Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah addressed the Bastar Pandum program in Dantewada Chhattisgarh today. Many dignitaries including Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai and Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma were present on the occasion. Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation said that Maharaja Praveer Chandra Bhajdev gave his life for the water, forest, land, and culture of the tribal people. He noted that Maharaja Praveer Chandra’s popularity as a people's king was unbearable for the then government, leading to his murder through a conspiracy. Shah further emphasised that today, as Bastar stands on the brink of freedom from red terror and has embarked on the path of development, the soul of Praveer Chandra Ji, wherever it may be, is undoubtedly blessing the people of Bastar. Amit Shah stated that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, starting next year, artists from every tribal district of the country will be included in the Bastar Pandum. He mentioned that to give international recognition to Bastar Pandum, the Modi government is working to showcase the traditions, culture, and art of Bastar by taking ambassadors from all countries on a tour of Bastar, and spreading it worldwide. Shah also mentioned that 47,000 artists from 188 Gram Panchayats, 12 Nagar Panchayats, 8 Nagar Parishads, one Municipality, and 32 Janpads have participated in this festival. The district administration and the culture department have allocated Rs 50 million for Bastar Pandum. He emphasised that this Pandum will work to preserve and promote local and traditional art, culture, craftsmanship, festivals, food, languages, customs, attire, jewelry, traditional songs, music, and cuisines in their original form. Union Home Minister said that we want the youth of Bastar to receive the most modern education, compete on every platform with the youth of the world, and attain global prosperity, but they should never forget their culture, language, and traditions. He further noted that the culture, dialects, musical instruments and food of Bastar are the jewels of the culture of not just Chhattisgarh but the entire India and we have to preserve it. Shah mentioned that the Bastar Pandum festival, which is being celebrated in seven categories this year, will be celebrated in twelve categories next year, and tribal people from across the country will participate. Union Home Minister also said that India's strength lies in its unity in diversity, the fusion of various cultures, arts, traditions, languages, dialects, and cuisines. He emphasized that we will stand strong in every competition with the world, but we will also preserve our culture and other heritage, and Bastar Pandum is the beginning of this effort. Union Home Minister said that the time has passed when bullets were fired and bomb blasts occurred here. He appealed to all Naxalites, urging them to lay down their weapons and join the mainstream because Bastar wants development. He stated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi wants to give everything to Bastar, but this is only possible when there is peace in Bastar. He emphasised that children should go to school, mothers’ health should be taken care of, tribals and youth should not suffer from malnutrition, arrangements should be made for children's education, every village should have a dispensary, and there should be a hospital in every tehsil—only then can development happen. He further mentioned that this can only be achieved if the people of Bastar decide to make every village Naxal-free. Shah also mentioned that the Chhattisgarh government has announced that any village that gets all Naxalites to surrender will be declared Naxal-free and will be given a development fund of Rs 10 million. He added that no one wants to harm anyone, and therefore Naxalites should abandon violence and come into the mainstream, as both the Government of India and the Government of Chhattisgarh will provide protection. Union Home Minister said that Naxalites, with their weapons, cannot stop the development of entire Bastar. Amit Shah said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given the slogan Vocal for Local and has facilitated the marketing of a unique product from each district by associating it with the GI tag, promoting it in markets across the country. He mentioned that Prime Minister Modi has emphasised that history is not limited to books; our tribal freedom fighters should receive respect and recognition across the country. Prime Minister Modi has taken steps to honour tribal heroes like Veer Gundadhur of Bastar, who fought for independence. He also highlighted that Prime Minister Modi has dedicated the birth anniversary of Bhagwan Birsa Munda as “Janjatiya GauravDiwas” and has declared the 150thanniversary year as “Janjatiya Gaurav Varsha”.