What happened to the former Naxalites in Jharkhand's Gumla district?

Former Naxalites in Jharkhand's Gumla district abandoned violence and embraced fish farming, leading to their economic empowerment.

How did the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) scheme help the former Naxalites in Gumla?

The PMMSY scheme provided the former Naxalites with government training, assistance in pond construction, and new strength to start their fish farming ventures.

What was the impact of the former Naxalites' transition to fish farming in Gumla?

The transition led to a fisheries revolution in Gumla, with more than 150 families now engaged in fish farming. It also resulted in the removal of Gumla from the list of Naxal-affected areas in 2025.

Home / Business and Economy / From Guns to Gills: Naxalites-Turned-Fish Farmers Revive Jharkhand's Gumla

From Guns to Gills: Naxalites-Turned-Fish Farmers Revive Jharkhand's Gumla

27 Jul

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Summary

Former Naxalites in Jharkhand's Gumla district abandoned violence for fish farming
Individuals like Om Prakash Sahu, Jyothi Lakra, and Ishwar Gop found economic empowerment in aquaculture
Gumla district was removed from the list of Naxal-affected areas in 2025

In a remarkable transformation, former Naxalites in Jharkhand's Gumla district have abandoned violence and embraced fish farming, leading to their economic empowerment and the removal of the district from the list of Naxal-affected areas in 2025.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised this remarkable turnaround, highlighting the inspiring stories of individuals like Om Prakash Sahu, Jyothi Lakra, and Ishwar Gop. Sahu, a former Naxalite, decided to leave the path of violence and start fish farming, despite facing initial protests and threats. With the launch of the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) scheme, Sahu received government training and assistance, leading to a fisheries revolution in Gumla.

Today, more than 150 families in the Basia block are engaged in fish farming, with many former Naxalite organization members living respectfully in villages and providing employment to others. Jyothi Lakra, 41, abandoned Left-wing insurgency in 2002 and now runs a successful fish feed mill, while Ishwar Gop, 42, a former Naxalite, now harvests eight quintals of fish annually from a government pond.

This transformation represents a shift from insurgency to counter-insurgency to peaceful livelihoods, showcasing how the "lamp of development can be lit even in the most difficult circumstances."

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