RAIPUR: As a striking symbol of transformation, women who once moved through the dense forests of Chhattisgarh’s Bastar region carrying weapons as Maoists walked the ramp to loud applause at a National Handloom Day event in Raipur.Their appearance highlighted their journey of transformation after surrendering and rejoining mainstream society.The women donned handloom outfits and walked confidently on the ramp as part of the Tribal fashion show event.
Surrendered women Maoists steal show at fashion event
Earlier last week, Chhattisgarh chief minister Vishnu Deo Sai, accompanied by deputy chief minister Vijay Sharma, met Union minister for Rural Development and Agriculture Shivraj Singh Chouhan in New Delhi on Friday to seek special relaxations under central infrastructure schemes to accelerate development in the Bastar region.Following the meeting, Sai said Bastar, after decades of insurgency, has now transitioned into a more peaceful region, creating an urgent need to strengthen road connectivity and integrate the area into mainstream development.“Today, accompanied by our state’s Deputy CM Vijay Sharma, we met with the Union Minister for Rural Development and Agriculture, Shivraj Singh Chouhan; officials were also present during the meeting. After 40-50 years, our Bastar region has finally become Maoist-free, and there is a great need for development there. Connectivity is crucial from a development perspective,” CM Vishnu Deo Sai told news agency ANI.The CM noted that while Chhattisgarh has benefited significantly from the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), Bastar’s unique demographic profile presents challenges under the existing central funding guidelines.With the region’s population scattered across vast and remote areas, strict population-based eligibility criteria under current PMGSY norms make it difficult to build roads connecting smaller, isolated habitations.“Although we have received many roads under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana, the population density in that area is very low; therefore, we met with the Minister to request some relaxation in the scheme’s norms. He listened to us patiently and assured us that he would take the initiative in this matter,” Sai said.(With agency inputs)
