Odisha’s Malkangiri district police celebrated International Women’s Day at a special ceremony that included surrender of a woman Maoist cadre from Chhattisgarh and honouring of 15 former Maoists from the district.
At the ceremony held at Malkangiri district police headquarters on Sunday, Debe Sodi (22), a Maoist cadre having ₹4 lakh reward on her head in Odisha, surrendered before Malkangiri Superintendent of Police Rishikesh Dnyandeo Khilari.
Ms. Sodi hails from Kusaraj village of Sukma district in Chhattisgarh. She was an area committee member of Katakalyan area committee under Darva division of Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee of the outlawed CPI(Maoist) organisation.
Fifteen former Maoist women cadres, who had surrendered in Malkangiri district in the past, were also invited along with their family members. These women were honoured for their courage to leave the path of violence and to work for development of their families and society.
Medical check-up
According to Mr. Khilari, these women were also given a free medical check-up for breast and cervical cancer at the Malkangiri district headquarters hospital.
Ms. Sodi had joined the Maoist organisation in 2012. She was involved in several incidents in Malkangiri and Chhattisgarh, and at least two murders in Dantewada district of Chhattisgarh.
According to her, she had decided to surrender mainly due to gender discrimination in the organisation as well as physical and mental harassment faced by the women cadres at the hands of their leaders.
She added that she was also impressed by developmental activities taken up by the Odisha government in remote areas of Tulsi reserve forest.
Ms. Sodi will be rehabilitated as per the surrender and rehabilitation scheme of the Odisha government. She will also get financial assistance to build own house, to pursue studies and get vocational training.