered in south Chhattisgarh, police said on Thursday. With this, the total number of rebels laying down their arms this year has gone up to 220 in the insurgency-hit state, a senior police official said. Fourteen ultras, belonging to Kerlapal area committee of the banned CPI (Maoist) turned themselves in at the headquarters of 2nd battalion of Central Reserve Police Force in Sukma district last evening, battalion Commandant VVN Prasanna told PTI.

Of the surrendered, Kawasi Bandi (25), Jitender (19), Musaki Hidma (35), Bhima (25), Soma (44), Madkam Deva (35) and Sodi Singan (28) were working as LOS (local operation squad) and sangham members in Kerlapal area and the others as village level members in the same region, he said. The rebels cited disappointment with the movement, exploitation of lower rank and women rebels and the atrocities of senior Naxal leaders from Andhra Pradesh as the reasons for their surrender, he said.

The Naxals alleged that senior leaders forced and threatened them to join the movement, which has now diverted from its ideology, Prasanna said. Meanwhile, two Naxals, including a minor girl, surrendered in Bijpaur district last evening. Sarita alias Swarupa Kudiyam (17), a member of Awapalli LOS (local operation squad) and Munna Padam (23), a militia member under Ganagloor area committee of Maoists, surrendered before Bijapur Collector Md Abdul Qaisar Haque and SP KL Dhruv, police said. As many as 220 cadres have surrendered this year in the state and most of them are lower rung recruits, who were persuaded by their families and police to join the mainstream, a police officer said.