RAIPUR:
Organiser has always spoken about Bharat and its people. In that same spirit, the event “Chhattisgarh @ 25: Shifting the Lens: Security, Prosperity and Stability” was organised in Chhattisgarh, said, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, in the valedictory session of the Organiser’s conclave “Chhattisgarh @ 25: Shifting the Lens,” held at Mayfair Resort, Raipur, on February 8, 2026.
It is a coincidence that the President of the European Union recently said that when Bharat is stable, the entire world becomes secure and stable. These three words: security, prosperity and stability are extremely important for any state or country, and even more so for a state like Chhattisgarh, which was formed after Independence.
When protest movements were taking place demanding the creation of Chhattisgarh and Uttarakhand, the Congress was in power at the Centre. At that time, it was said that the opposition had no real issues and that small states would not survive, where would leadership come from, and how could such a vision even be imagined? Several arguments were made to oppose the creation of these states. The distance between Chhattisgarh and Bhopal is nearly 500 kilometres. Because of this, development could not be fully ensured. It was not the fault of the Chief Minister; the geography, culture and resources were different. Chhattisgarh had resources, yet development here remained limited, leading to movements over time, he said.
He further said that, however, when Atal Bihari Vajpayee became Prime Minister, he made it clear that creating smaller states was not an experiment but a fulfilment of the aspirations of the people. As a result, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Uttarakhand were created simultaneously.
He said that in the last three decades, both NDA governments under Atal Ji and UPA governments under Dr Manmohan Singh oversaw state bifurcations. During Atal Ji’s tenure, three new states were formed peacefully and with consensus. Three states were made, Chhattisgarh from Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand from Bihar and Uttarakhand from Uttar Pradesh and now each state is contributing to the nation’s progress today.
On the other hand, during the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh under Dr Manmohan Singh, the Bill had to be passed while MPs from Andhra Pradesh were kept out of the Lok Sabha, leading to prolonged disputes between Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, he said
Those who argue that running a state is merely an administrative task and has nothing to do with ideology are mistaken. He said that when people inspired by the BJP’s ideology work, things function smoothly. Administrative work alone, without ideological grounding, leads to situations like the disputes between Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Mahatma Gandhi had once said that politics without ideology is immoral, he said.
Today, Chhattisgarh has completed 25 years, and in this period significant transformation has taken place. There was a time when certain states were labelled “BIMARU”, a term used for Bihar (BI), Madhya Pradesh (MA), Rajasthan (R) and Uttar Pradesh (U) to describe them as economically weak. Today, these states have moved beyond that label and are progressing towards development. The reason for this transformation is the formation of BJP governments in these states, which is linked to ideology.
Political commentators must place before the country the record of 75 years of Independence, during which governments run by three main ideologies, Congress, BJP and Communist have ruled at different times. Their respective tenures and performances are available for evaluation. According to me, the results of governments guided by BJP ideology have been the best, and Chhattisgarh today stands as an example of that, Amit Shah further said.
Twenty-five years ago, when Chhattisgarh was formed, Naxalism was widespread. Out of these 25 years, 18 years saw BJP governments and seven years Congress governments. Today, Naxalism is on the verge of elimination, and Chhattisgarh is moving from being labelled a “BIMARU” state towards becoming a developed state, which he attributed to BJP governance.
He congratulated Organiser for “Shifting the Lens,” book saying it presents the true image of Chhattisgarh.
He said that Organiser has always practised journalism in the interest of India. It was started by Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya, and people like KR Malkani and LK Advani also served it. Organiser has consistently worked to articulate Bharat’s perspective with balance and restraint, and it has never abandoned its ideological commitment. Even during times when the acceptance of its ideology was being questioned, Organiser continued its work. It faced opposition, ridicule and resistance, yet it never stopped. He described it as an example of fearless journalism.
Referring to the commemorative coin released on the occasion of 100 years of the RSS, he said the organisation’s contribution before and after Independence has been immense and cannot be denied. There is hardly any field where RSS swayamsevaks have not contributed. He added that across organisations, the contribution of RSS swayamsevaks after Independence is among the most significant.
