Bastar: In line with his long-standing tradition of celebrating Diwali alongside India's frontline troops, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the CoBRA Operations Base in Karanpur, Bastar, on Sunday, November 8, to mark the festive season with security forces.
However, this year’s celebrations held unprecedented historical weight, as the Prime Minister declared that the country has finally triumphed in its decades-long battle against Left-Wing Extremism (LWE).
Addressing hundreds of emotional and motivated personnel from the CRPF, CoBRA, BSF, ITBP, SSB, and state police forces, Prime Minister Modi shared sweets, distributed greetings, and delivered a high-stakes address.
"This Diwali is special," Modi told the gathered troops. "For the first time, every district in the country is free from Naxalism, and crores of citizens have now overcome the fear of Maoist terror".
Recalling the peak of the insurgency, Modi reminded the nation that more than 230 districts spanning nearly 20 states—including large swathes of Maharashtra, Bihar, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh—were once crippled by extremist violence. He noted that past administrations often treated Naxalism as an incurable disease, failing to back security forces efficiently.
The Prime Minister underscored a historic security milestone, revealing that for the first time in 47 years, not a single CRPF jawan lost their life on duty over the past year—a victory he directly credited to the right policies, strong resolve, and ultimate sacrifices made by the armed forces.
While declaring victory over armed insurgencies in the deep jungles, the Prime Minister explicitly cautioned the troops and the nation against a shifting threat. He warned that though weapon-yielding cadres have been defeated, "intellectual Naxals" continue to try to misguide the youth and infiltrate social organizations. "The threat has evolved, and we must remain secure against those who fight with a deceptive mindset rather than guns," he remarked.
Connecting security to socioeconomic growth, Prime Minister Modi highlighted that over the last twelve years, the defeat of separatism has gone hand-in-hand with an aggressive war on poverty. He emphasized that as Naxal violence wound down across the country, over 50 crore Indians successfully broke out of extreme poverty.
The Prime Minister concluded his visit by emphasizing that the hard work of these security personnel serves as the rock-solid foundation for building a Viksit Bharat (Developed India).
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai also praised the visit, thanking the Prime Minister for honoring the forces who have brought durable peace and accelerated development back to the tribal heartland of Bastar.