Many factors contribute to Gadchiroli district in Maharashtra suffering from high naxal activities for a long time. These include its remote location and dominance of tribal population. Now, this has created a lot of issues for the administration in the past. For one, the officials were at a loss on how to build bridges with the tribals, remove their misgivings and win their trust. But of late, However, a different scenario is being witnessed in this remote district as many tribal people who were influenced towards Maoism have started coming back towards normalcy.
They are even surrendering their arms before the administration.
This turnaround has happened largely due to the efforts of Gadchiroli police, headed by the Superintendent of Police (SP) Mr. Ankit Goyal as also the whole of administration. The police force of Gadchiroli has taken several initiatives and programs through which various benefits are being provided to surrendered Naxalites.
MAKING THEM SURRENDER
Since Gadchiroli is a remote, tribal-dominated and highly naxal-affected district in the state of Maharashtra, it has been facing issues like unemployment and lack of medical, educational and transportation facilities.
Speaking with Indian Masterminds, SP Gadchiroli Ankit Goyal said “Since the bulk of the population in Gadchiroli district lives in far-flung areas, they lack basic amenities, as a result of which many people have remained poor and uneducated. The Naxalites easily provoke such underprivileged people against the Government. They mislead and radicalize such people towards Maoism. Chetana Natya Mancha (CNM) team is one such source through which the Maoists radicalize such people.”
In order to curb the Maoists and their ideology, intensified anti-naxal operations are being carried out by the security forces deployed in Gadchiroli district. “Apart from this”, Mr. Goyal said, “many innovative civic action programs are conducted under the aegis of ‘Police Dadalora Khikdi’- Mava Hakka thakhidki (Police Bhaiya ki khidki-Merahaq ki khidki) under which Jan Jagran Melawas, Employment Melawas, Vocational Training, obtaining caste and other entitlements, etc. are being organized by Gadchiroli police within a single-window scheme.”
BENEFITS OF SURRENDERING
With people getting aware about the heinous activities committed by Naxalites and how they are being cheated, exploited and treated in an unfair manner, many have left the naxal organization and surrendered before the administration. However, once these naxals surrender it becomes a duty of the police force to veer them permanently from naxalism and make their lives productive.
For this, said Mr. Goyal “The surrendered naxalites are being provided with reward amount as per his/her rank in the naxal organization. Further, they are being rehabilitated by providing plots, gharkuls, aadhar cards, vocational trainings, etc. Till date, 127 surrendered people have been provided with plots, 107 with Gharkuls (houses), 643 with Aadhar Cards, 36 women with sewing machines and 23 with cattle. Many more have benefitted under various schemes being implemented by the Government.”
Added Mr. Goyal “Due to intensified anti-naxal operations conducted by the security forces in far-flung areas of Gadchiroli district and because of surrender of naxal cadres on a large scale, the strength of the naxals is decreasing day by day. This has resulted in reduced naxal activities within Gadchiroli. Consequently, the district administration is now better able to reach the public and redress their issues speedily.”
Apart from this, various other innovative measures have been launched under the single-window scheme by the police force of Gadchiroli. These include Pre-recruitment training, Employment through RojgarMelawa Mobile Application, Agricultural Tours, Maharashtra Darshan Tours, Certificate Distribution, Crop Seeds Distribution, Job Cards Distribution and Driving License Distribution, etc.
As women naxals who have surrendered are being converted into women SHGs and young people are getting job opportunities, Gadchiroli district in Maharashtra has indeed a brighter future ahead of it.
