Abujhmad Peace Half Marathon kicks off in Chattisgarh, draws over 5000 runners
Narayanpur, January 31
The 5th edition of the Abujhmad Peace Half Marathon was held in Narayanpur district on Saturday. Surrendered Naxal cadres and thousands of runners participated in it. The Marathon has a prize pool of ₹15 Lakh. The event aims to encourage community integration, fitness, and support peace initiatives.
Highlighting the event's participation and importance, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai said more than 5,000 runners participated, and that peace has now been secured in the area where people were once afraid to come.
CM Vishnu Deo Sai says, "We have started this marathon with the participation of our MPs, over 60 runners from foreign countries and over 5000 runners from all over the country. I thank the district administration and everyone else for the organisation. Peace is now being established in Abujhmad and Bastar, where people were once afraid to enter. Development will also be done here," said CM.
Speaking to ANI, the CM expressed happiness about the participation of surrendered Naxal cadre, mentioned the vision of PM Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah of eradicating Naxalism.
" We are realising the vision of Prime Minister Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah. The suredered naxals are welcomed. We are happy that the surrendered Naxal cadets are also participating in this. Yesterday, the marriage of 4 couples of surrederd naxals were held. Alos, I have been informed that there will be more marriages in the future," Sai said.
Inspector General of Bastar, P Sundarraj, while speaking to ANI, said, "Various events have been held across 4 categories, and people are participating with great enthusiasm. Youth and children are participating in this marathon to establish a clean image of the Narayanpur district. Even the former Maoist cadres, who gave up Naxalism, are also participating in it with the message of peace."
To ensure the successful completion of the event, special security arrangements have been made, which include barricading, traffic control, water supply, sanitation, and medical facilities.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Over 5000 runners is impressive! It's heartening to see surrendered cadres participating and even having their marriages solemnized. This is what real, on-ground peace and rehabilitation looks like. More power to the organizers.
Good step for fitness and peace. But I hope the ₹15 lakh prize money and the event's costs are justified by long-term development in Narayanpur. The focus should remain on building schools, hospitals, and jobs after the marathon is over.
As someone who loves running, this is wonderful to see! The inclusion of international runners puts this beautiful region on the map. Hope the security and facilities were good for all participants. Congrats to the finishers!
"Peace is now being established..." This line from the CM is everything. For years, Bastar was in the news for violence. Today, it's for a marathon. This is the change we wanted to see. A positive story for a change.
Respectfully, while the event is good, calling it a "Peace" marathon feels a bit like optics. True peace comes from justice, land rights, and ending poverty. I hope this symbolism is backed by substantive policy for the tribal communities there.
The involvement of youth
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.