Mumbai: As senior Maoist leader Mallojula Venugopal Rao alias Sonu Bhupati surrendered in Gadchiroli Wednesday, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said he had put down one major condition for his surrender. He wanted to do so in the presence of the Maharashtra CM.
Speaking to reporters in Gadchiroli, Fadnavis said, “It was his wish to surrender in the presence of the CM. When our seniors told me, I said even if he calls me to the jungle I am willing to go, but it will be better if he surrenders here. So I cancelled all my other programmes and immediately came here.”
Fadnavis added that it was a question of the Maharashtra Police’s reputation as senior officers had given Bhupati their word.
Bhupati, a member of the top Maoist decision-making body—the central committee—surrendered with 60 other People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA) fighters in Gadchiroli. Bhupathi’s surrender signals a major blow to the Maoist movement as he was one of the top two contenders for general secretary of the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist) after security forces killed Nambala Keshava Rao alias Basavaraju in May.
“Bhupathi’s surrender is important because he is not just another member of the politburo central committee, but 40 years ago, it was he who strengthened the contingents in Gadchiroli in places like Aheri and Sironcha, and created a big network of Maoists across Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Chhatisgarh,” Fadnavis said.
The CM added that his surrender marks the beginning of the end of Maoism in Maharashtra.
The negotiations, an open declaration
Fadnavis said it all started on 1 January when Bhupati’s wife, Taraka, also a prominent Maoist leader, laid down her arms.
Bhupati had also purportedly signed a letter dated 15 August, proposing a unilateral ceasefire with security forces. This letter had surfaced last month, and showed cracks within the Maoist leadership.
According to Fadnavis, security forces had been in touch with Bhupati over the last month, trying to negotiate with him.
“On one side, we were convincing them to surrender, and on the other side, operations were underway to neutralise the Maoists to let them know that if they don’t surrender, the operations will continue and we will arrest them,” Fadnavis said, adding that more cadres from Chhattisgarh are likely to surrender, following in Bhupati’s footsteps.
The CM further said that Bhupati did not simply surrender, but also made an open declaration saying: “Maoism is now over and we will not be able to gain anything out of it, so it is better to put down our arms.”
Fadnavis assured that the surrendered Maoists will be rehabilitated well, such that they don’t look back at their decision with pain, but with pride.
“We want to send out a message that if you follow the Indian Constitution, it will take care of you,” he said, adding that wherever needed, the state will facilitate the training of cadres in specific skills.
Moreover, the state government is trying to give Gadchiroli the identity of a steel hub. The CM said the state government has informed companies interested in setting up base in the district that it will give them all possible assistance, but the companies will have to hire 95 percent of their employee base from among local residents of Gadchiroli.
(Edited by Gitanjali Das)
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