Bijapur: Surrendered Naxalite Papa Rao who was once synonymous with terror in Bijapur region of Chhattisgarh for almost 30 years has appealed to the Maoists who are still active in the area to lay down arms and return to the mainstream of the society.
In an exclusive chat with ETV Bharat, he said that many senior Naxal leaders have returned to the mainstream amid an increase in the number of security camps. He said that he is trying to acclimatize himself with normal life after being accustomed to living in the jungles for so long. He has called upon the still active Maoists to abandon the path of violence and adopt the path of peace.
Talking about his past, Papa Rao revealed that his real name was something else. The name Papa Rao was given to him after joining the Naxal ranks. Although he has surrendered, he has no remorse for targeting security forces and killing villagers.
Also known as Chandraiah, he disclosed that he joined the Naxalite organization in December 1995 underlining that there was considerable government pressure on the locals at that time and the villagers in the interiors were being ‘beaten and harassed’.
Claiming to have joined the Naxalites in public interest, he admitted that while in the organization, he was involved in several incidents that made him synonymous with fear in the area. He recalled the 1998 bomb blast around Tarrem near Basaguda where 16 soldiers were killed.
He revealed that in 1998, he was a part of the Area Committee (AC) and was accompanied by an area commander named Badaranna who has also surrendered and is living in Jagdalpur.
Talking about the demolition of the school buildings and the opposition to road construction by the Naxalites, Papa Rao said, “Security forces often camped in school buildings. These buildings were damaged following a decision taken by the organization. Furthermore, the construction of roads would have made it easier for the security forces to reach Naxal hideouts. Hence, this was also opposed.”
Responding to a query about the exodus of the villagers from Basaguda area in 1998, he said the organization did not forcibly drive out anyone, rather some villagers who were working against the organization left the village on their own out of fear of retaliation.
Talking about the Salwa Judum campaign in the area, he said that the Police harassed the villagers during this period further complicating the situation. He alleged that many poor people’s homes and huts were burned and property was damaged.
Papa Rao made an interesting revelation on the source of money for the Naxalites. At the time of his surrender, he had brought with him modern weapons, ammunition and approximately Rs 10 lakh in cash. He explained, “The organization’s funds primarily came from taxes collected from contractors, traders and large vehicle owners that amounted to approximately Rs 1.5 crore annually.”
Regarding the source of the weapons, he explained that Naxalites frequently attacked security forces and looted their weapons. He also stated that in several attacks, such as those in Tadmetla and Tekulguda, the organization inflicted damage on security forces and seized weapons, although he himself was not involved in every incident.
