Naxalite 'Doctor' Surrender Proof That Abujhmarh Is Shunning Guns And Embracing Development: Officials
Trained informally in medical procedures, Sukhlal Jurri was given the title of Doctor by the villagers who were impressed by his humane conduct
Published : October 26, 2025 at 6:52 PM IST
Narayanpur: Naxalism or Maoism is being claimed to be at its ebb in Chhattisgarh, particularly in the Abujhmarh forests of Bastar division. The government’s two-pronged strategy of an aggressive campaign by the security forces on one hand and the ‘Niyad Nellanar’ (Development and Trust) has resulted in the killing of 397 Naxalites and the surrender of 1,342 in Bastar division between January 2024 and September 2025 alone.
The recent surrender of a prominent cadre like Dr Sukhlal Jurri is being cited as a proof that Abujhmarh is now moving towards peace and development.
Jurri was an informally trained medical practitioner with the Indravati Area Committee of the Naxalites. In an exclusive interaction with ETV Bharat, he revealed that he had come in contact with Naxalite leader Dilip who used to organize students when he was 14 and was studying in Class 6. He was influenced by Maoist ideology and had started working with the Chetna Theatre Group.
"It was in 2007, just a year after joining the Naxalite organization that I received four months of specialized training in the forests of Kutul after which I began treating various ailments, applying sutures and performing complex operations like male sterilization. It was because of my affectionate conduct with the villagers that they gave me the title of 'Doctor Sukhlal', he said while underlining that their act spelt trust.
Because of the medical assistance provided by him, he was made a party member, later an area committee member and, in 2021, a division committee member in the organization.
He only possessed a .303 rifle as his primary job was to treat and not to fight. He admitted that he never participated in any armed operation.
Jurri, along with his wife and six other associates surrendered before the Narayanpur Superintendent of Police on September 20. He cited two main reasons for this and said the police operations had intensified since 2023 and the force had started to infiltrate every corner of Abujhmarh. This had also resulted in the deaths of prominent Naxalite leaders including General Secretary Nambala Keshava Rao alias Basavaraju. The continued losses instilled fear in the cadres.
He further admitted that the development schemes of the Chhattisgarh government and the establishment of camps in Abujhmarh have led to the villagers getting disillusioned with the Naxalites.
He said that the Naxalites had created a parallel ‘ecosystem’ because even after more than 70 years of independence, the people of Abujhmarh had no access to the government machinery.
"They had created a Jantana Sarkar where they had own judicial system that responded to complaints. There were special teams that had set up a weapon manufacturing system, military training camps and were out recruiting people. The Naxalites were also providing education and healthcare to their fighters," he added.
The Naxalites who have surrendered celebrated Diwali with freedom and fearlessness. Jurri said this was his first Diwali when he was shopping without fear.
Authorities claim that the surrender of Jurri confirms the decline of Naxalism in Bastar. While Jurri admitted that eradicating the organization's ideology remains a challenge, the continued surrenders indicate that Abujhmarh is ready to embrace development and shun guns.
The Chhattisgarh government has been continuously appealing to the Naxalites to lay down the arms. It is aiming to meet the March 2026 deadline to eradicate Naxalism.
Sources say that the establishment of security camps in the impenetrable areas of Abujhmarh along with continuous search operations have led to a panic within the extreme Left cadres. In October 2025, 210 Naxalites surrendered in a single day.
Secondly, the government's Niyad Nellanar initiative has brought education, health care, roads, housing and food to the villages which has led to villagers losing their fascination and fear of the Naxalites.
Authorities claim that not a single youth from Abujhmarh has joined the Naxalites in the last two years and this has weakened the organization's roots.
Also Read
