Month-Long Bastar Olympics Conclude Today Month-Long Bastar Olympics Conclude Today RAIPUR: Miles away from the hostile forests where Maoist commander Madvi Hidma once ruled with a gun before falling to police bullets recently, another Hidma is getting ready to take aim. But, not at security forces.”I am Hidma, but not that Hidma. I am Muchaki Hidma from Sukma district. I surrendered this year… Now I will aim at my target through archery,” he says. Muchaki Hidma points at a straw target, preparing himself for Saturday, the concluding day of Chhattisgarh’s Bastar Olympics in Jagdalpur, where Union home minister Amit Shah will be watching.Practising at Indira Priyadarshini Stadium on Friday, Muchaki Hidma, who is in his early 30s, says he now realises “how freedom feels” – not having to camouflage, hide behind trees or chase human targets with guns.Hidma is part of a team called ‘Nuvabaat’ – “new path”. The team is made up of former Maoists and victims of insurgency, who have either surrendered or lost limbs and loved ones to violence. “The moment I say ‘Hidma’, people look scared. So I have to clarify,” he says.Over 700 surrendered Maoists and victims of their violence are expected to take the field on Saturday across disciplines – athletics, kabaddi, kho-kho, archery and traditional games.Hidma says he grew up in a large family where farming was never enough to provide for them. “We could not expand the farming land due to the forest around. Our family was big and we had meagre resources. When the Naxals came and said, ‘Come with us’, I went. They gave me a gun. At first it even felt exciting,” he says.The excitement ended when the fighting intensified. “When the firing started, it made me introspect – how would I ever get out of this?”Bastar Olympics is a month-long sports carnival that covers seven Maoist-affected districts of Chhattisgarh’s Bastar division: Bijapur, Dantewada, Kanker, Kondagaon, Narayanpur, Sukma and Bastar. Local boys and girls also participate in village-level, block-level and finally divisional-level contests. This year, around 3,500 finalists have reached Jagdalpur. Total registrations have crossed 3.9 lakh, including around 2.3 lakh women – a more than two-fold jump from last year’s participation.About the AuthorRashmi DroliaRashmi is a Special Correspondent with The Times of India in Chhattisgarh. She covers Politics, Left Wing Extremism, Crime and Human Rights among other areas of news value.End of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosIndia Speeds Up Visas For Chinese Businesses Amid Thaw In Ties; Beijing Calls It ‘Positive Move’India’s Ambassador To UNESCO Hails Inscription Of Diwali On Intangible Cultural Heritage ListPutin Keeps Sharif Waiting In Ashgabat, Desperate Pakistan PM Gate-Crashes Meeting With ErdoganIs Trump Planning A New Core-5 Superclub With India As Central Power? Inside The Buzz In WashingtonIMF’s New Conditions Expose Pakistan’s Deep Economic Faultlines Amid $7 Billion Rescue PackageLashkar Praises Munir’s CDF Elevation, Issues Threats To Kabul And Deepens Pakistan Proxy Crisis’Hindus Are Lathi-Charged’: Anurag Thakur Attacks Tamil Nadu Govt Over Karthigai Deepam RowCongress Shows Rift As Odisha MLA Writes To Sonia Gandhi Seeking Kharge’s Removal, Priyanka’s RiseTrump’s $1 Million Gold Card Explained: What America’s Costliest Visa Means For Indian ApplicantsRahul Gandhi Demands Unified National Response As Parliament Debates India’s Air Pollution Crisis123PhotostoriesCuriosity Corner: Why is Lord Shiva always calm even when things go wrong?10 cardio exercises that are equal to walking 5000 stepsFrom ‘Andhadhun’ to ‘Jaane Jaan’: Bollywood movies with the most twisted endingsFrom Ranbir Kapoor’s congee to Ananya Panday’s gajar ka halwa: Actors and their favourite winter dishes‘Padayappa’ to ‘Petta’: Rajinikanth films that will explode your fan-boy heart on the Superstar’s birthday!5 longest animals found across the worldKidney damage: How “healthy” supplements and vitamins can sneakily hurt youFrom Border to Chhaava: ‘Dhurandhar’ Akshaye Khanna’s best performances you need to watch on OTTChef Sanjeev Kapoor’s creative and exotic fiber-rich broccoli recipes for winter monthsSonam Kapoor just gave us the winter-wedding maternity look of the season123Hot PicksMukesh Ambani vs Gautam AdaniDonald TrumpAnurag ThakurGold rate todaySilver rate todayPublic Holidays NovemberBank Holidays NovemberTop TrendingSherrone MooreKell MooreWho is Mia SoretyWho is Jeff ShiverWWE Saturday Night Main EventDaniel JonesWWE RumorsJoel EmbiidPaige Shiver Net WorthIndiana Pacers vs Philadelphia 76ers
RAIPUR: Miles away from the hostile forests where Maoist commander Madvi Hidma once ruled with a gun before falling to police bullets recently, another Hidma is getting ready to take aim. But, not at security forces.“I am Hidma, but not that Hidma. I am Muchaki Hidma from Sukma district. I surrendered this year… Now I will aim at my target through archery,” he says. Muchaki Hidma points at a straw target, preparing himself for Saturday, the concluding day of Chhattisgarh’s Bastar Olympics in Jagdalpur, where Union home minister Amit Shah will be watching.Practising at Indira Priyadarshini Stadium on Friday, Muchaki Hidma, who is in his early 30s, says he now realises “how freedom feels” – not having to camouflage, hide behind trees or chase human targets with guns.Hidma is part of a team called ‘Nuvabaat’ – “new path”. The team is made up of former Maoists and victims of insurgency, who have either surrendered or lost limbs and loved ones to violence. “The moment I say ‘Hidma’, people look scared. So I have to clarify,” he says.Over 700 surrendered Maoists and victims of their violence are expected to take the field on Saturday across disciplines – athletics, kabaddi, kho-kho, archery and traditional games.Hidma says he grew up in a large family where farming was never enough to provide for them. “We could not expand the farming land due to the forest around. Our family was big and we had meagre resources. When the Naxals came and said, ‘Come with us’, I went. They gave me a gun. At first it even felt exciting,” he says.The excitement ended when the fighting intensified. “When the firing started, it made me introspect – how would I ever get out of this?”Bastar Olympics is a month-long sports carnival that covers seven Maoist-affected districts of Chhattisgarh’s Bastar division: Bijapur, Dantewada, Kanker, Kondagaon, Narayanpur, Sukma and Bastar. Local boys and girls also participate in village-level, block-level and finally divisional-level contests. This year, around 3,500 finalists have reached Jagdalpur. Total registrations have crossed 3.9 lakh, including around 2.3 lakh women – a more than two-fold jump from last year’s participation.
