# In Bastar, PM calls this the first Diwali with every district free of Naxalism

URL: https://upsc.help/current-affairs/2026-11-08/pm-bastar-diwali-naxal-free/
Date: 8 November 2026 (2026-11-08)
Source: PIB, Government release
UPSC papers: GS3, GS2
Publisher: upsc.help (Pratidin), free and open-source UPSC Civil Services current affairs. Not affiliated with UPSC. Every fact was checked against the source reports by a separate review before publishing.

**In one line:** On Diwali 2026, the PM told security forces in Bastar that every district is now free of Naxalism, after the Home Ministry ended the 'LWE-affected' category in April 2026.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi spent Diwali, 8 November 2026, with security forces in the forests of Bastar, Chhattisgarh. According to the text of his speech released by PIB, he said this was the first Diwali when every district in the country is free of Naxalism. He recalled that at one time more than 230 districts in about 20 States were in its grip, and that 76 CRPF personnel were killed in an encounter with Naxalites in Dantewada in 2010. He said that in the past year, for the first time in 47 years, not a single CRPF jawan lost his life on duty.

The speech claimed that more than 15,000 km of roads and over 9,500 mobile towers were built in areas affected by Left Wing Extremism (LWE), and that nearly 175 Eklavya schools, about 50 ITIs and around 50 skill development centres were opened. He said surrendered Naxalites were given a chance and rehabilitation schemes were framed, and that Bastar now hosts the 'Bastar Olympics', where children play sport instead of carrying guns. The official background: the Centre's deadline to end LWE was 31 March 2026. After a review under the 2015 National Policy and Action Plan, the Home Ministry wrote to nine States on 8 April that no district now falls in the LWE-affected category, and discontinued that category.

The decline is large by any measure. DD News, citing official data, says LWE-affected districts fell from 126 in 2014 to 2 by early 2026, violent incidents from 870 in 2014 to 234 in 2025, and deaths from 310 to 100. Its figure for roads built since 2014 is 12,249 km, lower than the PM's 15,000 km, so the two counts may use different bases. The Home Ministry itself has not declared the job done: it placed 37 districts in a 'Legacy and Thrust' category, free of insurgency but needing sustained security and development to prevent a comeback, and kept West Singhbhum in Jharkhand as a 'District of Concern'. The test now is whether development and rights reach these areas fast enough to close the space the movement once used.

## Prelims facts

- The PM addressed security forces in Bastar, Chhattisgarh, on Diwali, 8 November 2026, calling it the first Diwali with every district free of Naxalism.
- He said over 230 districts in about 20 States were once affected, and that in the past year no CRPF jawan died on duty for the first time in 47 years.
- On 8 April 2026, the Home Ministry told nine States that no district remains in the LWE-affected category, after the 31 March 2026 deadline.
- The Home Ministry placed 37 districts in a 'Legacy and Thrust' category and West Singhbhum (Jharkhand) as a 'District of Concern'.
- The 2015 National Policy and Action Plan to Address LWE combines security operations with development and rights.

## Quick recall

- **Where did the PM spend Diwali 2026?** With security forces in the forests of Bastar, Chhattisgarh.
- **How many districts did the PM say were once in the grip of Naxalism?** More than 230 districts in about 20 States.
- **What was the Centre's deadline to end LWE?** 31 March 2026.
- **What did the Home Ministry tell nine States on 8 April 2026?** That no district now falls in the LWE-affected category; the category was discontinued.
- **Which is the only 'District of Concern'?** West Singhbhum in Jharkhand.
- **How many 'Legacy and Thrust' districts are there?** 37.
- **When and where did the Naxalite movement begin?** Naxalbari, West Bengal, in 1967.
- **What did the PM say about CRPF deaths in the past year?** For the first time in 47 years, no CRPF jawan lost his life on duty.

## Prelims practice question

With reference to the Home Ministry's classification of districts after the March 2026 review of Left Wing Extremism, consider the following statements:
1. The 'LWE-affected district' category has been discontinued.
2. A 'Legacy and Thrust' district is one that is free of insurgency but needs sustained security and development measures.
3. No district has been placed in the 'District of Concern' category.
Which of the statements given above are correct?

(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3

Answer: (a) 1 and 2 only. Statements 1 and 2 are correct as per the Home Ministry's 8 April 2026 communication. Statement 3 is wrong: West Singhbhum in Jharkhand was placed in the 'District of Concern' category.

