Sukma, Chhattisgarh: In a significant development, fifteen Naxalites, including nine carrying a cumulative reward of ₹48 lakh, surrendered to security forces in Chhattisgarh's Sukma district on Monday. The group included five women and several members of the People's Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA). They laid down their arms before senior officers of the police and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). Sukma Superintendent of Police Kiran Chavan confirmed the surrenders.
The surrendered Naxalites cited the influence of the state government's 'Niyad Nellanar' (Your Good Village) scheme and the new surrender and rehabilitation policy, 'Poona Margham' (Rehabilitation for Social Reintegration), launched by the Bastar Range police, as key factors in their decision to abandon the armed movement. The 'Niyad Nellanar' scheme aims to improve development in remote tribal areas.
Among those who surrendered were four hardcore members of PLGA Battalion No. 1: Madvi Sanna (28), his wife Sodi Hidme (25), Suryam alias Ravva Soma (30), and his wife Meena alias Madvi Bhime (28). Each carried a reward of ₹8 lakh. Other surrendered cadres included two area committee members with rewards of ₹5 lakh each, one Maoist carrying ₹3 lakh, and two others with bounties of ₹2 lakh and ₹1 lakh respectively.
SP Chavan said the surrenders were a direct result of the leadership vacuum and fear created by the elimination of most-wanted Maoist commander Madvi Hidma earlier this month. He added that the continuous expansion of security camps deep inside Maoist strongholds, coupled with the Chhattisgarh government's Naxal Surrender Rehabilitation Policy-2025, has shattered cadre morale. Many of those who surrendered expressed that they were tired of internal oppression, constant directives from absconding higher-ups, and the organization's atrocities against the tribal villagers it claimed to represent.
Each surrendered cadre received immediate assistance of ₹50,000 and will be rehabilitated in accordance with government policy. SP Kiran Chavan appealed to the remaining Maoists to abandon violence and assured them that they would be rehabilitated with dignity and linked to all government welfare schemes to live respectfully in society.
Over the past 23 months, more than 2,150 Naxalites, including several senior operatives, have surrendered in Chhattisgarh. This reflects the impact of ongoing development and rehabilitation measures. Sources in the police headquarters confirmed that several more cadres from south Bastar are in touch with authorities and are likely to surrender in the coming days. With Monday's development, the number of Maoists who have abandoned the movement in Chhattisgarh this year has crossed 650.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah stated that India aims to be free from Naxalism by March 31, 2026. He emphasized that the fight will continue until those providing ideological, legal, and financial support to Naxalism are identified and addressed.
