Devarshi Narad Madhyam Puraskar 2026 Jointly Organized By Vishwa Samvad Kendra And DES, Pune

The newly elected chairman of the Pune Union of Working Journalists, Umesh Shelke, and the newly elected chairman of the Pune Patrakar Pratishthan, Rajendra Patil, were also specially felicitated on the occasion. VSK chairman Abhay Kulkarni, DES Vice-chairman Adv. Ashok Palande, and DES Secretary Anand Katikar were present on the dais.

The keynote address was delivered by Rajiv Ranjan Prasad, an expert on Naxalism and a native of Bastar. Sharing his experiences of the devastating impact of Naxalism, Prasad said that Maoist ideology could not come to power through democratic means and therefore sought to capture power through armed struggle.

“In Bastar, Naxalites subjected tribal communities to inhuman atrocities, kept them away from development and systematically damaged their indigenous culture. While armed Naxalism in the forests has declined after nearly five decades, ‘ideological Naxalism’ in urban areas has emerged as a major challenge,” he said.

Prasad further observed that farmers and tribal communities had gradually understood the true nature of Maoism and rejected the movement. “As a result, Maoists are now attempting to use students to keep their movement alive. Students must critically reassess their ideology and positions in the light of historical facts and ground realities,” he urged.

All the award recipients shared their thoughts on the occasion. The programme was compered by Vasundhara Kashikar, while Anand Katikar proposed the vote of thanks, bringing the ceremony to a dignified conclusion.