In yet another blow to the Maoist insurgency, a senior woman commander, Geeta alias Kamli Salam, surrendered before police in Chhattisgarh’s Kondagaon district on Saturday. Her surrender comes a day after the state witnessed its biggest ever mass defection, when 210 Naxalites, including several senior cadres, laid down arms in Jagdalpur, Signalling a major setback for the outlawed movement.
Geeta, who worked as the Tailor Team Commander in the Maoists’ East Bastar Division, carried a reward of Rs 5 lakh announced by the Chhattisgarh government. She gave herself up before Superintendent of Police Akshay Kumar, citing growing disillusionment with the Maoist ideology and drawing motivation from the recent surge of surrenders across the Bastar region.
The Jagdalpur event marked the largest ever surrender in Chhattisgarh’s history, with 210 Maoists, including a Central Committee member and four Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee leaders, laying down 153 weapons, ranging from AK-47 rifles to grenade launchers. The event, attended by Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai, was described as a reflection of the state government’s policy of “trust, dialogue and development over violence”.
Under the Chhattisgarh Naxalism Eradication Policy, she has been granted an immediate incentive of Rs 50,000, with additional rehabilitation benefits to follow. Officials said her reintegration would be facilitated under the state’s comprehensive framework aimed at rebuilding the lives of those returning from extremism.
Her surrender, authorities said, symbolises a broader collapse within Maoist ranks and the waning influence of Left-Wing Extremism in the region. Over the past three days, 238 Naxalites have surrendered in Chhattisgarh, indicating a significant shift in ground realities.
Security forces believe this ongoing trend could mark a decisive turning point in the fight against Left-Wing Extremism. As the state continues its dual strategy of sustained security pressure combined with targeted rehabilitation and outreach, Geeta’s decision to return to the mainstream stands as a powerful story of transformation, and a message to those still holding out in the forests of Bastar.
