Raipur: In a significant triumph for India’s battle against left-wing extremism, 208 Naxalites surrendered in Chhattisgarh today, handing over 153 weapons as part of the government’s sustained surrender and rehabilitation initiative.
This landmark event is expected to clear most of the Abujhmad region and North Bastar of Naxal influence, leaving South Bastar as the last major stronghold.
Senior BJP leader Amit Malavya described the development as a “historic milestone for Chhattisgarh” and a “new chapter for Bastar.” The surrendered arsenal includes 19 AK-47 rifles, 17 SLR rifles, 36 .303 rifles, and various other firearms. The group of surrenders consists of 110 women and 98 men from the banned Maoist outfit.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who has set a March 2026 deadline to eradicate Naxalism, revealed on Thursday that 258 battle-hardened Maoists have surrendered in Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra over the past two days. “I commend their choice to abandon violence. Those who lay down arms will be embraced, but those who persist with violence will face relentless security operations,” Shah stated.
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai hailed the surrenders as a turning point, declaring North Bastar and Abujhmad “Naxal-free zones.”
He emphasized the transformative impact of the state’s Naxalite Surrender and Rehabilitation Policy 2025 and the Niyad Nella Naar scheme, alongside the establishment of 64 security camps in affected areas. “These efforts have restored peace and paved the way for development in every village. The surrender of 258 cadres in just two days shows that trust is triumphing over terror,” Sai said.
The mass surrender signals a major step toward ending decades of Naxal violence, bringing hope for lasting peace and progress in Chhattisgarh’s tribal heartlands.
