In a major development today, 208 Naxalites including top leaders laid down their arms in Chhattisgarh. Most of the surrendered cadre were active in Abujhmad in North Bastar, and with this move, officials say the region has become Naxal-free.

The surrender came soon after 258 Maoists had surrendered in Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra in the last two days, making this yet another wave in a larger shift.

At the formal event, the group handed over 153 weapons to the authorities. Of the 208 individuals, 110 were men and 98 were women. Their ranks were varied and included high-level operatives: one Central Committee Member (CCM), four Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee (DKSZC) members, one Regional Committee Member, 21 Divisional Committee Members (DVCMs), 61 Area Committee Members (ACMs), 98 Party Members, and 22 PLGA/RPC/other members.

Among the prominent Maoist leaders who surrendered were Central Committee Member Rupesh alias Satish, DKSZC members Bhaskar alias Rajman Mandavi, Ranita, Raju Salam, Dhannu Vetti alias Santu, and Regional Committee Member Ratan Elam.

The 153 weapons handed over during the Dandakaranya operation included:

• 19 AK-47 rifles

• 17 SLR rifles

• 23 INSAS rifles

• 1 INSAS LMG

• 36 .303 rifles

• 4 carbines

• 11 BGL launchers

• 41 twelve-bore / single-shot guns

• 1 pistol

Central Committee member Rupesh played a pivotal role in persuading others to surrender. He has urged remaining militants to follow suit, appealing to them to “leave the path of violence and return to mainstream.”

Officials hailed the surrender as among the most significant breakthroughs in recent years, saying it demonstrates the increasing impact of the government’s Naxal Eradication and Rehabilitation Policy 2025 — a strategy built on development, dialogue, and trust-building to coax militants to rejoin society. With this success, they believe the long reign of Red terror in North Bastar has ended, leaving only parts of South Bastar still affected.

Chhattisgarh’s Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai called the day “historic”, promising that the state would now focus on skilling and rehabilitating the surrendered Naxalites. Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Amit Shah has set a national deadline of 31 March 2026 to eliminate Naxalism — and he called today’s surrender a “major step” toward that goal.

In the two days before this event, 258 left-wing extremists had already surrendered — with 170 in Chhattisgarh, 27 the day before, and 61 in Maharashtra. Amit Shah praised these steps, linking them to the weakening of Naxalism: “It attests to the fact that Naxalism is breathing its last due to the relentless efforts of the PM @NarendraModi led government to end the menace.”

He added via a post on X: “Our policy is clear: those who want to surrender are welcome, and those who continue to wield the gun will meet the wrath of our forces. I appeal again to those who are still on the path of Naxalism to lay down their weapons and join the mainstream. We are committed to uprooting Naxalism before 31st March 2026.”