Just 18 months left, 4,000 more soldiers reached Bastar so that Naxalites could be wiped out on time

New Delhi: The elimination of Naxalites from the country is certain. The dominance of Naxalites has ended in the long-running campaign, now it is time for the final attack. The Union Home Minister has also set its deadline – March 2026. The Modi government has decided that after March 2026, there will be no such thing as Naxalism in the country. This is the reason why the central security forces have geared up to meet this deadline. According to the plan, the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) has deployed additional 4,000 personnel in South Bastar of Chhattisgarh. This can be called the last bastion of left wing extremism.

Four more CRPF battalions reached Bastar

Four CRPF battalions were recently ordered to leave their stations in Jharkhand and Bihar to crack down on the last Maoist strongholds. Intelligence-based counter operations have been carried out here in the last few years and left-wing extremism has been tackled to a large extent. Now, 4,000 personnel from the troops that have achieved success in Jharkhand-Bihar have been sent to South Bastar, greatly increasing the strength of a large number of battalions fighting the Maoists there.

FOB also plays a role in eliminating Naxalites

Three battalions from Jharkhand have been brought to South Bastar while one battalion is arriving from Bihar. The CRPF has set up over 100 forward operating bases (FOBs) in places that were once Maoist strongholds and inaccessible to the administration. A CRPF source told our sister newspaper The Times of India (TOI) that 10 FOBs have been set up in South Bastar so far this year. Once the FOBs are set up, the administration moves forward to extend the benefits of government schemes to the surrounding villages.

Left wing extremism is on its last legs

This strategy is working. Local people have tasted the benefits of development and social sector. Due to this, they have started moving away from the influence of left wing extremists. During his/her recent visit to Raipur, Shah had declared March 2026 as the deadline to end Naxalism in the country. For this, he/she stressed the need for a ‘strong and ruthless’ action plan. In the first Parliament session of Modi Government 3.0, a question came up in the Lok Sabha on Naxalism. According to its reply from the Home Ministry, incidents of left wing violence in the country have reduced by 73% from the high level of 2010. Deaths among civilians and security forces have also reduced by 86% in 2023 compared to 2010.