37 Maoists lay down arms

In a significant blow to the Maoist insurgency, 37 underground cadres of the CPI Maoist, including three senior State Committee Members and notably 25 women, surrendered to Telangana police in a high-profile event held at the DIG office in Hyderabad on Saturday.

This mass surrender marks one of the largest single-day disarmaments of Maoists this year and highlights the growing chinks in the extremist group’s operational armour.

The surrendering group included prominent leaders such as Koyyada Sambaiah Azad, Appasi Narayana Ramesh, and Muchaki Somada Erra, all State Committee Members carrying cash rewards of Rs 20 lakh each.

Seven cadres from the KM DVC faction handed over eight firearms, including an AK-47, SLRs, and G3 rifles, accompanied by over 340 live rounds of ammunition.

The Telangana Police assured full rehabilitation support and cash rewards amounting to over Rs 1.41 crore to the surrenderees as part of the government’s comprehensiveṅ reintegration policy for former insurgents.

This event is part of a larger trend of increasing Maoist surrenders in 2025, with states like Telangana, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, and Odisha witnessing scores of militants giving up the armed struggle.

Police data shows that over 1,000 Maoists have surrendered this year nationwide, surpassing previous years and indicating a sustained pressure from security forces coupled with internal dissent among cadres. Chhattisgarh alone accounts for the highest number of surrenders, particularly from the districts of Bijapur, Sukma, and Narayanpur, which remain the most affected areas by Left Wing Extremism as per government data.

Among the 37 cadres surrendering in Telangana, 25 were women, a striking fact that underscores changing dynamics within Maoist ranks and the psychological and operational impact of government surrender appeals. These women cadres held various positions from Party Members to Area Committee Members and were active in several capacities, including protection teams and press duties.

Their surrender signifies a crucial moral and strategic setback for the Maoists, reflecting growing disenchantment and possibly the erosion of support networks, especially among female cadres who often bear the dual burdens of insurgency and community ties.

Adding to the momentum against Maoists, the top Maoist commander Madvi Hidma, considered one of the deadliest and most strategic leaders, was killed in a police encounter on November 18, 2025, in the dense Maredumilli forests along the Chhattisgarh-Andhra Pradesh border.

Hidma’s elimination is viewed as a severe blow to the Maoist command structure, as he played a significant role in orchestrating ambushes and leading operations across the Red Corridor. His death followed a multi-state crackdown, and the encounter signals the continued effectiveness of coordinated security operations against Naxal leadership.

The mass surrender and the killing of a key leader like Hidma point to multifactorial pressure on the Maoists, ranging from sustained security force operations, ideological rifts, to the lure of rehabilitation by the government.

The Telangana government’s direct appeal calling cadres to return for development participation alongside lucrative surrender rewards has evidently resonated, particularly with seasoned cadres prioritizing family and personal wellbeing over decades-long underground struggle.