Money over cause: How the naxal movement is collapsing

New Delhi, Feb 14: The surrender of Oggu Satwaji alias Sudhakar was a big shot in the arm for the security agencies.

This is the second big incident after the surrender of Narasimha Reddy in 2017. In both these surrenders, it became clear that the ideology of the naxalites was fading.

The surrender of Sudhakar is an important one considering that he was pat of the central committee and politburo, the highest decision making body of the CPI (Maoist). Apart from being part of the decision making team, he was also a strategist. Sources in the Intelligence Bureau say that his surrender will deal a blow to the plan by the naxalites, who are looking to revive their activities in south.

Sources also tell OneIndia that he is likely to get more naxalites to the surrender table.

The source further adds that one of the key reasons for his suicide was that he was disgruntled with the ideology of the Maoists. Several naxals have over the past few years surrendered citing a similar reason. They say that the ideology of the naxal movement has completely changed and today it is more about extortion and blackmail rather than fighting for a cause.

This comes in the wake of a major change that was made in the naxal hierarchy recently when Muppala Lakshman Rao alias Ganapathy who was heading the naxalites since 2004 was replaced by Nambala Keshava Rao alias Basavaraju. Rao took over as the chief of the CPI (Maoist), which was formed in 2004, following the merger with the Peoples' War Group, CPI (Marxist-Lennist) and the Maoist Communist Centre of India.

Commenting on the developments, a senior official tells OneIndia that this was in the offing since the past one year. Many had been leaving the outfit on the ground that they were unhappy with the ideology. Most had said that they were disgruntled and hence wanted to quit the outfit.

Further the naxalites were also facing heavy losses in several of their bastions. Home Ministry records speak about the reduction in the geographical spread of the naxalites all these factors in fact led to a change in leadership. More importantly the naxalites decided to go with a combat man at their head and this could signal that they would look to get more aggressive.

Officials say that the change in leadership has not exactly helped their cause. Many have come forward complaining about the ideology that is being followed, while also adding that the naxals are today more driven towards money rather than the cause.

Sudhakar too tells the police that there has been a major shift in the ideology of the naxal movement. It has become more political and the agenda of some in the urban areas is what is being followed. There is no longer a cause that is being fought for, he also added.
Police sources say that Sudhakar was a major leader of the naxalites and he is expected to get more persons to surrender in the days to come.