Shah likely to spend night at forward base in Bastar next week

Union home minister Amit Shah is likely to visit Chhattisgarh next week and spend a night at a forward base in the Maoist hotbed of Bastar, people aware of the matter said on Wednesday.

Shah’s proposed visit, from December 13 to December 15, comes against the backdrop of an uptick in anti-Left Wing Extremism (LWE) operations. This year, forces have killed 207 Maoists in the state, much higher than the 22 killed in 2023. On Wednesday, Chhattisgarh CM Vishnu Deo Sai met Shah in Delhi and briefed him about the anti-Maoist operation underway in the state, people aware of the matter said.

“The CM briefed the home minister about two sensitive districts of Bastar and Kondagaon. These two districts are finally free of Naxal influence. He also informed Shah, who is likely to spend a night at a forward base of security forces in Bastar, about the infrastructure work carried out in the areas freed from Maoist influence. The CM also informed Shah about the government expediting the construction of over 15,000 houses for the surrendered Maoists and those affected by LWE,” an official aware of the details said on condition of anonymity.

The Bastar division, which includes seven districts—Bastar, Dantewada, Bijapur, Kanker, Narayanpur, Kondagaon, and Sukma—forms the epicentre of Maoist insurgency. The government has deployed thousands of forces and set up camps to battle the rebels across the insurgent-dominated region known as the “Red Corridor”. A camp can have between 250 and 600 personnel, depending on the size and sensitivity of the area, and once established, they are used as landing points for the forces to conduct operations.

Before leaving for Delhi, Sai said that Shah will visit the state next week but did not comment on if he will spend a night a forward base. “He is coming to Chhattisgarh on November 13 and 14. He will be a guest in the Bastar Olympics,” he said.