Ex-Naxal Women Put Down Weapons, Step Onto the Fashion Ramp

Former women Naxal cadres who once lived in the dense forests of Bastar recently walked the ramp in Raipur, marking a powerful symbol of change, hope and a new beginning.

Dressed in beautiful handloom sarees, the women confidently participated in a National Handloom Day event and received applause from the audience. For them, the occasion was about more than fashion. It represented a journey from a difficult past towards a peaceful and dignified life in the mainstream.

Bastar has for years been one of the key centres of Maoist insurgency in India. Many people, including women, became associated with armed groups and spent years living away from normal family and social life.

However, surrender and rehabilitation initiatives have given several former cadres an opportunity to rebuild their lives. In March 2026, 108 Maoist cadres associated with the Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee surrendered in Bastar under the Chhattisgarh government’s Puna Margem rehabilitation initiative.

The women who walked the ramp in Raipur are now showing a very different side of their lives. Instead of weapons, they are embracing opportunities, skills, culture and self-confidence.

Their appearance on the ramp sent a simple but powerful message: a difficult past does not have to decide a person’s future.

Their journey also highlights the importance of rehabilitation and opportunities for people who choose to leave violence behind and return to society.

From the forests of Bastar to the bright lights of a fashion ramp, their transformation is a reminder that change is possible when people get a chance to begin again.