The recent surrender of 180 active militia members of CPI (Maoist) in Malkangiri has raised hopes of the return of more and more Maoists to the social mainstream. Almost all the militia members belonged to the district’s ‘Swabhiman Anchal’, which used to be a Red bastion not long ago.
The militia members, who used to assist hard-core Maoists in carrying out violent operations and also collected intelligence on their behalf, apparently decided to lead a peaceful life after being attracted by the state government’s rehabilitation package for the ultras. Chief minister Naveen Patnaik’s repeated appeals for surrender also played a role in persuading them to give up arms.
Considering that almost all the surrendered Maoist militia members were involved in incidents such as firing, arson and killing of civilians, it was not an easy decision to take for them. Many of them must be aware that Maoist leaders will now be after them as they will be treated as traitors by the hard-core extremists and their leaders.
Reports coming from the area said that Maoist militia members decided to surrender as they were assured of sympathetic treatment by the police who, in the past, have helped many surrendered ultras lead a peaceful life. Police officials have even arranged marriages of rebels who give up arms.
Apart from the government’s rehabilitation policy, one of the biggest motivating factor for Maoists’ giving up arms has been the new wave of development in the Swabhiman Anchal – once known as Malkangiri’s cut-off areas because of its inaccessibility. It had got separated from the district’s mainland after the establishment of Balimela hydel power project on the Balimela reservoir nearly five decades ago. For the people of this area, the only means of communicating with the mainland were boats.
Lack of development made it easy for the Maoists to gain the sympathy of the local residents. But things started changing after the completion of Gurupriya bridge on the reservoir. It connected the area with the district’s mainland by road for the first time in five decades. While this facilitated police operations against the Maoists, it also accelerated the pace of developmental projects in the area. New schools, hospitals and panchayat buildings came up in the Swabhiman Anchal where new black-topped roads were laid.
The new wave of development convinced the local people that the government was actually keen to improve their lifestyle and the area could prosper only if they supported the official machinery in its endeavours. Now things are much better in the area with Maoists on the backfoot and their so-called sympathizers not willing to support them anymore. Hopefully, more Maoists and militia members will give up arms and join the social mainstream.
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