Tricolour rises over Karegutta hills as 41 Maoist-hit Bastar villages mark Republic Day for 1st time

RAIPUR: From the once-impenetrable Karegutta hills of Bijapur district to the deepest forest villages of Bastar, the Tricolour was unfurled for the first time this Republic Day in 41 habitations that were long under Maoist control. The event becomes more significant with the national flag standing up above the dreaded Karegutta Hills where 11 security personnel suffered IED blast injuries only on Sunday during an anti-Naxal operation. The tricolour was unfurled at the newly established forward operating base (FOB) at Tadapala camp, nearly 5000 feet high perched deep in the Maoists’ former core zone of the Karregutta hills. In what security officials projected as a significant shift on the ground, villagers and schoolchildren joined the forces at newly established camps across interior pockets of Bijapur.According to official claims, 31 new security camps have been established in Maoist-affected areas after August 15, 2025, aimed at strengthening security presence and administration in difficult terrain.Karegutta hills located at the helm of Bijapur district had been a safe haven for Maoists to camp for long, hide weapon dumps and move across state borders. This is where security forces had penetrated last year in March-April and killed over 30 Maoists in a 20-day long anti-Naxal operation, following which, CoBRA commandos established an FOB there. The 196th bn of CRPF and 204th bn of CoBRA unfurled the flag on Karegutta hills. The villages that celebrated R-Day for the first time spread across three districts — 13 in Bijapur, 18 in Narayanpur and 10 in Sukma — all of which were long considered inaccessible for routine administration and national celebrations. Police officials said the development reflects improved security conditions and expanding state presence in interior tribal belts.These villages are now actively participating in the democratic and constitutional life of the country.According to police, the setting up of security camps in and around these habitations over the past year has been central to restoring public confidence and enabling governance to reach the grassroots. With regular patrolling and administrative outreach, villagers who once lived under fear of Maoist reprisals are now engaging openly with state institutions.Bastar range inspector general of police P Sundarraj said that 13 villages in the region had unfurled the tricolour for the first time on Independence Day in 2025. With the addition of 41 more this Republic Day, the total number of such villages has risen to 54 across Bastar.