NOTORIOUS Naxalite Papa Rao, carrying a bounty of 50 lakh and linked to the Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee, formally surrendered along with 18 of his associates on Wednesday afternoon at Shaurya Bhavan in the police lines here. The surrendered cadres, who had earlier been involved in burning religious texts such as the Gita and Ramayana, were welcomed into the mainstream by community leaders, who presented them with copies of the Constitution. Vijay Sharma, who was present on the occasion, said that Union Home Minister Amit Shah had announced in August 2024 that Chhattisgarh would be free from Naxalism by March 31, 2026, and that the State is on track to meet the deadline. He said sustained efforts are yielding visible results and added that strict action will also be taken against urban networks. He emphasised that the fight against Naxalism is not a ‘happy birthday party’ but a serious and sustained campaign, with continued vigilance being maintained. Sharma said that if rehabilitation is possible for those operating in forest areas, it should also be possible for those lodged in prisons. He asserted that Naxalites released from jail do not return to armed activities, noting that no such instance has been reported in Chhattisgarh so far. He added that the State Government is committed to providing a new life through rehabilitation and integrating former Naxalites into the mainstream. Papa Rao surrendered with eight AK-47 rifles, one SLR and one INSAS rifle. However, he had laid down arms before police on Tuesday evening in the Farsegarh area of Bijapur district.

 

All surrendered cadres were later brought to Jagdalpur under heavy security, where the formal surrender process was completed on Wednesday afternoon. Police presented surrendered Naxalites before the media on Wednesday. Speaking to the media at Shaurya Bhavan, the Deputy Chief Minister said that the combined efforts of families, panchayat representatives, public representatives and the media have played a key role in weakening Naxalism in Bastar. He stated that armed Naxalism in Chhattisgarh is nearing its end and that nearly 95 per cent of the State is now free from Naxal violence. He clarified that those lodged in jail are not innocent and that calls for their release are unjustified. He said no coercion has been used by police and that arrests have been made only after charges were substantiated, strictly in accordance with the law. Sharma further informed that around 3,000 Naxalites have been rehabilitated so far, more than 2,000 have been arrested and 525 have been neutralised by security forces. Among those present on the occasion were Kedar Kashyap, Kiran Singhdeo, Beverage Corporation Chairman Srinivas Rao Maddi, Chhattisgarh DGP Arun Dev Gautam, ADG (Naxal Operations) Vivekanand and Bastar IG Sundarraj P, along with senior police officials from all seven districts of the Bastar division.