In a significant blow to Maoist insurgency, 26 Naxalites surrendered before security forces in Chhattisgarh’s Dantewada district on Monday, police announced.

The surrender, facilitated by senior police and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) officials, underscores growing disillusionment within the outlawed movement, with cadres citing an "inhuman" ideology, brutal forest existence, and internal strife as reasons for their exit.

Dantewada Superintendent of Police Gaurav Rai revealed that the group included members from Maoist wings like Janmilitia, Revolutionary Party Committee (RPC), and Janatana Sarkar, as well as frontal organizations such as Dandakaranya Adivasi Kisan Majdoor Sangthan (DAKMS) and Chetna Natya Mandli (CNM).

Among them, Rajesh Kashyap, an Aamdai area Janmilitia commander, carried a Rs 3 lakh bounty, while Kosa Madvi and Chhotu Kunjam, linked to Janatana Sarkar and CNM, had rewards of Rs 1 lakh and Rs 50,000, respectively.

The operation leaned heavily on the 111th, 195th, 230th, and 231st CRPF battalions, alongside a local intelligence unit, highlighting coordinated efforts to dismantle Naxal networks. This mass surrender boosts the tally of the 'Lon Varratu' campaign—meaning "return to your home" in the Gondi dialect—to 953 Naxalites, including 224 with bounties, since its inception in June 2020.

The broader Bastar region, encompassing seven districts including Dantewada, saw 792 surrenders in 2024 alone, reflecting the campaign’s mounting success. As Chhattisgarh’s anti-Naxal drive intensifies, this latest development signals a weakening grip of Maoist ideology in one of India’s most conflict-ridden zones.