- A Historic Diwali: Prime Minister Narendra Modi says 2026 marks the first Festival of Lights since the country won its decades-long battle against Naxalism, with every district now free from the menace, according to his address.
- 47-Year Milestone: Not a single CRPF personnel lost his life on duty during the past year for the first time in 47 years, says the Prime Minister, crediting sound policies and firm resolve.
- A Nation’s Gratitude: Modi salutes the sacrifices of CRPF, CoBRA, BSF, ITBP, SSB, IRB, state police and Bastar Fighters, describing security personnel as members of his own family.
- Security Meets Development: More than 15,000 km of roads, 9,500 mobile towers, nearly 175 Eklavya schools and scores of skill-development institutions established in Left-Wing Extremism-affected regions, he says.
- Poverty Alleviation: Citing a World Bank report, the Prime Minister says 50 crore Indians have emerged from extreme poverty over the past 12 years.
- A New Bastar: Bastar Olympics symbolises the transformation of a region once affected by violence, with children now embracing sports instead of guns; PM calls the achievements a launchpad for a developed India.
NE DEFENCE BUREAU
NEW DELHI, NOV 8
The sound of gunfire that once haunted Bastar’s forests has given way to the festive spirit of Diwali, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi chose a CoBRA operations base in Chhattisgarh to celebrate the Festival of Lights with the security personnel who spearheaded the fight against Left-Wing Extremism. Sharing sweets, saluting their sacrifices and delivering a morale-boosting address, he described 2026 as a historic Diwali, asserting that every district in the country was now free from Naxalism and that the long battle against Maoist terror had reached a decisive milestone.
The Prime Minister visited the CoBRA Operations Base at Karanpur in Bastar on Sunday. The base served as a training centre and launchpad for counter-Naxal operations in Bastar and Abujhmad, once among the areas severely affected by Maoist insurgency.
As crores of Indians celebrated Diwali with their families, Modi said he had chosen to spend the occasion with the security forces, whom he considers an integral part of his own family. Recalling his earlier Diwali engagements with personnel from Kargil and Lepcha in the Himalayas to Sir Creek on the coast and aboard INS Vikrant, he said:
“At the borders and within the country, the sentinels of the nation who protect the country, the brave sons of Maa Bharati, all of you are my loved ones, all of you are a part of my family.”
He said the 2026 celebrations were particularly significant as the country marked what he described as victory in its decades-long battle against Naxalism and Maoist terror.
“Today I have come to express gratitude towards your sacrifice, dedication, and spirit of service,” he said, conveying the appreciation of 140 crore Indians to the security personnel.
A salute to the guardians of internal security
Invoking the ancient Sanskrit wisdom, “Aabhyantaram Bhayam Rakshyam, Asaaram Baahyato Bhayam”, the Prime Minister underlined that a nation’s external security is closely linked to the strength of its internal security.
He said the role played by the armed forces in protecting the country’s borders was equally matched by the responsibility discharged by security personnel within the country.
Paying tribute to the CRPF, CoBRA, BSF, ITBP, SSB, IRB, state police forces, Bastar Fighters commandos and women personnel, he said the country remained indebted to their service.
“This country is indebted to you for your services, and crores of countrymen are proud of you,” he said, extending Diwali greetings to security personnel deployed across the country, including those guarding the international borders.
Recalling the difficult years when Left-Wing Extremism affected more than 230 districts across nearly 20 states, Modi described the scale of violence and the human cost of the insurgency.
He referred to the 2010 Dantewada attacks in which 76 CRPF personnel and 44 civilians lost their lives in separate incidents. More than 1,000 security personnel had laid down their lives in Chhattisgarh alone over the years, while several others suffered life-changing injuries in improvised explosive device blasts, he said.
He also recalled that between 2004 and 2013, the annual number of security personnel killed exceeded the number of Naxalites eliminated, according to the figures cited in his address.
47 years without a CRPF duty fatality
Highlighting a major security milestone, the Prime Minister said that for the first time in 47 years, not a single CRPF jawan had lost his life while on duty during the preceding year.
“This is the victory of the country’s right policies and firm willpower, and this is the victory of your valour, courage, and restraint,” he asserted.
He credited the change to a combination of strategic decisions, stronger operational capabilities and the determination of security personnel.
