– 25 were from Bijapur, with 23 carrying rewards totaling ₹1.15 crore.- 15 were from Dantewada; five had rewards of ₹17 lakh.
– Kanker district saw the surrender of 13 Naxalites with ₹62 lakh in combined rewards.
– Eight surrendered in Narayanpur (₹33 lakh total reward).
– Five came forward in Sukma district, also carrying significant bounties.
The mass surrender of Naxalites highlights a noteworthy shift in addressing insurgency through growth-centric strategies alongside rigorous security measures. Initiatives such as “Niyad nellanar,” promoting village development and infrastructure expansion in remote areas, appear to be fostering trust among local communities while presenting alternatives to rebel activities.
While these figures signal progress in weakening Maoist influence across Bastar-one of India’s most notorious insurgent zones-the challenge remains balancing counterinsurgency efforts with safeguards ensuring dignified rehabilitation for former militants post-surrender. This event could serve as an example for replicating similar strategies elsewhere within India’s conflict-prone regions.Stability induced by such policies has broader implications for economic growth and reduction of violence-related disruptions across affected areas-a critical step toward integrating isolated territories into national developmental frameworks effectively.