Bhubaneswar: Around 1,000 people from 19 formerly Maoist-affected districts of Odisha will participate in the Rashtriya Ekta Divas celebrations at Ekta Nagar in Gujarat on Oct 31. The event will celebrate the country’s success in eliminating armed Naxalism on March 31. Of the nearly 5,000 invitees from 126 districts that were previously affected by Left-wing extremism across India, a significant contingent will come from Odisha.“At least 50 people from our erstwhile Naxal-affected districts — Nayagarh, Jajpur, Dhenkanal, Keonjhar, Mayurbhanj, Gajapati, Ganjam, Kandhamal, Malkangiri, Koraput, Rayagada, Kalahandi, Nabarangpur, Sambalpur, Bargarh, Balangir, Deogarh, Rourkela and Nuapada — will take part,” said DG (anti-Naxal operations and special intelligence wing) Sanjeeb Panda. The participants will travel to Gujarat on a special train scheduled to depart from Bhubaneswar on Tuesday. Chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi will flag off the train.Besides witnessing the celebrations and Ekta parade, the invitees will share their experiences of living through the years of Maoist violence and the transformation witnessed in their regions following the restoration of peace and development. The event’s cultural programmes will highlight the decades-long anti-Naxal operations, showcasing the role of security forces, their sacrifices and the milestones achieved in tackling the insurgency. The parade will feature contingents from police forces of former Maoist-affected states as well as Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs), which played a key role in anti-Naxal operations across the country.