By Bharat Rao & Anil Gejji
Bengaluru: When Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah urged Naxals to surrender and reintegrate into the mainstream last week, it ruffled some feathers, especially given the widespread belief that the Naxal threat in the state is almost negligible. The announcement, which includes promises of financial and legal aid under the state’s Naxal Surrender and Rehabilitation Policy, came only after the encounter killing of Naxal leader Vikram Gowda near Udupi recently.
Though the timing of the move is said to be tactical, many attribute it to pressure from activists and reformed Naxals who have urged the government to adopt a more sympathetic approach toward Naxals.
The Naxal issue
The early efforts of the Karnataka government to persuade and bring Naxals into the mainstream dates back to 2005 especially after two suspected women Naxallites - Parvathi and Hajiba - were gunned down by the police in Udupi forests. The encounter brought to the fore the growing influence of Naxalim in the Kudremukh National Park in Western Ghats spread across Udupi, Chikkamagaluru and Dakshina Kannada districts.
Till then, left extremism was seen only in parts of Raichur and Tumakuru districts bordering the then united Andhra Pradesh. Intelligence reports gathered at that time revealed that over 50 young men and women were active in Naxalism, while more being lured towards it. This forced the state government to take the issue seriously and start efforts to persuade them to shun arms. The efforts of civil society members like late activist and journalist Gowri Lankesh also accelerated the rehabilitation efforts.
After having offered cash incentives, building houses and other infrastructure at tribal habitats on an ad-hoc basis, the state government formally announced a policy in 2015 for Naxals willing to surrender and reform. The policy had three objectives - facilitate the return of Naxals and left extremists to the mainstream through a simple process, offer cash incentives and vocational courses to help them take up businesses for livelihood post-surrender and offer necessary legal help to fight their cases.
"Fourteen Naxals have surrendered and successfully rehabilitated after the government policy took effect. This apart, many Naxals from Karnataka, who surrendered in other states, have also been rehabilitated," says Jitendra Kumar Dayama, Superintendent of Police, Anti-Naxal Force (ANF), Udupi.
The current Congress government revised the policy in March 2024 with increased cash incentives and benefits in order to speed up the process of surrender of the remaining Naxals.
What does the scheme entail?
As per the revised policy, the Naxals classified as Category A(a native of Karnataka and an active member of an armed group with criminal cases) will get a cash incentive of Rs 7.5 lakh after surrender while Category B(not from Karnataka but operating in the state as a member of an armed group) and Category C(those supporting and helping Naxals by being their informants without any criminal cases) are eligible for Rs 4 lakh and Rs 2 lakh compensation respectively. While 50% of the cash incentive will be given immediately after the surrender, the remaining amount will be paid in two installments at an interval of one year.
The scheme also offers Rs 5,000 per month for a year if any surrendered Naxal takes up own business or joins a vocational course. The same facility will be extended to those wishing to take up formal education. Additional incentives will be paid to those who help police catch active underground Naxals or find out their arm dumps. They are also eligible for additional cash incentives if they surrender arms and communication devices. The cash incentive ranges from Rs 2,000 for hand grenades to 50,000 for sniper rifles.
Are these benefits reaching reformed Naxals?
Naxals, who surrendered in the past, claim that not all benefits have reached them. Of the 14 people surrendered so far, a few have rejected the incentive and while those who accepted, say they did not receive their entire compensation. They say they have not been sanctioned houses and agricultural land and such promises remain on paper.
Most importantly, the reformed Naxals feel cheated by the government as they did not receive necessary legal aid to fight their pending cases.
"It's been eight years since I surrendered but I have six cases pending against me. I have been made to spend my entire time fighting these cases. During my surrender, the government had promised all legal help and speedy trials. But so far no help has come my way," says Nilaguli Padmanabh, who surrendered in 2016. He claimed his request for a house and two acre land have also not been met.
Similar is the case with Kanyakumari. "Ever since her surrender in 2017, she has been languishing in Parappana Agrahara Jail with no legal help. The government should focus on speedy disposal of such cases," says Sirimane Nagaraj, who deserted the Naxal movement in 2014.
Responding to the complaints, the Naxal Surrender and Rehabilitation Committee, which comprises members from civil society, had recently sent a proposal to the government to set up special courts to try cases against reformed Naxals. But the request was rejected on technical grounds. The government promised speedy trial of these cases in jurisdictional courts and legal aid.
Banjagere Jayaprakash, a member of the committee, agrees that not all benefits have reached the reformed Naxals. The promise to provide agricultural land is not fulfilled owing to legal issues. "The change of guard in the state government, ideological differences and dissolution of the committee have also contributed to this confusion," he adds.
Padmanabha says unlike when Gowri Lankesh and former minister A K Subbaiah were its members, the committee has not been active of late. "The state government and the rehabilitation committee seem to be only interested in bringing Naxals out from the forests and surrender but not providing them proper rehabilitation and legal help," he said.
How serious is the Naxal problem now?
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said Naxal activities in Karnataka never reached the extreme levels as in other states even during it's peak time between 2000 and 2007. In fact, people of the state had even forgotten that Naxalism existed in the state until the recent encounter of Naxal leader Vikram Gowda near Peetabailu in Karkal taluk in Udupi district by the ANF.
Following the death of Gowda, the Naxal activities have almost come to a standstill. Their support base has also eroded over the years, as per the ANF officials. "There are only seven Naxals operating in Karnataka as of now. Of them five are from Chikkamagaluru district, remaining two -Jisha and Ramesh are from Kerala and Tamil Nadu respectively," says Jitendra Kumar.
Efforts are on to persuade them to return to the mainstream and the ANF has been sending feelers through the locals and the members of the Naxal rehabilitation committee. "So far none of the seven has come forward to surrender and reform. But our efforts are on. We are more than happy to facilitate their surrender and make Karnataka free from Naxal activities," says Jitendra, hoping that the state would become Naxal-free once the septet is reformed.
Read More
