A group of 14 Maoists surrendered to the CRPF at Kirandul police station in Dantewada district last evening, while two of the Maoists had been carrying rewards of Rs. 1 lakh on their heads. The Maoists, reportedly motivated by the ‘Lon Varratu’ program launched by the Chhattisgarh police, left the path of the ‘hollow Maoist ideology’.
According to Abhishek Pallava, the district superintendent of police, the Maoists who surrendered, were active in the South Bastar region. Amongst the 14 ultras who surrendered to the CRPF and police officials at Kirandul police station, head of the Dandakaranya Adivasi Kisan Mazdoor Sangathan Baman Midiami (35) and militia commander Raju Midiami (30) has rewards of Rs. 1 lakh on their heads. “Others were active lower-rung cadres”, said Pallava, adding, “The surrendered Maoists were given immediate aid of Rs. 10,000 each and will be rehabilitated as per the government’s rule”.
Notably, ‘Lon Varratu’ (Gondi translation of ‘return to your home/village’) is a return-home program that helps the surrendered Maoists to move back to a normal life. The Chhattisgarh police claim that around 240 Maoists have surrendered till now, since the program was launched in June 2020.