‘Where Once Guns Roared, Now Patriotism Echoes’; Home Minister Says Jammu and Kashmir Has Also Travelled From Fear to Freedom
New Delhi, August 15: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday said that the National Flag is now flying proudly over Kurregutta Hills in Chhattisgarh, a region once regarded as a major stronghold of Naxal violence, describing the development as a powerful symbol of the transformation taking place in areas affected by Left-Wing Extremism.
In a message posted on X on the occasion of Independence Day, Shah said the Tricolour was now being proudly celebrated at a hill where the presence of armed Naxal groups had once dominated the region.
“Where once guns roared, now patriotism echoes,” Shah said, describing the Tricolour fluttering over the red soil of Bastar as a symbol of the strength, progress and confidence of a new, Naxal-free Bastar.
His remarks came after the conclusion of the three-day Bastar Tiranga Yatra, which covered nearly 600 kilometres through areas that were once considered Maoist strongholds. The yatra culminated on Friday with the hoisting of the National Flag at Kurregutta Hills in Bijapur district.
Chhattisgarh Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma and Forest Minister Kedar Kashyap led the motorcycle procession, which witnessed the participation of public representatives, local residents and community leaders. More than 200 motorcycles carrying the Tricolour took part in the yatra.
Kurregutta Hills, located along the Chhattisgarh-Telangana border, had for years been regarded as a major Maoist hideout and an important operational area for armed insurgents. The region has also witnessed major anti-Naxal operations by security forces.
The flag-hoisting carries significance against the backdrop of the wider security and administrative transformation taking place in Bastar. Several areas that were once affected by Maoist violence are now witnessing an increased government presence, development activities and greater participation of local people in national celebrations.
Shah also drew a parallel with the transformation witnessed in Jammu and Kashmir, saying that the Union Territory had travelled “from fear to freedom” under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
He said that there was a time when hoisting the Tricolour in certain parts of Jammu and Kashmir invited threats, whereas the situation has now changed significantly, with people participating in Tiranga Yatras and waving the National Flag with pride and enthusiasm.
The Home Minister’s remarks come in the backdrop of the Centre’s continued campaign against Left-Wing Extremism. In May 2025, Shah had described the security operation at Karreguttalu Hill as a historic success after security forces killed 31 Naxalites during a 21-day operation along the Chhattisgarh-Telangana border.
According to the Ministry of Home Affairs, the hill had served as a unified headquarters for major Naxal organisations and had been used for activities including training, strategic planning and weapons-related operations.
The latest hoisting of the Tricolour at Kurregutta Hills has consequently been projected by the Centre and the Chhattisgarh Government as an important symbolic milestone in the region’s transition from prolonged insurgency towards peace, security, development and stronger constitutional governance.
The Bastar Tiranga Yatra was not merely a patriotic programme, but also carried a wider message that areas once dominated by Maoist violence are increasingly becoming accessible to civilians and witnessing the restoration and strengthening of government institutions.
The Independence Day celebrations at Kurregutta Hills therefore assumed special significance, as the unfurling of the Tricolour marked a visible assertion of national unity and constitutional authority in an area once identified with armed insurgency.
The event also highlighted the broader transformation being witnessed in conflict-affected regions, where the return of normal civilian life, development and public participation is increasingly replacing the atmosphere of fear and violence.(KNC)
