Naxal victims of Bastar expressed their pain in Rashtrapati Bhavan, SAI’s sensitive initiative was mentioned

Today was a day of hope for the Naxal victims of Bastar at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. A delegation of 70 people from the Naxal-affected Bastar region of Chhattisgarh, under the sensitive initiative of Chief Minister Vishnudev Sai, reached to meet President Draupadi Murmu with their suffering. Their faces bore the marks of the atrocities they had suffered for years, but a ray of hope was now visible in their eyes.

The purpose of meeting the President was clear – to present the problems of the people affected by Naxalite violence before the supreme power of the country and to appeal to free Bastar from the terror of Maoism. During the meeting, the victims told how Maoist attacks have destroyed their lives.

The delegation apprised
the President that for the last four decades, the people of Bastar have been suffering the brunt of Maoist terror. Thousands of people have lost their lives in Maoist attacks and hundreds have been crippled. Landmines and bomb blasts have destroyed their lives. The blasts have not only caused physical damage but have also completely shattered them mentally.

The representatives said that the Maoists have also destroyed their homes, land and culture. More than 8,000 people in Bastar have fallen victim to Maoist violence in the last two and a half decades. Even today many people are forced to live under the shadow of fear of Naxalites. While people in other parts of the country are enjoying freedom, the people of Bastar are fighting for their land and survival.

Sensitive initiative of Chief Minister Vishnudev Sai
When the delegation presented its case before the President, he especially praised the leadership of Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnudev Sai. The delegation told the President that due to the sensitive initiative and leadership of the Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh, many important steps have been taken for peace restoration and development in Bastar. Under his leadership, not only effective work is being done for Naxal eradication in Bastar, but basic facilities like education, health and employment are also being made available to the people. The schemes started by him have raised a new hope among the people of Bastar.

Appeal for peace and reconstruction
Leaders of the Bastar Peace Committee delegation, Mangau Ram Kavde and Jairam Das, urged the President to take concrete and decisive steps to restore peace in Bastar. They said Bastar was once known for its natural beauty and peaceful life but Maoist terror has ruined this paradise. They urged the President to make special efforts to free Bastar from Maoist terror so that peace and normal life can return there again.

President Draupadi Murmu listened to the plight of Naxal victims seriously and assured that the government will take every possible step for peace and development in Bastar. She said that the government is fully committed to the better future of the people of Bastar and they will get relief soon.