PUSH TO END NAXALISM GAINS MOMENTUM UNDER HM SHAH

According to a former IPS officer who served in the Bastar region in the past, the push to eradicate Naxalism is happening at an unprecedented level.

- ABHINANDAN MISHRA

On Saturday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who is on a three-day visit to Chhattisgarh's capital Raipur, chaired a high-level meeting to assess the outcome of the anti-Naxal operations in the region and the way ahead.

The meeting saw the presence of the Chief Secretaries and Director Generals of Chhattisgarh and the neighbouring states of Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Jharkhand and Odisha, along with the top officials of the Union government. Officials aware of the developments said that the meeting is being held by Shah to take stock of his ambitious plan to ensure that Naxalism is wiped out from the country in the next two years.

To ensure this, Raipurbased officials told The Sunday Guardian that Shah has given a free hand and promised unlimited resources to both Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai and Deputy CM Vijay Sharma, with the only rider being that results need to be visible on the ground.

Chhattisgarh is often regarded as the epicentre of Naxalism in India because of its geographical, socio-economic, and historical factors that have allowed the insurgency to take root and flourish. After coming to power in Chhattisgarh, the Sai-led government, backed by the Ministry of Home Affairs, has significantly escalated the anti-Naxal operations that are being described as a pivotal moment in the longstanding struggle against Naxal insurgency.

This aggressive stance towards combating Naxalism has led to a series of encounters and heightened security measures in the region. In this year alone, security forces have reportedly killed 146 Naxals, the highest number recorded in a single year since the formation of Chhattisgarh in 2000. The majority of these encounters have occurred in the Bastar region, particularly in districts such as Bijapur, Kanker, and Narayanpur, which are known strongholds of Naxal activities.