Top Maoist leader Gudsa Usendi surrenders

For the last several years, most press statements released by Maoists carried the signature of one man

For the last several years, most press statements released by Maoists from their bastion Dandakaranya in central India carried the signature of one man: Gudsa Usendi. As the spokesperson of the Maoists’ Dandakaranya Special Zone Committee, the middle-aged frail-looking Usendi would at times speak to select media persons, often joking about how far he had to walk to catch a mobile signal. One of their top leaders, he is considered close to Maoist supreme commander Ganapathi. In a dramatic turn of events, Usendi reportedly surrendered to the Andhra Pradesh Police on the evening of 7 January. While it is not clear what led to his decision, his surrender is a big blow to the Maoist movement in the country. Usendi is a big catch since he can provide valuable details on the Maoist leadership to India’s security agencies. He is also believed to have knowledge of the attack on a Congress convoy in Chhattisgarh on 25 May 2013. That information could be crucial, since there are several mysteries—and consipracy theories—about the circumstances that led to the attack. Of late, Maoists have been under State pressure, with security forces having just concluded a week-long drive against them through the country’s ‘red corridor’.

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