[color=hsl(0, 0%, 0%)]New Delhi, September 29
[color=hsl(0, 0%, 0%)]Union Home Minister Amit Shah addressed the valedictory session of ‘Bharat Manthan-2025: Naxal Mukt Bharat - Ending Red Terror Under Modi’s Leadership’ in New Delhi.
[color=hsl(0, 0%, 0%)]HM Shah said that India will be free from Naxalism by March 31, 2026. He said that the fight against Naxalism will not end until Indian society understands those who provide ideological, legal, and financial support to Naxalism. He emphasized that internal security and the protection of the nation's borders have always been a core part of our ideology.
[color=hsl(0, 0%, 0%)]He further said that three key objectives have been central to our party’s mission: internal and external security of the country, cultural nationalism, and the revival of all aspects of Indian culture. Union Home Minister paid his respects to all those who sacrificed their lives, lost their loved ones, and endured physical and mental hardships due to Left-wing violence since the 1960s. He said that Naxalism thrived in West Bengal until the Left parties came to power, and as soon as they did, Naxalism disappeared from there.
[color=hsl(0, 0%, 0%)]Home Minister said that a significant transformation has occurred during the 10-year tenure of the Modi government. He stated that Naxalism and armed rebellion began in the early 1970s. In 1971, independent India witnessed a peak of 3,620 violent incidents. Subsequently, in the 1980s, the People’s War Group expanded its reach to Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Bihar, and Kerala. He added that after the 1980s, Left-wing groups started merging with each other, and in 2004, the major CPI (Maoist) group was formed, leading to Naxal violence taking a very serious form. He said that the corridor from Pashupati to Tirupati was known as the Red Corridor.
[color=hsl(0, 0%, 0%)]Shah said that 17 percent of the country’s territory was encompassed by the Red Corridor, affecting a population of 120 million. At that time, 10 percent of the population was living under the scourge of Naxalism. Shah said that in comparison, the other two hotspots—Kashmir, with 1 percent of the country’s territory affected by terrorism, and the Northeast, with 3.3% of the territory grappling with unrest—were less extensive. He said that when Shri Narendra Modi became Prime Minister in 2014, the Modi government began working on the three aspects of dialogue, security, and coordination. As a result, by March 31, 2026, armed Naxalism will be eradicated from the country.
[color=hsl(0, 0%, 0%)]After 2019, we have succeeded in blocking more than 90 per cent of their supply. He said that the NIA and the ED have tightened the noose around those who finance the Naxalites, and that we have also fought against urban Naxal support, their legal aid networks, and the crafting of media narratives. He said we took targeted action against members of the central committee, and more than 18 central committee members have been neutralized from August 19 to this date.
[color=hsl(0, 0%, 0%)]The Home Minister said the security vacuum has also been filled, and targeted operations such as Operation Octopus and Operation Double Bull were carried out. He added that joint training of the DRG, STF, CRPF and COBRA units has also been initiated. The four now carry out operations together and their chain of command is now clear. He said integrated training has made a big difference to our success. Alongside this, forensic investigations were started, a location-tracking system was made available, mobile-phone activity was shared with state police, scientific call-log analysis software was developed, and social-media analysis was used to uncover their hidden supporters. This not only sped up the anti-Naxal campaign but also made it more successful and result-oriented.
[color=hsl(0, 0%, 0%)]The Home Minister said that we do not want to kill anyone. Compared to the 290 Naxalites neutralized, 1,090 were arrested, and 881 surrendered. He stated that this reflects the government’s approach. Every effort is made to give Naxalites the opportunity to surrender or be arrested.
[color=hsl(0, 0%, 0%)]However, when Naxalites take up arms and set out to kill innocent Indian citizens, security forces have no choice but to respond with force. Shah said that in 2025, so far, 270 Naxalites have been neutralized, 680 have been arrested, and 1,225 have surrendered. In both years, the number of surrenders and arrests exceeds the number of those neutralized. The high number of surrenders indicates that the time left for Naxalites is now very limited. |
