Family members of the bride and groom participated along with the police in the wedding.
Kalahandi Police on Friday solemnised the marriage of surrendered Maoists - Ramdas and Kalamdei - who has laid down their arms in 2020. The marriage took place at a temple on Reserve Police premises of Bhawanipatna.
Rajesh Pandit, D.I.G of Police (SWR) Koraput attended the ceremony as the chief guest. Superintendent of Police Kalahandi Dr Saravana Vivek M, Commandant CRPF 64th Bn Biblab Sarkar and other senior police officers of Kalahandi district were present.
"Kesab Veladi (Ramdas) who was an ACM cadre, surrendered before Kalahandi police in February 2020 and was provided with all rehabilitation benefits as per the government of Odisha's Surrender and Rehabilitation policy. Kalamdei Majhi (Gita ) surrendered with Kalahandi police in January 2016 and was also rehabilitated. Ramadas was given Rs 3.98 lakhs and Kalamdei was given Rs 2.98 lakhs as per the government's rehabilitation policy. Both of them were given vocational training as per their choice," said the Kalahandi police.
"Ramdas was a member of banned CPI (Maoists) KKBN division for almost nine years before surrendering to police. He belongs to a poor family in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district. He has two sisters and one brother whom he did not meet for more than ten years till the Kalahandi police facilitated their meeting after his surrender," said police.
During one such meeting, Ramdas's father's cataract surgery was arranged by the police and during his recovery. Both Ramdas's and Kalamdei's families met and decided to go ahead with their marriage. Kalamdei was also a member of the BGN division of the banned Maoists outfit for almost a year before her surrender.
After the Kalahandi SP came to know about their desire to get married, the police under the guidance of DIG of Police (SWR) Koraput arranged their marriage in the temple of Reserve Police Ground, Bhawanipatna. Family members of the bride and groom participated along with the police in the wedding.
Kalahandi police appealed to Naxals to shun the path of violence and to make use of the Government of Odisha's Surrender and Rehabilitation policy and surrender before the police to get back to the mainstream.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)