Bastar Development Offensive

Bastar proves a treacherous mesh of explosives for security forces to navigate; road-construction biggest challenge

As a tribute to more than two dozen martyred jawans of the 158 Battalion of the CRPF, who had laid down their lives while protecting the construction of the Bijapur-Basaguda road in the Maoist stronghold Bijapur district, a memorial arch 'Shaheed Smriti Dwar' has been made on the road.

Bastar development offensive: Once a Maoist territory, Chitaloor village leads war on pollution, uses solar power for irrigation

With village literacy rate at 37.2 percent, almost all the girls go to school in Chitaloor to increase its present female literacy rate, which is at a meagre 13.8 percent.

Bastar development offensive: How LTTE trained Maoists and transformed tribal youth into an armed guerrilla force

Maoists show trademark LTTE style of operations while using guerrilla warfare tactics, using landmines, triggering blasts through improvised explosives devices and using children and innocent villagers as human shields.

Bastar development offensive: Maoist ideology of bringing change through revolution a lie, says former cadre

The topmost Maoist leaders are running a business by taking away money from Bastar to their homes, says a surrendered Maoist.

Bastar development offensive: Healthcare, education thrive as tech-savvy Dantewada collector seeks to counter Maoist doctrine

The young collector’s optimism is infectious, and grounded in the new reality that is sprouting in select villages of the badly affected district.

Bastar development offensive: Geedam lives on to tell another tale, this time of an education city and not of Maoist violence

Fear of the Maoists was such that the residents of Geedam focussed only on remaining alive without antagonising the guerillas until things began improving in the last five years.

Bastar development offensive: Once a Maoist den cut off from mainstream, Palnar village is now a digital hub

Till five or six years ago, Palnar in Bastar was known as a hotbed of Maoist activity. Now, it has a happier identity — that of a digital village.

Narendra Modi govt’s Bastar 'development offensive' showing results, tribals getting first taste of freedom

The evening humdrum in Jagdalpur no way suggests the eradication of Maoism in Bastar but it does indicate that despite the threat, people have lives to live and they have started to do so at least in some parts of Bastar.