Jagdalpur (Chhattisgarh) [India], January 21 (HBTV): Bastar Range Inspector General of Police P Sundarraj has said the region would gain a positive and renewed identity through the ongoing Bastar Olympics, underlining the role of sports in social reintegration and normalisation in the Naxal-affected area.
The Bastar Olympics is an annual event organised by the Chhattisgarh Sports and Youth Welfare Department to provide a platform for youth, surrendered Maoist cadres, and victims of Naxal violence to showcase their sporting talent.
Speaking to ANI, Sundarraj pointed to a decline in Naxalite activities and said a more normal and positive situation is steadily emerging in the Bastar division. He said that following the success of earlier editions, the Bastar Olympics was organised again in 2025, with divisional-level finals scheduled from December 11 to 13.
‘In the Bastar division, Naxalite activities are decreasing, and a normal and positive situation is continuously developing. In 2024, the Bastar Olympics and Bastar Pandum were organised to integrate young men and women into the mainstream. Seeing its success, the Bastar Olympics were also organised in 2025. After the completion of the district-level programmes, the divisional-level finals are being held from December 11 to 13 in the Bastar division,’ Sundarraj told ANI.
He said players from all seven districts, along with the Nua Baat team comprising surrendered and rehabilitated Maoist cadres and Naxal victims, are participating in the event. According to him, the total number of participants exceeds 750, with teams preparing enthusiastically for the competitions.
Sundarraj added that initiatives such as the Bastar Olympics are emerging as an important means for surrendered Maoist cadres and victims of Naxal violence to reintegrate into society. ‘In the future, the Bastar region will also gain a positive and new identity through the Bastar Olympics,’ he said.
Last December, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during an episode of Mann Ki Baat, praised the Bastar Olympics, describing it as ushering in a ‘new revolution’ in the region. He highlighted the event’s mascots, the wild water buffalo and the hill myna, which reflect Bastar’s cultural identity, and referred to its guiding mantra, ‘Karsay Ta Bastar Barsaye Ta Bastar’, meaning ‘Bastar will play, Bastar will win’.
(ANI)