Bastar
Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Saturday that Naxalites cannot stop the development of tribals in Bastar region of Chhattisgarh and appealed to them to leave weapons. He said that the government is committed to ending Naxalism by March 2026.
Addressing the closing ceremony of the state government’s ‘Bastar Pandum’ festival, Shah said, “He went to the era when bullets were fired here, there were bomb blasts. I request those who have weapons in their hands that come to the mainstream by putting up arms because you are our own. Some Naxalites are killed. Someone is not happy.
He said that peace can happen in Bastar only when the children go to school, the health of the mothers is not suffering from malnutrition and there should be a system of writing their studies, there should be a dispensary in every village, there should be a hospital in every tehsil, 7 kg of rice reaches 7 kg of rice in every house, all have Aadhaar card, ration card and health insurance. This can only happen when the people of Bastar decide that every village here will become Naxal -free.
Shah said that development is possible only when the people of Bastar decide that they will make their villages and houses Naxal -free. He also informed that Chief Minister Vishnu Dev Sai and Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma have announced that the villages who will help in the surrender of the Naxalites and declare themselves Maoists free, will be given the gift of construction works of Rs 1 crore.
Amit Shah said that in the year 2025, 521 Naxalites have surrendered so far, while in 2024 the number was 881. He said, “Naxalites who have understood that there is no need for guns, IEDs and grenades, but computers and pen are surrendered, they have surrendered.”
Appreciating the ‘Bastar Pandum’ festival, Shah said that next year it will be held at the national level. He said that he would request President Draupadi Murmu to attend its inauguration ceremony and bless the tribal brothers and sisters.
