Daijiworld Media Network - Raipur/New Delhi
Raipur/New Delhi, Mar 31: Union home minister Amit Shah announced that India has effectively achieved a Naxal-free status, meeting the government’s self-imposed March 31 deadline—a landmark in the country’s fight against a decades-long insurgency.
Addressing the Lok Sabha on March 30, Shah highlighted the multi-pronged strategy that dismantled the Maoist threat, combining sustained security operations, cutting-edge technology, massive infrastructure development, and a comprehensive rehabilitation policy.
At its peak, the so-called Red Corridor spanned 12 states and directly affected over 20 crore citizens. Since the 1967 Naxalbari uprising, the movement had claimed more than 20,000 lives, including over 5,000 security personnel, and extorted approximately Rs 240 crore annually. Most of their weapons were looted from police stations rather than imported.
Shah rejected the notion that poverty was the root cause, citing historical data that the Naxalbari region had a higher per capita income than many unaffected areas. He described Naxalism as an imported ideological movement aimed at capturing power through armed struggle.
The government’s approach included both high-intensity security operations—like Operation Octopus in Bihar, Operation Double Bull in Gumla-Latehar, Operation Thunderstorm in Jharkhand, and the 21-day Operation Black Forest—and a lucrative surrender-and-rehabilitation policy offering immediate financial aid, housing, education for children, and incentives for communities achieving Naxal-free status.
By 2026, the number of Naxal-affected districts fell from 126 in 2014 to just two, with zero districts classified as “most affected.” The entire CPI (Maoist) top leadership has either been neutralised or surrendered, and urban support networks have been dismantled.
Security forces were strengthened with bullet- and blast-proof vehicles, night-landing helipads, fortified police stations, and technology such as UAVs, drones, satellite imagery, and AI analytics. Parallel development initiatives included 12,000 km of new roads, over 5,000 mobile towers, expanded banking and post office networks, skill and education centres, and healthcare infrastructure, such as the 240-bed super-speciality hospital in Jagdalpur.
Cultural initiatives like the Bastar Olympics and Bastar Pandum fostered tribal engagement and social integration, while targeted financial schemes supported women and men in self-employment.
Shah summed up the strategy as a dual approach of “bullet for bullet” coupled with “development for all,” emphasizing that restoring law and order and addressing the aspirations of tribal communities went hand in hand.
This milestone marks the end of a 56-year-old insurgency that once threatened India’s internal security. While challenges remain in sustaining development and preventing ideological resurgence, the dismantling of the Red Corridor underscores the effectiveness of coordinated governance, political will, and sacrifices by security personnel and civilians alike. Roads, schools, hospitals, and opportunities are replacing fear and violence, demonstrating that democracy and development, supported by resolute security measures, can defeat even the most entrenched insurgencies.