- The elimination of top Maoist commander Madvi Hidma has broken the backbone of the rebels, Vishnu Deo Sai said
- However, the death of Hidma, is not enough, he said
- "It is also important to ensure development reaches that area," he said, referring to Bastar
The elimination of top Maoist commander Madvi Hidma in an encounter earlier this week has broken the backbone of the rebels, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai said on Friday.
However, the death of Hidma, who masterminded several attacks over the last two decades, is not enough, Sai said. "It is also important to ensure development reaches that area," he said, referring to Bastar where the Maoist leader was the face of bloodshed, violence and terror for several years.
The Chief Minister was speaking at the NDTV Chhattisgarh Conclave when he made the remarks.
Also Read | The Making Of Madvi Hidma And What His End Means In Fight Against Red Terror
On Tuesday, Hidma was killed in an encounter in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh, a breakthrough the Chhattisgarh Police described as the "last nail in the coffin" of insurgency. Security forces gunned down the 51-year-old, his wife Madkam Raje and four other Maoists in the Maredumilli forest in Alluri Sitaramaraju district of Andhra Pradesh. Hidma carried a reward of Rs 40 lakh in Chhattisgarh and a cumulative bounty of over Rs 1 crore across multiple states, the police earlier said.
"Maoism is a huge impediment for development. Bastar had a large population of Maoists. The formation of a double-engine government proved to be useful," Sai said, referring to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) governments both in the state and at the Centre.
"Our brave jawans are fighting the Maoists on behalf of the entire country. A lot of key Maoists have been eliminated. From Basavaraju (Nambala Keshava Rao who was killed in May) to Hidma, their eliminations have broken the backbone of the Maoists," he added.
Also Read | "Ghost Of Bastar": The Rise And Fall Of Maoist Leader Madvi Hidma
The Chief Minister also said residents of Maoist-affected areas would earlier be afraid to leave their houses and had little knowledge about the country and the development works. The state government wanted to focus on connecting them with the outside world, he said.
"Last year, we organised the Bastar Olympics that saw the participation of over one lakh youngsters. The victims of Maoists attacks - those who lost their eyes or limbs - also participated. We also organised the Bastar Pandum," he said.
Batar Pandum was a program held to revive the tribal art and culture of Bastar in April. Competitions under categories such as tribal dance, folk song and tribal drama were held during the event.
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Bastar Olympics was organised in Narayanpur district last month, in a bid to promote traditional sports, identify sporting talent among the tribal youth and connect them to the national mainstream.
Sai also said the state government has introduced a rehabilitation policy to help Maoists return to the mainstream.
He claimed that under the Niyyad Nilar scheme (Your Beautiful Village), that ensures an incentive of Rs 50,000 besides other government benefits, Maoists have been surrendering in large numbers.
