India to be free of Naxal menace by 2026, time for final assault: Amit Shah

The country will be free from Left Wing Extremism (LWE) by March 2026 and a strong and ruthless strategy is required for the final assault against the menace, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Saturday.

Urging Naxals to shun violence, Shah announced that the Chhattisgarh government would announce a "new look" surrender policy in 1-2 months.

"A strong and ruthless strategy is required for launching the last assault against Naxals," he said.

Shah made the statements after chairing a high-level interstate coordination meeting in Raipur, Chhattisgarh. The meeting brought together senior officials from seven states facing the Naxalite threat, underscoring the government's commitment to addressing the issue through enhanced inter-state collaboration.

The meeting was attended by Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai, Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma and Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai. Chief Secretaries and Director Generals of Police (DGPs) from Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Maharashtra also attended.

The discussions centered around strategies to improve security and foster development in areas affected by Naxalism. The official statement released after the meeting highlighted the "significant progress" made in anti-Naxalite operations, particularly following the BJP's victory in the Chhattisgarh Assembly election last year.

Shah emphasised the government's resolve to eradicate Naxalism in Chhattisgarh within the next three years. As the central and state governments continue to collaborate closely, the focus remains on not only neutralising the extremist elements but also on bringing sustainable development to the regions most affected by Naxalite activities. This dual approach aims to address the root causes of extremism, ensuring long-term peace and prosperity for the affected communities.

According to officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity, Shah reviewed the progress made by security forces and intelligence agencies since the last such meeting in January this year. This review included an assessment of the ongoing operations and the strategies employed to tackle the Naxals.

According to estimates since December 2023, security forces have killed 147 Maoists in 104 encounters. Additionally, 723 Naxal cadres have been arrested, and 622 have surrendered to authorities. These figures indicate a substantial weakening of the Naxal movement, as more cadres abandon the Communist Party of India (Maoist) amid fears of being killed or captured in the intensified operations.

Further strengthening the security scenario, the Centre has accelerated the establishment of new camps, known as Forward Operating Bases (FOBs), in key Naxal strongholds over the past three months. These FOBs have provided security forces with a strategic advantage, enabling more coordinated intelligence-based operations and facilitating the delivery of development projects to remote villages, thereby shrinking the areas under Naxal control.

Since December last year, 33 new FOBs have been established in critical districts. "These camps have not only enhanced our operational capacity but have also played a vital role in bringing development to areas previously dominated by Naxals," said a senior officer.

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) recently informed Parliament of a substantial reduction in the geographical spread of LWE violence. The number of LWE-affected districts has decreased dramatically from 126 across 10 states in 2013 to just 38 districts in 2024, spread across nine states. Incidents of LWE violence have dropped by 73 per cent since their peak in 2010, while resultant deaths of security forces and civilians have decreased by 86 per cent, from a high of 1,005 in 2010 to 138 in 2023. In the first half of 2024 alone, there has been a 32 per cent reduction in LWE-perpetrated incidents and a 17 per cent decrease in deaths compared to the same period in 2023.

(With PTI inputs)