RAIPUR,CG,BHARAT: Naxal attack victims who lost their legs in IED blasts have regained mobility with the support of artificial limbs. In a heart-warming gesture of gratitude, several of these victims, now equipped with prosthetic legs, walked to the residence of Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma to personally thank him.

These victims, mostly from the Bastar region, lost their legs in landmine explosions planted by Naxalites during daily activities such as farming or forest produce collection. In a significant initiative by the state government, these individuals received artificial legs, helping them reclaim their independence. In the first phase, six victims underwent rehabilitation and training to walk with their new prosthetic limbs at the Physical Referral Rehabilitation Centre in Mana Camp, Raipur.

The victims, previously reliant on others for movement, were overjoyed after receiving the prosthetics. They expressed their excitement by visiting Deputy Chief Minister Sharma's residence, sharing that they now feel empowered to move forward in life. “There will no longer be a need to depend on anyone else for support,” one of the victims said, adding that while the trauma caused by Naxalites can never be fully compensated, the artificial limbs have given them renewed hope.

The Deputy Chief Minister had earlier met these victims following their return from a protest at Jantar Mantar in Delhi last September, where they appealed for peace in Bastar and sought assistance from Union Home Minister Amit Shah and President Droupadi Murmu. Following it, Sharma had asked the officials that victims of IED blasts should receive artificial limbs with the help of the Social Welfare Department.

So far, six individuals—Guddu Lekam, Avalam Mara, Sukki Madkam, Somli Khatri, Khairkam Joga, and Rajaram, all from Bijapur and Sukma—have been fitted with artificial limbs. Three more victims are expected to receive prosthetics soon.

The initiative, supported by the Bastar Peace Committee, has brought a new sense of freedom and possibility to these survivors.