Kumar Bahukhandi
Union Home Minister Amit Shah has vowed to end Naxalism by April, 2026. (Photo: AP)
This comes a day after 27 Maoists, including 10 women, surrendered to security forces in Chhattisgarh’s Sukma district. Also, 61 Maoists surrendered in Maharashtra’s Gadhchiroli district.
New Delhi : Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday October 16, 2025 declared Abujhmarh hilly forest area in Chhattisgarh’s North Bastar Naxal-free after 170 Maoists surrendered. Welcoming the surrendering Maoists, who joined the mainstream, Shah applauded their decision to renounce violence and have faith in the Constitution of India.
The development comes a day after 27 Maoists, including 10 women, surrendered to security forces in Chhattisgarh’s Sukma district. The group also included two hardcore cadres from the feared People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA) Battalion-01, one of the most dangerous units of the insurgency network.
Let us tell you that on Wednesday october 15, 2025 , Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced that Senior Maoist leader and CPI (Maoist) politburo member Mallojula Venugopal Rao, also known as Bhupathi or Sonu, surrendered along with 60 other cadres in Gadchiroli.
“Today, 170 Naxalites have surrendered in Chhattisgarh. Yesterday, 27 had laid down their arms in the state. In Maharashtra, 61 returned to the mainstream, yesterday. In total, 258 battle-hardened left-wing extremists have abjured violence in the last two days,” Shah wrote on X.
“I applaud their decision to renounce violence, reposing their trust in the Constitution of India. It attests to the fact that Naxalism is breathing its last due to the relentless efforts of the PM@NarendraModi-led government to end the menace,” he added.
Notably, the Union Home Minister has vowed to deliver the death knell to Naxalim in India by March 31, 2026.
The home ministry announced on Wednesday October 14, 2025 that the number of districts severely affected by Naxalism has been reduced from six to three. This achievement comes as a result of the government’s comprehensive strategy under the National Action Plan and Policy to curb Left Wing Extremism (LWE).
According to the ministry’s statement, only Bijapur, Sukma, and Narayanpur districts in Chhattisgarh now remain among the most impacted by LWE activities.
“Our policy is clear: those who want to surrender are welcome, and those who continue to wield the gun will meet the wrath of our forces. I appeal again to those who are still on the path of Naxalism to lay down their weapons and join the mainstream. We are committed to uprooting Naxalism before 31st March 2026,” the home minister’s tweet read further.
The home ministry earlier noted that the number of LWE-affected districts has been reduced from 18 to 11, marking another significant step in weakening the Naxal network.
The 11 districts still impacted by LWE activities—of which three are categorised as the most affected—include Bijapur, Dantewada, Gariyaband, Kanker, Mohla-Manpur-Ambagarh Chowki, Narayanpur, and Sukma in Chhattisgarh; West Singhbhum in Jharkhand; Balaghat in Madhya Pradesh; Gadchiroli in Maharashtra; and Kandhamal in Odisha.
According to official data, before today, 836 LWE operatives have been arrested, while 1,639 have surrendered and returned to the mainstream. Among those who laid down arms are a Politburo member and a Central Committee member of the CPI (Maoist).
The ministry emphasised that under the Modi government, “unprecedented success” has been achieved in tackling the Naxal threat through effective implementation of the National Action Plan and Policy.
This strategy employs a comprehensive, multi-dimensional approach, combining precise intelligence-driven operations with community-friendly initiatives to curb extremism at its roots.
(Source – PTI)
