Speaking with ANI on the deadline of March 31st set by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah to end Naxalism, Awasthi said that it showcases the "strong will" of the government and motivates the security forces.
"The deadline motivated and provided a goal to the forces and showcased the strong will of the Home Minister. Its consequence has been that we are seeing Naxalism on the verge of extinction today...and that Bastar and other Naxal-affected areas are inching towards normalcy...," he said.
Reminiscing on the culture, life and environment of Bastar in the 1900s, the former DGP expressed hopes for the initiative by the government to transform the Naxal-affected region to "once again bloom with flowers and light."
"I saw Bastar in February 1989. It was beautiful then... People lived peacefully in Bijapur and Dantewada. Markets were set up, and state transport buses ran from Gollapalli to Jagdalpur. I've travelled in it myself. There were roads, and Bastar was a beautiful valley. They ruined it all, the roads, demolished schools, and damaged hospitals... I hope that the Bastar of the 1990s, when we used to roam in Kuonta along the banks of the Sabri River, will return. Jhiram Ghati was such a beautiful valley of flowers, I saw it with my own eyes. I hope that after March 31st, in the next one or two years, Bastar will once again bloom with flowers and light," he stated.
Furthermore, he reflected on the time before the BJP government came to power, describing it as the time when the fear of Naxalism reaching the capital city loomed. He said that the security forces have been strengthened in the past decade, attributing it to the gradual decline of Naxalism in the state.
"There came a time when it seemed the security forces would never be able to defeat Naxalism in the country. That was when the MCC and CPI joined forces to form the CPI-Maoist... There was a time when people started saying that Naxalites had reached Raipur... But in these 10 years, things have completely changed... The sacrifices made and the losses suffered by security forces are difficult to compensate for. The only thing is that their sacrifices have borne fruit, and now Naxalism and terrorism are ending," Awasthi said.
"... The atmosphere of terror created by the Naxalites, with ID bombings, blasts, and ambushes, is coming to an end... But the ideology remains. The ideology was to ensure justice for the oppressed. The fight for justice will continue, but in a peaceful manner within the Indian Constitution. The gun-toting path was a grave threat, and it is now coming to an end," he added. (ANI)
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
