Delhi, 15 October (H.S.): In what is being hailed as a significant achievement in its fight against Naxalism, the Union Government announced on Wednesday that the number of districts categorized as most affected by Left-Wing Extremism (LWE) has been reduced from six to just three.
The Union Home Ministry issued a statement identifying Bijapur, Sukma, and Narayanpur in Chhattisgarh as the only remaining districts in the highest-impact category. Additionally, the total number of LWE-affected districts has been revised down from 18 to 11. The central government has set a firm deadline of March 31, 2026, to make the country completely free of Naxalism.
According to the statement, this success is the result of a multi-pronged strategy implemented under the national policy and action plan, guided by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah. The approach combines precise, intelligence-led security operations with a concerted effort to strengthen security presence in previously un-secured areas.
The ministry's data for 2025 underscores the impact of these operations. A record 312 extremists have been killed in anti-Naxal campaigns so far this year, a figure that includes the General Secretary of the CPI (Maoist) and eight Politburo/Central Committee members.
Furthermore, 836 extremists have been arrested, and 1,639 have surrendered to join the mainstream, including one Politburo member and one Central Committee member.The government's strategy focuses on targeting the Naxal leadership, dismantling their overground networks, cutting off funding sources, and accelerating infrastructure development and public welfare schemes in affected regions.
This is complemented by stronger coordination between central and state agencies to expedite investigation and prosecution in Naxal-related cases.
The ministry noted that the influence of Naxalism, once described by a former Prime Minister in 2010 as India's biggest internal security challenge, is rapidly diminishing. The Naxalites' vision of a Red Corridor from Pashupati in Nepal to Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh has been effectively dismantled.
The number of districts reporting Naxal violence has plummeted from 126 in 2013 to just 18 by March 2025, with the core of the issue now concentrated in the three remaining high-impact districts.
Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
