NEW DELHI, Nov 8 – Prime Minister Narendra Modi celebrated Diwali with security personnel at a CoBRA operations base in Bastar, Chhattisgarh, on Sunday, declaring that every district in India was now free from Naxalism after decades of insurgency.
Addressing personnel at the Karanpur base, which served as a launch pad for counter-insurgency operations in Bastar and Abujhmad, Modi said the festival marked the first Diwali since the country had overcome what he described as the threat of Maoist violence.
“Today, I have come to express gratitude towards your sacrifice, dedication and spirit of service,” Modi said, thanking security forces for their role in the campaign against Left-Wing Extremism.
The prime minister also highlighted a milestone in the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), saying that for the first time in 47 years, not a single CRPF personnel had been killed while on duty during the past year.
He attributed the achievement to the government’s policies and the determination and courage of security forces.
“This is the victory of the country’s right policies and firm willpower, and this is the victory of your valour, courage and restraint,” Modi said.
India’s Maoist insurgency, also known as Left-Wing Extremism, once affected more than 230 districts across nearly 20 states, according to Modi. He recalled years of attacks on security personnel and civilians, particularly in Chhattisgarh, where insurgent violence had claimed numerous lives.
Modi said his government had combined security operations with measures to disrupt insurgent financing, weapons supplies and recruitment networks. He added that security forces had been given operational freedom to take necessary decisions.
The prime minister also linked the campaign against insurgency to development in remote tribal regions, citing the construction of more than 15,000 km of roads, 9,500 mobile towers and nearly 175 Eklavya Model Residential Schools in affected areas.
He said improved access to schools, healthcare, banking and other essential services had helped bring communities into the development process.
Modi further cited a World Bank report, saying around 500 million Indians had moved out of extreme poverty over the past 12 years, and described poverty reduction and the campaign against Naxalism as interconnected achievements.
Referring to the Bastar Olympics, a sporting event in the region, he said local children were increasingly choosing sports over violence.
“Today in this very Bastar, the Bastar Olympics are taking place, and children are trying their hand at sports, not guns,” he said.
Modi urged security personnel to view the gains against insurgency as a starting point for India’s broader development ambitions, including building a drug-free, self-reliant and developed nation.
“Your sacrifices and hard work will become a strong foundation for the grand edifice of a Viksit Bharat,” he said, extending Diwali greetings to security personnel and their families.
PIB
