With ‘Bastar Olympics’, region once at epicentre of Maoism lays out its changing aspirations

The Bastar Olympics includes 11 games — archery, kabaddi, athletics, badminton, football, hockey, karate, weightlifting, kho-kho, volleyball and tug-of-war. The events are held at the village cluster, block and district levels across the seven districts of Chhattisgarh’s Bastar region. Those who qualify through these rounds get to participate in the finals, which will be held in Jagdalpur, the biggest city in the region, next week. The events began on October 25.

The Bastar region is spread across 45,545 square kilometres, which is bigger than the state of Kerala. It comprises the districts of Bastar, Dantewada, Kanker, Kondagaon, Narayanpur, Sukma, and Bijapur.

The Bastar Olympics includes 11 games — archery, kabaddi, athletics, badminton, football, hockey, karate, weightlifting, kho-kho, volleyball and tug-of-war.

‘New Path’

A former member of the banned Maoist party, who gave up arms years ago, told The Indian Express she was elated that she won the athletics competition last year. The woman, who did not want to be named, said, “I want to put the past behind me. For six years, I have been serving in the police force. Last year, I won the first prize in athletics, and it was fun. I aspire to do more in sports. I have two daughters, and I will inspire them to take up sports.”

With the surrender of Maoists increasing in recent months, the number of surrendered cadres who take part in the tournament has risen from 300 last year to 500 this year. They have also formed a team named ‘Nuva Baat (New Path)’.

According to a government source, the Bastar Olympics is being held at a cost of Rs 5 crore. “The Olympics is a distant dream, but the idea is also to bridge the gap between the public and the government, and build trust,” the source said.

The Bastar Olympics includes 11 games — archery, kabaddi, athletics, badminton, football, hockey, karate, weightlifting, kho-kho, volleyball and tug-of-war.

This year, the tournament has also seen increasing participation of the Abujhmadiya tribe, a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG) from Abujhmad — a large unsurveyed area that had once been considered an impenetrable stronghold and base of the Maoists.

Dhansingh Wadde (21) from Abujhmad, whose kho-kho team has made it to the finals, said, “I was into sports since I was six years of age. Back then, it was not easy for people here to take up sports. But now, it is growing. Now, the villagers have a platform to showcase their talent.”

He also said that participants were happy as they “get free jerseys, shoes, and tracksuits as prizes”. “They feel encouraged to participate. If it takes place every year, then it will become a tradition,” he said.

Another participant from Abujhmad, 18-year-old Laxman Poyam, said, “If we get good coaching and diet, we can do well in athletics.”

The Bastar Olympics includes 11 games — archery, kabaddi, athletics, badminton, football, hockey, karate, weightlifting, kho-kho, volleyball and tug-of-war.

Increasing reach

This year, the government reached out to more remote villages in Abujhmad, adding 1,500 more participants and taking the total number of participants from the area to 4,500.

Other areas that were once Maoist strongholds to see participation in the Bastar Olympics are Jagargunda, Kerlapal, Silger as well as Puvarti, the village of the recently slain key Maoist commander Madvi Hidma.

The event is igniting aspirations in many youngsters, and also increasing their expectations, said Manoj Prasad (31), a coach from Narayanpur.

“It is an excellent initiative. The youth of Bastar have a lot of power and strength. They only need an opportunity to showcase their talent. But they must be able to see a road to the Olympics after winning here. Efforts are needed to get them a scholarship in sports and a strong backing from the government,” he said.

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai told The Indian Express that Bastar has come out of the shadow of Maoism, and that the Bastar Olympics would become a tradition.

The Bastar Olympics includes 11 games — archery, kabaddi, athletics, badminton, football, hockey, karate, weightlifting, kho-kho, volleyball and tug-of-war.

“For years, Bastar lived under the shadow of violence and insecurity. Through the sustained efforts of our double-engine government, led by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Shri Amit Shah, Naxalism is now rapidly approaching its end.”

The Bastar region has been the epicentre of Left Wing Extremism in Chhattisgarh for decades. However, over the last two years, the Maoist movement has suffered severe setbacks, with over 450 cadres gunned down in intensified security operations and the surrender of hundreds, including top leaders.

The CM said, “Today, the region is reclaiming its identity — peaceful, celebratory, and culturally vibrant. It was to showcase this new Bastar to the world, and to let people experience its renewed energy, that we launched the Bastar Olympics.”

“The history of Bastar shows that its finest traditions never fade. Over 600 years ago, the Bastar Dussehra began, and it continues with the same devotion even today. In the same spirit, the Bastar Olympics has already become a new tradition. We may have started it, but the enthusiasm with which the people have embraced it ensures that it will only grow stronger in the years ahead,” said Sai.

CM Sai is set to attend the finals in Jagdalpur next week, for which the date has not been finalised. To ensure maximum participation, the government has provided participants with free travel, food, accommodation, and health facilities.