How,intheabsenceofinstitutionalmechanisms,doMaoistrebelsinIndiaquitanongoinginsurgencywithoutgettingkilled?Howdorebelsgiveuparmsandreturntothesamepoliticalprocessesthattheyhadoncesoughttooverthrow?Thequestionofweaningrebelsawayfromextremistgroupsishighlysignificantincounterinsurgencyandinthepacificationofinsurgencies.InFarewelltoArms,RumelaSengoestotherebelsthemselvesandbreaksdowntheprotractedprocessofrebelretirementintoamulti-stagedjourneyastherebelsseeit.ShedrawsonseveralroundsofinterviewswithcurrentandformerMaoistrebelsaswellassecuritypersonnel,administrators,activists,politicians,andciviliansintwoconflictzonesinNorthandSouthIndia.Thechoicetoquitaninsurgency,shefinds,dependsonlocallyembedded,informalexitnetworks.TherelativeweaknessofthesenetworksinNorthIndiameansthatfewerrebelsquitthanintheSouth,wheremorefeelthattheycandisarmwithoutgettingkilled.Senshowsthatthesenetworksgrowoutofthegrassrootscivicassociationsinthegrayzoneofstate-insurgencyinterface.Correctingthecourseforfuturepolicy,Senprovidesanewexplanationofrebelretirementthatwillbeessentialtoanypolicymakerorscholarworkingtoendprotractedinsurgencies.
