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Bastar
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday warned that the end of armed Maoist activity does not mean the threat of Naxalism has disappeared, conveying that ideological supporters, whom he described as “dimagi Naxals”, have infiltrated political parties and organisations and are inciting people against the Constitution and democracy.
Addressing security personnel during Diwali celebrations at the CRPF camp in Karanpur, in Chhattisgarh’s Bastar region, Modi called for identifying and defeating these elements. Bastar, once a centre of Maoist insurgency, was declared free of Naxalism on March 31 this year.
The Prime Minister described the occasion as a historic Diwali, saying it was the first time in decades that every district in the country was free from Maoist insurgency. He credited the achievement to security personnel and said the CRPF had completed a year without losing a jawan on operational duty for the first time in 47 years.
Recalling the conflict, Modi said more than 230 districts across 20 states had once been affected by Left-Wing Extremism. He referred to over 1,000 security personnel killed in Chhattisgarh and cited the 2010 Dantewada attack, in which 76 CRPF personnel died. He criticised previous governments for failing to adequately address the insurgency and said political resolve after 2014 strengthened the response.
Modi also credited action against Maoist funding networks and a development push in affected areas. He said more than 15,000 km of roads and 9,500 mobile towers had been built, while schools, industrial training institutes and skill centres had expanded access to education and employment.
He said Maoist groups had obstructed infrastructure and development in tribal areas. His remarks shift attention from the decline of armed insurgency to what he characterised as a continuing ideological challenge. The allegations of infiltration and incitement were made by Modi during the address, he said.