Inside Bastar: The Journalist Who Made 200 Naxals Surrender | Vikas Tiwari | EP-409

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 – Coming Up 02:43 – Introduction 06:00 – Truck Driver to YouTuber 14:40 – Dangers in Naxal-Affected Areas 18:16 – Naxalism and Its Causes 24:49 – How Naxals Return to Mainstream 31:15 – Challenges of Reporting in Naxal Areas 39:23 – Naxals in Bastar: What Has Changed 43:52 – Thulthuli Encounter Explained 47:23 – Story of Mukesh Chandrakar 53:40 – Why Maoists Resisted Development 58:45 – Reality of Salwa Judum 1:01:10 – Life After Maoists’ Surrender 1:03:35 – Youth and Maoist Ideology 1:05:17 – Reporting from Naxal Areas 1:10:04 – Stories from Families of Martyrs 1:16:50 – When Maoists Started Losing Power 1:19:18 – Attack on Congress Leader V.C. Shukla 1:21:17 – Understanding “Urban Naxals” 1:26:52 – Suggestions to Counter “Urban Naxals” 1:29:57 – Reality of Bastar Villages #anipodcast #smitaprakash #vikastiwari #bastartalkies #maoist #chhattisgarh #naxalism Join ANI's YouTube membership to get access to perks:    / @aninewsindia   Subscribe now and press the bell icon 🔔 to get new video updates: https://bit.ly/2UV4ygi -------------------------------------- ANI is South Asia's leading Multimedia News Agency providing content for every information platform, including TV, Internet, broadband, newspapers, and mobiles. Subscribe now! Enjoy and stay connected with us!! ☛ Subscribe to ANI News YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/2UV4ygi ☛ Visit our Official website: https://www.aninews.in/ ☛ Follow ANI:   / ani   ☛ Follow us on Snapchat:   / @ani-news   ☛ Like us:   / aninews.in   ☛ Email to: [email protected], [email protected] ☛ Instagram:   / ani_trending   , https://www.instagram.com/podcast_ani... ☛ Copyrights © All Rights Reserved ANI Media Pvt Ltd.