The ‘Ganna Katai’ in early 2007 continued for about two months and made a dent in the morale of the dacoit gangs. With every illegal field being cut and the proceeds being delivered in the government treasury, the confidence of the terrified villages started soaring. The areas which had been the exclusive recluse of the dacoits were seeing a new revolution. Along with the assault on their cane, their boats and other means of making money were also targeted. The relatives of the dacoits were being counseled for making their leaders surrender, as there was no hope. The surrender policy of the Government was promoted by means of newspapers, and most of all by word of mouth in the sleepy district which was going through an unexpected change. Every successive day, more reports used to come from the field in the newspapers, with the news papers adding their own spice to it.  

In March 2007 the first surrender of dacoit Awadhesh Yadav was organized very near to his village. He had the status of a local clan leader in his area, but was feared in other places. The Police Station of Bathuaria was very near to his house, but he had been evading arrest for years. When he surrendered with arms in a function attended by a large crowd, the seeds of change had been sown. It was soon followed by the surrender of Mantu Tiwari and Sethai Yadav in May 2007 in Ramnagar. Sethai Yadav was the brother of the famous dacoit Musafir Yadav who carried a reward of Two Lakh on his head. During the same time a change was also happening in the naxal affected areas of the Police district. Families of the Maoists had been approached during visits to the remote areas in the Forests of Bagaha where they had been active.

To be continued....