Victory of Tricolour over mountains of red terror

India nears a decisive victory against Naxal terror through military strength and strategic government action

- ALOK MEHTA NEW DELHI

The fight against terrorism from Pakistan may be prolonged and requires international cooperation. However, eliminating Maoist-Naxalite terror within the country has been an even greater challenge—one that depends on the determination of paramilitary forces, state police, and the central government. It now appears that the final, decisive phase of victory over the mountain of red terror has begun.

Over the past two decades, 6,258 people have lost their lives in Naxalite attacks. In nearly 20 years, 2,344 security personnel have died fighting the Naxalites—four times the number of Indian soldiers who died in the 1999 Kargil War. In fact, more armed personnel have died fighting Naxalites than in battles against terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir.

Naxal terror has affected nearly 80 million people across various states, primarily tribal populations. It spanned a "Red Corridor" across 10 states: Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Telangana, West Bengal, and Uttar Pradesh. When Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to power in 2014, 126 districts across these states were severely affected. By early 2025, this number had dropped to just 12—most of them in Bastar, with the rest in adjoining districts of Odisha, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, and Madhya Pradesh.

Over the past five years, Home Minister Amit Shah has prepared extensively for a Naxal-free India. Central funds have been generously allocated to paramilitary forces and state governments. A budget of Rs 870 crore was specifically designated to strengthen the fight against Maoists in Chhattisgarh. Although the pace of operations slowed temporarily when the Congress came to power in the state, the campaign regained momentum after the BJP's return. In the last three months alone, approximately 130 dangerous Naxalites have been killed in police encounters in Bastar.