Maoist arrested in Kerala gave first hint of desire of comrades to surrender in Karnataka

In December 2023, litterateur Banjagere Jayaprakash was approached by intelligence officials, who informed him about an incarcerated Naxal requesting to speak to him. When he agreed, a video call was arranged between them.

The genesis of the recent surrender of Maoists in Karnataka has been traced to revelations made by incarcerated Maoist leader B.G. Krishnamurthy during a video call with litterateur Banjagere Jayaprakash more than a year ago.

While in custody in Kerala, Mr Krishnamurthy had apparently sought to speak with Mr Jayaprakash, whom he had known since their Karnataka Vimochana Ranga (KVR) days, before drifting towards People’s War Group (PWG) and going underground. Hailing from Sringeri in Karnataka, Krishnamurthy had been operating in the forests spread across the trijunction of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala till his arrest by the Kerala police.

In December 2023, Mr Jayaprakash was approached by intelligence officials, who informed him about the incarcerated Krishnamurthy’s request to speak to him. When he agreed, a video call was arranged between them.

“It was then that Krishnamurthy, for the first time, revealed the desire of 7 to 8 persons from his group to surrender in Karnataka,” Mr. Jayaprakash told The Hindu.

Though members of his group were looking forward to surrendering even before his arrest, Mr Krishnamurthy had stopped them from doing so. After the arrest of Krishnamurthy, who was the lone member of the Central Committee of CPI (Maoist), the rest of the group had lost touch with the leadership.

According to Mr Krishnamurthy, the rest of the Maoists were ready to surrender if anyone from the civil society whom they trust comes forward and facilitated the process. Though Mr Jayaprakash suggested the name of farmers’ leader Kadidal Shamanna to take the lead, it did not materialize as the latter’s wife felt Mr Shamanna’s health won’t permit him to do so.

Mr. Krishnamurthy apparently sought for an interaction with Mr. Jayaprakash once again to take the surrender process forward as the Maoists were struggling to sustain themselves in the absence of local resources, snapping of ties with the central committee, and the heat turned on them by the Kerala police, which had resorted to ‘encounters’.