NEW DELHI: The expected surrender of CPI(Maoist) de-facto general secretary Thippiri Tirupahii alias Devji, alongside another central committee member Malla Raji Reddy alias Sangram, is like “the proverbial last nail in CPI(Maoist) coffin”, according to sources in the counter-Naxal establishment.Devji is likely to be joined by other cadres working closely with him as he comes overground and joins the mainstream – an announcement by the Telangana Police to this effect is expected on Tuesday or Wednesday. The remaining Maoist cadres – now believed to number around 300 across all affected areas, and mostly operating in disjointed groups of 10-12 each, in some cases even 4-5 – too may have little ideological baggage or stomach to continue facing bullets after their top leader throws his hat in the ring, according to a senior IPS officer engaged in anti-Maoist operations.Sangram, being in his seventies, was not known to be active of late, but his surrender, like Devji’s, signals the weakened hold of CPI(Maoist) ideology. Coming after the round of surrenders by politburo member Mallojula Venugopal alias Sonu, as also central committee members Chandranna, Ramder, Rupesh and Sujata, the latest one involving their top leader is seen as a potential signal to the Maoists still on the ground to toe the line. “With the top leadership, always dominated by Telugu veterans who once swore by the ideology of violent, Left-wing extremism, and motivated others to ‘fight and oppose’ the state, choosing pragmatism over ‘dying upholding the ideology’, the junior cadres will have no motivation to continue leading a difficult life in the jungles,” said an officer.With Devji and Sangram’s impending surrender, the only member of the top CPI(Maoist) politburo and central committee still active is Misir Besra. Besra, who looks after the eastern regional bureau of the CPI(Maoist), is the only non-Telugu face in the organisation’s decision-making hierarchy. He has been on the run since his close aide Anal da was killed in Jharkhand last month. Besra is possibly hiding along the Jharkhand-Odisha border, and the forces are on his trail. “Chances are that he will take a cue from Devji’s surrender and follow suit,” an officer said.Meanwhile, multiple operations are going on simultaneously along the Chhattisgarh-Telangana-Odisha-Jharkhand axis, to keep up pressure on the remaining Maoists to surrender or face neutralisation by the security forces.
