Union Home Minister addresses closing ceremony of the Bastar Olympics at Jagdalpur in Chhattisgarh
Team News Riveting
Jagdalpur, December 13
Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah on Saturday addressed the closing ceremony of the Bastar Olympics in Jagdalpur, Chhattisgarh. The event was attended by Chief Minister Shri Vishnu Deo Sai, Deputy Chief Minister Shri Vijay Sharma, and several other dignitaries.
Addressing the gathering, Shri Shah said the government had resolved to eliminate Red Terror from the entire country before March 31, 2026, and now currently at Bastar Olympics 2025, the nation stands on the threshold of achieving that goal. He said that Naxalism and its terror would be eradicated by the time the next Bastar Olympics are held in November 2026.
Shri Shah said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, the government has taken a firm resolve to free Bastar and the entire country from Naxalism. He added that the effort would not stop there, and that the Bastar division, comprising the seven districts of Kanker, Kondagaon, Bastar, Sukma, Bijapur, Narayanpur and Dantewada, would be developed into the most advanced tribal division in the country by December 2030.
He said the government is committed to ensuring that every resident of Bastar has a house to live in, electricity, toilets, tap water for drinking, gas cylinders, 5 kg of food grains, and free medical treatment up to Rs 5 lakh, delivered to every household. Reiterating the commitment, Shri Shah said the Centre under Prime Minister Shri Modi and the Chhattisgarh government under Chief Minister Shri Vishnu Deo Sai will work shoulder to shoulder to transform Bastar into a developed region over the next five years.
The Home Minister said every village in Bastar would be connected by roads, supplied with electricity, provided banking facilities within a five-kilometre radius, and covered by one of the densest networks of PHCs and CHCs. Cooperative-based units would be set up for processing forest produce in Chhattisgarh, he said. He added that all seven districts of Bastar would become leading tribal districts in milk production, enhancing incomes through dairying. New industries, higher education facilities, the country’s best sports complex and state-of-the-art hospitals would also be established in Bastar. Special schemes would be launched to tackle malnutrition. Shri Shah announced that a highly attractive rehabilitation policy would be introduced for surrendered Naxals and those injured due to Naxal violence. Metaphorically connecting the presence of Naxalism just like a poisonous snake, which is blocking development in the region, Shri Shah assured that with the elimination of Naxalism, a new era of growth will begin, making Bastar one of the most developed regions under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Modi and Chief Minister Shri Vishnu Deo Sai.
Shri Shah said that Bastar Olympics 2025 featured seven teams from the seven districts, along with one team comprising surrendered Naxals. The participation of over 700 surrendered Naxals in the games, he said, was a heartening sight. These youths, who could have lost their entire lives to the trap of Naxalism, have chosen sports and the mainstream after laying down arms. Reiterating his resolve, Shri Shah said India would be free of Naxalism by March 31, 2026.
Appealing to those still involved in violence, he urged them to lay down arms, avail the rehabilitation policy, think about the welfare of their families, and join the resolve of building a developed Bastar. Naxalism, he said, benefits no one — not those who take up arms, not tribals, and not security forces. Only peace, he stressed, can open the path to development.
The Home and Cooperation Minister said the 700 surrendered Naxals who participated as players in the Olympics have set a powerful example for the entire country. They chose hope over fear, unity over division, and development over destruction — embodying Prime Minister Shri Modi’s vision of New India and a developed Bastar. Appreciating Bastar’s culture, Shri Shah said that the Tribal culture is among the richest in the world, with its tribal cuisine, lifestyle, art, musical instruments, dance forms and traditional games representing not just Chhattisgarh’s but India’s most vibrant heritage.
Shri Shah noted that the Chhattisgarh government has recently set up a modern recording studio to preserve traditional songs, and revived several festivals and traditions that were on the brink of extinction under the shadow of Red Terror. He said a team of officials from the Sports Authority of India has visited Bastar to identify talent among the Olympics participants. The government, he added, has put arrangements in place to ensure that these players progress to compete in the Commonwealth Games and the Olympics. Highlighting participation figures, Shri Shah said 1.65 lakh players took part in Bastar Olympics last year, while 3.91 lakh players participated this year — nearly a two-and-a-half-fold increase. Participation by women registered an almost threefold rise. Encouraged by this enthusiasm, Prime Minister Shri Modi has selected Chhattisgarh to host the Khelo India Tribal Games.
The Home Minister said Bastar is changing rapidly and has become a symbol of the future rather than fear. Where gunshots once echoed, school bells now ring. Where roads were once a dream, railway tracks and highways are now being laid. Where slogans of ‘Lal Salaam’ once rang out, chants of ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ now resonate.
He said both the Centre and the Chhattisgarh government were committed to building a developed Bastar, adding that the objective was never to eliminate Naxals through encounters, as over 2,000 Naxal youths have surrendered. Shri Shah acknowledged the crucial role played by tribal community leaders, whose guidance gave courage and reassurance to misguided youths. He appealed to community leaders and social workers to counsel those still carrying weapons and help bring them back into the mainstream of society.
