Maoism will end in India by March 2026: Amit Shah
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday urged the Maoists to renounce violence, lay down their weapons, and surrender, announcing March 31, 2026, as the target to eliminate Maoism in India. While speaking to 55 victims of Maoist violence, Shah said, "Prime Minister Narendra Modi has decided that Naxal violence and ideology will be wiped out from the country...March 31, 2026, has been fixed...and I ensure that we will finish Naxalism before that."
Shah highlights security forces' success against Maoists
Shah also highlighted the significant progress made by security forces in their operations against Maoists. He noted that the issue is now limited to just four districts of Chhattisgarh. "Maoists once had planned to establish a corridor from Pashupatinath (Nepal) to Tirupati (Andhra Pradesh) but that was destroyed by the Narendra Modi-led Central government," he added.
Welfare scheme for Maoist violence-affected people
In addition to the security measures, Shah announced that the Union Home Ministry will soon develop a welfare scheme for those affected by Maoist violence in Chhattisgarh. This initiative will be undertaken in close collaboration with the state government. "We will help you in whatever way we can through our welfare measures in jobs, healthcare and other areas," he assured.
Intensified operations against Maoists
Notably, security forces have stepped up their operations against Left-Wing Extremism resulting in the deaths of 164 Maoists in anti-Naxal operations this year alone. Data from the South Asia Terrorism Portal (SATP) reveals that out of these, 142 were killed in Chhattisgarh during the first half of 2024. Approximately 90% of these Maoist deaths occurred in the Khairagarh-Chhuikhadan-Gandai district, which was established from Rajnandagaon in 2022 on the Maharashtra border.
