Prime Minister Narendra Modi celebrated Diwali at the CoBRA Operations Base in Bastar, Chhattisgarh, honoring security personnel for their sacrifices in securing the region against Naxalism and fostering new development and peace.
PM Modi Celebrates Diwali With Security Personnel in Bastar
Celebrating Diwali with security personnel in Chhattisgarh’s Bastar on Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighted the region’s transformation from a Naxal stronghold to a land now celebrating freely, asserting that strong internal security is significant for border defence.
PM Modi visited the CoBRA Operations Base in Karanpur. The base served as a training centre and launch pad for anti-Naxal operations in Bastar and Abujhmad. Drawing a parallel to national defence, he emphasised that the security personnel maintaining internal security are just as vital as those guarding the borders.
Addressing the Gathering and Honoring Sacrifice
Adressing the gathering, PM Modi said Bastar is an area where Naxalism once held sway and where development is now flourishing. “I have also come here on behalf of 140 crore countrymen to express our gratitude for your sacrifice, dedication and spirit of service. When a nation’s internal security is strong, external enemies cannot succeed. However, when internal security is weakened, external enemies also begin to raise their heads. Therefore, the role played by our armed forces at the borders is the same role that all of you security personnel play within the country. You have made countless sacrifices for the unity and integrity of the nation. You have made immense personal sacrifices,” said the PM, extending Diwali greetings to personnel “wherever you are stationed and standing guard.”
Reflecting on Past Challenges
Recalling the scale of the violence in the region, PM Modi said Naxalites had even snatched away people’s right to vote, with as many as 2,000 attacks in a single year. “In 2010, during an encounter with Naxalites in nearby Dantewada, 76 of our CRPF personnel were martyred. In another incident in Dantewada in the same year, 44 innocent civilians were killed. This land was soaked in the blood of our brave soldiers,” he said.
Lashing out at earlier governments, PM Modi criticised their handling of Naxalism in the region He said that “not a single voice of anguish was heard from those influential leaders living in their palaces.” “If you look at the figures from 2004 to 2013, you will find that every year, the number of our brave soldiers martyred was higher than the number of Naxalites killed. Unfortunately, the governments of that time treated Naxalism as an incurable disease and left it unaddressed…No country can function with an approach that simply accepts that things will continue this way in the face of its enemies,” he said.
The Path to Development
The CRPF has been at the forefront of uprooting Naxalism in the Bastar region. Naxalism had long been a major obstacle to development, particularly in Bastar. With peace and security now being strengthened, development activities in education, healthcare, roads, electricity, communication, tourism and employment will gain fresh momentum.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah has been at the forefront of ensuring the end of Naxalism. According to Shah, the government’s policy is clear: those who abandon violence and surrender are allowed to rejoin mainstream society, while security forces act against those who break the law and endanger innocent citizens. Many people have surrendered and chosen to return to the mainstream during the campaign.
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