'Ready to surrender,' says Maoist leader in letter
Fifteen members of the banned BBM division of CPI (Maoist) say they're ready to surrender by early March 2026, according to a letter attributed to Vikas, the west sub-zonal secretary.
In response, Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma promised a radio safety guarantee and support for those giving up arms.
Letter raises concerns about treatment of past surrenderers
This move comes just after a top Maoist leader surrendered in Telangana, but there are still worries about how past surrenderers have been treated—the BBM letter asks why those who surrendered "aren't being sent home" and "are being held in barracks," and whether they will be "trapped in cases" again.
The BBM group wants public safety assurances before they step forward.
With the government saying it is rapidly heading toward getting rid of left-wing extremism and police saying the movement is losing steam, this could be a big step toward peace in the region.