According to Modi, the government had taken several tough national security decisions, including steps that disrupted the financial networks of Naxalites and separatists and dismantled the fake currency nexus.
These measures, he said, weakened their financial backbone, choked supply chains, restricted the movement of weapons and curtailed recruitment.
He also said security forces had been given operational freedom to take necessary decisions on the ground.
Explaining the larger objective behind the campaign, he said the government had worked towards ensuring that no mother lost her child, no family was pushed into devastation and no young person was driven towards violence.
“With a spirit of service, we transformed the lives of people in Naxal-affected areas,” he said, adding that people who had suffered under Naxalism were now standing firmly alongside the government and security forces.
Security and development: Two sides of the same mission
The Prime Minister linked the improvement in security with the development of previously neglected regions, arguing that peace and economic progress must advance together.
“In the past 12 years, the country has not only won the battle against Naxalism and separatism, rather the country has also won a major war against poverty,” he said.
Citing a World Bank report released shortly before Diwali, Modi said 50 crore Indians had moved out of extreme poverty over the past 12 years.
Describing the country’s welfare initiatives as a Diwali rangoli, he explained how individual schemes had collectively contributed to improving the lives of economically vulnerable families.
He referred to Jan Dhan Yojana for financial inclusion, PM Awas Yojana for housing, collateral-free Mudra loans for entrepreneurship, SVANidhi support for street vendors and Ayushman Bharat for healthcare.
Free monthly foodgrain distribution, education initiatives, Swachh Bharat and Har Ghar Jal were among the other measures he cited as having addressed basic needs and strengthened the confidence of poor families.
“The poor families whose entire lives used to be spent only in worry have now received the assurance of the government, and a new self-confidence has come into them,” he said.
15,000 km of roads and 9,500 mobile towers
Emphasising that development was integral to the campaign against Left-Wing Extremism, Modi said Naxalites had systematically obstructed schools, hospitals, healthcare facilities, mobile connectivity and industrial activity in areas under their influence.
He said special development programmes had therefore been undertaken alongside security operations.
The achievements highlighted by the Prime Minister included:
- More than 15,000 km of roads in Left-Wing Extremism-affected regions.
- Over 9,500 mobile towers to improve connectivity.
- Nearly 175 Eklavya schools for tribal children.
- Around 50 Industrial Training Institutes.
- Approximately 50 Skill Development Centres.
- Thousands of post offices, bank branches and ATMs.
He also referred to the PM JANMAN initiative, through which water, electricity and road connectivity had reached remote tribal villages, while surrendered Naxalites were being offered rehabilitation opportunities.
“When we started the fight against Naxalism, at the same time we also ran special campaigns for the development of Naxal-affected areas,” he said.
From guns to sports: Bastar’s changing landscape
Pointing to the Bastar Olympics as an expression of the region’s changing aspirations, the Prime Minister said young people were increasingly finding opportunities in sports and constructive activities.
“Today in this very Bastar, the Bastar Olympics are taking place, and children are trying their hand at sports, not guns,” he said.
He described the transformation as evidence of how security, public participation and development could work together to restore confidence and create opportunities for communities that had endured years of violence.
At the same time, he cautioned that the achievement should not lead to complacency, saying the danger had not completely disappeared and that vigilance remained necessary.
A call to build a developed India
Concluding his address, Modi described the gains against Naxalism and poverty as a beginning rather than a final destination.
Quoting the patriotic sentiment, “Tera Gaurav Amar Rahe Maa, Hum Din Chaar Rahein Na Rahein”, he urged security personnel to carry their spirit of sacrifice into the country’s next phase of development.
“Now is the time to live for the nation and to take the nation to a new height,” he said.
Referring to national commitments such as the abrogation of Article 370, household sanitation and expanded vaccination coverage, he expressed confidence that India would also achieve its aspirations of becoming poverty-free, drug-free, self-reliant and developed.
In a concluding tribute to the personnel, the Prime Minister said:
“Your sacrifices and hard work will become a strong foundation for the grand edifice of a Viksit Bharat.”
The Diwali celebration at Karanpur thus brought together a message of gratitude to the security forces, a recognition of Bastar’s changing landscape and a call to carry the gains of peace into a wider development journey.