Fed up with movement, top naxal leader surrenders

Hyderabad,  A key Maoist leader from Chhattisgarh, who surrendered before Andhra Pradesh police, was fed up with the movement, a top police official has said.

Frustrated with the policies of the CPI(Maoist) and due to ill-health, both Gudsa Usendi (aged 45) and his wife Santoshi Markam surrendered before AP Police two days ago, AP DGP B Prasada Rao told reporters here today.

GVK Prasad alias Gudsa Usendi was the spokesperson of Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee (DKSZC) and Markam alias Jaini was divisional committee member of DKSZC press unit. Usendi left the movement due to ideological differences with the central committee on the policies and tactics and had been discussing the same in Maoist party on several occasions since 2007, the DGP said.

Usendi, native of Kadavendi village in Warangal district, opposed destruction of school buildings, blasting of high tension power lines and roads and indiscriminate killing of innocent civilians by branding them as police informers, he said. Attracted to Maoist ideology early in life, he joined the movement in 1985 and participated in its underground activities for about 28 years.

He was carrying a cash reward of Rs 20 lakhs and as part of AP government's policy, the amount will be handed over to him for rehabilitation. Replying to a query, the DGP said out of the 17 central committee members six are from AP. During last few years, large number of Maoist cadre and members of the Left-Wing Extremists (LWE) Groups have surrendered, he said.

The reward amount is only to encourage them (Maoists) to join the mainstream...it (when they are in UG activities) is a tough life for them and many a times they suffer ill health and state is persuading them to surrender, Rao said. We expect them to surrender and some more Maoists are willing to surrender, he pointed out.

Usendi was active in parts of Chattisgarh, Maharashtra and also Madhya Pradesh, as per legal procedure he will be also handed over to the police of the respective states and law will take its own course, he said, adding they were verifying his involvement in cases in different states.