Abujhmad Mystery: Who Really Rules India’s Hidden Hills?

👉 According to the latest reports highlighted by Navbharat Times, India has begun its first-ever official survey and mapping of Abujhmad, a region long known as “unknowable.”

To understand why this matters, we must first understand why Abujhmad stayed invisible for so long.

What Is Abujhmad? (And Why the Name Says It All)

The word Abujhmad literally means “unknown hills.”

“Abujh” = unknown
“Mad” = hills

Located deep inside the Bastar region of southern Chhattisgarh, Abujhmad spreads across parts of Narayanpur, Dantewada, Bijapur, and even touches Gadchiroli (Maharashtra).

Despite covering over 5,000 square kilometres, Abujhmad had:

❌ No revenue map
❌ No land records
❌ No proper census
❌ No clear administrative boundary

In short—Abujhmad officially existed, but administratively didn’t.

Punchy one-liner:
If India had a blind spot, Abujhmad was it.

Why Abujhmad Remained a Mystery for Decades

1. Maoist Control Since the 1990s

From the early 1990s, Abujhmad became a stronghold of left-wing extremism (LWE). Dense forests, hilly terrain, and zero connectivity made it ideal for insurgents.

Security forces couldn’t enter freely.
Government officials couldn’t survey land.
Even basic administration was impossible.

2. No Roads, No Records

No roads meant no access.
No access meant no mapping.
No mapping meant no governance.

This is why Abujhmad never had a cadastral (land ownership) map, something almost every other part of India has.

3. Isolation of Tribal Communities

The region is home to Madia tribes, including:

Abujh Madia
Bison Horn Madia

Many villages had contact with the outside world only for salt and oil.

Who Lives in Abujhmad?

The Madia Adivasis

The Madia tribe lives deep inside Abujhmad’s forests. Their life is closely tied to:

Forest produce
Community living
Traditional customs

Some sub-groups live in hill regions, others near river plains like the Indravati basin.

They have survived centuries without:

Formal land ownership papers
Government schemes
Modern infrastructure

Yet they preserved their culture fiercely.

Quiet truth:
Abujhmad wasn’t empty. It was simply ignored.

What Changed Now? Why Mapping Became Possible

Shrinking Maoist Influence

According to the Chhattisgarh government, Maoist influence has reduced significantly in recent years.

Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai confirmed that security dominance made surveying possible for the first time.

The IIRS Survey Mission

The Indian Institute of Remote Sensing (IIRS), Dehradun, has been assigned the task.

Key details:

📍 5,029 sq km area
🏘️ 246 villages selected for the first phase
🛰️ High-resolution satellite imagery
👥 Around 70 trained personnel deployed

The goal is to create:

Revenue maps
Land ownership records
Village boundaries

This is not just mapping land.
This is mapping citizenship.

You can read more about India’s land-mapping initiatives via
ISRO’s official land records and remote sensing programs.

Why Abujhmad Mapping Is a Big Deal

1. Government Schemes Can Finally Reach

Without land records, welfare schemes remain paperwork dreams.

Mapping allows:

PM Awas Yojana
Forest Rights Act benefits
Roads, schools, health centres

2. Tribal Land Rights Get Legal Backing

Once mapped, tribal families can claim legal ownership of ancestral land.

That’s dignity.
That’s security.

3. End of “No-Man’s Land” Status

Abujhmad will finally enter:

Revenue records
Administrative planning
Development frameworks

For the first time since Independence.

For context on tribal land governance, see
Ministry of Tribal Affairs – Forest Rights Act overview.

But Is Development Always a Good Thing?

This is where the debate begins.

Concerns Raised

Will mining interests follow mapping?
Will forests be commercialised?
Will tribal culture survive bureaucracy?

Experts warn that development without consent can become displacement.

Mapping must lead to empowerment, not exploitation.

Why Outsiders Rarely Enter Abujhmad Even Today

Interestingly, even after restrictions were lifted in 2009, outsiders still avoid Abujhmad.

Why?

No hotels
No roads
No mobile networks
No medical facilities

And a long memory of danger.

This isolation kept Abujhmad protected—
but also forgotten.

Featured Snippet-Friendly FAQs

What is Abujhmad famous for?

Abujhmad is famous for being one of India’s largest unmapped forest regions, known for dense jungles, tribal communities, and past Maoist influence.

Why was Abujhmad never mapped earlier?

Due to extreme remoteness, lack of infrastructure, and decades of Maoist control, surveying was unsafe and impossible.

Who lives in Abujhmad?

Primarily Madia Adivasi tribes who depend on forests and live traditionally, with limited outside contact.

Why is Abujhmad mapping important now?

Mapping enables governance, land rights, welfare delivery, and formal recognition of villages and people.

The Bigger Picture

Abujhmad teaches us something powerful:

Not every blank space is empty. Some are just unheard.

This mapping exercise is not about control.
It’s about connection.

It’s about finally saying:
You exist. You matter. You belong.

What do you think—
Is mapping Abujhmad a gateway to justice or a doorway to disruption?

👉 Share your thoughts in comments
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Credit: Navbharat Times

Abujhmad Mystery: Who Really Rules India’s Hidden Hills?

Some places are hidden by choice.
Some by fear.
Abujhmad was hidden by history.

What Is Abujhmad? (And Why the Name Says It All)