From Maoist Stronghold to Naxal-Free Bastar: Modi Celebrates Diwali With Security Forces

Prime Minister Narendra Modi celebrated Diwali with security personnel at a CRPF camp in Bastar, Chhattisgarh, on Sunday, choosing a region once considered one of India's strongest Maoist strongholds to mark the country's victory over Left-Wing Extremism. While praising the courage and sacrifices of security forces, Modi warned that although armed Maoists had been eliminated, their ideological supporters, whom he called "dimagi Naxals", continued to pose a threat.

Dressed in a military-style camouflage uniform, Modi interacted with security personnel and extended Diwali greetings to them. He said the occasion was particularly significant as the government had declared the country free of Naxalism on March 31, 2026.

"Armed Naxalites have disappeared from the forests, but 'dimagi Naxals' have taken control of several organisations," he said, alleging that they had infiltrated political parties and other organisations and were instigating people against the Constitution and democracy.

Recalling the scale of Maoist violence, Modi said more than 230 districts across nearly 20 states were once affected by Left-Wing Extremism, with around 2,000 Naxalite attacks taking place annually.

Targeting previous governments, he alleged that between 2004 and 2013, more security personnel were killed every year than the number of Naxalites eliminated. He said the situation began changing after 2014, when his government gave security forces greater freedom to respond to Maoist attacks.

Highlighting the improvement in security, Modi said that for the first time in 47 years, not a single CRPF personnel had lost his life while on duty during the preceding year.

Emphasising development alongside security operations, Modi said Maoists had targeted schools, hospitals, roads and mobile towers, keeping remote areas deprived of basic facilities. Referring to the Bastar Olympics, he said children in the region were now choosing sports over guns.