A multi-pronged strategy and a crackdown from all ends have led to the monumental achievement of elimination of Naxal insurgency in Bharat under the Modi Government. The most recent and successful initiative towards this course has been Operation Black Forest, which is the longest continuous anti-Naxal campaign executed jointly by the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and Chhattisgarh Police over a span of 21 days.
Combating Naxalism
The whole of Government (WOG) approach, which is like a 360-degree approach, is a collaborative effort of the Government agencies and departments to work towards a single target, which is to achieve complete elimination of Naxalism by March 31, 2026. This is a movement of breaking away from silos of public administration to a well established network. It is a transformation from the UPA Government’s approach, which was half-hearted and allowed Naxalite sympathisers to find prominent spaces among powerful political groups like the National Advisory Council (NAC) in the Government and also over the narrative control in the mainstream media. The Central Committee members and the politburo of the Left-Wing Extremists therefore, grew more precarious of the Modi Government which can be seen in the resolution passed in the Eastern Regional Bureau (ERB) Meeting, 2015 of the CPI (Maoist). The same ERB resolution culminated as a sinister plot in 2018 to finally eliminate PM Modi.
This multidimensional approach emphasises on three D’s of transformation- Defence, Dialogue and Development. On the ‘Defence’ front, Central security forces with advanced surveillance systems and ammunition have targeted Naxal hotspots penetrating into the dense forests of the Chhattisgarh-Telangana belt to bring the sun down on the leadership of Naxal groups. ‘Dialogue’ is the Government’s attempt to get the young insurgents to surrender and then further help in their rehabilitation into better lives. Lastly, development as a strategy works at multiple layers to deliver justice and effective governance. This supports the liberation and assimilation of the most troubled districts from the region into the folds of development. It is a combination of a military and a pacifist approach, where Naxalism and the Maoist ideology are met with a strong Army breakdown in the dense forests, clubbed with progress to its villages. This highlights the firm resolve of the Modi Government to end these matters of internal security and bring prosperity to the region. The remote and underdeveloped villages from the region that were kept in the dark and strategically cut off from the mainstream developing India by the Naxalites are now being brought to the doorstep of development. This has further reconstructed their idea of government from a site of operation to the driver of advancement. This effort of the Government even meant to take non-traditional routes, such as where the CRPF turned itself into a contractor to build a major arterial road in Bastar, a one-of-a-kind venture.
Beyond the widely held belief that the role of the Ministry of Home Affairs is constricted to paramilitary forces, it has played an important role in the Naxalmukt Abhiyan of the Modi Government. The Left-Wing Extremism Division (LWE Division) vows to address the Left-Wing Extremist insurgency in a holistic manner. The LWE Division implements security-related schemes aimed at capacity building in the LWE-affected States.
Through various schemes, MHA has been successful in breaking the romantic illusions of the Maoist insurgency among the youth of the region. Its holistic approach assured security, as well as effective delivery of rights and entitlements of the local communities. An umbrella scheme of “Modernisation of Police Forces” was reshaped in 2017 under the Modi Government into a multi pronged strategy. It focused on the optimal training and fulfilling operational needs of security forces. It aims to fill the critical gaps in Public Infrastructure and Services in most LWE-affected districts. By strengthening infrastructure related to security under the Special Infrastructure Scheme (SIS), 626 fortified police stations have been constructed in 10 LWE-affected areas under the scheme of Fortified Police Stations. Civic Action Programme (CAP) is aimed at bridging the gap between Security Forces and local people through personal interaction and bringing the human face of SFs before the local population. The scheme has been successful in achieving its goal. Under the scheme, funds are released to the CAPFs, deployed in LWE-affected areas, for conducting various civic activities for the welfare of the local people.
During the Modi Government, security spending in LWE-affected States has nearly tripled, reaching Rs. 3,006 crore. Violent incidents in LWE-affected areas dropped by 53 per cent, from 16,463 cases between 2004 and 2014 to 7,700 in the last 10 years.
Quality Education to Janjatiya
To impart quality education to the students in tribal areas, the Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA) is opening Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS). During the last five years, MHA has special focus on the scheme and has closely worked with the MoTA for the expeditious implementation of this scheme in LWE-affected areas. In LWE-affected areas, 165 EMRSs have been sanctioned after May 2019 in comparison to 89 sanctioned during the 22-year period prior to that. To date, 254 EMRSs have been sanctioned in LWE-affected areas. Of these, 130 are functional.
MHA has strived to tackle the problem of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), since the majority of casualties to security forces in anti-LWE operations are caused by IEDs. It continues to support extensive counter-IED capacity building of CAPFs and State Police Forces. It has also issued a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) on ‘Issues Related to Explosives/IEDs/Landmines in LWE Affected Areas’ to promote best practices in IED management.
Inter-State Coordination
The fight to eradicate Left-Wing Extremism is also a collaborative effort among the Central and the State Governments because the forest cover, which is home to these Maoist groups, is not restricted to one boundary. Instead, it traverses through multiple States along the eastern region of the country. These areas are characterised by underdevelopment, poverty and concentration of tribal population. Little coordination between the Centre and the State in the past had created loopholes which gave leeways to the Naxals to evade prosecution and flee from the hands of the police and administration. The bureaucratic hurdles created bottlenecks that delayed the process of justice. Therefore, the Modi Government has taken multiple measures to earnestly improve inter-State coordination over anti-Naxal campaigns.
In the eradication of the Maoist ideology from the central and eastern regions of the country, what was instrumental was the dismissal of the widespread romanticisation of the Maoist revolutionary ideals that thrived on the manipulation of the socio-economic conditions of those villages to fuel unrest and dissent towards the government. This was carried on by the insurgent forces for decades by blocking the passages of development and ensuring that the regions remain underdeveloped, and by brainwashing young minds and feeding into their minds the ideology of glorifying violence and death.
An important step in choking the financial lifelines of Left-Wing Extremist (LWE) groups and other terrorist outfits has been the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA), 2020. This legislation significantly tightened oversight on the inflow and utilisation of foreign funds, curbing their misuse for subversive activities, including those linked to terrorist funding and Maoist insurgency too. By imposing stricter regulations on the registration, reporting, and auditing of NGOs, the Act effectively dismantled networks that had long served as covert platforms for advancing Maoist ideology under the guise of civil society work. Additionally, the levy collection racket where the Naxalites extorted a percentage from Government development projects in LWE-affected districts, was brought under intense scrutiny. For decades, this unofficial “tax” had gone unchecked, inflating project costs and undermining development. It had become an open secret that projects in these regions were routinely overpriced to account for the ‘levy’, effectively institutionalising extortion. The crackdown under the Modi Government has disrupted this parallel economy, reinforcing both security and fiscal integrity in affected areas.
The elimination of the Red Terror under the Modi Government will become a defining moment in Bharat’s internal security history which is an outcome of unwavering political will, unmatched coordination among Central and State agencies, and a truly holistic vision that merges boots on the ground with brains in policy rooms. By combining ruthless operational efficiency with compassionate rehabilitation, and intelligent surveillance with inclusive development, the Government has not merely defeated an insurgency but it has dismantled an ecosystem of fear, propaganda, and deliberate underdevelopment. No longer can Maoist terror masquerade as revolution. From Bastar to Budha Pahad, roads now replace roadblocks, schools replace bunkers, and opportunity replaces oppression. In this celebration lies not just a victory over violence, but the assertion of democracy, development, and dignity over decades of darkness. This is not just the end of a conflict but it is the beginning of a new dawn for Bharat’s most neglected regions.
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