'Bhupathi's surrender shows cracks have widened within Naxals'

Senior Naxal leader Mallojula Venugopal Rao alias Bhupathi, who surrendered along with 60 other cadres, has revealed that cracks have widened within the movement, with many more wanting to surrender, an official said.

The 70-year-old CPI (Maoist) leader, who is also called Sonu, has informed authorities that there are serious ideological differences within the Naxal movement, the official told PTI on Friday.

In a major blow to the Naxal movement, Sonu surrendered before Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis along with 60 other Naxals in Gadchiroli on Wednesday.

“Two factions have emerged - one led by Sonu, Satish, and Rajman Mandavi favouring peace talks, and the other led by Deoji, Hidma, and Prabhakar who oppose the move,” the official said.

A significant internal rift exists within the CPI (Maoist) party, with Sonu advocating creation of mass support bases, he said. Following Special Forces’ pressure, he advocated temporary cessation of armed struggle and strategic adaptation, the official added.

However, other Telugu leaders of the organisation based in Telangana insist on continuing the armed operations.

Information available so far from Sonu indicates that he believes a protracted “people's war” is unsustainable due to heavy losses and alienation from the masses, the official said.

The organisation has been facing hard times since 2011, and conditions have worsened in the last five years, the official said.

Sonu has claimed that some “Godi Maoists” enjoy state protection in Telangana, the official said.

Sonu is considered reformist for supporting government policies like FRA (Forest Rights Act), PESA Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act and distribution of land pattas (land ownership document or title deed).

As per information available so far, more than 70 cadre from Telangana are still associated with CPI (Maoist), the official said, adding eight out of 12 “central committee” members are also from that state.

Bhupathi, who carried a combined bounty of around Rs 6 crore announced by six states - Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and Odisha—laid down 54 weapons, including seven AK-47s and nine INSAS rifles as he and his associates surrendered before Fadnavis.

The Naxalite-Maoist insurgency conflict waged by left-wing extremist (LWE) groups who follow Maoist political ideology and claim to fight ''people's war'' against the Indian government, began with the 1967 Naxalbari uprising.