Around 450 Maoist sympathisers, including more than 100 former militia, snapped their ties with the organisation and surrendered before the police at Mathili in Odisha’s Malkangiri district on Sunday.
They were from more than 10 villages of Mahupadar panchayat, a traditional stronghold of the Maoists. Many of them were engaged in providing logistics and other support to the rebels. Their parting ways with the organisation would be a setback for the Maoists, said the police.
“The police and the administration have promised to provide security to all of them [surrendered persons]. We will also facilitate them to benefit from pro-poor schemes. We want to raise their standard of living through various government schemes, for which the Maoists are a major obstacle,” said Malkangiri SP Rishikesh Khilari. All efforts would be made to improve the infrastructure related to health, education and communication.
He said the Maoist sympathisers have now understood the futility of violence as they realised it had not brought any development to their area. Extortion and torture of innocent tribals by the Maoists also prodded them to snap ties with them. It was alleged that the Maoists were using threat and force to collect money and food from poor tribals, the SP said. There had been several instances when poor tribal families had faced torture at the hands of the Maoists, who for no reason accused them of being police informers. Several families had to leave their homes to take shelter elsewhere because of it.
The increased area dominance by security forces involved in anti-Maoist operations was also a reason behind their surrender.
As part of a goodwill-building measure, police officerss distributed blankets and dresses to the surrendered sympathisers to help them fight the winter chill.
