"I am the happiest person today, more than you or your family, as our painstaking efforts to convince you to surrender and join the mainstream has bore fruit," Union Home Minister Amit Shah told a group of former Maoists on Sunday.
The event here, attended by about 30 surrendered Maoists and insurgents belonging to six states -- Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Maharashtra, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Assam -- may be small but is very significant, Mr Shah said.
"I am getting immense satisfaction that the country's youngsters are responding to our appeal, realising the futility of violence and surrendering," he said.
Mr Shah said when Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave him the responsibility of the home ministry in 2019, he thought that those who were involved in armed movements should be given a chance to lay down their arms, surrender and live a peaceful life.
"Following our initiatives, 20 peace accords were signed in the northeast and 9,000 militants surrendered," he said.
The Centre has formulated rehabilitation policies for surrendered militants and Maoists, including those injured in violence, the home minister said.
He added that PM Modi approved 15,000 homes for surrendered Maoists under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana while the National Dairy Development Board would provide at least one cow or buffalo for such families so that they could earn Rs 15,000 to Rs 20,000 every month.
"You all should pass on the message to your former colleagues that violence is not the way forward. All Maoists should come forward and surrender. The government will take care of their needs," he said.
He also told the surrendered militants to send a simple post card to the Union home secretary and their problems would be taken care of.
The home minister said the government was preparing to host the Olympic Games in Ahmedabad in 2036 and, in the run-up to it beginning 2025, about 35,000 youngsters would be trained so that India might win as many medals as possible.
"I want someone from Bastar to win at least one medal in the 2036 Olympics," he said.
While interacting with Amit Shah, the surrendered Maoists conveyed how they were benefitting from various government schemes, including jobs in the police and the private sector, and bank loans for starting their own ventures.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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