Govt. urged to provide legal assistance to surrendered Maoists

Shantigagi Nagarikara Vedike, a citizens’ initiative for peace, has appealed to the State government to provide appropriate legal assistance to the six Maoists who surrendered and entered the mainstream recently.

At a press conference on Saturday, Noor Sridhar, a member of the organisation, said: “The first phase of bringing the Maoists into the mainstream has been completed. They have been brought from the forest to jail. Now, we all have to do the work of bringing them back to society from jail.”

He further stated that it was not enough to bring them into the mainstream and the government should show its will to resolve the social and economic problems that led to the movement.

Nagargere Ramesh, another member of the organisation said: “The Maoists have changed the path of struggle and the government has given them an opportunity to change that path of struggle. This is a transition to a new path of democratic struggle.”

They have sought a judicial inquiry into Vikram Gowda’s encounter case, speedy resolution of the cases of Kanyakumari and others who have been in jail for seven to eight years, co-operation between Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka governments to bring former Maoists from jail into the mainstream.

Published - January 11, 2025 10:24 pm IST