Give us time till Feb 15: Maoists request to halt ops, offer mass surrender in letter to 3 CMs

In return, they have asked all three governments to suspend anti-Maoist operations until that date.

In the letter, the committee says, “We, the MMC Special Zonal Committee, are ready to abandon weapons and accept the government’s rehabilitation and Poonamargam schemes. However, we need time to arrive at a collective decision, as our organisation follows democratic centralism.”

The communication is addressed to Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis, Chhattisgarh CM Vishnu Deo Sai and Home Minister Vijay Sharma, and Madhya Pradesh CM Mohan Yadav.

Signed by MMC spokesperson Anant and dated November 22, the letter also states that the Maoists will halt their activities during this period.

“We understand this timeline is long, but it remains within the government’s declared deadline of March 31, 2026, for ending Maoism. Until then, we urge the three State governments to show restraint and pause security operations,” the letter says.

The Maoists further insist that security forces should not conduct operations during the upcoming PLGA Week, which marks the anniversary of the CPI (Maoist)’s military wing.

“Stop the use of informants and avoid deploying forces on the basis of inputs. In return, we assure you that we will not observe PLGA Week this year and will suspend all our activities,” the letter added.

The committee cites the recent surrenders of senior Maoist leaders—Central Committee member Pulluri Prasad Rao (Shankaranna/Chandranna) in Hyderabad on October 28 and top leader Bhupati (Sonu) in Gadchiroli on October 15—as examples of cadres stepping back from armed struggle after assessing “changing circumstances in the country and the world.”

The MMC has requested that the government broadcast the contents of the letter on the radio for a few days so the message can reach their scattered cadres.

They have also urged surrendered leaders to relay their appeal to the authorities, and asked public representatives, journalists, and even YouTube reporters to mediate between them and the government.

“We hope the three State governments allow us to meet some public representatives and journalists soon, so that we may quickly declare a specific date for jointly giving up arms and accepting rehabilitation,” the letter noted.

'Need a clear proposal'

Responding to the development, Chhattisgarh Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma said the Maoists must present a clear and detailed proposal, questioning the lengthy deadline they mentioned.

“I have seen the letter and heard the audio that has reportedly surfaced. They speak of February 15, but such decisions do not require so much time. They should submit a concrete proposal,” he remarked.

He added that the government was prepared to support the process if the Maoists clearly outlined their plan.

“If they want their cadres to gather in a particular area, we can secure that location. But they must present a concrete proposal, and a timeline of 10 to 15 days is more than enough,” he said.

The Central government’s target of wiping out the Maoist insurgency by March 2026 has triggered a renewed push in counterinsurgency operations across multiple states.

In recent months, several senior Maoist leaders have been neutralised, while hundreds of cadres have given up arms under the rehabilitation scheme.

The movement suffered its most recent blow with the death of top commander Madvi Hidma, who was killed in an encounter near the forested border region where Chhattisgarh, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh meet.