'Bastar is now Naxal-free': HM Amit Shah on Naxalism in Chhattisgarh

Addressing a large gathering in the Jagdalpur area of Bastar, Chhattisgarh, Shah said the security forces had delivered on a promise that critics had dismissed as unrealistic.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday declared Bastar free of Naxal presence, marking what he described as the culmination of a target set in a closed-door meeting in January 2024, one that many at the time thought was simply not achievable.

Addressing a large gathering in the Jagdalpur area of Bastar, Chhattisgarh, Shah said the security forces had delivered on a promise that critics had dismissed as unrealistic.

"On January 21, 2024, we decided in a closed room to end Naxalism by March 31, 2026. We made this announcement in August 2024. At the time, many said it's not possible and that such decisions are not taken in closed rooms. Now, we have achieved our goal," he said.

He paid tribute to the security personnel who fought to make it possible. "There are several innocent tribal people here whose kin were brutally killed by Naxals. DRG and CoBRA fought with Naxals with great valour," he added.

But Shah was quick to frame the declaration not as an endpoint, but as a starting line. The government, he said, has a detailed plan for the roughly 3,000 Naxals who have surrendered, with employment pathways being worked out to help them re-enter mainstream life.

"The objective was not merely to eliminate the Naxals, but to ensure that all the facilities available in big cities reach the poor tribals of this region, so that their children's future can also become bright," he said.

Drawing a pointed historical parallel, Shah said that while the rest of India gained independence in 1947, true freedom had come to Bastar only after 31 March 2026. He rejected the long-standing Naxal argument that armed struggle was a response to neglect, turning it squarely on its head.

"Naxals had spread a misconception for decades that their area did not develop, therefore they picked up arms. The truth is that this region did not develop because the Naxals had taken up arms," he said.

Earlier in the day, Shah inaugurated the Shaheed Veer Gundadhur Seva Dera Jan Suvidha Kendra in Bastar, a public service centre built on the very ground where Naxals once killed six policemen. He described it as a symbol of what comes after conflict.

"On the very soil where Naxals once brutally murdered six policemen, a public service centre is today being constructed for the welfare of tribal communities," he said.

Under the state government's Niyad Nellanar scheme, affordable ration shops are being opened in every village, primary schools are being established, and cluster service centres are being set up between villages. Every household is being provided with drinking water, Aadhaar cards and ration cards. Each person will receive seven kilograms of rice per month, and the Centre's free medical treatment scheme worth up to ₹5 lakh has also been extended to the region.

Shah announced that around 70 of the existing 200 security camps in Bastar would be converted into service centres within the next 18 months, offering banking, ration cards, Aadhaar registration and disbursement of benefits from 371 central and state government schemes, all under one roof.

To nurture the region's identity alongside its infrastructure, the government has launched the Bastar Olympics to promote sports among tribal communities, and Bastar Pandum to bring tribal literature, music, art, dance and cuisine to a wider national and global audience.

"Naxalism will be considered truly eliminated only when we compensate for the losses caused by it within the next five years and transform all these villages into vibrant, energetic tribal villages," Shah said.

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai, Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma, Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan and Intelligence Bureau Director Tapan Deka were among the dignitaries present at the event.

(With ANI inputs)