New Delhi, March 21 – Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday asserted in the Rajya Sabha that India will be completely free from Naxalism by March 31, 2026. Responding to a discussion on the functioning of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Shah emphasized that the government's comprehensive and strategic efforts have significantly weakened Naxal activity across the country.
As per agency report, Shah credited the decline in Naxalite violence to a three-pronged strategy of dialogue, security, and coordination. He explained that the government utilized modern technology to track Naxal activities through mobile data, social media monitoring, courier surveillance, and family movements. These insights were used to equip security forces with precise intelligence.
Shah cited comparative statistics to highlight the reduction in violence. Between 2004 and 2014, during the Congress-led government, there were 16,463 incidents of Naxal violence. In contrast, incidents have dropped by 53 percent over the last decade. He further stated that security personnel fatalities decreased by 73 percent from 1,851 to 509, and civilian deaths declined by 70 percent from 4,766 to 1,495.
Referring to recent developments in Chhattisgarh, Shah noted that since the BJP came to power in the state in December 2023, a total of 2,619 Naxalites have either surrendered or been neutralized within one year. He highlighted that areas once unreachable are now secured by the presence of Indian forces and that many high-ranking Naxalite leaders with substantial bounties have been eliminated.
Shah also mentioned the government's developmental efforts in Naxal-affected areas, including the opening of 1,000 bank branches, 937 ATMs, and 5,731 post offices over the last five years. He stated that such infrastructural expansion, along with flexible policies for surrender and rehabilitation, has weakened the ideological base of the movement.
Emphasizing the government's determination, Shah said that earlier declarations about ending Naxalism were often mocked, but under the current leadership, he was confident the country would soon be free of this internal security challenge.
He further described Naxalism, terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir, and insurgency in the Northeast as three persistent wounds affecting national security. He said that these conflicts together have claimed over 92,000 civilian lives over the past four decades. However, he asserted that the Narendra Modi government has made the most systematic and coordinated efforts to address all three challenges effectively.
