1 month ago
1
Chandraiyya alias Papa Rao was 19 erstwhile helium joined the “organisation.” For the adjacent 33-years, helium lived successful the forests of Bastar successful Chhattisgarh, equipped with an AK-47, moving astir with his halfway squad and occasionally visiting his autochthonal spot successful Sukma, astir 250 km away, adjacent the Telangana border. On March 24, helium contacted a writer successful Bijapur and expressed his tendency to laic down arms on with 18 others.
Known successful constabulary records arsenic Papa Rao, helium carried a reward of ₹25 lakh and was allegedly progressive successful respective attacks connected information forces and civilians successful the Bijapur region.
In an interrogation with The Hindu, the erstwhile most-wanted Maoist person said that helium decided to surrender aft the illness of the elder enactment of the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist). “It started with the sidesplitting of Basavaraju connected May 24, 2025, successful Narayanpur. Our web was broken. We could not determination from 1 spot to another; we were trapped, truthful we decided to surrender,” helium said.
The 42,000 sq. km Bastar portion has been among the worst Left Wing-Extremism (LWE)-affected areas successful the country. According to Sundarraj P., Inspector General, Bastar, the decease of Maoist wide caput Nambala Keshav Rao alias Basavaraju (70) successful Narayanpur territory was a “game-changer” successful decimating the Maoist web successful the region. Basavaraju had taken implicit arsenic the group’s person successful 2017-18, replacing Mullapalla Rao alias Ganapathi, who is present said to beryllium successful his 80s and nary longer active. Papa Rao said helium past met Ganapathi successful 2016.
Recalling his aboriginal days, Papa Rao said that helium was drawn to the question aft a gross authoritative allegedly assaulted his family. The authoritative forced them to transportation retired immoderate enactment successful the jungles. “I was beaten with a stick, and my parent was pushed and thrashed. At that time, the sangathan (organisation) was increasing stronger. We saw them with guns, raising dependable for our rights. I initially joined them successful 1992, but gave lone extracurricular support. I was arrested successful 1993 by the Andhra Pradesh constabulary and stayed successful jailhouse for a year. After coming retired of prison, I picked up the gun,” helium said.
Papa Rao said that his wife, Shyamala, who had followed him into the jungles, was killed successful an brushwood successful 2007. He has 3 children—a girl and 2 sons—who were looked aft by his parents astatine their colony successful Kistaram, Sukma, until they died successful 2013. “After my parents’ death, the children were connected their own. I remarried successful 2009. Urmila, my 2nd wife, was besides killed successful an brushwood successful 2025,” helium said. His older son, 25, works arsenic a labourer successful Gadchiroli, Maharashtra.
Now surviving nether constabulary extortion since his surrender, Papa Rao said till 2020, helium utilized to sojourn his colony erstwhile each 2 to 3 years. “After that, it became intolerable arsenic information camps accrued and encounters intensified,” helium said.
A adjacent adjutant of Hidma, a elder subject commandant of the banned outfit who was killed successful an brushwood successful Andhra Pradesh connected November 18, 2025, Papa Rao said helium did not cognize however galore information unit helium mightiness person killed. “I ne'er counted. I planted IEDs—one blast successful 1998 killed 16 jawans. I cognize however to marque IEDs; everyone is taught. Many radical were injured portion making them. I ne'er attacked alone; it was the committee’s decision,” helium said.
Recalling an brushwood connected September 3, 2023, helium said 9 Maoists were killed successful constabulary firing adjacent Bailadila portion helium managed to flee. “We ne'er stayed successful 1 spot for much than a day. Earlier, we utilized to walk 2 to 3 days successful a village, but past changed strategy,” helium said.
Asked if helium would rejoin Maoism fixed a chance, helium said, “I bash not deliberation so. The days of equipped rebellion against the authorities are over. We volition look for solutions wrong the Constitution of India.”
