Raipur: A number of surrendered Naxals have now appealed to their siblings, still part of the CPI (Maoist) in Bastar, to return home for Raksha Bandhan and leave the banned Maoist outfit.
What triggered the appeals was the surrender of 22-year-old “hardcore Naxal”, Malla, who gave up arms and celebrated Raksha Bandhan at a police station Saturday afternoon, following an appeal from his sister not to return to the jungles again.
According to the Bastar police, Malla, who had a reward of Rs 8 lakh on his head, returned home on 31 July, after 12 years on the run, to meet his sister Linge, parents and two other siblings.
Police said his sister Linge, who could not even remember his face as he left home when she was only 6, had urged him to surrender before the police and lead a normal family life.
The duo celebrated Raksha Bandhan at a police station in Dantewada.
“Malla was the lone Naxalite from Palnaar village with a reward on his head. He was a sharp Naxal footsoldier who joined the Maoist Baal Sangham at the age of 10 in 2008,” Dantewada SP Abhishek Pallav said. “He rose up to the rank of deputy commander of Platoon-13 at the mere age of 17. Following his surrender, police are now helping other surrendered Naxals who want their siblings to return home.”
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The Raksha Bandhan appeals
Encouraged by Malla’s surrender, a few other former Naxalites have come forward to urge their siblings to return home for Raksha Bandhan.
Among them is 28-year-old Badal, the former deputy commander of Platoon-26 who surrendered in March 2020.
He appealed to his sister Jogi Kasda, who according to Badal, is currently deployed as a security guard to Naxal commander Deva, the mastermind of the gruesome 2013 Jhiram Ghati attack and killing of former BJP MLA Bheema Mandavi in 2019.
“I appeal to you my sister that you should lay down arms and surrender before the police to lead a normal life with the family,” he said. “After my surrender, I have been provided with a good house and employment by the government. I appeal to my sister to come back on this occasion of Raksha Bandhan.”
Badal surrendered with his wife Kosi, another Naxal, at the Kuknaar police station in Sukma.
A similar appeal was made by Dashmi, whose brother Lakshman is still with the force. “I lost my husband Varghees in a police encounter last year and I do not want to lose my brother,” she said. “I want him to return on this festival of Rakhi.”
Dashmi, who had a Rs 5 lakh bounty on her head, surrendered in Jagdalpur on 23 July.
The police said the appeals are a positive development. “We hope their appeals lead to good results and similar persuasion initiatives are taken by other surrendered Naxals as well,” said the anti-Naxal operations head and IG (Bastar) P. Sundarraj.
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