Turning point for CG: Bastar and Kondagaon shed Maoist-affected tag
Raipur: Bastar — once synonymous with the rise of Maoist insurgency — and Kondagaon have been removed from the list of Left Wing Extremism (LWE)-affected districts by the ministry of home affairs (MHA), marking a turning point in Chhattisgarh's mission to shed the baggage of Naxalism.
This comes a week after Maoist general secretary Basavaraju was gunned down, along with 27 other Maoists, in neighbouring Narayanpur district.
Bastar and Kondagaon have now been sub-categorized as 'districts of legacy and thrust', which means Maoist activities have come down to a great extent but still need sustained vigilance and developmental / operational focus.
Other districts of Bastar division — Sukma, Bijapur, Narayanpur and Kanker — are still categorized as 'most affected LWE districts' while Dantewada is identified among 'other LWE districts'.
Dhamtari, Kabirdham, Khairagarh-Chhuikhadan-Gandai and Rajnandgaon have also been sub-categorized under 'legacy and thrust districts'.
Bastar and Kondagaon were once counted among the hotbeds of Maoist insurgency, but incidents of violence have dropped significantly in recent years. The lone encounter in Kondagaon in nearly five years was on April 16 when two senior Maoist commanders were gunned down. Both districts saw good voting in the 2023 assembly polls -- Bastar 84.6% and Kondagaon 81.7%.
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Speaking to TOI, Bastar range IG P Sundarraj said, "Kondagaon and Bastar are among 30 districts across the country now brought under 'districts of legacy and thrust' category. This indeed removes Bastar and Kondagaon from the category of LWE-affected regions but it should be understood as the districts with significantly reduced Maoist activities that need development and vigilance on the operational front."
In the recent notification issued by MHA, 18 districts in the country are identified as 'LWE-affected', 'other LWE-affected' or 'districts of concern', including six in Chhattisgarh.
"It is worth mentioning that due to effective anti-Naxal operations in recent months, we have seen remarkable and positive outcomes in the overall LWE scenario in Bastar Range. Categorization of Kondagaon and Bastar as 'districts of legacy' is a significant step closer to being Maoist-free.
In the forthcoming months, all our efforts would be focused on ensuring Naxal menace is totally finished off in the entire Bastar Range," Sundarraj told TOI.
The re-categorization underlines a shift in the LWE landscape of Bastar Range, particularly with Kondagaon and Bastar transitioning towards Naxal-free status.
With sustained efforts in both security and development domains, the region is moving decisively toward complete elimination of LWE.
The coming months will be critical in translating these gains into permanent peace and inclusive governance, IG added.
Sources said that no formal disbursement of central financial aid has been made by MHA for the fiscal yet. Bastar has been receiving grants from Centre under LWE schemes, aimed at infrastructure development and counter-insurgency efforts.
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