- Chhattisgarh's Vijay Sharma visited Maoist leader Madvi Hidma's village to meet his mother
- His mother appealed to Hidma to return home, surrender, and rejoin mainstream society
- Madvi Hidma leads the Maoist insurgency and has a Rs 1 crore bounty on his head
In a scene few thought possible in one of India's most conflict-scarred regions, Chhattisgarh Deputy Chief Minister and Home Minister Vijay Sharma rode a motorcycle deep into the forests of Poorvarti village, the birthplace of the country's most wanted Maoist, Madvi Hidma, who carries a bounty of over Rs 1 crore.
What followed was both historic and deeply human, a meeting not with a rebel commander but his mother, whose trembling plea carried the emotion that decades of counter-operations could not evoke.
"Where are you, son? I'm telling you to come. We'll earn and eat at home... come back, live with your people," she said.
The deputy chief minister sat on the mud floor of her house, shared a meal cooked by villagers. "Violence no longer has any meaning. Your son must return. Surrender is the only right path," he said.
For the first time in Bastar's recent history, a senior state leader entered the home of the most dreaded insurgent's family not with weapons or warrants, but with words of reconciliation.
Hidma's mother, frail but firm in her hope, spoke through tears. "I told him not to go. If I could, I would have gone into the forest to bring him back. What can I do now? Only call him come home, surrender, live with us."
Deva's mother, too, echoed the same longing "He left saying he would fight for the people, but what did we get? Blood, loss, and loneliness. Come home, son. Work, earn, and live among your people."
Both women's voices breaking through years of silence, fear, and separation have now become the emotional cornerstone of a new peace outreach in Bastar.
Speaking exclusively to NDTV, Vijay Sharma said, "Hidma has a loving mother; she wants him to join the mainstream. Another major rehabilitation initiative is on the way for Bastar. The killing of education ambassadors and civilians will not be tolerated."
His visit, a solitary ride into one of the most volatile zones of Sukma, carried both symbolic power and political courage. Officials described it as an "emotional bridge" between the government and families that have long lived under the shadow of the gun.
Recent operations by security forces have eliminated several senior Maoist leaders. Following these encounters, only a few top commanders like Madvi Hidma and Deva remain active in Bastar, continuing to direct the insurgency.
Hidma is widely regarded as the most dangerous Maoist in Bastar, and among the most elusive in the country. Over the years, various governments have placed bounties totaling over Rs 1 crore on his head.
A top leader of the People's Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA), Hidma has orchestrated some of the most devastating attacks in India's Maoistl history including The Tadmetla attack (2010), The Jhiram Valley attack (2013), The Burkapal ambush (2017), The Aranpur IED blast (2023) these assaults claimed the lives of dozens of security personnel and civilians, shaking the country's internal security framework.
Now believed to be around 50 to 55 years old, Hidma studied only till the tenth grade. Known for his ruthless discipline and stealth, he operates under a three- to five-layer security ring, with limited access even among Maoist cadres. He never attends gatherings, avoids media exposure, and remains a ghostly presence in the dense forests of Bastar.
Once the Commander of Battalion No. 1, he has now risen to the Maoists' Central Organizing Committee (COC) the highest decision-making body of the CPI (Maoist), comprising the most ideologically hardened leaders from across India.
Deva, also known by his aliases Barsa Sukka, Barse, Devanna, and Badadeva, hails from the same village as Hidma Poorvarti, a known Maoist stronghold. He previously served as Secretary of the Darbha Division Committee and is regarded as one of Hidma's most trusted aides. Despite being illiterate, Deva is fluent in Odia, Telugu, Marathi, and Hindi, apart from his local dialect. His long stint with the Maoist press and communication wing has given him significant technical and tactical expertise.
Officials describe Deva as a strategist with deep knowledge of local terrain and logistics, making him a crucial link in the surviving Maoist network in southern Bastar.
Poorvarti, once synonymous with fear, today stands at the intersection of hope and history. For the first time, government representatives and the families of top Maoists have shared the same meal and perhaps, the same desire for peace.
Deputy Chief Minister Sharma's unguarded visit without a heavy convoy or armed cover was a symbolic gesture that resonated across Bastar's silent red zones. "Another major rehabilitation effort is coming soon," Sharma said, signaling a shift from combative counterinsurgency to dialogue-driven demobilization.
With most senior Maoist commanders neutralised in recent operations, Hidma and Deva are now the final symbols of the old Maoist order. Their surrender could mark the beginning of the end of Bastar's decades-long insurgency.
