10 Naxalites, among them eight carrying cash rewards and one of them carrying a reward of Rs 1 lakh on his head, surrendered before the police in Chhattisgarh’s insurgency-hit Dantewada district on Tuesday, an official said.

The official mentioned that the Naxalites quit the Maoist movement and surrendered under the Lon Varattu (return to your village) campaign run by the police in the district.

The surrendered Naxalites were identified as militia platoon commander Bandi alias Kolla Madkam (30), militia members Sona Madkam (53), Hemant Kawasi (26), Dudwa Korram (30), Masa Mandavi (20), Lakhma Mandavi (31), Nanda Mandavi (33), Deva alias Deepak Kashyap (31), Masa Mandavi (30) and Budhra Kashyap (36).

The official said that eight of them were carrying bounties ranging from Rs 8,000 to Rs 10,000.

The intelligence cell of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) played a significant role in the process of surrender, the officer said. As per the state government's surrender and rehabilitation policy, necessary assistance will be provided to them, he said. As many as 578 Naxalites, among them 145 carrying cash rewards, have surrendered in Dantewada district under the 'Lon Varratu' campaign since June 2020, the officer added.

‘Lon Varratu’ (return home in the local tribal dialect Gondi) campaign has gained wide acceptance not only in edgy Dantewada but also neighbouring districts — the region turned as combat zone against the left-wing extremism it witnessed for the past four decades. Under the initiative, the surrendered ultras are rehabilitated as per the government’s surrender and rehabilitation policy, which includes financial assistance. Since its launch, the police have been putting up posters mentioning the names of rebels and appealing to them to join the mainstream.

Image source: Mid day