Vikas Tiwari, also known as Ranu Tiwari, runs the YouTube channel Bastar Talkies. He has helped over 200 Naxals surrender and return to mainstream society. In this episode of the ANI Podcast with Smita Prakash, he talks about how Naxalism began in Chhattisgarh, the challenges of reporting from Bastar, and the goal set by Union Home Minister Amit Shah to make India Naxal-free. He was awarded the Rameshwaram Hindi Journalism National Award in December 2025. This is a simple, first-hand account from a journalist reporting directly from the remote areas of Chhattisgarh.

Timestamps

00:00 – Introduction

03:18 – From Truck Driver to YouTuber

11:58 – Dangers in Naxal-Affected Areas

15:34 – Naxalism and Its Causes

22:07 – How Naxals Return to the Mainstream

28:33 – Challenges of Reporting in Naxal Areas

36:41 – Naxals in Bastar: What Has Changed

41:10 – Thulthuli Encounter Explained

44:41 – The Story of Mukesh Chandrakar

50:58 – Why Maoists Resisted Development

56:03 – The Reality of Salwa Judum

58:28 – Life After Maoists’ Surrender

1:00:53 – Youth and Maoist Ideology

1:02:35 – Reporting from Naxal Areas

1:07:22 – Stories from Families of Martyrs

1:14:08 – When Maoists Started Losing Power

1:16:36 – Attack on Congress Leader V.C. Shukla

1:18:35 – Understanding “Urban Naxals”

1:24:10 – Suggestions to Counter “Urban Naxals”

1:27:15 – Reality of Bastar Villages