Nagpur: Don’t wander aimlessly in the jungle, join the mainstream — This was an emotional appeal on Saturday to holed-up guerrillas in Gadchiroli by surrendered Maoist woman commander, Sangeeta Usendi, wife of former Maoist, Giridhar. Before her surrender, Sangeeta carried a bounty of Rs 16 lakh declared by Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh govts.“Your parents and family are waiting for you. For their happiness and your own future, surrender now, accept the Constitution, and live a dignified life,” she said. Reflecting on her 22 years in the jungle, Sangita said, “I realised that violence achieves nothing. It only plunges your life and your family into darkness. That is why I chose the constitutional path.”With nine days to go for Union home minister Amit Shah’s deadline to make the country free of Maoist violence and only six hardened Maoists still digging in heels in the forests, Sangeeta’s appeal is seen as a last-minute effort to give a lifeline to her former comrades and a final nudge to end the decades-long insurgency.Sangeeta aka Lalita, who was divisional vice-committee member in Bhamragad Local Organisational Squad of the Maoists had surrendered in June 2024 along with husband Giridhar.Sangeeta’s plea reflected govt and security forces’ intensified push, as once-formidable Maoist presence in Gadchiroli has shrunk dramatically — from spanning all 10 subdivisions to being confined to a border pocket in Bhamragad taluka. Of the six guerrillas still holding fort, Jayaram Gawade, is a Gadchiroli native, while the remaining five, including four women cadres are from neighbouring Chhattisgarh.Sangeeta joined the movement in 2006 as a member of the Kasansur local organisational squad and remained active until 2011. She was later transferred to Nainpur in Chhattisgarh, operated in Maad area from 2011 to 2020, and eventually moved to south Gadchiroli, rising to a key leadership role. Eighteen serious offences were registered against her, including seven encounters and one case of arson. Her husband, Giridhar, carried a 25 lakh bounty. On June 22, 2024, the couple laid down arms before Gadchiroli police in presence of then deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis.State’s surrender and rehabilitation policy offers strong incentives like financial aid (4-8.5 lakh/person, extra aid for couples/groups), Aadhaar, PAN, bank accounts, housing support, education for kids, vocational training, employment, and security. Over 123 Maoists have surrendered in Gadchiroli since 2025, coming to total of nearly 800 under the policy. As March 31 deadline nears, forces remain on alert, with C-60 commandos ready for final action.
