Kanker (Chhattisgarh), February 25 Two Maoists, including a senior operative, have decided to renounce violence and have contacted security forces to surrender in Kanker district of Chhattisgarh, police said on Wednesday.
Notably, more than 2,700 Naxalites have laid down their arms in the state in the last two years.
Mallesh, a member of the CPI (Maoist) divisional committee, and another party member, Ranu Podiam, recently contacted the Kanker police and the Border Security Force (BSF), expressing their willingness to surrender and avail of the government's rehabilitation policy, Superintendent of Police Nikhil Rakhecha said.
Based on the information provided by Mallesh and Podiam, efforts are underway to establish contact with other active Maoist cadres in the area and encourage them to rejoin mainstream society, he said.
The reintegration of Mallesh and Podiam, who belong to the northern Bastar division of Maoists, into the social mainstream and the formal handing over of weapons will be carried out later, he added.
Inspector General of Police, Bastar Range, Sundarraj Pattilingam, appealed to Maoist cadres to renounce violence and return to mainstream society.
He said that those who come forward to lead a peaceful and dignified life will be provided with all assistance under the state government's surrender and rehabilitation policy.
The IGP said that the surrender of Maoist politburo member Devuji alias Thippiri Tirupati and three other senior operatives in neighboring Telangana marks a significant turning point in the fight against Left Wing Extremism (LWE).
He said that the gradual weakening of the Maoist leadership structure points towards the organization's eventual collapse and the end of decades-long bloodshed.
In the last two years, 532 Maoists were neutralized, 2,704 surrendered, and 2,004 were arrested in Chhattisgarh, according to officials.
The Centre has resolved to eliminate Naxalism from the country by March 31 this year.
