Bus Carrying Maoist Victims Stopped Outside JNU

 

A bus carrying victims of Maoist violence from Chhattisgarh was stopped outside Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) today, raising questions about why the victims were barred from entering the premises.

 

The group, who are physically disabled due to Maoist attacks, had arrived in Delhi to appeal for justice. The victims, invited by the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), were on their way to an event hosted by the Bastar Shanti Samiti.

 

Eyewitnesses reported that despite their visible disabilities, the bus was halted outside the university. The victims, many of whom cannot walk, were left with no choice but to proceed on foot or in auto-rickshaws, some dragging themselves to reach the event. The incident sparked outrage among the group and their supporters.

 

Earlier in the day, the Maoist victims had met with Union Home Minister Amit Shah, where they discussed the impact of Maoist violence on their lives.

 

Shah reassured them of the government’s commitment to eradicating Naxalism, highlighting the success in curbing it across most of the country, barring four districts in Bastar.

 

He also announced that the government aims to eliminate Naxalism by March 31, 2026, urging the remaining Maoists to surrender and lay down their arms.

 

The victims, under the banner of the ‘Bastar Shanti Samiti,’ had also held a protest at Jantar Mantar yesterday, calling for justice and development in their violence-stricken region.

 

According to Manguram Kawade, the coordinator of the committee, they have been suffering from Maoist violence for decades. "Our villages have been destroyed, and our area is deprived of development. We demand that the voices of Bastar be heard and that we be freed from the constant threat of violence," he said.

 

Despite the challenges faced in reaching the event, the group remained determined to make their voices heard, demanding justice and peace for their war-torn region.