In a massive setback to the out-lawed Communist Party of India (Maoist) top leader and its ideological heft, also its communications and people’s connect in South Bastar Mallojula Venugopal Rao (70) alias Sonu,surrendered before the police, along with 60 others.
They have surrendered before police in Maharashtra’s Gadchiroli district and turned themselves in before the police late Monday night. A Politburo and Central Military Commission member, Sonu known as the thread that connected it to the world outside the forests of Chhattisgarh.
A B.Com graduate hailing from Peddapalli in Telangana, Sonu is the brother of slain Maoist leader Mallojula Koteshwar Rao alias Kishenji, who was killed in 2011. “Sonu and others were inspired by the Radical Students Union and the People’s War Group,” an intelligence source said.
Sonu’s surrender comes after an ideological split in the Maoist party came to light in the form of a to-and-fro of letters. This development marks a significant setback for the CPI/Maoist and comes after sustained counter-insurgency operations led by the police under the guidance of Union Home Minister Amit Shah and coordinated with state governments across the country.
In September, Sonu had issued a press release signalling his intention to lay down arms, and he subsequently gained the support of a substantial number of Maoist cadres from Chhattisgarh and other regions, who backed his decision to surrender. Sonu’s first letter was widely discussed and criticised by the party ranks, with a section of the Central Committee and Telangana State Committee of the party condemning his approach and even calling him a “traitor”.
The next letter appeared to be a response to Telangana State Committee spokesperson Jagan’s letter dated September 19, which advocated continuing the armed struggle. Officials have described this surrender as a major success for law enforcement agencies, highlighting their continued efforts to weaken the Maoist insurgency and reintegrate militants into the mainstream.
Gadchiroli, a district in Maharashtra, has long been a stronghold of Maoist activity, making today’s surrender a notable milestone in India’s fight against internal extremism. Sonu was appointed as a CPI(Maoist) spokesperson in 2010. He has many other aliases like Abhay, Bhupati, Vivek and Rajan. He came from a poor family, and his father and grandfather were freedom fighters.
After his brother, who was leading operations in Lalgarh in West Bengal, was shot dead, the party asked Sonu to take over the Lalgarh operations. Last December, his wife, Vimala Sidam alias Tara, surrendered before Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. She, too, had joined the Maoists 30 years ago and had risen to become a member of the Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee. His three letters, written in Telugu, came after the Maoists suffered heavy losses in Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra.