New Delhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday expressed strong confidence that India will be free from violent Naxalism by next year, setting a clear deadline of March 31, 2026, for the eradication of the decades-old insurgency.
Speaking at the ‘Naxal Mukt Bharat’ session, Shah said the government has pursued a “clear vision and strategy” to end Left-Wing Extremism. “We are confident that by March 31, 2026, violent Naxalism will be eradicated,” he declared.
The Home Minister underlined that national security has remained the top priority since 2014. He highlighted three focus areas — Jammu and Kashmir, the Northeast, and the so-called “Vampanthi Corridor” affected by Maoist violence.
Shah credited the government with reducing alienation in the Northeast and recalled the 2019 abrogation of Article 370 as a turning point in Jammu and Kashmir’s development and integration. He also pointed to the record voter turnout in the 2024 general elections as evidence of growing public trust in democracy.
Responding to reports of a ceasefire offer by the banned CPI (Maoist), Shah ruled out any truce, insisting that insurgents must surrender unconditionally.
“A letter was circulating saying they want a ceasefire because they wish to surrender. There will be no ceasefire. If they want to surrender, lay down your weapons — the police will not fire a single shot,” he said.
The letter and an accompanying voice note by Maoist spokesperson Mallujola Venugopal alias Abhay announced a unilateral suspension of armed struggle and willingness to hold talks with the government. State authorities, however, said rebels must first prove sincerity by removing planted IEDs.
The developments come amid a string of setbacks for Maoist forces. Earlier this year, 31 insurgents were killed in a major encounter in Chhattisgarh, and CPI (Maoist) general secretary Nambala Keshava Rao alias Basavaraju was gunned down along with over 25 fighters.
More recently, a Jharkhand Maoist leader with a ₹1 crore bounty was killed, and security forces dismantled long-standing networks in Gadchiroli. Pothula Padmavathi alias Sujatha — a senior Central Committee member and wife of slain politburo leader Kishenji — surrendered after over 40 years underground.
With intensified operations and continued surrenders, the government says its goal of a Naxal-free India is within reach.
