‘Chhattisgarh Moving Towards Liberation From Naxalism,’ Says Min Kedar Kashyap As State Celebrates 25 Years Of Formation

By Bhupendra Dubey

Raipur: Chhattisgarh Forest and Climate Change Minister Kedar Kashyap on Tuesday said that the state is moving towards liberation from Naxalism. Kashyap hoped that with the end of Naxalism, Bastar, along with the state, would reach new heights.

Chhattisgarh is celebrating the silver jubilee of its formation this year, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi expected to join the celebrations on November 1. In an exclusive conversation, the minister spoke to ETV Bharat on various issues. Excerpts from his interview:

After 25 years of formation, where do you see Chhattisgarh now?

Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee envisioned Chhattisgarh’s formation to bring progress to a region that was facing illiteracy and health challenges. Now, the state is consistently achieving new milestones across health, infrastructure, and agriculture. Chhattisgarh’s transformation is visible to anyone who compares its current state to twenty-five years ago. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership has helped the region move beyond its Naxal-affected past, and tangible changes are visible because of strategic focus and commitment.

Some environmentalists say that the state is no longer as green as it once was. Your comments on it.

Chhattisgarh is the oxygen zone of the country. Our forest area is the third largest in the country. Approximately 44.10 per cent of our land is forested. Our area covers 60,000 square kilometres. Naturally, Chhattisgarh is forested, and it holds a unique position in terms of agriculture and mineral wealth.

We have abundant minerals of various kinds. If we properly exploit them for the benefit of the state, rest assured that Chhattisgarh will progress in every aspect. Even if we mine minerals in those areas, we will plant trees there. We are continuously working on this. We are planting trees in our forest areas. We are not compromising on the forest cover in any way. We are working to keep the forests of this region as green as possible and to protect and enhance their conservation and development.

Bastar poses a huge challenge. The deadline set for eliminating Naxalism is slowly approaching. How smoothly will it be achieved?

We have seen Bastar closely. There was a time when many areas resisted being associated with Chhattisgarh. They demanded that they be connected to Andhra Pradesh or Maharashtra. However, with the reach of government schemes, health, education, road connectivity, internet connectivity, and air connectivity, Bastar is progressing in every field.

Bastar holds immense potential. In the coming times, Bastar and Chhattisgarh are moving towards liberation from Naxalism. Areas that never had roads and were not connected to our state are also getting connected. Many facilities are also reaching those areas.

What challenges do you think are there in advancing Bastar's development?

Personally, Bastar is my home. We are constantly working to repay our debt to the land. We have consistently fought for its interests, whether it's forest land leases, expanding facilities, or education. I am very happy today that roads are being built in areas that previously lacked roads. For the first time, a medical college was established in Jagdalpur during our government. A medical college was established in Kanker. Now, new medical colleges are being built. We are continuously progressing in terms of colleges, health, and roads.

All the things we fought for are now reaching the people. Previously, our tribal brothers in Bastar were in poverty; they didn't even have rice. We've worked to provide rice for food. We used to provide forest produce for salt, and we're constantly working on that. The whole world wants to see Bastar. They want to know what the people of Bastar are like.

Earlier, due to Naxalism, we faced difficulties in the areas where we worked. We faced problems when we tried to build schools. We used to work on road construction, but due to Naxalism, we could not do it. There are many roads on which many of our soldiers were martyred.

Now, our people are working in those areas. People are working in every field, including education. We are taking the government's plans to those areas over time. I'm not talking about timeframes, but the way the government's reach is expanding in those areas reflects the morale. The atmosphere in areas where people were once afraid to go has changed.

Congress alleges that, despite having a tribal Chief Minister, a tribal state, and tribal politics, you do not celebrate Tribal Day.

Those who have turned tribals into commodities have no right to say anything about them. Our state gave us a tribal Chief Minister, and Odisha also got a tribal Chief Minister. But what did Congress do? They deceived us in the name of tribals. We are committed to protecting the honour and dignity of tribals in every way.

Regarding not celebrating World Tribal Day, Raksha Bandhan fell on the same day, and everyone, including our Chief Minister, was busy with it. Apart from celebrating a day, caring for the tribals is the most important thing, and we are doing that.

How do you see the future of Chhattisgarh?

The parameters set by our honourable Prime Minister and Home Minister, Amit Shah, are being continuously implemented in Chhattisgarh. Chhattisgarh is meeting the standards and achieving its goals. We are confident that we will excel in every field. Our GSDP will reach 1 million by 2047. Our government is working towards that goal. We will soon reach that target. The government is striving to ensure that the youth and women of this state have a place in every field, and continuous work is underway in this area.

Read more:

1. ‘Bastar Rising’: Campaign Showcases Chhattisgarh’s Tribal Heritage On National Stage
2. Amit Shah Attends Muria Darbar In Bastar; Urges Naxalites To Surrender