India nears a decisive victory against Naxal terror through military strength and strategic government action.
NEW DELHI: The fight against terrorism from Pakistan may be prolonged and requires international cooperation. However, eliminating Maoist-Naxalite terror within the country has been an even greater challenge—one that depends on the determination of paramilitary forces, state police, and the central government. It now appears that the final, decisive phase of victory over the mountain of red terror has begun.
Over the past two decades, 6,258 people have lost their lives in Naxalite attacks. In nearly 20 years, 2,344 security personnel have died fighting the Naxalites—four times the number of Indian soldiers who died in the 1999 Kargil War. In fact, more armed personnel have died fighting Naxalites than in battles against terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir.
Naxal terror has affected nearly 80 million people across various states, primarily tribal populations. It spanned a “Red Corridor” across 10 states: Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Telangana, West Bengal, and Uttar Pradesh. When Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to power in 2014, 126 districts across these states were severely affected. By early 2025, this number had dropped to just 12—most of them in Bastar, with the rest in adjoining districts of Odisha, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, and Madhya Pradesh.
Over the past five years, Home Minister Amit Shah has prepared extensively for a Naxal-free India. Central funds have been generously allocated to paramilitary forces and state governments. A budget of Rs 870 crore was specifically designated to strengthen the fight against Maoists in Chhattisgarh. Although the pace of operations slowed temporarily when the Congress came to power in the state, the campaign regained momentum after the BJP’s return. In the last three months alone, approximately 130 dangerous Naxalites have been killed in police encounters in Bastar.
In this context, Home Minister Amit Shah stated that the security forces had achieved historic success in the largest operation against Naxalism to date. In a major strike on the Koragutta Hills along the Chhattisgarh-Telangana border, 31 notorious Naxalites were eliminated. He added that the hill, once ruled by Red Terror, now proudly flies the Indian tricolour.
Shah affirmed, “Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, we are determined to eradicate Naxalism from its roots. I assure the nation that by March 31, 2026, India will be Naxal-free.”
Alongside strong enforcement, the central and state governments have also provided ample opportunities for those misled by Maoist ideology to surrender and return to normal life. Since 2014, of the 7,500 Naxalites who have surrendered, many have joined the security forces, offering crucial information about Naxalite operations and hideouts.
As a result, operations have intensified, leading to the elimination of 305 Naxalites in Chhattisgarh in just 15 months. In 2024 alone, 217 Naxalites were neutralised in the Bastar division—the highest number in any year in the region’s insurgency history.
Most personnel at the Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA), based in Jagdalpur, are trained in guerrilla warfare.
Jagdalpur, once the capital of undivided Bastar, covers a region the size of Kerala and spans seven forested districts of Chhattisgarh. A local commander once explained, “We are fighting a war-trained enemy who is native to the area, well-versed in the terrain, extremely active in the jungles, and uses deception and patience to launch stealth attacks using IEDs and ambushes.”
Now, with a deep understanding of their tactics and hideouts—and with the support of advanced drones and weaponry—Naxalites are being brought under control.
During this campaign, the government also cracked down on the Naxalites’ extortion-based funding sources. Their primary income came from levies imposed on tendu leaf contractors during the summer and forced collections from forest and road contractors—amounting to an estimated Rs 150 crore annually.
These revenue streams have been blocked by assigning civil works to the Border Roads Organisation (a central government entity) and placing tendu contractors under strict intelligence surveillance. Under previous Congress rule, some party leaders, ministers, officials, and contractors were reportedly in profit-sharing arrangements with the Naxalites. Ironically, many anti-Naxalite Congress leaders had themselves once been victims of Maoist violence.
Puvarti, a village on the edge of Sukma district and once a Naxalite stronghold, is now under the control of the CRPF’s 150th Battalion—nicknamed “One-Five-Zero, Jungle Heroes.” It was formerly the base of the dreaded Madvi Hidma, a Naxal commander believed to have masterminded more than two dozen deadly attacks on security forces, including the infamous 2010 ambush in Tadmetla village, in which 76 CRPF personnel were killed. Previously, no government official, uniformed personnel, or civilian could enter Puvarti without the permission of the People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA). But times have changed.
In Dantewada as well, tribals now live without fear and are working to secure education and employment for their children. The local markets and enterprise centres are more organised and prosperous than those in many urban areas. Every trainee from the skill development centres in Jagdalpur and Dantewada is now gainfully employed.
The Naxal organisation has been led by its Politburo, Central Committee, and Central Military Commission. Reportedly, its leadership includes 70-year-old General Secretary Nambala Keshav Rao, known by aliases such as Basavaraj and Ganganna. The military structure includes regional, state, and zonal commands, with the armed militia forming the base of the pyramid.
Adopting a “Find, Target, and Neutralise” strategy, the Modi government has eliminated 15 top Naxal leaders in recent years—three from the Politburo and 12 from the Central Committee. According to police sources, last year’s operational successes have reduced the number of hardcore Naxalite fighters in Bastar from 1,400 to just 600.
There is now strong hope that Modi and Shah will succeed in making India Naxal-free by 2026 and will take strict action to curb the influence of urban Naxals and foreign-backed forces aiding them from cities like Delhi and Mumbai.