Home Minister Amit Shah issues BIG statement on naxalism: ‘A significant transformation…’

Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

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Union Home Minister Amit Shah addressed the valedictory session of ‘Bharat Manthan-2025: Naxal Mukt Bharat – Ending Red Terror Under Modi’s Leadership’ in New Delhi on Sunday. HM Shah stated there was a time when the slogan of the Red Corridor, which stretched from Pashupatinath to Tirupati, caused concern, but today, people laugh when it is mentioned. According to the Ministry of Home Affairs’ release, Shah stated that a significant transformation has occurred during the 10-year tenure of the Modi government. He stated that Naxalism and armed rebellion began in the early 1970s. In 1971, independent India witnessed a peak of 3,620 violent incidents. Subsequently, in the 1980s, the People’s War Group expanded its reach to Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Bihar, and Kerala.

General What did Shah say on naxalism in India?

Shah said that after the 1980s, Left-wing groups started merging with each other, and in 2004, the major CPI (Maoist) group was formed, leading to Naxal violence taking a very serious form. He said that the corridor from Pashupati to Tirupati was known as the Red Corridor. Shah added that 17 percent of the country’s territory was encompassed by the Red Corridor, affecting a population of 120 million. At that time, 10 percent of the population was living under the scourge of Naxalism. Shah said that in comparison, the other two hotspots – Kashmir, with 1 percent of the country’s territory affected by terrorism, and the Northeast, with 3.3 percent of the territory grappling with unrest – were less extensive. He stressed that internal security and the protection of the nation’s borders have always been a core part of our ideology. He further said that three key objectives have been central to his party’s mission: internal and external security of the country, cultural nationalism, and the revival of all aspects of Indian culture.

General Shah pays tribute to those who lost lives

The union minister paid his respects to all those who sacrificed their lives, lost their loved ones, and endured physical and mental hardships due to Left-wing violence since the 1960s. He said that Naxalism thrived in West Bengal until the Left parties came to power, and as soon as they did, Naxalism disappeared from there. He said that for nearly four to five decades, thousands of people had lost their lives due to the unrest that emerged and spread in these three regions, there was significant property damage, a large portion of the country’s budget was diverted from the development of the poor to managing these hotspots, and security forces also suffered immense loss of life. He stated that upon becoming Prime Minister, Modi focused on these three hotspots and worked based on a clear, long-term strategy.

(With inputs from news agency ANI).

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