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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday targeted previous Congress governments over their handling of Naxalism during their tenure, alleging that they treated the menace as an "incurable disease" and left it unaddressed, while asserting that the country witnessed a significant change in its fight against Maoist terror after 2014.
Addressing security personnel during his Diwali celebrations in Bastar, PM Modi said that between 2004 and 2013, the number of security personnel martyred every year was higher than the number of Naxalites killed, highlighting what he described as the lack of political will to tackle the problem. "If you look at the figures from 2004 to 2013, you will find that every year, the number of our brave soldiers martyred was higher than the number of Naxalites killed. Unfortunately, the governments of that time treated Naxalism as an incurable disease and left it unaddressed," the Prime Minister said. He said that the country needed strong determination and a well-planned strategy to confront its enemies, adding that the political will to tackle the Naxal challenge was strengthened in 2014. "To take the country forward, we must confront and defeat the enemies of the nation with strong determination and a well-planned strategy. The political will that was lacking in the country to do this was strengthened in 2014. You gave this Pradhan Sevak an opportunity to serve Maa Bharati, and we have witnessed how the situation began to change after 2014," Modi said. Recalling the scale of Naxal violence, the Prime Minister said that more than 230 districts across nearly 20 states had once been affected by Left-Wing Extremism. He said that thousands of villages and millions of people had suffered under the menace, with as many as 2,000 Naxalite attacks taking place in a single year. "These Naxalites had even snatched away people's right to cast their votes. There were as many as 2,000 Naxal attacks in a single year. In 2010, during an encounter with Naxalites in nearby Dantewada, 76 of our CRPF personnel were martyred. In another incident in Dantewada in the same year, 44 innocent civilians were killed," he said. Targeting the Congress leadership, PM Modi alleged that there was little expression of anguish over the repeated attacks and casualties. "This land was soaked in the blood of our brave soldiers. But not a single voice of anguish was heard from those influential leaders living in their palaces. Not a single tear was shed by them. Such attacks continued to take place somewhere or the other almost every day. This continued for decades. During this period, more than 1,000 security personnel were martyred in Chhattisgarh alone," he said. The Prime Minister further said that the fight against Maoist terror and Naxalism had not been easy and that the country could not accept a situation in which attacks by its enemies continued without an effective response. "No country can function with an approach that simply accepts that things will continue this way in the face of its enemies," he said. PM Modi also highlighted what he described as a major achievement in the fight against Naxalism, stating that, for the first time in 47 years, not a single CRPF jawan had lost his life while on duty during the past year. "For the first time in 47 years, something remarkable happened: not a single CRPF jawan lost his life while on duty during the past year. This is a victory for the country's right policies and strong determination. This is a victory for your valour, courage and restraint," he said. He credited security personnel from the CRPF, CoBRA, BSF, ITBP, SSB, IRB and state police forces, along with specialised units such as the Bastar Fighters and women personnel, for their sacrifices in safeguarding the country's unity and integrity. The Prime Minister said that the government's efforts to transform the lives of people in Naxal-affected areas had also helped security forces gain public support. "We have transformed the lives of the people in Naxal-affected areas through selfless service. As a result, people suffering from Naxalism also stood firmly with the government and security forces," he said. PM Modi said that the 2026 Diwali was particularly significant as it was the first festival of lights since the country won its decades-long battle against Naxalism and Maoist terror. "This is the first Diwali where every single district in the country is free from Naxalism. This is the first Diwali where crores of our citizens have overcome the fear of Naxalism," he said. The Prime Minister celebrated Diwali with security personnel deployed in anti-Naxal operations in Bastar and visited the CoBRA Operations Base at Karanpur, which served as a training base and launch pad for counter-Naxal operations in Bastar and Abujhmad. He said that Bastar, once affected by Naxal terror, was now witnessing a new phase of development due to the sacrifices and dedication of security personnel. "My brave soldiers, this time I have come to the land of Bastar to celebrate Diwali with all of you. This is the very land that once suffered the scourge of Naxal terror. But thanks to your sacrifice and dedication, that terror has ended, and a new wave of development has begun," Modi said. He added that he had come to express gratitude on behalf of 1.4 billion citizens for the sacrifices, dedication and spirit of service shown by the security forces. (ANI)
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