In the 25-year journey of Chhattisgarh, there was a period in the beginning when the Congress government was in power, during which several incidents of violence took place. This was followed by 15 years of BJP governance, during which efforts were made to control Naxalism, even though the Congress was in power at the Centre.
He said that the problem of Naxalism existed in 12 states and that some people argue Naxals took up arms due to a lack of development, but I do not agree with this view. Despite the challenges, Raman Singh carried out significant development work and helped move the state out of the “BIMARU” category.
He further alleged that during Bhupesh Baghel’s Congress government, there were several instances of corruption and scams. He claimed that people in the state had not even heard of such corruption before, and that these issues surfaced after the Congress came to power. He added that he was the Union Home Minister at the time and stated that, in his view, the Bhupesh Baghel government was favouring Naxals.
He said that because of this, the work done by the Raman Singh government came to a halt. However, after five years, the BJP returned to power, and Chhattisgarh came back on track.
He stated that the state’s budget increased 30 times between 2000 and 2025, and claimed that no other state in India has witnessed such growth. While budget growth can result from higher grants from the Union government and increased revenue but, he said another important measure is per capita income, which has risen 17 times during this period.
On the issue of Naxalism, he said that if it is not properly evaluated, it would be unfair to future generations of India. Some people describe it as merely a law-and-order or development issue, but I do not agree with this. He said Naxalism began in the 1980s in parts of Maharashtra, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and Bastar. At that time, there were around 100 districts in the country that were less developed than Bastar, yet Maoism did not emerge there. Therefore, he argued, the problem is neither about law and order nor development alone, but is fundamentally linked to ideology.
He questioned that if it is not ideological, then why is it called “Maoism”? He said their (maoist) belief is that solutions emerge from the barrel of a gun, whereas our view is that solutions come through democracy. During congress era, children were given guns and weapons in the name of this movement.
He referred to the slogan of creating a “Red Corridor” from Tirupati to Pashupatinath. He said that if Bastar had not been affected by Naxalism, it would have been among the most developed regions in the country because of its abundant resources.
He alleged that Maoists burned educational institutions and other infrastructure. He said that when now the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister meet people, many say that for the first time they have opened bank accounts and received benefits such as free rations, free medical treatment, housing and gas connections. He claimed that tribal communities were deprived of these benefits earlier due to “red terror.” He added that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had to introduce special schemes for the region, and today schools, railways, colleges and other institutions have been established there.
He appealed to all Naxals to lay down their arms and surrender, assuring that the Government of India would welcome them with a red carpet. Addressing women in particular, he appealed with folded hands, urging them to give up weapons as there are many opportunities available for them. He stated that 90 per cent of the region has now been freed from Naxal influence.
He further said that people of the country should understand this ideology (Maoism), claiming that wherever Communists have remained in power, they have failed to deliver development. He added that now they remain only in Kerala, and even there, according to him, the public has begun the process of removing them from power.
Prafulla Ketkar, Editor of Organiser, said that when Chhattisgarh completed 25 years, Amit Shah had remarked at a programme in Delhi that there was no scope for dialogue—either surrender or perish. At that time, he felt that this subject required a serious discussion in Raipur. He added that while the jungle war may be won by March 31, the battle ahead is ideological; that is why the conclave was titled “Shifting the Lens.”
He further said that throughout the day, Organiser deliberated on the role Chhattisgarh will play in building a developed India by 2047.
He said that when people remark that RSS members are holding positions in institutions, it makes us feel proud that its swayamsevaks are serving across different institutions today. He added that the country now has a Home Minister who openly states in Parliament that he is a swayamsevak, and that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is one as well.
Chhattisgarh @ 25: Shifting the Lens, a book edited by Prafulla Ketkar, was also released at the conclave.
On the dais were Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai, Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma, Arun Kumar, Managing Director, Bharat Prakashan Delhi Limited (BPDL); Dr Parnendu Saxena, Kshetra Sanghchalak, RSS; and Vineet Garg, Director, BPDL.
