Bhupathi Move Saved 200 Tribals, 100+ To Surrender In Chhattisgarh

Nagpur: In the dense forests of Abujmarh, top guerrilla Bhupathi's brave choice for peace has saved over 200 tribal fighters of People's Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA), who are under siege with inter-state commandos closing in on Abujmarh for the final assault on the rebel headquarters. Another 100 tribal fighters have accepted truce feelers and will soon before police, top intelligence sources told TOI. Some loyal cadres from the Rohi Dalam of Chhattisgarh even joined Bhupathi to surrender in Gadchiroli on Tuesday. Also, villages in the foothills of Abujmarh would have faced raids, and innocent tribals would have died in the crossfire, said a senior police official."If Bhupathi would have stuck to his guns, it would have been suicidal. With reduced PLGA strength and low cadre morale, they would have been wiped out by the forces by the end of this year with commandos readying to raid the core of Abujmarh," said an official.Earlier this year, Bhupathi, as the group's spokesperson, had called for a truce. In a press note seeking a ceasefire, he wrote — "Our tribal brothers' blood is spilling, and our youth are dying for nothing." Holed up in Abujmarh, Maoists faced imminent defeat against the Centre's high-tech forces. Continuing the fight would have led to more deaths. His decision came just when the govt stepped up ‘Operation Kagar', a massive crackdown led by Union Home Minister Amit Shah.