Chhattisgarh’s Bastar region which is dubbed as Naxal terror heartland since late 1980s but has one-fifth of India's iron ore reserves, is all set to go on development path on Saturday as Prime Minister Narendra Modi will witness three major business pacts exclusively for region which has emerged as a breeding ground for leftist militants. The three Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) in presence of Modi in Dantewada, are expected to herald a new era in India's most poverty-hit region which is spread out in about 40,000 sq km areas.
In the first ever visit of any Naxal heartland as Prime Minister, Modi seems to be determined to unlock development in country's one of the most poverty-hit regions Bastar with Rs24,000 cr. investment that include a ultra-mega steel plant and the second phase of Rowghat-Jagdalpur 140 km railway line. The tribal majority Bastar which is made up of seven districts where thousands of impoverished families are caught in crossfire between heavily armed leftist radicals and para-military troopers, is undoubtedly cut off from mainstream of development.
Those who have even a little knowledge of forested interiors of Bastar, can't dispute the fact that innocent tribals of the region travel several kilometres on foot to access even a primary health centre. The safe drinking water and concrete roads are beyond imagination for the people of Bastar even after more than six decades of Independence though the region can boast of a scratch-free road from Jagdalpur to Dantewada primarily because public sector NMDC ltd needs to take away iron ore from Dantewada's Bailadila hills to feed domestic steel industry as well as to China.
India can't afford to allow Bastar to remain in Stone Age as only the fast and sustainable development in entire region can wipe out leftist insurgency. The leftist militants have developed Bastar as their safe haven for over the years only because it managed to brainwash a section of tribals by injecting misgivings about local authorities and government. Bastar must need an overall development and it's the perfect time for the Central Government as well as of the state regime to put all resources and strength to bring in a rapid socio-economic transformation of sprawling Bastar which has witnessed a string of deadly attacks and blasts in recent years.