Naxalism Confined to Three ‘Most Affected’ Districts
NEW DELHI – In a significant reduction of the Left-Wing Extremism (LWE) footprint, the number of districts most affected by Naxalism has been halved from six to just three, with the Modi government reiterating its firm commitment to completely eradicate the menace across the country by March 31, 2026.
According to a release by the Ministry of Home Affairs, only three districts in Chhattisgarh—Bijapur, Sukma, and Narayanpur—are now classified as the most affected by LWE. Furthermore, the total count of LWE-affected districts has also been sharply reduced from 18 to just 11. Historically, in 2013, 126 districts across various states reported Naxal-related violence, demonstrating the significant constriction of the LWE area, which was once planned to be a “Red Corridor” stretching from Nepal to Andhra Pradesh.
Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the guidance of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, the operational successes against Naxals have reportedly surpassed all previous records this year. The crackdown has resulted in the elimination of 312 LWE cadres, including the CPI (Maoist) General Secretary and eight other top leaders from the Polit Bureau and Central Committee.
Security forces have also arrested 836 LWE cadres, while 1,639 have surrendered and joined the national mainstream, including a Polit Bureau Member and a Central Committee Member.
The unprecedented success is attributed to the rigorous implementation of the multi-pronged National Action Plan and Policy, which combines precise intelligence-based and people-friendly counter-LWE operations with rapid infrastructural development, saturation of welfare schemes, and choking of Naxal financing. The strategy also includes the swift domination of areas with a security vacuum, along with enhanced coordination between the Central and State governments.
The government maintains that Naxalism, once deemed India’s “biggest internal security challenge” in 2010, is now visibly retreating, paving the way for a Naxal-free nation by the targeted date of March 31, 2026.
