Prime Minister Narendra Modi celebrated Diwali with security personnel in Chhattisgarh’s Bastar district on Sunday, thanking them for their sacrifices in the fight against Naxalism and describing the region as entering a new phase of development.
Addressing personnel at a CRPF camp, Modi called it the first Diwali since every district in the country had become free of Naxalism, referring to the Union government’s announcement on March 31 that the country had overcome the insurgency.
“This is the first Diwali where every single district in the country is free from Naxalism. This is the first Diwali where crores of our citizens have overcome the fear of Naxalism,” he said.
Modi also visited the CoBRA Operations Base at Karanpur, which serves as a training centre and operational base for anti-Naxal operations in Bastar and Abujhmad. He said he had come on behalf of the country’s 140 crore people to thank personnel for their service.
“Bastar is the very land that once suffered the scourge of Naxal terror. But thanks to your sacrifice and dedication, that terror has ended, and a new wave of development has begun,” he said.
Modi Criticises Previous Congress Governments
The Prime Minister criticised previous Congress governments for their handling of Naxalism, alleging that they had treated the insurgency as an “incurable disease” and lacked the political will to confront it.
Citing figures from 2004 to 2013, Modi said the annual number of security personnel killed in action was higher than the number of Naxalites killed. He said efforts to tackle the insurgency gained momentum after his government came to power in 2014.
He recalled the 2010 Dantewada attack in which 76 CRPF personnel were killed, as well as another attack that year in which 44 civilians died. Modi said more than 1,000 security personnel had been killed in Chhattisgarh during the decades-long insurgency.
He also claimed that, for the first time in 47 years, no CRPF personnel had lost their lives in the line of duty during the past year. He credited the CRPF, CoBRA, BSF, ITBP, SSB, state police forces and women personnel for their role in the campaign.
Security and Development in Bastar
Modi said improved security had created conditions for development in areas affected by Naxalism, including education, healthcare, road connectivity, electricity, communication, tourism and employment.
He also said those who abandoned violence could return to the mainstream, while security forces would act against those who continued to threaten civilians and break the law.Drawing a comparison between internal security and border defence, Modi said the personnel tackling insurgency within the country played an equally important role in protecting the nation.
The Prime Minister extended Diwali greetings to security personnel deployed across the country and said their sacrifices had contributed to India’s unity and integrity.
