Historic Surrender in Chhattisgarh: 208 Maoists Lay Down Arms, Embrace New Life

Jagdalpur — In a landmark development dealing a major blow to the insurgency in Chhattisgarh, 208 Naxalites from the remote Maad region formally surrendered on Friday before Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai and Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma, who participated virtually at the Reserve Police Lines, Jagdalpur, Bastar district.

Many of the former insurgents, active in the Dandakaranya forests for years, arrived carrying copies of the Indian Constitution, symbolising their commitment to democratic values, with banners reading “Puna Margem” — signalling a fresh start through rehabilitation. The group handed over a substantial cache of 153 weapons, including:

• 19 AK-47 rifles

• 17 SLR rifles

• 23 INSAS rifles

• 1 INSAS light machine gun

• 36 .303 rifles

• 4 carbines

• 11 barrel grenade launchers

• 41 12-bore or single-shot firearms

• 1 pistol

The surrendering group comprised 110 women and 98 men, including high-ranking cadres:

• 1 Central Committee Member (CCM)

• 4 Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee (DKSZC) members

• 1 Regional Committee member

• 21 Divisional Committee Members (DVCM)

• 61 Area Committee Members (ACM)

• 98 lower-level cadres

• 22 members of the People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA) or Revolutionary People’s Council (RPC)

Among the prominent figures was Rupesh (also known as Satish or Asanna), the North-West Sub-Zonal In-charge and a senior CPI (Maoist) commander. Described as the intelligence chief of the Maoist military wing and a notorious bomb-maker (Takkalappalli Vasudeva Rao, 59), Rupesh had initially surrendered at the Bijapur police headquarters on Thursday evening with his team. The surrender of leaders like Rupesh and woman commander Ranita from the Maad division represents a major disruption to the Maoist command structure in the region.

Chief Minister Sai called the surrender a turning point in Bastar’s fight against extremism:

“Our governance model, rooted in self-reliance, education, and dignity, is now bringing hope and transformation to the heart of Dandakaranya.”

He also noted that north Bastar and Abujhmad have been declared completely free from Naxalism, marking a transition from violence to development and hope.

Over the last 22 months under the BJP government, 477 Naxalites have been neutralised, 1,785 arrested, and 2,110 surrendered, underscoring the state’s progress toward a Naxal-free Chhattisgarh by March 31, 2026.

With inputs from IANS