Bijapur, a district in Chhattisgarh, is one of the two remaining areas affected by Left Wing Extremism (LWE) or Naxalism in the country. The district, which was once a major recruitment ground for the Maoists' military wing, has seen significant progress in the fight against Naxalism. The security forces have been patrolling the roads, sweeping the sides with the help of sniffer dogs and mine detectors, and engaging in a massive de-mining exercise.
With the help of the local administration, the district collector Sambit Mishra has reopened 264 schools that were forced to shut by the Maoists. The administration is also working to restore identity and benefits to the villagers, who were denied these due to the Naxal control. The objective is to heal the people, win their hearts, and convince them that the state is not their enemy.
However, the scars of the past are still fresh, and the security forces are cautious in their approach. They travel in groups to villages for civic outreach, as many villagers have lost their friends and family members to the bullets of the security forces in the last two to three years. The forces hope that the war is over and the tag of the most affected Naxal district is removed from Bijapur.
