Top Maoist Leader Surrenders as 11 Others Follow in Chhattisgarh
Top Maoist Leader Surrenders as 11 Others Follow in Chhattisgarh
Twelve Maoists surrender in Rajnandgaon, led by Ramdher alias Soma, signaling a shift toward development and peace in Chhattisgarh.
Twelve Maoists — including Ramdher alias Soma, a Central Committee Member (CCM) of the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist) and in charge of its Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh Confluence (MCC) zone — surrendered before the police on Monday. Ramdher is rehabilitating with his associates and is abandoning the language of violence and gunfire to join the mainstream of development, officials said at a Rajnandgaon press conference. Ramdher was one of two CCMs from Chhattisgarh; the other, Madvi Hidma, was gunned down by security forces in Andhra Pradesh last month, a deputy chief minister noted at the same event. He added that Ramdher’s surrender means the MMC zone is almost completely clear from a security point of view. Outside the Bastar region, the MMC zone includes Balaghat in Madhya Pradesh and Gondia in Maharashtra, with Gondia considered a key area where the Maoist movement had built influence over the last decade. The latest development comes a day after ten Maoists, including four women, surrendered in Balaghat district in MP in the presence of Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav. The police said the surrendering group included senior tribal leaders who yielded weapons such as a stolen AK-47. Others who surrendered include Divisional Committee members Chandu Usendi and Janki. In total, three stolen AK-47 rifles, three INSAS rifles, a Self-Loading Rifle (SLR), a carbine and two .303 rifles were submitted by the Maoists. At the Rajnandgaon event, the chief minister stated that in the past two years, over 4,000 Maoists had either surrendered or been killed by security forces in Chhattisgarh.
Cover image source: Top CPI (Maoist) leader, 11 others surrender in Chhattisgarh 🔗
