New Delhi: Seventy members of Bastar Shanti Samiti met President Droupadi Murmu in New Delhi on Saturday to appeal for a Naxal-free Bastar. The members, victims of the Left Wing extremism, narrated how the insurgency has shattered their lives.
Bastar Shanti Samiti Coordinator Manguram Kavade said, “We told the President about the Naxal violence that has been going on in Bastar for four decades and how the people of Bastar have been bearing the brunt of it. Thousands of people have lost their lives in Maoist attacks and hundreds have become maimed. Landmines and bomb blasts have destroyed our lives. The blasts have not only caused physical damage, but we have also been completely broken mentally”.
“The Maoists have destroyed our 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 Naxalism. While on one hand people in other parts of the country are enjoying freedom, on the other hand, the people of Bastar are fighting for their land and existence,” a representative of the samiti said.
The President patiently heard their problems and assured them of every possible step from the government to restore peace and development in Bastar. “The government is fully committed to the better future of the people of Bastar and soon the people of Bastar will get relief,” President Murmu said.
“We appeal for peace and reconstruction in Bastar. Concrete and decisive steps should be taken for that. Bastar was once known for its natural beauty and pristine life, but Naxalism has ruined this paradise. We have urged the President to make efforts to free Bastar of Maoist terror so that peace and normalcy can return to the region,” Manguram Kavade and Jairam Das of the samiti said.
At the meeting, the victims praised the leadership of Chhattisgarh CM Vishnu Deo Sai and said due to the sensitive initiative of Sai, many important steps have been taken for the restoration of peace and development in Bastar. Basic facilities like education, health and employment are also being made available to the people. All this has raised new hopes and expectations among them.
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