From guns to reform: Ex-Maoist leader Bhupathi to work for tribal rights

Gadchiroli: Setting aside the path of guns, surrendered Maoist Mallojula Venugopal Rao alias Bhupathi has taken up the role of a coordinator for a university programme in Maharashtra's Gadchiroli to handle administrative work linked to tribal villagers' rights, officials said on Tuesday.

Once a feared Naxal commander, Bhupathi, who laid down his arms last year, will devote his efforts to securing legal rights for tribal communities in areas he once viewed from a very different lens.

The former Naxalite has been appointed on a three-month contract for the Gondwana University's 'Ekal' programme, with a monthly honorarium of Rs 30,000.


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Gadchiroli Superintendent of Police (SP) M Ramesh told PTI that Bhupathi was seeking work due to his experience at the ground level and knowledge, and had filed an application for a job.

The SP recommended his application to the Gondwana University's vice-chancellor, who, after taking his interview, offered him a job.

Bhupathi will work at the Tribal Research Centre in Gadchiroli and contribute to research work as well. He will also help in monitoring government schemes in the district, the police official said.

Gondwana University Vice Chancellor Prashant Bokare confirmed that Bhupathi has been recruited on a contractual basis as coordinator for administrative work for the 'Ekal programme'.

Bhupathi, who carried a massive Rs 6 crore bounty, surrendered along with 60 other Naxalities before Gadchiroli police in October last year.

A politburo and central committee member of the banned CPI (Maoist), he was regarded as one of the most influential strategists within the outlawed movement and had long supervised its operations along the Maharashtra-Chhattisgarh border.

Bhupathi will now serve as a link between gram sabhas, villagers and the administration.

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Under the 'Ekal' initiative, his responsibilities will include informing gram sabhas about the rights provided under the Panchayat Extension to Scheduled Areas (PESA) Act and the Forest Rights Act, helping to complete the documentation required to file forest-rights claims, correcting errors in claims, and coordinating their submission to the administration.