New chapter in Bastar: Tricolour to fly in 92 former Maoist-hit villages for 1st time on I-Day

Raipur: Freed of left-wing extremism, 92 remote villages in Chhattisgarh's Bastar region - once a Maoist stronghold - will witness the hoisting of the tricolour for the first time since Independence on August 15, Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma said on Friday.

The settlements comprise 33 villages in Bijapur district, 50 in Sukma, and nine in Narayanpur, Sharma told reporters during a press conference at the BJP's district office Ekatma Parisar here on the 'Har Ghar Tiranga' campaign.

Sharma, who also holds the Home portfolio, said this would be the first national festival after the armed Maoist cadres were eliminated in the state on March 31.


"On August 15, there will not be a single village left in Bastar where the tricolour is not hoisted and where the Constitution of India is not fully in force," he declared.

Emphasising that national festivals foster deep patriotism, the deputy chief minister stated that the government is spearheading an extensive campaign to instil a sense of national pride across every section of society in Bastar.

He pointed out that since the current government came to power, the tricolour has already been hoisted during five consecutive Independence Day and Republic Day celebrations between 2024 and 2026 across pockets in Bastar that remained untouched for decades.

"This Independence Day, the tricolour will be hoisted for the first time in 33 villages of Bijapur, 50 villages of Sukma and nine villages of Narayanpur," he said.

Regions that were previously "infamous" for Maoist violence are now being connected to development and the broader national mainstream, Sharma said, adding that the Tiranga Yatra would be taken out in Purvarti, Silger, Tekalgudem, Ranibodli, and Darbha.

Workers of the BJP and the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha, residents and youths will participate in motorcycle rallies across Bastar as part of the campaign, he said.

Sharma said that party cadres have been visiting families of security personnel who made the ultimate sacrifice during anti-Naxal operations, presenting them with the national flag and expressing gratitude. Similar outreach efforts are underway to support families affected by Maoist violence.

More than 500 locations across the Bastar division - including schools, major public squares, and community buildings - will be officially renamed after martyrs and local icons on August 15.

"Earlier, the influence of organisations that refused to accept the Constitution of India has now ended," he said, adding that the Constitution would be fully implemented in every village of Bastar and the tricolour would be hoisted with pride on August 15.

Addressing the media, Deputy Chief Minister Arun Sao said the BJP's Har Ghar Tiranga and Tiranga Yatra campaigns would promote patriotism, strengthen social harmony and honour freedom fighters and nation-builders.

Sao said that Tiranga Yatras will be organised across more than 450 BJP organisational units, major villages, gram panchayats, urban local bodies and development block headquarters in the state.

The yatra would be launched from Marine Drive in Raipur on August 10, with the participation of Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai, ministers, MPs, MLAs, school and college students, NCC cadets, scouts, ex-servicemen, sportspersons, voluntary organisations, religious leaders and representatives of various communities.

He also appealed to citizens to participate in the 'Digital Tiranga' campaign by hoisting the national flag at homes, shops, institutions and offices and uploading photographs and videos on social media.

On Republic Day this year, the tricolour was unfurled for the first time in 41 villages of the Bastar region, including 13 in Bijapur, 18 in Narayanpur and 10 in Sukma.

Until a few years ago, the banned CPI (Maoist) would typically call for a boycott of Independence Day and Republic Day celebrations in the interiors of Bastar, which comprises seven districts, and would unfurl red and black flags to register protest on these two days.