RAIPUR: Vice President C P Radhakrishnan on Wednesday said Chhattisgarh has successfully moved past the prolonged challenge of Left Wing Extremism (LWE) and is entering a new phase marked by development, prosperity and greater opportunities.
Addressing the third convocation of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Raipur, Radhakrishnan said regions that were once associated with violence and poor connectivity are now emerging as centres of infrastructure, healthcare, education, investment and economic activity.
For several decades, parts of Chhattisgarh, particularly remote and tribal areas, struggled with inadequate infrastructure and the threat of LWE, he said, adding that violence and insecurity had significantly hampered development.
“Where roads should have been built, there were barriers, where schools should have flourished, there was disruption, and where hospitals and healthcare should have reached our tribal and remote communities, there was often only deprivation,” the Vice President said.
He said the state had now moved beyond that difficult period and was witnessing a significant transformation.
“But today’s Chhattisgarh has come out of the shadows of its past. It is a great achievement and great news for all of us. It is witnessing a new dawn of development, progress and prosperity,” he said.
Radhakrishnan credited the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai for the change, saying the state had “turned a historic corner” and the Naxal challenge that persisted for decades had been brought to an end.
“This transformation is a powerful example of the difference that strong political will, firm security policy and development-oriented governance can make,” he said.
The Vice President described AIIMS Raipur as an important symbol of the state’s changing landscape, saying the institute reflected the shift from an environment of fear and deprivation towards peace, progress and greater possibilities.
Established in 2012 to address regional gaps in healthcare, medical education and research in central India, AIIMS Raipur has rapidly developed into a major tertiary healthcare institution, he said.
Radhakrishnan noted that the institute now caters not only to Chhattisgarh but also to neighbouring states, with rural and tribal populations among those benefiting from its services.
“The growth of AIIMS Raipur is also a reflection of the remarkable transformation taking place in Chhattisgarh and across the country,” he said.