Amit Shah Launches Rs 20-Crore Rehabilitation Centres in Bastar for Surrendered Naxals

Raipur: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday said that Centres have been developed in Bastar in Chhattisgarh to reform and rehabilitate the surrendered Naxals ‘socially, economically and psychologically’.

Addressing a press conference at Jagdalpur, headquarters of Bastar, Mr. Shah said that these Centres, developed at a cost of Rs 20 crore, focused on livelihood generation for the surrendered Maoists by skilling them in various trades, and their social reintegration and psychological transformation to ensure that they lead a normal social life with their families.

He said that some of the surrendered Naxals had been deprived of education for being drafted into the Maoist cadre forcibly when they were children.

They are the victims of Naxalism, he said.

A senior police officer in Bastar said that the Centres have been developed once in each district headquarters in Bastar comprising seven districts of Bastar, Kanker, Kondagaon, Dantewada, Sukma, Bijapur and Narayanpur.

The Union minister said that 70 of 196 security camps established in Bastar to combat Naxalism will be developed into public service Centres, christened as ‘Shaheed Gundadhur Seva Dera’, where all the government facilities and services will be available under one platform.

“This a scientifically designed model to ensure speedy development of Bastar to make up for the loss the region suffered in terms of development for the last five decades due to Naxalism and to catch up with the rest of India within the next five years”, he said.

Mr. Shah said that the public service Centres are being developed to ensure provision of basic amenities for the local tribals and 100 percent saturation of various government welfare schemes meant for them which could not reach them due to Maoism.

In the next phase, a roadmap for development of Bastar will be prepared to make sure that the region catches up with the rest of India in terms of development by 2031, he said.

Mr. Shah again slammed the ‘intellectuals’ who created a narrative that Naxalism had taken birth in some parts of the country due to their backwardness.

Contrary to this, Maoism had caused backwardness of these regions particularly Bastar by stopping developmental works, he said.

“I feel proud to declare that the country is now completely Naxal-free”, he said and added that the fall of Maoism will now pay the way for their speedy development in these areas.

He gave full credit to the security forces for the total defeat of Leftwing Extremism in the country and said that many jawans made supreme sacrifice with their lives to make the country free of Naxal menace.

He cautioned the people of Bastar that the Naxals may return by changing their identity and exhorted them not to be misguided by them.

“The Naxals may return by changing their ‘Bhesh’ (identity), ‘Naam’ (name), and ‘Baat’ (narrative). But do not be misguided by them again and ask them simply one question as to why they push them to backwardness by stopping developmental works”, Mr. Shah exhorted the local tribals.

Mr. Shah hit out at the former Bhupesh Baghel government for not cooperating with the Centre to fight against Naxals in Chhattisgarh.

“All the non-BJP governments, barring the previous government (of Bhupesh Baghel) in Chhattisgarh, had fully cooperated with the Centre in the fight against Leftwing Extremism. I have no hesitation to say this”, he said.

He said that the anti-Naxal operations in Bastar had intensified when the Vishnu Deo Sai government came to power in Chhattisgarh, leading to the eradication of Maoism in Bastar.