From Darkness to Light: The Flight of Arjun from Purvarti Village
Raipur, July 17, 2025 / A name from the Naxal-affected Bastar region that has emerged as a symbol of hope and change today – that is Madvi Arjun. This boy from Purvarti village, which has been extremely remote and plagued by Maoist violence for years, has created history by getting selected in the sixth class at Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya, Penta (Dornapal). This is not just the victory of a student, but a sign of the hope that is now sprouting in every corner of Bastar.
Madvi Arjun, who hails from Purvarti village, is actually the ancestral village of the Naxal commander Hidma. There was a time when Purvarti was considered a stronghold of the Naxals. Here, the Maoists used to hold people’s courts and announce the fate of the terror and the villagers. Now the same Purvarti village is seeing the rays of the new sun of education and development. This achievement of Arjun has shown that no matter how difficult the circumstances are, if opportunities and guidance are available, success is sure to come.
Arjun was currently studying at Balak Ashram Silger. His house has neither electricity nor a pucca roof. His parents somehow manage the house by farming and doing labour. Yet, Arjun achieved this feat by leaving behind difficult circumstances with his hard work and the dedication of the teachers of the ashram.
In the past one and a half years, the Naxal eradication campaign being run by the Chhattisgarh government has laid the foundation for change in the remote areas of Bastar. Areas like Purvarti, where there were no basic facilities like roads, health, education, electricity, now road construction, camps of security forces, Gurukul schools, health services and fair price shops have started.
In Purvarti, the Gurukul being run under the supervision of the security forces for the education of children has started to give an inspiring environment. Arjun’s success is the first major achievement of this continuous effort.
District Collector Shri Devesh Dhruv said that the selection in Navodaya Vidyalaya from a remote and Maoist-affected village like Purvarti is not only the result of Arjun’s hard work, but it is also a sign of positive change in the education system of the district. We want to give every child an opportunity to move forward.
Chief Minister Shri Vishnu Dev Sai has said that the success of Madvi Arjun is a symbol of the changing picture of Chhattisgarh. It is a glimpse of that new Chhattisgarh, where now talks of light are being held instead of darkness. The journey from a village like Purvarti to the national level Navodaya School shows that the seeds of education, security and development that we have sown are now starting to bear fruit. Congratulations and best wishes to Arjun from my side. Now not just one Arjun from the Purvarti area, but thousands of Arjuns will emerge and adorn the future of Chhattisgarh. The state government is committed to giving wings to the dreams of every child.
This journey of Madvi Arjun is not just the story of a student, but it is the story of the change that Bastar is experiencing. The walls of Naxalism are now crumbling and the light of education is spreading in the homes and courtyards of Bastar. This is the beginning of the changing Bastar. Now there will be a line of Arjuns and villages like Purvarti will write a new story of development.
