Dantewada, Aug 20 : In a significant breakthrough for Chhattisgarh's anti-Naxal strategy, 21 Maoists, including 13 carrying cash rewards totalling Rs 25.5 lakh, surrendered before security forces in Dantewada district on Wednesday.

The surrender was carried out under the state's flagship campaigns -- 'Puna Margam (Revival through Rehabilitation)" and 'Lon Varratu (Come Back Home)" -- which aim to reintegrate misguided youth into mainstream society.

Among the surrendered cadres was Keye alias Kesha Lekam, a company No. one member with an Rs 8 lakh bounty, who was involved in a deadly encounter with police in Parasbeda forest earlier this year.

Female Maoists Somey alias Jamli Kuhram and Kumari Hidme alias Vijjo Oyam, each carrying Rs one lakh rewards, were also among those who laid down arms. Both had participated in multiple armed confrontations in Pidia, Todka, and Korcholi forests between 2023 and 2025.

The remaining surrendered Maoists were involved in activities such as road sabotage, tree felling, and propaganda during Naxalite bandh weeks. Their decision to surrender was attributed to growing disillusionment with the Maoist ideology, internal factionalism, and the harsh realities of forest life.

Many expressed a desire to live peacefully and contribute to society through lawful means.

They surrendered before the Superintendent of Police Office in Dantewada in the presence of DIG (deputy inspector general) Dantewada Range Kamalochan Kashyap, DIG CRPF Rakesh Chaudhary, SP Dantewada Gaurav Rai, and CRPF Commandants from the 111th, 230th, and 231st Battalions.

The District Reserve Guard (DRG), Bastar Fighters, Special Intelligence Branch, and CRPF (Central Reserve Police Force) units played a crucial role in facilitating the surrender.

Under the Chhattisgarh government's rehabilitation policy, each surrendered Maoist will receive Rs 50,000 in immediate assistance, along with access to vocational training, agricultural land, and other reintegration benefits.

Officials emphasised that the campaign's success lies in its dual approach -- combining sustained security operations with community outreach and psychological support.

Over the past 18 months, Dantewada district has witnessed a steady stream of Maoist cadres renouncing violence and embracing the democratic mainstream, driven by the joint surrender and rehabilitation initiatives of the Government of India and the Government of Chhattisgarh.

Among those who laid down arms were 99 reward-listed Maoists, part of a larger group of over 390 individuals who chose to sever ties with the insurgency -- from senior leaders to grassroots operatives entrenched in base areas.

The momentum continues under the Lon Varratu campaign, which has so far facilitated the surrender of 1,042 Maoists, including 267 with declared bounties. This figure spans 837 male and 205 female cadres, not only from Dantewada but also from adjoining districts such as Bastar, Bijapur, and Narayanpur -- marking a significant shift in the region's security landscape and the growing appeal of reintegration over rebellion.

/IANS