In a big jolt for the Leftwing extremism movement, as many as 295 active Maoist militias, sympathisers and Gana Natya Sangha members of the villages of Dhakadpadar, Dabuguda, Taber and Arlingpada of Jantri GP in the Swabhiman Anchal in Malkangiri district surrendered before police at the Jantri BSF COB on Saturday.
These surrendered villagers had been involved in several encounters with security forces, arson cases, civilian killings, hoisting of black flags, burning of vehicles, boycotting elections, supply of food and logistics to the Red rebels, passing of information about movement of security forces, threatening and assaulting of innocent tribals branding them as police informers.
The surrendered persons said that they were misled by the Maoists to indulge in violence.. Encouraged with the surrender of local militias on June 2 and seeing the development works by the Government in the area, they decided to join the mainstream and lead a peaceful life.
The villagers displayed their opposition towards the Maoist ideology by burning the rebels’ combat uniforms and shouted slogans like ‘Maobadi Murdabad’.
On the occasion, the district administration organised a grand feast and also distributed job and pension cards.The police also distributed sports equipments to the surrendered villagers.