Shishir RoyRaipur, March 18 -- A group of 140 former Naxalites from Bijapur and Kanker districts met Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai at the Vidhan Sabha complex on Wednesday.
The surrendered cadres, many of whom had spent years in the forests, spoke openly about their lives before and after giving up arms.
Several surrendered Naxalites told the Chief Minister that this year, for the first time, they played Holi with their children and neighbours.
For men and women who had known only hiding and running, the simple joy of colours felt like a new beginning. "We used to live in constant fear. We had fear of security forces, fear of getting caught, fear of dying any moment. Today, we live peacefully with our families. Our children ...