## UPSC previous-year questions this connects to

- UPSC Mains 2022, GS3: Naxalism is a social, economic and developmental issue manifesting as a violent internal security threat. In this context, discuss the emerging issues and suggest a multilayered strategy to tackle the menace of Naxalism. (https://upsc.help/pyq/q371-naxalism-social-economic-developmental-issue-manifesting-violent/)
  How to use this story in the answer: Show that the strategy that ended LWE combined security, development and rehabilitation, and that the emerging issue is now preventing resurgence.
- UPSC Mains 2018, GS3: Left-wing extremism (LWE) is showing a downward trend but still affects many parts of the country. Briefly explain the Government of India's approach to counter the challenges posed by LWE. (https://upsc.help/pyq/q372-left-wing-extremism-lwe-showing-downward-trend-but/)
  How to use this story in the answer: Describe the 2015 policy's two tracks and give the 2026 outcome as evidence of the downward trend reaching its end point.
- UPSC Mains 2025, GS1: Does tribal development in India centre around two axes, those of displacement and of rehabilitation? Give your opinion. (https://upsc.help/pyq/q291-does-tribal-development-india-centre-around-two/)

## Mains practice question

India has declared that no district now falls in the 'LWE-affected' category. Examine the combination of security and development measures behind the decline of Left Wing Extremism, and suggest what must be done to prevent its resurgence. (250 words)

### Model answer

Naxalism began at Naxalbari in 1967 and at its peak gripped more than 230 districts in about 20 States. After a review following the 31 March 2026 deadline, the Home Ministry said on 8 April 2026 that no district remains in the LWE-affected category.

## Security measures
- The 2015 National Policy and Action Plan gave one framework for security, development and rights.
- CAPF camps, fortified police stations and CoBRA units carried operations deep into core areas such as Bastar; funding networks were targeted.
- Casualties fell: violent incidents dropped from 870 (2014) to 234 (2025), and no CRPF jawan died on duty in the past year for the first time in 47 years.

## Development measures
- Over 15,000 km of roads and over 9,500 mobile towers, by the PM's count, opened up isolated areas.
- Nearly 175 Eklavya schools, about 50 ITIs and around 50 skill centres gave youth alternatives.
- Surrender and rehabilitation schemes offered cadres a way out.

## Risks of resurgence
- The Home Ministry still lists 37 'Legacy and Thrust' districts and one 'District of Concern' (West Singhbhum).
- The root causes, land alienation, displacement and weak governance in tribal areas, need lasting fixes.

## Way forward
- Keep security presence while shifting to civil policing and local recruitment.
- Implement PESA and Forest Rights Act fully, so Gram Sabhas control resources.
- Track schools, health centres and livelihoods in the 38 listed districts, and integrate surrendered cadres.

Security cleared the ground; only governance and rights can keep it clear.

## The basics

## Why this matters
Left Wing Extremism (LWE) was for decades called India's gravest internal security threat. GS3 asks about the link between development and extremism, and about the role of security forces. The PM's claim of a Naxal-free Diwali, and the Home Ministry's April 2026 reclassification, give you the end point of that story and the risks that remain.

## Where the movement came from
LWE, also called Naxalism or Maoism, is an armed movement that seeks to overthrow the state through 'people's war'. It is named after Naxalbari and the CPI (Maoist), the West Bengal village where an uprising began in 1967. It spread through forested, mineral-rich tribal belts where the state was thin.

## Two tracks: security and development
The National Policy and Action Plan on LWE (2015) put security operations and development on the same plan. Security forces such as the CRPF's CoBRA (Commando Battalion for Resolute Action) units cleared core areas, while roads, mobile towers and schools followed.

## The numbers

## Not over yet
The Home Ministry replaced the old label with two new ones. Legacy and Thrust districts are free of insurgency but still need support; one district, West Singhbhum, is a 'District of Concern'. The development side, explained in Development as counter-insurgency, is what decides whether the gains last. In Mains, argue that security forces win territory, but rights, land and local governance keep it.

## Sources

- https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2334109
- https://www.deccanherald.com/india/no-naxal-violence-hit-districts-in-india-anymore-home-ministry-to-state-govts-3968885
- https://ddnews.gov.in/en/naxal-free-india-how-a-12-year-integrated-strategy-ended-left-wing-extremism-in-the-country/