C'garh: 8 Naxals surrender, cops credit Lon Varratu campaign

Eight Naxals surrendered inChhattisgarh's Dantewada on Monday, with district policeofficials claiming that its 'Lon Varratu' campaign asking theMaoist ultras to return to the mainstream was showing results.

With this, 248 Naxals, including 67 with bounties ontheir heads, have so far laid down arms in the district sincethe campaign, which means ''return to your home/village'' in thelocal Gondi dialect, started in June last year, an officialsaid.

The eight ultras, including a woman, have said theysurrendered due to their disappointment with the hollow Maoistideology, and because they were encouraged by their formercolleagues who laid down arms as part of the Lon Varratuappeal, informed Dantewada Superintendent of Police AbhishekPallava said.

''Of the eight, Suresh Oyami (20) was active as amember of platoon number 13 under Bhairamgarh area committeeof the Maoist and was carrying a reward of Rs 2 lakh on hishead.

''Three others, Jogi Madvi (19), member of Pedaras LOS(local organisation squad), Pradip alias Pandru Kovasi (20),Mirtoor LOS member and Sule Kawasi (35), militia platoondeputy commander, were carrying rewards of Rs 1 lakh each,'' hesaid.

The rest four were part of the outlawed outfit's lowerhierarchy, he added.

''All of them were involved in attacks on police teams,planting explosives, damaging government property, includingrailway tracks, and civilian killings in Dantewada and Bijapurdistricts,'' he said.

They were given immediate assistance of Rs 10,000 eachand will get further help as per the government's surrenderand rehabilitation policy, he added.

The Lon Varratu campaign has seen banners and postersput up in native of villages of some 1,600 Naxals asking themto forsake violence and return to the mainstream.