Naxal woman, 19, surrenders in Odisha, says she was mentally, physically exploited

A 19-year-old woman Maoist, Mogdi Honhaga, surrendered before the police in Odisha's Rourkela, Odisha, on Monday.

A resident of West Singhbhum district in Jharkhand, she had been actively associated with the Communist Party of India (Maoist) and had played an active role in its operations. Her decision to surrender in a neighbouring state, despite being from Jharkhand, is being seen as an important signal by security agencies.

Honhaga comes from Marang Panga village in West Singhbhum. She came into contact with notorious Maoist leader Anmol alias Sushant, following which she joined naxalism and became active in the Saranda region. She was involved in assisting recruitment drives in Holunghuli village and also trained new recruits.

She was reportedly part of the encounter that took place in the Kumdih forest on January 21 this year. However, she managed to escape from the spot along with other Maoists and has since been hiding in areas. Her involvement has also surfaced in the explosive loot incident at a stone quarry in Banko, Sundargarh district, where she was active alongside Anmol.

After surrendering, Honhaga revealed the internal realities of the Maoist organisation. She said that she faced physical and mental exploitation within the group, which led to deep disillusionment. Around the same time, she learned about the surrender policy of the Odisha government. Influenced by this, she decided to leave the organisation and contacted Rourkela police through confidential channels.

DIG Brijesh Kumar Rai said that all benefits and compassionate assistance under the state government’s surrender policy would be extended to her. He added that the government remains fully committed to helping Maoists who wish to return to the mainstream.

The surrender comes at a time when security forces have intensified operations against Maoists in Saranda and nearby areas. Honhaga’s move is being seen not only as a major achievement for security agencies but also as an indication of growing discontent within the organisation, with younger members increasingly choosing to return to the mainstream.

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