Union Home Minister Amit Shah made a firm declaration on Friday, stating that the government is committed to eradicating naxalism and its ideology from the country within the next one to one-and-a-half years. During an interaction with victims of Naxal violence from Chhattisgarh, Shah expressed confidence that the government would eliminate Naxalism by March 2026.
"We will uproot Naxalism and the idea of Naxalism from this country and establish peace... The Narendra Modi government has been successful in ending Naxalism in the entire country except for four districts of Bastar. The date of 31.03.2026 has been fixed to bid final farewell to Naxalism from this country. I assure you that Naxalism will be ended before that," Shah said.
Acknowledging the past pain caused by Naxal violence, Shah emphasized, "I cannot retract the damage that has already been done, but I will try to ensure that innocent people don't have to face any such issues."
Shah further assured complete support from the central government in improving infrastructure and resources in the affected areas. He mentioned that the Chhattisgarh government had requested assistance under the PM Awas Yojana and for sanitation facilities, to which the central government had responded positively. "The Home Ministry will manage health facilities linked to the Yojana, and a detailed plan will be created in partnership with the state government to tackle the Naxal issue," he said.
Encouraging those involved in Naxal activities to lay down their arms and return to mainstream society, Shah cited the example of similar initiatives in Kashmir. "Lay down your weapons and return to the mainstream--many in Kashmir have made that choice, and you can too. If not, we will initiate a campaign to encourage this change," he stated.
The government's ongoing efforts to combat Naxalism have seen progress, as evidenced by a recent operation in which security forces killed a Naxal during an encounter in Chhattisgarh's Sukma district. The clash occurred near Tumalpad village during an anti-Naxalite operation conducted by a joint team of security personnel.
In support of anti-insurgency operations, four battalions of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), consisting of 4,000 personnel, are set to be deployed in Bastar.
During an inter-state coordination meeting on August 24, Shah reported a 70 percent reduction in the deaths of security personnel and a 69 percent reduction in civilian deaths due to Naxalism. He reiterated that the fight was in its "end phase," and by March 2026, India would be completely free from the threat of Naxalism.
