Chhattisgarh’s Anti-Naxal Strategy Gets Thumbs Up: Violent Incidents Drop 53%
Manish Shukla
New Delhi: In a significant development, Union Home Minister Amit Shah praised Chhattisgarh’s anti-Naxal strategy during a crucial meeting with Chief Ministers of Naxal-affected states at Vigyan Bhavan. Shah commended Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai and his team for their courageous efforts in combating Naxalism.
The success of Chhattisgarh’s strategy is reflected in the nationwide decline in Left-Wing Extremism (LWE) incidents. Violent incidents in LWE-affected areas dropped by 53%, from 16,463 cases between 2004 and 2014 to 7,700 in the last 10 years.
Shah noted that in the past nine months, over 194 Maoists were eliminated, 812 arrested, and 738 surrendered, calling it a historic feat deserving appreciation for CM Sai’s team.
“Chhattisgarh’s police, DRG, and Bastar battalion’s coordinated efforts and intelligence gathering made this operation successful,” Shah said. “This achievement showcases the state government’s strategy, intelligence, and central forces’ cooperation.”
The Union Home Minister emphasized the “Double Engine Government’s” collaborative efforts to accelerate development in Naxal-affected areas, mainstreaming local populations. He reassured Chhattisgarh and other affected states of the central government’s commitment to providing necessary assistance for peace and development.
Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Amit Shah, chaired a review meeting on Left-Wing Extremism (LWE) today. The meeting was attended by the Chief Ministers of Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, and Telangana, along with the Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar and Home Minister of Andhra Pradesh.
Addressing the meeting, Shah stated that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, all LWE-affected states are committed to completely eliminating Naxalism by March 2026. He emphasized that Naxalism prevents education, healthcare, connectivity, banking, and postal services from reaching villages.
Since 2019, the Modi government has implemented a multi-pronged strategy, under which vacuums were identified for the deployment of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs). As a result, more than 194 camps were established in just one year, leading to significant success.
Shah mentioned that the filling of security vacuums through 45 police stations, strengthening state intelligence branches, and the excellent performance of state special forces contributed to the success of the strategy. He further said that the provision of helicopters has drastically reduced the number of casualties among troops. Earlier, there were only two helicopters deployed for the service of the forces, but today, 12 helicopters, 6 from BSF and 6 from the Air Force, are operational.
The Union Home Minister complimented the Chhattisgarh government for its success in combating Naxalism. He mentioned that since January 2024, a total of 237 Naxalites have been killed, 812 arrested, and 723 have surrendered in Chhattisgarh.
Shah appealed to the youth involved in Naxalism to abandon the path of violence and join the mainstream of society to contribute to the country’s development. He noted that more than 13,000 people from the Northeast, Kashmir, and LWE-affected areas have renounced violence and joined the mainstream.
Shah emphasized that it has now been fully proven that no one benefits from Naxalism. He asked the youth engaged in Naxalism to take advantage of beneficial rehabilitation schemes offered by states.
Regarding funding, Shah stated that the Modi government has increased allocations for LWE efforts. From 2004 to 2014, Rs 1,180 crore was spent under the security-related expenditure scheme, which has been increased almost three times to Rs 3,006 crore between 2014 and 2024. Additionally, Rs 1,055 crore has been allocated under the scheme of assistance to central agencies for managing LWE.
The Special Central Assistance scheme has spent Rs 3,590 crore in the last 10 years, with a total of Rs 14,367 crore approved, out of which Rs 12,000 crore has been spent. With everyone’s cooperation, Shah expressed confidence that India will be completely free from Naxalism by March 2026.
