Six naxals who were to surrender before the Chikkamagaluru deputy commissioner on Wednesday noon, will now surrender before Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in Bengaluru in the evening.
The six naxals—Latha Mundagaru, Sundari Kutluru, Vanajakshi Balehole, Mareppa Aroli, Jisha of Wayanad in Kerala, and K Vasanth from Arcot, Tamil Nadu—had met the government-appointed Naxal Surrender and Rehabilitation Committee members Banjagere Jayaprakash, KP Sripala, and Parvatheesh Bilidale several times over the last two months in an undisclosed location and also held talks with Shantigagi Nagarika Vedike members to put forth their demands before the government. The naxals have reportedly demanded speedy trial, bail, legal assistance and financial aid. The government, in turn, has assured legal aid, skill training, financial package of Rs 3 lakh and Rs 2 lakh based on the category A (serious offences). Latha has 85 cases against her, Sundari 71, Vanajakshi 29, Mareppa 50, Vasanth 8, and Jisha 18. However, the naxals have alleged most of the cases are “false”.
The naxals decided to come to the negotiation table following an appeal by the chief minister to give up arms after the anti-naxal force (ANF) shot dead Vikram Gowda in an encounter in Pithubail in Hebri taluk on November 18, last year. The Internal Security wing, ANF, and Intelligence wings coordinated the meetings and prepared the ground for the surrender as each of these persons have multiple criminal cases registered against them.
With the surrender of these six naxals, the police believe the Naxalism in Karnataka will come to an end. The naxal movement in the state started from Bidar to fight the inequalities, spread to Raichur and Kalaburagi before intensifying in Chikmagaluru during the Kudremukh national park agitation against eviction of forest dwellers. The Western Ghats districts became the Naxals’ haven where they carried out recruitment and arms training.
However, in 2005, prominent naxal leader Saketh Rajan was shot dead in an encounter by the police near Mensinahadya.
The Siddaramaiah government (2013-2018) came up with a naxal surrender policy and formed a committee comprising freedom fighter HS Doreswamy, and social activists AK Subbaiah and Gauri Lankesh for negotiations with the naxals. Since 2010, at least 13 naxals, including Hagalaganji Venkatesh, Mallika Noor Sridhar, Sirimane Nagaraj, Rizwana begum, Parashuram, Kanyakumari, Jnanadev and Suma, have surrendered.
The combing operations in the Western Ghats and the focus on the development of the remote villages by subsequent governments led to waning local support for the naxal movement. The ageing cadres, frugal resources and intense combing operations in neighbouring states forced the naxals from Karnataka to return to the state limits. After Vikarm Gowda’s killing, the group was headless and desperate to return to the mainstream and confide in the police.
KL Ashok, a member of the Vedike, said the naxals had agreed to surrender and had given up armed struggle in favour of a democratic path for pro-people struggle.