Kumar Bahukhandi
Union Home Minister Amit Shah during closing ceremony of the Bastar Olympics 2025-Photo Credit -CG/PR
IN Short
*Naxalism will be eradicated from Bastar and the entire country by March 31, 2026.
*In the next 5 years, the Bastar division will become the most developed tribal division in the country.
*The 2026 Bastar Olympics will be held in a Bastar free from Naxalism.
*It is a matter of pride for all of us that more than 700 youths who have given up Naxalism have joined the Bastar Olympics 2025.
*Those who surrendered chose hope over fear and development over destruction; this is the vision of a developed Bastar envisioned by Prime Minister Modi.
*In the Bastar where slogans of ‘Lal Salaam’ (Red Salute) were once raised, now slogans of ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ (Victory to Mother India) are resounding.
*Peace alone can pave the way for development; therefore, Naxalites should lay down their arms, join the mainstream, and avail themselves of the rehabilitation policy.
*Arrangements are being made for Bastar’s athletes to bring glory to the country in the upcoming Commonwealth Games and Olympics.
*391,000 athletes participated in the Bastar Olympics 2025, a 2.5-fold increase, and the growth rate of female athletes surpassed that of their male counterparts.
*We will bring a very attractive rehabilitation scheme for those who surrender and for the victims of Naxal violence.
*The Central and Chhattisgarh governments are working shoulder to shoulder to create a developed Bastar.
*The Home Minister appealed to community leaders and social workers to cooperate in bringing armed Naxalites back into the mainstream of society by persuading them.
Raipur: Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah addressed the closing ceremony of the Bastar Olympics in Jagdalpur, Chhattisgarh on Saturday December 13, 2025 . Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai and Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma, along with many other dignitaries, were present on the occasion.
On this occasion, Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah said that they had decided to eliminate the Naxalite menace from the entire country before March 31, 2026, and today, at the Bastar Olympics-2025, they stand on the verge of achieving this.
He said that by November-December of next year, by the time of the Bastar Olympics-2026, the Naxalite threat would have been completely eradicated from all of India and Chhattisgarh, and a Naxal-free Bastar would be moving forward.
Amit Shah said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, they have taken a pledge to make the entire Bastar region and India Naxal-free. He said that they will not stop here, but the Bastar division, comprising the seven districts of Kanker, Kondagaon, Bastar, Sukma, Bijapur, Narayanpur, and Dantewada, will become the most developed tribal division in the country by December 2030.
Union Home Minister added that providing every person in Bastar with a house, electricity, toilets, piped drinking water, gas cylinders, 5 kg of food grains, and free medical treatment up to Rs. 5 lakh is a commitment of their government. Shah said that they have resolved to make Bastar the most developed tribal division in the country in the next five years. He said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi, the Government of India, and under the leadership of Vishnu Deo Sai, the Chhattisgarh government will work together shoulder to shoulder to make Bastar a developed region, Shah added.
The Union Home Minister further said that every village in Bastar will be connected by roads, will have electricity, banking facilities within a 5-kilometer radius, and their government will also work to create the densest network of PHCs/CHCs (Primary Health Centers/Community Health Centers). He said that units for processing forest produce will be set up on a cooperative basis in Chhattisgarh.
He said that all seven districts of Bastar will become the highest milk-producing districts among all tribal districts, increasing their income through dairy farming. Amit Shah said that they will also establish new industries, higher education facilities, the best sports complex in India, and state-of-the-art hospitals in Bastar. Shah noted that a special scheme will also be launched here to address malnutrition. He also said that they will introduce a very attractive rehabilitation scheme for those who have surrendered and those injured due to Naxalism.
The Home Minister said that their goal is to eliminate Naxalism because the Naxalites are hindering the development of this region. He said that with the end of Naxalism, a new era of development will begin in this region, and under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi and Vishnu Deo Sai it will become the most developed region.
Amit Shah said that in the Bastar Olympics-2025, there were seven teams from seven districts and one team of surrendered Naxalites. He said it was very heartening to see more than 700 surrendered Naxalites participating in these games. He said that their entire lives would have been ruined by falling into the trap of Naxalism, but today, more than 700 such young people who have laid down their arms and joined the mainstream have come forward through sports.
Amit Shah reiterated that by March 31, 2026, the country will be free from Naxalism. Appealing to the Naxalites involved in violence, he said that those who are still misguided and carrying arms should lay down their weapons, take advantage of the rehabilitation policy, think about their own and their family’s welfare, and join the resolve for a developed Bastar. He said that Naxalism benefits no one, neither those who take up arms, nor the tribals, nor the security forces. He said that only peace can pave the way for development, Union Home Minister remarked .
The Union Home and Cooperation Minister said that the 700 Naxalites who have surrendered have set a great example for the entire country by participating as players in these games. He said that these players have chosen hope over fear, unity over division, and development over destruction, and this is the vision of Prime Minister Modi’s New India and developed Bastar.
He said that the culture of Bastar is one of the richest in the world. He affirmed that the food, environment, art, musical instruments, dances, and traditional games of all the tribes are not only the richest heritage of Chhattisgarh but of all of India.
Amit Shah said that recently, the Chhattisgarh government has preserved the traditional songs of the region by setting up a modern recording studio. He said that many traditional festivals and celebrations that were on the verge of extinction due to the red terror of Naxalism have also been revived.
Shah noted that a team of officials from the Sports Authority of India has come here to identify the talent of the players who participated in the Bastar Olympics today and our government has made arrangements to identify the talent of these players and ensure that players from Bastar participate in the upcoming Commonwealth Games and Olympic Games, Shah affirmed .
Union Home Minister said that last year, 165,000 players participated in the Bastar Olympics, while this year 391,000 players participated, which is an increase of almost two and a half times, and the participation of women has increased by almost three times. He said that seeing this enthusiasm, Prime Minister Modi has chosen Chhattisgarh for the Khelo India Tribal Games in the coming days.
The Union Home Minister said that Bastar is now changing, and has become synonymous with the future, not fear. Where the sound of bullets was heard, today school bells are ringing. Where building roads was a dream, today railway tracks and highways are being laid. Where slogans of “Red Salute” were raised, today slogans of “Bharat Mata Ki Jai” (Victory to Mother India) are being chanted.
Amit Shah added that we are all committed to a developed Bastar. He said that the Indian government and the Chhattisgarh government had not set a target of killing Naxalites in encounters, as more than 2,000 Naxalite youths have already surrendered. He said that the leaders of our tribal community have made a significant contribution in this regard, and their guidance has provided reassurance and encouragement to the Naxalite youth. The Home Minister appealed to the community leaders and social workers to persuade those who are still carrying arms to return to the mainstream of society.
