During an election rally in Bastar, while Prime Minister Narendra Modi was speaking about the consecration of the Ram murti in Ayodhya, tribal villagers were celebrating the reopening of their village’s ancient Ram temple after 21 years of closure in the Maoism-affected Chintalnar region of Sukma in Chhattisgarh. The ancient temple in Kerlapenda village, located about 90 km from the insurgency-hit Sukma district headquarters, was reopened and cleaned, and the marble murtis of Ram, Sita and Laxman were worshipped.

According to Sukma SP Kiran Chavan, the ancient Ram temple was closed in 2003 when Maoists were active in the region. The Naxals had threatened the villagers and prohibited them from opening or visiting the temple. The temple was considered a core zone for Maoists, who used it for various activities, including camping and holding meetings.

With the establishment of around 40 security camps in the Bastar region, security personnel were able to access the interior villages. A new CRPF camp was opened between Kerlapenda and Lakhapal, allowing the local tribals, who had little interaction with outsiders, to come in contact with the security forces.

Himanshu Pandey, CRPF commandant of the 74 Battalion, stated that the ancient Ram temple was discovered during area domination operations. The locals informed the jawans that the Maoists had attempted to damage the temple in 2003 and forced its closure. In response to the request of the tribal villagers, the CRPF initiated the reopening of the temple and provided support in cleaning and organizing it.

During the medical camps organized by the security forces, villagers have been discussing the possibility of reopening the temple, according to CRPF assistant commandant Ravi Kumar Meena from the Lakhapal security camp. He emphasized that considering the villagers’ religious inclination, this request is worth considering.

On Monday, a medical camp was set up in front of the ancient Ram temple. Local journalist Raja Rathore, who managed to reach the spot, reported that the villagers were too scared to approach the temple. However, there was one family that would go to the temple’s doorstep and light earthen lamps, displaying their devotion.

Rathore mentioned that the villagers, who had rarely left the village and had minimal interaction with outsiders, were overjoyed. They were even dancing to the tunes of Ram bhajans, expressing their happiness.

Although the exact origins of the ancient Ram temple are unknown, locals believe that it was built around the 1970s as a place of worship for Lord Ram, based on their understanding of mythology. The village, consisting of 800 residents, is now planning a ‘bhandara’ on the upcoming Ram Navmi to celebrate the consecration of the idols at the temple.