A Naxal for 20 years, this man now works for society's betterment

Sukma: Shunning the path of violence, giving up arms, joining mainstream and now working towards generating awareness on various subjects through music and drama is a brief introduction to the life of Arjun, once a dreaded Naxalite with a bounty of Rs 8 lakh on his head.

Arjun worked as a Naxal cadre for almost 20-years before realizing that their ideology is not good for society. He was in charge of South Bastar division of the Chetna Natya Mandali, a cultural wing of the Naxalites before surrendered before police in Sukma on March 8.

"I worked for 20 years with Naxalites. During that period also I performed dramas and plays and worked among tribals (to promote Naxal ideology). However, I realized that the path adopted by them is not right and hence I decided to give it up. Now I have joined the mainstream and I work with Police in generating awareness among the citizens. I sing songs for generating awareness," Arjun told ANI.

He performed with his team on conservation of the environment on the "World Environment Day" in Sukma on June 5.

A police officer from the area said that Arjun's talent is now being utilized for taking varied useful messages to people, including those about government schemes.

"Apart from neutralizing Naxalites during our operations, we are also involved in generating awareness among the public regarding the program's run by the government for their welfare. Inspired by it, many Naxals have given up arms and joined the mainstream," said Salabh Sinha, SP, Sukma.

"He has formed his team and is generating awareness among the public. We decided to use his talent in the right direction earlier through his drama and song he was involved in spreading Naxal ideology," said Sinha.