Prime Minister Narendra Modi celebrated Diwali with security forces at the CoBRA Operations Base in Bastar, Chhattisgarh, marking what he declared as India's first Naxal-free Diwali. He announced that every district in the country is now free from Left-Wing Extremism for the first time, representing the culmination of a decades-long battle against Maoist terror.
The Prime Minister highlighted several historic achievements: For the first time in 47 years, not a single CRPF jawan lost their life during duty in the past year, which he attributed to the nation's "sound policies and strong resolve." He contrasted this with the period between 2004 and 2013 when more security personnel were martyred annually than Naxals killed, including 1,000 personnel in Chhattisgarh alone and 76 CRPF personnel killed in a single 2010 Dantewada attack.
PM Modi detailed the government's approach which included granting full operational freedom to security forces, implementing tough national security decisions that struck at Naxal funding and destroyed the fake currency nexus, and choking supply lines for weapons and recruitment. The security strategy was complemented by extensive development initiatives in Naxal-affected areas including the construction of over 15,000 kilometers of roads, installation of over 9,500 mobile towers, establishment of nearly 175 Eklavya schools, approximately 50 ITIs, 50 Skill Development Centres, and thousands of post offices, bank branches, and ATMs.
The Prime Minister linked the victory over Naxalism to the broader victory over poverty, citing a World Bank report that indicated 50 crore Indians have escaped extreme poverty over the past 12 years. He attributed this success to welfare programs including Jan Dhan banking, PM Awas pucca homes, collateral-free Mudra loans, SVANidhi support for street vendors, Ayushman Bharat healthcare, free monthly rations, child education policies, Swachh Bharat, and Har Ghar Jal initiatives.
PM Modi emphasized that the transformation was achieved through a combination of security operations and public service that rallied affected citizens behind the government, noting that "even the victims of Naxalism have stood firmly alongside the government and security forces." He cited the ongoing Bastar Olympics as symbolic of this transformation, where "children are trying their hand at sports, not guns."