Kerala Government Announces Upto Rs 5 Lakh & Homes To Surrendering Maoists

Kerala government has announced a package of up to Rs 5 lakh and land for Maoists in the state willing to surrender and rehabilitate. According to IANS, Cabinet committee headed by the Chief Minister of Kerala, Pinarayi Vijayan, passed the resolution to “help people who were trapped into the clutches of Maoists groups”, a statement from the Chief Ministers’ Office said.

The statement accessed by IANS further adds, “But the rehabilitation package will have all the necessary safeguards to ensure that there will be strict monitoring as no one will be allowed to get away after getting all the benefits. Through this package, we wish to see that such people are gainfully employed.”

The package for the surrendering Maoists has been divided into categories based on their status.

Category A – Those who were holding high ranks will get Rs 5 lakh; Category B and C – Those who were maintaining the status of middle and lower ranks will receive Rs 3 lakh in instalments. Apart from this, the government has allocated additional provision of Rs 25,000 to a married Maoists cadre, who is willing to surrender. Those who are willing to study will get Rs 15,000; if they opt out of Maoism for vocational courses and employment opportunities will get Rs 10,000. Also, an additional Rs 25,000 would be paid to those who are surrendering with Ak47 and a lower amount for other guns and pistols.

Maoism in Kerela

According to News18, there has been an active Maoists presence in the jungles of districts like Wayanad, Idukki and Malappuram. According to The News Minute, recently, Maoists put up a poster in an area bordering Palakkad district which read as “Vijayan’s head will be cut off”. PazhayannurPolice told the News Minute that the poster was put up by a “Kerela chapter of Naxalbari.” In 2015, Kerela High Court said that being a Maoist is not a crime, and a person cannot be sent to custody.

Also published on Medium.