Jagdalpur/Raipur (Chhattisgarh): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said that a combination of strong political determination, effective policies, and the courage of security personnel had significantly weakened Maoist terrorism in the country, adding that the government’s approach towards tackling Naxalism (Maoism) underwent a decisive change after 2014.
Addressing soldiers at the CoBRA Operations Base at Karanpur in Chhattisgarh’s Bastar district, the Prime Minister said that eliminating threats to national security required unwavering resolve and a well-planned strategy, and asserted that his government had strengthened the political will needed to achieve this objective.
“For the nation to move forward, its enemies must be crushed — with unwavering resolve and a well-devised strategy. The political will that was lacking in our nation to do this was strengthened in 2014,” he said.
PM Modi recalled the opportunity given to him by the people to serve the country, saying that the change in the government’s approach towards Naxalism became visible after he assumed office in 2014.
“You allowed this ‘Pradhan Sevak’ to serve ‘Maa Bharati’, and everyone witnessed how the situation began to change after 2014,” he added.
Highlighting the improvement in the security situation, PM Modi said that for several years, the number of security personnel losing their lives in anti-Naxal operations was higher than the number of Naxalites eliminated.
However, he pointed out that a significant milestone was achieved last year, when not a single CRPF personnel deployed on duty lost their life, marking a major success after 47 years.
“This marks a triumph for the nation’s sound policies and unwavering resolve. It serves as a testament to your bravery, strength, and self-control,” he said.
The Prime Minister further emphasised that achieving success in the fight against Maoist violence required not only the right intentions but also effective policy decisions.
“Achieving success requires both the right intentions and effective policies. In the realm of national security, we made several difficult decisions and implemented various measures, some of which remain unknown to the public. These actions significantly hindered the funding sources for Naxalites and separatist groups,” PM Modi said.
He said the fake currency network was “dismantled”, which “not only broke their financial backbone but also choked their entire supply line”.
“As a result, the weapon supply was stopped, and restrictions were imposed on the movement and recruitment of Naxalites,” he said.
Taking aim at the previous governments over their handling of the Naxalism problem, PM Modi alleged that security personnel had earlier been restricted from exercising their operational authority, even when they were facing attacks from Naxalites.
He said that such limitations had affected the ability of security forces to respond effectively to threats on the ground.
“Previous governments had often constrained the operational capabilities of security personnel on the ground. While Naxalite attacks occurred, security forces lacked the authority to respond effectively,” the Prime Minister said.
In contrast, he said, the NDA government had given security personnel greater independence and the authority to take important decisions according to the situation during operations.
“We empowered them to make crucial decisions independently,” he said.
PM Modi further said that the government had also worked towards eliminating support for Left-Wing Extremism from within the administrative machinery and various institutions.
“We also worked to eliminate any support from certain individuals within the government and the system towards Left-Wing Extremism,” he added.
The Prime Minister said that the NDA government’s approach was guided by the objective of ensuring that no innocent person lost their life or had their future destroyed because of Maoist violence.
He stressed that the fight against Naxalism was not limited to security operations alone, but also involved improving the living conditions of people in areas affected by extremism.
“We approached the issue with care, significantly weakening the foundation of Maoist terrorism. With a commitment to service, we improved the lives of individuals in areas affected by Naxalism. This is why even those who have experienced hardships due to Naxalism have rallied behind the government and security forces. Many citizens who played a vital role in achieving this significant victory are present here today, and I would like to express my gratitude to all of them,” PM Modi added.
(IANS)
