Malkangiri: IGP Operations, Amitabh Thakur is happy that as many as 295 active Militias, Village Committee Members, Maoist Sympathisers and members of Gana Natya Sangha of several villages under Jantri Panchayat of Swabhiman Anchal (earlier known as cut-off area) have surrendered before police on Saturday.
The people are from Dhakadpadar, Dabuguda, Taber and Arlingpada villages of Jantri GP under Jodambo PS of Malkangiri district. They surrendered before the police in presence of Chitrokonda SDPO, Anshuman Dwiwedi.
The people, who had already joined the Maoists, burnt their uniforms and all took pledge that they will not resort to the violence path anymore in their life, the police said.
These surrendered villagers were involved in several exchanges of fire, arson cases, civilian killings, hoisting of black flags instead of national flag, burning of vehicles, boycotting MLA, MP elections, supply of food and logistics to Maoists, passing of information about movement of security forces, threatening and assaulting of innocent tribals to leave their native villages, land, household articles and domestic animals on the plea of police informer confessed that they were misled by the Maoists to be indulged in violence.
Being encouraged by the surrender of local militias on June 2, 2022 and seeing the development works by the government in the area, they decided to join the mainstream and lead a peaceful life.
On June 2, 50 active militias of cut-off area, which is one of the most Maoist infested areas of the country, had surrounded before DGP, Odisha.
They exhibited their opposition towards the Maoist ideology by burning the dress materials of Maoists & gave slogans “Maobadi Murdabad”.
The surrendered villagers performed Dhemsa (local folk dance) at the camp. A grand feast had been organized by the police and administration on the occasion for them.
The district administration also distributed job cards & pension cards and police distributed sports equipment to the surrendered villagers today.
“We also appeal on behalf of Odisha Police and Malkangiri administration to rest of the Maoists to join mainstream and lead a peaceful life,” a police officer said.
