Bijapur: The security forces have achieved a major success in the ongoing decisive battle against Naxalism in Chhattisgarh. Maoist commander Papa Rao, who was synonymous with terror in the forests of Bastar for decades and had a bounty of Rs 25 lakh, has laid down his arms along with 17 of his other comrades. Everyone surrendered after reaching Kutru police station in Bijapur district. This incident is being considered a milestone for the Central Government’s Naxal-free India campaign.
Papa Rao’s surrender has come at a time when the government has set a deadline to eliminate Naxalism from the entire country, especially from Bastar. The return of Papa Rao, who has been active in the organization for a long time and played an important role, into the mainstream is a huge blow to the Maoist organization.
Papa Rao’s real name is Mangu Dada alias Chandranna and he is a resident of Nimalguda village of Sukma district. Papa Rao, who is more than 50 years old, was associated with the Maoist movement since the 1990s. That of Maoists West Bastar Division Committee He was the chief commander of and has been accused of planning and executing several major Naxalite attacks.
After the killing of notorious Naxalite commander Hidma, Papa Rao was considered the most experienced and dangerous commander of that area. The security forces had declared a reward of Rs 25 lakh on him, but he managed to escape several times by breaking the cordon.
The central government has set a target to make Bastar Naxal free by March 2026. To achieve this goal, security forces are continuously running operations. Hundreds of Naxalites have laid down their arms in recent times, but the surrender of a big commander like Papa Rao is one of the biggest successes of this campaign.
Local people have also heaved a sigh of relief on this news. He believes that if a big commander like Papa Rao has returned to the mainstream, then it is like breaking the last link of Naxalism. Security officials are considering this as a very big and positive step towards restoration of peace in Bastar.
