Government’s Big Push Against Left Wing Extremism With Major Surrenders, Killings, And Naxal-Free Territories Declared

National News:  On Thursday (October 16), 170 Naxalites surrendered in Chhattisgarh, making Abujhmad and North Bastar Naxal-free. Home Minister Amit Shah stated that 61 Naxalites surrendered in Maharashtra on Wednesday, while 27 laid down their arms in Chhattisgarh. In the past two days, a total of 258 combat-trained Left Wing Extremists have decided to abandon violence and return to the mainstream.

Home Minister Shah wrote in the X post, "A historic day in our fight against Naxalism. Today, 170 Naxalites have surrendered in Chhattisgarh. Yesterday, 27 laid down their arms in the state. Yesterday, 61 Naxalites returned to the mainstream in Maharashtra. In the last two days, a total of 258 battle-trained Left Wing Extremists have renounced violence. I commend their decision to renounce violence, believing in the Constitution of India. This is a proof that Naxalism is breathing its last due to the relentless efforts of the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to eliminate this problem."

Welcome to those who surrender

Amit Shah wrote, "Our policy is clear. Those who want to surrender are welcome and those who continue to fire guns will face the wrath of our army. I once again appeal to those who are still on the path of Naxalism to lay down their arms and join the mainstream. We are committed to uprooting Naxalism before March 31, 2026."

Shah Declares Bastar Naxal-Free

Amit Shah expressed happiness that Abujhmad and North Bastar in Chhattisgarh, once strongholds of terrorists, have now been declared free of Naxalite terror. He said that now there is no trace of Naxalism left in South Bastar, which our security forces will soon eradicate. The Home Minister wrote, "Since January 2024, after the formation of the BJP government in Chhattisgarh, 2100 Naxalites have surrendered, 1785 have been arrested and 477 have been eliminated. These figures reflect our determination to root out Naxalism before March 31, 2026."

Naxalism confined to three districts

The Home Ministry said on Wednesday that the number of districts most affected by Naxalism has come down to three. In Chhattisgarh, only Bijapur, Sukma, and Narayanpur are the worst affected districts by Left Wing Extremism. "In a major breakthrough towards the Modi government's vision of building a Naxal-free India, the number of districts most affected by Naxalism has come down from six to three," the ministry said. The number of districts affected by Left Wing Extremism has also come down from 18 to just 11 in the category of Left Wing Extremism-affected districts.

Naxal Strongholds Face Major Setback

These 11 districts affected by Left Wing Extremism include Bijapur, Dantewada, Gariaband, Kanker, Mohla-Manpur-Ambagadh Chowki, Narayanpur, and Sukma (all in Chhattisgarh), West Singhbhum (Jharkhand), Balaghat (Madhya Pradesh), Gadchiroli (Maharashtra), and Kandhamal (Odisha). In various operations, 312 Left Wing Extremist cadres were killed, including the CPI (Maoist) General Secretary and eight other Politburo/Central Committee members. The ministry said 836 Naxalites were arrested and 1,639 surrendered and joined the mainstream. The number of surrendered Naxalites has now risen to 1,809.