Naxalites Surrender in Chhattisgarh | 26 Apr 2024

Why in News?

According to the sources, 18 Naxalites, including a militia platoon section commander and three women, surrendered in Chhattisgarh's Dantewada.

Key Points

  • They were part of Bhairamgarh, and Malanger area committees of the Maoists in south Bastar.
  • According to the sources, these cadres were tasked with digging roads, felling trees to block roads and putting up posters and banners during shutdowns called by Naxalites.
    • They will be provided facilities as per the government's surrender and rehabilitation policy.
    • With this, 738 Naxalites, including 177 of them carrying rewards on their heads, have so far joined the mainstream in Dantewada district.
  • Security forces have implemented a stringent enforcement measure on Naxalites in Chhattisgarh's Left Wing Extremism (LWE)-hit districts.

Left-Wing Extremism (LWE)

  • It refers to political ideologies and groups that advocate for significant societal and political change through revolutionary means.
  • LWE groups may target government institutions, law enforcement agencies, or private property to further their agenda.
  • The LWE movement in India originated in a 1967 uprising in Naxalbari, West Bengal.
  • Status in India:
    • The Union Home Ministry has stated that violence related to LWE had come down by 76% in 2022 as compared to 2010.
    • Also, there has been a decrease in the geographical spread of violence as only 46 districts reported LWE-related violence in 2021, compared to 96 districts in 2010.