New Delhi, Dec 3 (NationPress) An in-depth examination of the enduring effects of Maoist violence in Chhattisgarh's Bastar region has once again sparked discussions on how insurgency has transformed the social and economic fabric of one of India's most disadvantaged tribal areas.

Nearly twenty years of ambushes, extortion, and deliberate destruction of public infrastructure have rendered Sukma, Bijapur, and Dantewada some of the most destitute districts in the nation, despite a recent decline in Maoist influence.

These observations are articulated in a thought-provoking article by Meera S. Joshi, featured in India Narrative, contrasting the idealized images of global revolutionaries like Che Guevara with the brutal legacy of Hidma.

Joshi states, “There is no charismatic portrait, no mystical aura, no political program beyond violence… Hidma left behind no cult of admiration, only a trail of blood and one of the worst development records in India.”

The article outlines significant assaults associated with Maoist leader Madvi Hidma, who was killed in a confrontation on November 18, 2025, and explores how cycles of violence obstructed the normal functioning of schools, health services, banking systems, and markets.

The analysis reveals that from 2005 to 2025, over 1,200 schools were destroyed or closed, more than 120 health centers were deserted, and fundamental services such as banking, tendu-leaf trading, MGNREGA accessibility, and PDS distribution faced severe disruption due to Maoist threats.

A list of incidents mentioned includes the devastating 2010 Dantewada ambush that claimed the lives of 76 CRPF personnel, the 2013 Jhiram Ghati assault on a Congress convoy, the 2017 Burkapal and Sukma attacks, and the 2021 Sukma–Bijapur ambush in which 22 security personnel were killed. According to the analysis, these incidents contributed to a pattern that incapacitated governance and development for an entire generation.

The Maoist stronghold created an “extortion economy” of Rs 200–300 crore per year, severely hindering even basic welfare services. For instance, the infant mortality rate in Sukma soared to 52 per 1,000 live births, while literacy rates plummeted well below national averages.

The narrative sharply critiques what it describes as the “urban romanticization” of insurgency, arguing that admiration for Maoist leaders primarily persists among privileged youth who are detached from the harsh realities on the ground. “Rebellion has become a lifestyle accessory,” the author notes, illustrating how those glorifying violence are often oblivious to its repercussions for teachers, frontline workers, and tribal families who navigate treacherous forest paths daily.

The article concludes that Maoist violence ultimately harmed the very communities it purported to represent, asserting that the so-called people's war “delivered terror and fear” while obstructing the region's development trajectory.