After decades of silence, celebration returns to Bastar’s heartland
The changing sounds of Bastar can now be heard and felt in villages deep within the forests of southern Chhattisgarh.
The changing sounds of Bastar can now be heard and felt in villages deep within the forests of southern Chhattisgarh.
The cadres, belonging to the Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee (DKSZC) of the Maoist movement, surrendered under the state government’s “Poona Margaem-Rehabilitation to Rejuvenation” initiative, choosing to abandon violence and rejoin the mainstream.
The exchange of fire broke out in the early hours when a joint team conducting a search operation came face to face with the Maoists. Officials said the gun battle lasted for a brief period before the extremists retreated into the dense terrain.
As Chhattisgarh remains one of the most sensitive states affected by Naxal violence, particularly in the Bastar region, the visit assumes significance in view of the Centre's intensified anti-Naxal operations.
The cadres surrendered along with automatic weapons and ammunition under the Poona Margem initiative being carried out by Chhattisgarh Police. Two of those who laid down arms are women.
At least 12 Naxals were killed by security forces following an encounter that broke out in the forest area under…
Three cadres formally renounced violence by handing over firearms, including an SLR, an INSAS rifle, and a .303 rifle.
Shah, who arrived in Jagdalpur to attend the historic Muria Darbar, a central feature of Bastar Dussehra, underlined that both peace and progress must go hand in hand to end decades of insurgency.
Bastar MP Mahesh Kashyap met Shah in the national capital on Friday and extended the invitation on behalf of the Bastar Dussehra Committee and the Manjhi-Chalaki community, that plays a central role in the festival’s traditional proceedings.
The Chief Minister announced that since the launch of the Industrial Policy 2024–30, the state has received investment proposals worth nearly ₹6.65 lakh crore.
