Major blow to CPI (Maoist) as three top state-committee members and dozens of young women hand over weapons amid pressure and ideological disillusionment.
Mass Surrender Hits Maoist Network in Telangana
In a significant development, 37 cadres of the banned CPI (Maoist) — including senior state-committee leaders and a large number of women — surrendered on Saturday before Telangana Director General of Police B. Shivadhar Reddy in Hyderabad.
The group handed over a substantial cache of weapons, including:
- 1 AK-47 assault rifle
- 2 SLRs
- 4 .303 rifles
- 1 G3 rifle
- 343 live rounds of ammunition
Key Figures and Motivations
Among the surrendering Maoists were:
- Koyyada Sambaiah (“Azad”), age 49, a long-time member of the Telangana State Committee
- Appasi Narayana (“Ramesh”), a senior SCM member, reportedly around 70 years old
- Muchaki Somada (“Erra”), part of the Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee
Notably, 25 of the 37 surrendering cadres were women, many in their early 20s. They cited disillusionment with Maoist ideology, physical exhaustion, and a strong desire to make use of the government’s rehabilitation and welfare schemes.
Why This Surrender Matters
- Telangana DGP Shivadhar Reddy described this as one of the largest coordinated surrenders in recent months, calling it a “major operational and moral” victory.
- The leaders who surrendered were each carrying a cash bounty of ₹20 lakh, and the total reward paid out for all 37 surrendering cadres is estimated to be ₹1.41 crore.
- According to police, only 59 Maoists from Telangana remain underground, including several senior leaders.
- The mass defection further weakens the Maoist organisation’s military strength and influence in the region.
Background: Growing Pressure on the Maoist Movement
- This isn’t the first time key Maoist leaders have surrendered in Telangana: earlier this year, two veteran operatives gave up arms after decades underground.
- State officials credit a dual strategy — robust security operations + rehabilitation — for convincing many to abandon the armed path.
- Analysts note that the disillusionment among younger cadres and internal ideological rifts are weakening the organisation from within.
What Comes Next
- The Telangana government has promised rehabilitation and resettlement support for those who surrendered.
- Police and intelligence agencies will likely use this as momentum to encourage further surrenders.
- The development could mark a turning point in the left-wing insurgency in Telangana and the broader Red Corridor.
