As the Union Home Ministry's March 31, 2026 deadline to eliminate armed Naxalism draws to a close, most of Chhattisgarh's forest divisions have fallen silent. But in the dense jungles straddling the Kanker and Mohla-Manpur border, a small yet significant pocket of resistance endures. Among the last known active cadres in the region are DVCM Chander and Roopi — the latter identified as the wife of senior Maoist commander Vijay Reddy — both of whom have not yet laid down arms, according to local police officials.

The Kanker Superintendent of Police confirmed that while multiple surrenders have taken place in the district over the past week, these two names continue to figure in active intelligence assessments. Their status remains a matter of sustained concern for security agencies working to wrap up anti-Maoist operations before the government's self-imposed timeline expires.

Wave of Surrenders Sweeps the Division

The past fortnight has seen a sweeping collapse of the Rajnandgaon-Kanker Border Division's operational structure. Multiple cadres from the formation surrendered before police in Kanker, handing over weapons including self-loading rifles and .303 rifles. The surrenders have effectively dissolved what was once a functioning organisational unit straddling the forested corridors of northern Bastar.

Most senior-rank Naxalites in the division have either been neutralised in encounters or have already submitted to authorities. The RKB Division, which once ran a clandestine network across this belt, has largely ceased to function as an organised fighting force.

Who Are Roopi and Chander?

Roopi, an Area Committee Member, is reported to be the wife of Vijay Reddy, a Senior Committee Member who was previously active in the same geographic belt. Chander, holding the rank of Divisional Committee Member, is considered a more operationally significant figure. Both have been the subject of sustained outreach efforts by police for several months, according to officials familiar with the matter.

Despite long-running speculation about their surrender, Chander and Roopi have not yet laid down their weapons. Approximately 17 Naxalites are believed to still be active in the jungles of Kanker. Security forces have been working to establish contact with these remaining cadres, urging them to abandon violence and return to mainstream life under the state's rehabilitation framework.

Broader Collapse of Maoist Leadership

The Kanker situation sits within a far larger picture of Maoist disintegration across Chhattisgarh. Since January 2024, thousands of Maoists have surrendered across Bastar division's seven districts, including Kanker, Kondagaon, Bastar, Narayanpur, Bijapur, Dantewada, and Sukma — representing one of the most decisive breakdowns of Left Wing Extremism in the region's history.

The most dramatic development came in the final week of March, when a senior DKSZC-rank commander laid down arms along with nearly two dozen cadres. Senior police officials declared that for the first time in the history of the Maoist movement in Dandakaranya, the outfit has effectively become leaderless at the district and divisional level.

Government Reaffirms the March 31 Target

Senior officials have made no secret of their confidence that the end is near. The state government has stated that nearly 96 per cent of Bastar's vast geographical area is now free from Naxal influence, and that no active Maoists of DKSZC rank remain operational in Chhattisgarh.

Plans are also underway to convert nearly 400 security camps — once the pivot of the anti-Maoist fight — into public infrastructure such as schools, hospitals, and centres for collection and processing of minor forest produce. The announcement signals a decisive shift from a security-led posture to a development-focused one across the Bastar belt.

Rehabilitation at the Core of the Campaign

The government's approach has not relied on force alone. A formal rehabilitation process has been put in place for surrendered cadres across the region. Under state-run initiatives, senior police officers welcomed surrendering Maoists with copies of the Constitution, while community representatives offered gestures of reconciliation as part of a structured reintegration process.

Officials say surrendered cadres receive financial assistance, vocational training, and help reintegrating into tribal communities — a framework designed to ensure that a return to violence is not a viable option for those who choose peace.

What Comes Next

With just days left before the March 31 deadline, the focus in Kanker has narrowed sharply to the remaining holdouts, including DVCM Chander and Roopi. Senior police officials have expressed hope that the few remaining cadres — now wandering in small, scattered groups — will choose the path of peace and return to the mainstream before the window closes.

Security agencies continue their outreach operations in the Kanker forests, and officials indicated that contact attempts with the last active cadres are ongoing. Whether Roopi and Chander follow the trail blazed by thousands of their former comrades — or choose to remain in the jungle — may well define the final chapter of organised Naxalism in Chhattisgarh's northern belt.