The soothing wind of change is embracing the once Maoist-effected terrain of the Malkangiri district of Odisha, as hundreds of villagers who were once used to sympathising with the cause of the extremists have been witnessed celebrating with the security forces on the 75th Republic Day on Friday, January 26.
The villagers from once Maoist-infested Kusumput, Bihanguri, Thikripara, Simlipadar, Darlabera, and Jodambo villages of the Malkangiri district, a region infamous for the frequent movement of extremists in the past, gathered to commemorate their victory over the extremists on Friday, informed the Border Security Force (BSF), in a social media post.
“It’s a triumph of people’s resistance against naxals where people from the surrounding area gathered and observed Vijay Divas to commemorate their victory over the naxals of the cut-off area with remarkable pomp and show, read the tweet of the Odisha unit of the BSF.
*Triumph of people's resistance against naxals*
The Villagers of Janturai , Thikripara, Kusumput, Simlipadar, Bihanguri, Darlabera and Jodambo observed Vijay Diwas to commemorate their victory over the naxals of the cut-off area with remarkable Pomp & show.#BSF #BSFOdisha pic.twitter.com/hUNWEUuqbP— BSF_ODISHA (@BSFODISHA) January 25, 2024
It is to be noted that, primarily aimed at containing and suppressing extremist activities in insurgency-hit regions, the BSF concurrently runs diverse schemes and special programmes in the insurgency-hit regions of Odisha. These initiatives aim to provide essential services, including health and educational tools, to the local populace, thereby fostering their active participation in the mainstream.
The initiatives undertaken by the BSF, in conjunction with those implemented by the local administration, have emerged as a decisive force in rebuilding the trust of thousands of individuals who were once sympathetic to the insurgency, driven by either fear or choice.
Tricolour unfurled in insurgency-hit regions of Chhattisgarh
Similar scenes also emerge from the neighbouring districts of Chhattisgarh, where tricolour was unfurled at as many as nine newly established security camps in Maoist-affected Bijapur and Sukma districts.
According to the reports, it was the first time that the national flag was unfurled in the Chintagufa of Sukma, an area infamous for Maoist dominance.
The development occurred after the Sukma police, along with central security forces, have established as many as four security camps in the core Maoist zone of Chhattisgarh in the last three months alone. The said camps have been opened in the regions earlier considered a no-go zone for the forces.
According to the information received, the latest among these camps was opened in the Murkurajkonda of Duled under the Chintagufa Police station limits of Maoist-infested Sukma district in the first week of January itself.
Earlier, in a briefing about the aforementioned development, Superintendent of Police (SP) Sukma, Kiran Chauvhan, said that this area has been facing the ramifications of naxalism for a long time, due to which even basic necessities have not reached the residents.
“We will bring development to the region by first winning the hearts of the villagers, which will pave the way for basic necessities like education, drinking water, electricity, and roads for the residents of Duled and nearby regions,” added SP Chauvhan.
It is evident that, established in the core Maoist zone, these camps are not only expected to boost the presence of the security forces in areas once considered alien to the security personnel but also to help carry out development works on a war footing so the residents can be provided with the basic necessities such as roads, drinking water, health, and education.
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