Senior Maoist educator surrenders with wife

Time of India

5 hours ago

Raipur: A senior Maoist who served extensively in remote villages, educating cadres in guerrilla zones through the Mobile Political School (MOPOS) network, surrendered with his wife before police officials in Mohla-Manpur-Ambagarh Chowki district of Chhattisgarh on Wednesday.
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The couple carried cumulative cash reward of Rs 13 lakh and is being called an important surrender on the LWE front.
The Maoist couple was identified as Jeevan alias Ram Tulavi at the rank of divisional committee member, and his wife Agasa alias Aarti, an area committee member have surrendered to the police in Mohla, police said. Their surrender marks another success in the state's 'Operation Prayas', a campaign designed to encourage Maoists to leave the armed insurgent movement and return to mainstream society, officials said.
This surrender took place in the presence of Inspector General of Police (IG) Abhishek Shandilya and Superintendent of Police Yashpal Singh.
The couple had been active members of the Maoist movement for over 25 years and decided to leave the organization after being influenced by the Chhattisgarh govt's new rehabilitation policy, officials added.
Jeevan, 45, hails from Parvideeh village in Mohla and was a prominent member of the Naxal outfit, having held the position of Mobile Academic School (MAS) Commander in Marh division.
Jeevan joined the outfit around 1993, influenced by the growing Naxal presence in his village.
He began his journey in the movement by working under the leadership of Divakar Kurchami, a commander from the Tipagadh Naxal group. Over the years, Jeevan played an instrumental role in spreading Maoist ideology by teaching at Naxal-run schools, including in the Marh area, where he was tasked with training new recruits.
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His work included conducting Mobile Political Schools (MOPOS) to educate Naxals in various villages, adapting to changing circumstances and locations.
Jeevan steadily rose through the ranks, from an L.O.S. (Local Organization Squad) member to a Divisional Committee Member (DVCM). He carried a cash reward of Rs 8 lakh.
His wife Aarti, 38, is from Teli Tola village in Mohla, and was active in the movement for over 15 years.
She was involved in Chetna Natya Mandali, a cultural wing of the Naxals, where she helped spread the ideology through folk performances. She was introduced to the Naxal cause through her association with Laxman Deshmukh, the leader of a local cultural group who had links with the Naxals.
After her marriage to Jeevan in 2007, Aarti continued her work with the Chetna Natya Mandali in Manpur division, where she was eventually promoted to the position of ACM.
Over the years, she also worked with the Naxal media and press teams. She carried a bounty of Rs 5 lakh on her head.
The couple's decision to surrender comes after years of being disillusioned by the growing discrimination and exploitation within the organization. With several senior leaders being killed in encounters and a growing atmosphere of fear among members, the couple chose to leave the armed insurgency and return to their communities, officials said.
Their surrender was facilitated by the joint efforts of various security forces, including the 27th and 44th battalions of the ITBP (Indo-Tibetan Border Police) and District Reserve Guard (DRG). These forces played a vital role in bringing the couple to safety and ensuring that they were able to leave the Naxal organization without facing harm or retaliation.
Both Jeevan and Aarti will receive immediate relief funds of Rs 50,000 each.
The surrendered couple made an appeal to other active Maoists in the region, urging them to return to their families and live a peaceful, fulfilling life without the violence and fear associated with the movement.