India stands on the threshold of eradicating the decades-long Naxal-Maoist insurgency, Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared on Monday, crediting the country’s security forces for turning the tide against left-wing extremism.
Addressing naval personnel aboard the indigenous aircraft carrier INS Vikrant during Diwali celebrations in Goa, Modi said the country’s relentless campaign had reduced the number of Maoist-affected districts from 125 to just 11, with active violence now limited to only three.
“Today, the nation is on the verge of being free from Naxal-Maoist terror. Before 2014, around 125 districts of the country were affected by Maoist violence. Due to a decade of persistent efforts, this number has reduced significantly. Now, out of 125, only 11 districts still show some influence of Maoists, and among these, the actual areas of impact are limited to just three districts,” the Prime Minister said.
“For the first time, more than 100 districts are completely free from Maoist terror, breathing in the open air,” he added, lauding the efforts of the police, CRPF, and other paramilitary forces in reclaiming peace in once-volatile regions.
Modi highlighted how areas once under the shadow of insurgency were now witnessing roads, schools, hospitals, and industries. “People, for the first time, are emerging from fear and oppression and becoming part of the mainstream of development,” he said.
“In areas where Maoist-Naxal insurgents used to block roads, prevent schools from opening, stop hospitals from being built, destroy functioning schools, and even attack doctors and hospitals, highways are now being constructed, new industries are coming up, and schools and hospitals are shaping the future of local children,” he remarked.
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The Prime Minister paid tribute to security personnel who have lost their lives or limbs in the fight against extremism, saying their sacrifices were instrumental in restoring peace.
“For Navy soldiers, walking with death in your hands is a child’s play. But the police personnel, who carry nothing more than batons in their hands. They don’t have as many resources, and their training is to work in harmony with civilians, but the soldiers of my police force, whether from the BSF or the CRPF, have fought against the Naxalites is commendable,” he said.
“On this auspicious occasion of Diwali, I salute our police personnel a hundred thousand times. I know many of these brave individuals who have lost their legs but not their spirit, whose hands have been cut, and who find simple tasks difficult,” Modi added.
He said the security forces had dismantled the “menace of 50 years” in a decade of determined effort. “They have devoted themselves selflessly for the greater good. For the first time since independence, the police force has faced such a huge challenge, and in the past ten years, they have worked to end this decades-long menace of 50 years. I believe they will succeed. In 90% of cases, they have already succeeded,” he said.
Reaffirming his bond with the defence forces, Modi referred to them as his “family”, continuing his 11-year tradition of celebrating Diwali with servicemen across the country.
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