New Delhi: Surrenders by Naxalites in the first quarter of 2025 have more than doubled from the comparative period last year, with the CRPF activating its intelligence wing to persuade these cadres to lay down arms in the toughest battle zone of Chhattisgarh.
A directive issued by the paramilitary force to its snooping operations unit has assigned the task of “identifying” members of the ‘Jan militia’ and Revolutionary People’s Committees (RPC) as well as their supporters, with the goal of “re-shaping” the CPI (Maoist) perceptions towards mainstream ideals.
It also asked the intelligence wing personnel to “engage with the denizen, encouraging them to play a role in persuading CPI (Maoist) cadres to surrender and renegade their ideology and integrate into mainstream society” in view of the Union government’s declaration of eradicating Left Wing Extremism (LWE) from the country by March, 2026.
An official data of Naxal surrenders in Chhattisgarh has been accessed by PTI which shows that while 124 hardcore (ultras bearing a cash reward), non-award carrying cadres and ‘Jan militia’ members laid down their arms or ideology in the first three months (January-March) of 2024, these numbers rose to 280 in the comparative period this year.
The year 2024 saw a total of 787 surrenders, mostly by the “engagements” made by the Central Reserve Police Force and its special commando unit CoBRA.
The CRPF is the lead anti-Naxal operations force with about 20 full battalions deployed in Chhattisgarh, and the CoBRA unit is mandated to execute “specific intelligence-based” operations.
Each such battalion has a dedicated unit for intelligence gathering and analysis.
A senior CRPF officer said the force is working on a three-pronged strategy since the last few months of anti-Naxal operations, including setting up of remote bases, launching civic camps and effecting an increased number of surrenders.
“More surrenders mean less violence. It is natural for the CRPF to get more surrenders done as it is deployed extensively in the LWE theatre, including in Chhattisgarh, as compared to state police units and other central armed police forces (CAPFs),” the officer said.
Fifteen Maoists surrendered before the CRPF and state police in the Dantewada district Saturday.
“Seven out of these 15 persons surrendered through persistent efforts, continuous counselling and briefing on the benefits of joining the mainstream for the greater good of the nation by the intelligence wing of the CRPF,” a second officer said.
According to the Union government records, Maoist violence has come down by 81 per cent in the country while deaths of civilians and security forces have reduced by 85 per cent.
PTI
