New Delhi [India], October 15 (ANI): Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday asserted to eliminate every trace of Naxalism and make Bastar once again a vibrant and thriving region.
Shah’s statement came while addressing, via video conference, an assistive devices distribution ceremony for Divyangjans, including those affected by Naxal violence, under the ongoing ‘Seva Sankalp Abhiyan’, being organised to mark 25 years of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s Seva and Samarpan.
Noting that five decades of Naxalism had inflicted immense suffering on the poor tribal communities of Bastar, the Home Minister said that using Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) to inflict disabilities on innocent civilians in pursuit of political objectives was the gravest violation of human rights.
He said the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government had been firmly committed to eliminating Naxalism from the entire country before March 31, 2026, and that Naxalism had now been eliminated.
However, the Minister emphasised that the end of Naxalism alone would not erase five decades of suffering, stressing “we must heal the wounds inflicted by this suffering, help victims stand on their feet again, and ensure they can live with dignity and respect.”
“Every trace of Naxalism must be eliminated and Bastar must once again become a vibrant and thriving region,” said Shah, adding “significant work had already been undertaken in this direction as traditional tribal leadership in the Bastar region had made a major contribution.”
Addressing the gathering, Shah said that the second phase of the Divyang Seva Camp was being launched today as part of the ‘Seva Sankalp Abhiyan’.
Initiatives under this campaign are being organised across the country to mark 25 years of PM Modi’s ‘Seva’ and ‘Samarpan’, first as the Chief Minister of a state and subsequently as the Prime Minister of India.
Under the campaign, he said assistive prosthetic devices are being provided in Chhattisgarh to make life easier for tribal persons with disabilities who have suffered as a result of Naxal violence.
Shah said that the programme had been held in Jagdalpur from October 5 to 7, 2026, benefiting more than 3,600 persons with disabilities.
Of the 3,600 persons, he said, more than 1,570 beneficiaries were from Bastar alone, a figure that reflects the extent of suffering in the region.
The minister said that the Chhattisgarh government, district administration, State Social Welfare Department, Bhagwan Mahaveer Viklang Sahayata Samiti, Jaipur, Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana and several others were contributing to this noble endeavour.
He said that the Modi government was committed to providing every person with a disability and every victim an opportunity for rehabilitation.
The government of India, he added, stood firmly alongside the Chhattisgarh government in supporting these efforts.
By providing persons with disabilities with wheelchairs, tricycles, crutches, hearing aids, smart walking sticks, artificial limbs and other assistive devices, Shah mentioned, the government could help usher in a new era of hope and happiness in Bastar.
Shah said that the Chhattisgarh government had undertaken several initiatives, including the Bastar Olympics, Bastar Pandum, Niyad Nellanar and the Chief Minister’s Samuhik Bus Yojana, to transform Bastar, which has suffered from violence, into a vibrant and joyful region once again.
He said that Bastar, where the sounds of gunfire and bomb blasts once created an atmosphere of fear, is now witnessing thousands of young people participating in sports and keeping their traditions alive.
“A region where the sounds of gunfire and bomb blasts once prevailed and fear was widespread, thousands of young people are now participating in sports and keeping their traditions alive,” stated the Home Minister.(ANI)
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