108 Maoists lay down arms in Chhattisgarh

In Chhattisgarh’s Bastar region, 108 DKSZC cadres surrendered under the Poona Margem initiative, renouncing violence and joining mainstream society. The move led to the largest ever recovery of arms caches in India’s anti-Naxal operations, marking a major security breakthrough

Jagdalpur: In a landmark development in India’s anti-Naxal operations, a total of 108 cadres of the Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee (DKSZC) formally renounced violence on Wednesday and joined the mainstream of society under the Poona Margem; Rehabilitation to regeneration initiative.

The surrender ceremony will be held at the Bastar Division Headquarters in Jagdalpur of Chhattisgarh in the presence of senior members of society, senior officers of the police and central security forces, as well as representatives of the district administration.

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The event is one of the largest collective surrenders in recent years, underscoring the growing impact of rehabilitation-focused strategies in conflict-affected regions.

Officials emphasised that the initiative is not merely about disarmament but about creating pathways for regeneration, reintegration, and sustainable livelihoods for those who have chosen to abandon the path of violence. Significantly, the information provided by the surrendered cadres has led to what authorities describe as the largest ever recovery of a cache in the history of anti-Naxal operations in India.

The caches, recovered from multiple districts across the Bastar Range, including Bijapur, contain arms, ammunition, and other materials that had long sustained insurgent activity in the region. This unprecedented seizure is being hailed as a major breakthrough in weakening the operational capabilities of Maoist groups.

As part of the day’s proceedings, the recovered caches will be displayed at the Range Headquarters in Jagdalpur during the surrender and rehabilitation programme. The symbolic exhibition is intended to highlight both the scale of the recovery and the transformative shift represented by the cadres’ decision to embrace peace.

Officials present at the ceremony reiterated that the success of the Poona Margem initiative lies in its dual focus; dismantling the infrastructure of violence while simultaneously offering former insurgents a dignified route back into society.

The surrender of 108 cadres, coupled with the historic cache recovery, is being seen as a turning point in the Bastar region’s long struggle against Maoist insurgency. The day’s events, blending rehabilitation with decisive operational gains, signal a new chapter in the government’s efforts to restore peace and stability in one of India’s most conflict-affected zones.