After decades, Red corridor gears up for tryst with freedom

After decades of fear and isolation, villages in Chhattisgarh's Red Corridor are preparing to celebrate Independence Day with the unfurling of the national flag. For many residents, like Ramji Dhruv, who was driven from his village in 2013 by Maoists, August 15 was once just another day. This year, however, marks a significant return to normalcy and celebration.

The government recently declared the region free of left-wing extremism (LWE), a development that has allowed residents to return to their homes and reclaim their villages. In Dantewada, three schools will hoist the Tricolour on August 15 after a 26-year gap, while in Bijapur, 11 educational institutions will celebrate after nearly 21 years. Across the remote Abujhmad region, several villages that were once beyond state reach are also preparing for their first Independence Day celebrations in decades.

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I returned after 13 years. This year, I will celebrate Independence Day in my own village for the first time. It is the biggest day of my life.

For years, Maoists enforced a strict ban on national celebrations, threatening villagers and replacing the flag with their own symbols. This created an atmosphere of fear that stymied government efforts and kept communities isolated. Masiharam Nureti of Garba village expressed the profound significance of this return, stating, "India became independent on August 15, 1947, but Abujhmad has received its real freedom only now."

Officials confirmed that 92 villages across Bastar will hoist the Tricolour for the first time since Independence. Additionally, over 500 locations, including schools and community buildings, will be renamed after martyrs and local icons on August 15. While classrooms are currently being held in villagers' homes due to the lack of school buildings, the symbolic act of raising the flag signifies a new era of freedom and state presence in these formerly inaccessible areas.

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We have finally returned. India became independent on August 15, 1947, but Abujhmad has received its real freedom only now. This year, we will hoist the Tricolour with pride.