Jagdalpur: The picture is changing in Bastar, which has been bearing the brunt of Naxalism for 5 decades. From time to time, the governments try to fight the Naxalites as well as try to bring the tribals, who have wandered and joined the Naxalite organization, into the mainstream. Surrender policy has changed with time, the effect of which is visible. Senior security adviser K Vijay Kumar has also praised this campaign in Bastar.
What is the Lone Varratu campaign?
Lone Varratu in Gond language means 'come back home'. With this campaign, related to the villagers, the police have posted a list of the names of Naxalites in every village panchayat of the district along with the banner poster of the benefits of surrender. The villagers are bringing the members of their family who are associated with the Naxalite organization to the police to bring them back to the mainstream. Villagers are also appealing to the Naxalites of their village and urging them to join the mainstream. This is the reason why under the Lone Varratu campaign, tribal villagers are constantly leaving the Naxalite organization and joining the mainstream.
The list was created beforehand
Before starting this campaign, the police had prepared a list of the names of 600 Naxalites in 266 pages and by providing the list in every village panchayat, making the identity of each Naxalites related to the villagers very clear. The special thing about the Lone Varratu campaign is that under this campaign, arrangements are being made by the police and the district administration for all the Naxalites who are surrendering.
Special features of Lone Varratu campaign
> For the Naxalite surrendering in this campaign, the police and district administration is arranging for immediate employment for them.
> Surrendered Naxalites construct the building, school, road and bridge-culvert, which have been damaged by Naxalites.
> Surrendered Naxalites are contributing to the development work of their village panchayat.
> This campaign is currently being run in Dantewada district of Bastar division and in view of its success, preparations are being made by the police administration to start this campaign in other districts as well.
> Among those who surrender under this campaign are the Naxalites with prize money ranging from one lakh to 10 lakh on them. Bastar police are also giving jobs in police service to the Naxals who surrender under the Lone Varratu campaign, and for this, they are also being trained and deployed in anti-Naxal operations against their ex-colleagues.
400 Naxalites surrendered including the ones who carried prize money
Lone Varratu campaign is proving to be very effective in Dantewada district of Bastar division. Bastar IG said that after the formation of Chhattisgarh, a total of 4000 Naxalites have surrendered from the entire Bastar division and are associated with the rehabilitation policy of the government. Out of these, a total of 400 Naxalites have surrendered in Lone Varratu Campaign in Dantewada district which has been started recently around 6 months ago. Naxalites who carried prize money from one lakh to 10 lakh are also included among those who have recently surrendered.
The campaign will be run in all the districts of the division
IG said that the way the police are getting great success under Lone Varratu campaign in Dantewada district, on the lines of this, Lone Varratu campaign will be launched in other districts of Bastar, Bijapur, Sukma, Narayanpur and Kanker, for which planning been done and in the coming days this campaign will be run in all the districts of Bastar division.
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