A group of former Naxal women from Bastar made a striking appearance at a tribal fashion show in Raipur, Chhattisgarh, as they walked the runway in traditional handloom outfits. The event, organised to mark National Handloom Day, gave the women an opportunity to step into a very different world from the one they knew during their years in the forests.
The women received loud applause and cheers from the audience as they confidently walked across the stage. Their appearance reflected the changes in their lives after they surrendered and returned to mainstream society.
From forests to the fashion ramp
#WATCH | Raipur, Chhattisgarh: Former women Naxals, who once carried weapons in the dense forests of Bastar, walked the ramp to huge applause at a National Handloom Day event in Raipur after joining the mainstream. (07.08) https://t.co/BtUfHIUsHs pic.twitter.com/ClHzGcRWp1
— ANI (@ANI) August 13, 2026
A video shared by ANI on X showed the women dressed in traditional handloom clothes as they walked down the runway. They appeared confident and comfortable in front of the crowd. Some of them stopped for a moment during the walk, turned around and returned while displaying their outfits. Smiling and acknowledging the applause, they completed their walk with confidence.
For these women, the event was more than just a fashion show. It showed how their lives have changed after leaving the Naxal movement and choosing a different path.
Once associated with armed groups and life in the forests of Bastar, the women are now taking part in activities that can help them build independent lives. Their participation in the fashion event offered a simple but powerful picture of this change.
New opportunities after surrender
The shift in their lives has also been seen in other areas. Former Naxals who have surrendered in Bastar have been taking part in livelihood programmes, social activities and other initiatives designed to help them settle into normal life.
Such programmes aim to provide people who leave the insurgency with opportunities to earn a living and become part of their communities again. The fashion show was another example of former Naxal women taking part in a public event and showing their skills and confidence.
Bastar’s changing picture
The event also came at a time when the Chhattisgarh government has been highlighting changes in Bastar after decades of violence linked to the Naxal insurgency.
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai recently spoke about the region’s changing situation and said Bastar had finally become Naxal-free after decades of insurgency. He also stressed that better connectivity would be important for the region’s future development.
“After 40-50 years, our Bastar region has finally become Naxal-free, and there is a great need for development. Connectivity is crucial from a development perspective,” Sai told ANI.
Against this backdrop, the sight of former Naxal women walking confidently on a runway in handloom clothes gave a personal view of the changes taking place in Bastar.
Their journey from carrying weapons in the forests to appearing on a fashion stage in traditional handloom outfits showed a clear change in the direction of their lives. The event was therefore not only about tribal clothing and handloom traditions, but also about new opportunities, rehabilitation and the return of former Naxals to mainstream society.
