5 maoists surrender

ROURKELA: The anti-Maoist operation in Saranda forest got a major boost with five rebels surrendering before the Rourkela police on Friday. The armed cadres stated that they were disillusioned with the Maoists’ way of life which led them to give up arms. The armed cadres, aged between 19 and 30, surrendered before DIG (WR) YK Jethwa and Rourkela SP Himanshu Lal along with arms and ammunition. This is being seen as the direct outcome of the intense ‘area domination operation’ by joint forces of Orissa and Jharkhand inside the Saranda forest in Jharkhand  territory. The recoveries included three .303 rifles, one 9 mm automatic pistol and 106 rounds of .303 and 9 mm live ammunition, Maoist uniforms and communication gadgets. Jethwa informed mediapersons that the ongoing operation would continue relentlessly leaving the ultras with no option but to surrender or face the police bullets. He said the surrendered youths got disillusioned with the top leaders and cadres of Santhali tribe as they indulge in uncalled for violence, womanisation, extortion and caste discrimination to lead a lavishing and immoral life. He informed that the second-in-command of the outfit’s Dakshin Chhotanagpur Zonal Committee Prasant Munda alias Azad along with women cadres, Gurubari Tarkod and Sipranti Topno, have applied for surrender from prison and their appeals would be considered by the State Government. Those surrendered have been identified as Manoj Lakra (30), Anmol Tirkey (21) and Saban Kerketta (19) of Jharkhand besides Etwa Munda (20) and Maheswar Singh (19) of Sundargarh district. Each of them were given Rs. 10,000 and assured of rehabilitation packages and legal assistance to face trials in previous cases. Saban, who was kidnapped and recruited in the outfit, said he could no more tolerate the violence and indiscrimination. Nearly 35 Maoists quit the outfit in the past one year in areas under the western range of police.  Meanwhile, a senior cop informed that a top Oriya Maoist leader frustrated with the Telugu and ‘Santhali’ hegemony is also mulling surrender.