There are only three Maoist-affected districts left, said the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, on Saturday, claiming the number has fallen from 125 in the last 11 years. He said the "day is not far" when the whole of the state and India will be freed from the Naxal menace. The prime minister was speaking at the 'Chhattisgarh Rajat Mahotsav' — 25th anniversary celebration of the formation of Chhattisgarh in Nava Raipur.
"For 50 years, the people here suffered unbearable pain (because of Naxalism). Those who show off the Constitution and shed crocodile tears in the name of social justice have committed injustice to you for vested interests," said PM Modi, adding that the Maoist ideology deprived tribal regions of basic facilities.
"For years, tribal villages lacked roads, schools, and hospitals. The existing ones were blown up with bombs. Doctors and teachers were killed. Those who ruled the country for decades abandoned you while they enjoyed life in their air-conditioned offices. I could not (bear to) see mothers crying for their children. In 2014, when you gave us the opportunity, we resolved to free India from Maoist terror. Today the results are before the nation," PM cited.
"I guarantee that the day is not far when every corner of Chhattisgarh and India will be completely free from Maoist terror," the prime minister added.
In the past few months, dozens of Maoists, including many carrying rewards of lakhs and crores of rupees on their heads, have surrendered across the country, Modi noted.
"In Kanker, more than 20 Naxalites laid down arms recently. Earlier in October, over 200 Maoists surrendered in Bastar. They have now accepted the Indian Constitution and chosen the path of peace," he said.
There was a time when there was the fear of guns and bombs, but now the situation has changed, said the prime minister.
Electricity reached Chikapalli village of Bijapur for the first time in 70 years, while a school opened for the first time since Independence at Rekawaya village in Abujhmad region, PM said, adding that the development work was on in full swing at Puvarti village, once known as a terror hub, and the tricolour flies proudly where the red flag (of the Naxals) once stood.
"Despite facing the challenge of Naxalism for 25 years, Chhattisgarh kept moving forward. Now, with the end of Naxalism, our pace of development will accelerate," he asserted.
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