What Led to the Surrender of 15 Maoists in Sukma?
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Fifteen Maoists surrendered in Sukma.
- Total bounty: ₹48 lakh.
- Government incentives for surrenderers.
- Over 650 Maoists have surrendered this year.
- Impact of leadership loss on the Maoist movement.
Raipur/Sukma, Nov 24 (NationPress) The elimination of the infamous Maoist leader Madvi Hidma on the Andhra-Chhattisgarh border has sparked a significant wave of defections within the banned CPI (Maoist). On Monday, fifteen active members, with a total bounty of approximately ₹48 lakh, surrendered in Sukma district.
The group consisted of ten men and five women, who officially laid down their arms before Sukma Superintendent of Police Kiran Chavan at the district police headquarters.
Among those who surrendered were four core members of the notorious People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army Battalion No. 1 – PPCM Madvi Sanna, Sodi Hidme, Suryam alias Ravva Soma, and Meena alias Madvi Bheeme, each carrying a bounty of ₹8 lakh. Area Committee Member Sunita alias Kuhram Hungi and Madkam Pandu were valued at ₹5 lakh each, while militia member Kunjam Singa was wanted for ₹3 lakh.
The remaining eight individuals belonged to local units such as KAMS, DAKMS, Revolutionary People’s Committee, and the Maoist economic wing.
In a statement to the media, SP Chavan indicated that these surrenders were a direct consequence of the leadership crisis and the heightened fear stemming from Hidma’s death earlier this month.
The ongoing establishment of security camps deep within former Maoist territories, along with the Chhattisgarh government’s appealing Naxal Surrender Rehabilitation Policy-2025, has severely affected morale among the cadres.
Many of those who surrendered expressed their exhaustion with internal oppression, continuous orders from absconding leaders, and the organization’s violence against the very tribal communities it professes to protect.
SP Kiran Chavan announced an immediate incentive of ₹50,000 for each surrenderer and urged the remaining Maoists to abandon violence.
“No one can forge a future through violence. Those who return will be treated with dignity and integrated into all government welfare programs to lead a respectful life in society,” he emphasized.
Police sources revealed that several more cadre members from south Bastar are in discussions with authorities and are expected to surrender soon.
Following this development, the total number of Maoists who have renounced the movement in Chhattisgarh this year has surpassed 650, indicating a swift decline of the four-decade-long insurgency ahead of the government's March 2026 deadline to eradicate Maoism.