Six Naxals who surrendered before the Chikkamagaluru deputy commissioner on Wednesday morning met Chief Minister Siddaramaiah at his home office ‘Krishna’ in Bengaluru after a five-hour-long drive from Chikkamagaluru amid tight police security.
Despite criticism over offering a rehabilitation package for the surrendered Naxals, Siddaramaiah welcomed the Naxals into mainstream society and symbolically gave them each a rose and a copy of the Indian Constitution. Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, minister incharge of Chikkamagaluru district KJ George, senior police officers, Naxal surrender committee members and family members of the surrendered Naxals were present on the occasion.
The chief minister read out the names of the surrendered Naxals - Latha Mundagaru from Chikmagalur, Sundari Kutluru from Dakshina Kannada, Vanajakshi Balehole from Chikmagalur, Mareppa Aroli from Raichur Jisha from Wayanad and Vasanth from Vellore, Tamil Nadu, and stated they had completed the formalities of surrender before the Chikmagalur deputy commissioner.
“For nearly 20 years, these six were part of the Naxal movement in the state and have today surrendered due to the efforts of the Naxal surrender committee and the Nagarika Vedike,” said Siddramaiah.
Recalling the events in the run-up to their surrender, the chief minister said the Naxal surrender committees had met him a few days back and informed him that the Naxals were prepared to surrender on certain conditions.
“I gave a media statement urging them to surrender and also assured them the rehab package based on their category (of offences committed - A and B). The government will follow the rule of law and extend legal aid to help their transition from forest to jail and from the jail to mainstream society. They were convinced that the armed struggle would not yield justice but peaceful and Constitutional methods could resolve the issue. Our intent is to make Karnataka free from Naxalism,” said Siddaramaiah.
Earlier, Home Minister G Parameshwara said it was a step towards a Naxal-free Karnataka. “Today, six Naxals have responded to the chief minister’s appeal to surrender,” he said.
Banjagere Jayaprakash, members of the government-appointed Naxal Surrender and Rehabilitation committee thanked the chief minister for his assurances of rehabilitation through financial and legal aid.
Latha, one of the surrendered Naxals said, “We have given up Naxalism and will follow the Constitutional and democratic path.”
Some of the demands made by the Naxals were a speedy trial of the cases, grant of bail, dropping false cases, and financial and legal aid.
