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22 Naxals Surrender in Odisha's Malkangiri Under Rehabilitation Scheme

That's a significant group of 22 Naxals choosing to surrender in Odisha. This follows a similar surrender of 34 cadres in Chhattisgarh just last week, showing a clear trend. The government's rehabilitation program seems to be gaining traction by offering a path back to mainstream society. At the same time, security forces are ramping up their presence with new bases in affected states to further pressure these groups.

Key Points: 22 Naxals Surrender in Odisha's Malkangiri | Latest LWE Development

  • 22 Naxals surrender in Odisha's Malkangiri district
  • Surrender linked to state government's 'Poona Margham' rehabilitation initiative
  • Move reflects impact of sustained anti-Naxal policies and confidence-building measures
  • Surrender follows pattern of similar events, including 34 Naxals surrendering in Chhattisgarh last week
  • CRPF establishes 229 Forward Operating Bases across six states as part of security strategy
  • Government aims to eliminate LWE by March 2026 deadline
2 min read

22 Naxals surrender before Odisha Police in Malkanagiri

22 Naxals surrendered before Odisha Police in Malkangiri under the state's rehabilitation scheme, marking continued progress in efforts to curb Left-Wing Extremism.

"We have confirmed the surrender of 22 Naxals, who sought rehabilitation, voluntarily giving up their arms and ammunition. - Odisha Police Official"

Malkanagiri (Odisha), December 23

A total of 22 naxals surrendered before Odisha Police in Malkanagiri on Tuesday, marking another success in the central government's effort to curb Left-Wing Extremism and restore lasting peace in the region.

Odisha Police confirmed the surrender of the 22 Naxals, who sought rehabilitation, voluntarily giving up thier arms and ammunition.

Last Week, as many as 34 Naxals surrendered in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district. The surrendered Maoist cadres were collectively carrying a reward of Rs 84 lakh, the Bijapur Police said.

The surrender took place under the state government's rehabilitation initiative titled "Poona Margham: Punarvas Se Punarjeevan" (Return to the Mainstream: Social Reintegration through Rehabilitation), which focuses on reintegrating former extremists and welfare-based measures. Officials said the move reflects the growing impact of sustained anti-Naxal policies combined with confidence-building efforts.

Among those who laid down arms were 34 Maoists belonging to the South Sub-Zonal Bureau, including seven women and 27 men. In addition to the DKSZC unit, the surrendered Naxals included members from the Telangana State committee and the Andhra-Odisha Border (AOB) division, indicating that the schemes extend beyond district and state boundaries.

Meanwhile, as part of its strategy to establish dominance over Naxalism, with the Centre setting March 2026 as the deadline to eliminate the menace, the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), one of the principal forces tasked with countering Left Wing Extremism, has set up a total of 229 Forward Operating Bases (FOBs) across six key Naxal-affected states from 2019 to till date.

The FOBs have been a key component of the government's security strategy to counter Left Wing Extremism (LWE) in Naxal-affected regions. These bases are established by central armed police forces, including the CRPF and its specialised units, in remote, forested and insurgency-prone areas that were earlier considered strongholds of Naxal groups.

Out of the total 229 Forward Operating Bases (FOBs), the highest number 59, have been established so far this year, followed by 40 in 2024, 27 in 2023, 48 in 2022, 29 in 2021, 18 in 2020 and eight in 2019.

These FOBs have been established across Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand and Telangana.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

S
Sarah B
While the surrender is good news, I hope the focus remains on the root causes. Poverty and lack of development in these tribal areas is what fuels such movements. Rehabilitation must be paired with real economic opportunities.
V
Vikram M
Good step by Odisha Police. The combined strategy of FOBs for security and surrender policies for rehabilitation is showing results. March 2026 deadline seems ambitious, but the momentum is there. Jai Hind!
P
Priya S
My cousin serves in the CRPF in Bastar. He says these Forward Operating Bases have completely changed the game. Naxals are losing their safe havens. Salute to our security forces for working in such tough conditions. 🇮🇳
R
Rohit P
Surrender from AOB division is significant. This is a tough area. Hope the peace holds and these former cadres can lead normal lives. The government must ensure the promises of the rehabilitation scheme are delivered on the ground.
K
Karthik V
A respectful criticism: The article talks a lot about security strategy, but very little about what "welfare-based measures" actually entail. The public needs to know more about the rehabilitation process to have full confidence in it.

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

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