Jagdalpur: While armed Naxalism had been eliminated from the country’s jungles, “dimaagi Naxals” continued to operate from within cities, political parties and organisations, attempting to turn people against India’s Constitution and democracy, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday.
The Prime Minister, who is spending Diwali with security personnel in Bastar, Chhattisgarh, called for these ideological Naxals to be identified, alleging that they had infiltrated political parties and various organisations and were still trying to incite people against the country’s democratic institutions.
“The Naxals have been eliminated from jungles, but ideological Naxals are still trying to incite people,” Prime Minister Modi said, referring to them as “dimaagi Naxals”.
These elements were active even after the armed Maoist threat had been brought under control.
“Even today, they are instigating people against the country’s Constitution and democracy. These ideological Naxals have infiltrated several political parties and various organisations. We must identify them,” he said.
Accusing previous governments of restricting the freedom of security forces to act against Naxalites, the Prime Minister claimed personnel had not been given a free hand to respond to attacks.
His government had given security forces complete freedom to take necessary decisions in the fight against Left-Wing Extremism, while also working to dismantle support for the movement from within the system, he said.
The government had broken the backbone of Maoist terror while maintaining sensitivity towards people living in Naxal-affected regions, PM Modi said.
Efforts had been made to transform their lives and bring them into the mainstream, he said.
Crediting people affected by Naxalism for standing with the government and security forces, the PM expressed gratitude to everyone who had contributed to the campaign against Left-Wing Extremism.
The country had witnessed a significant change in the security situation after 2014, he said, crediting the government’s political resolve and the courage of security forces.
“To take the country forward, we must confront and defeat the enemies of the nation with strong determination and a well-planned strategy. The political will that was lacking in the country to do this was strengthened in 2014,” the Prime Minister said, according to Doordarshan.
For a long time, more security personnel had been killed than Naxalites, but the situation had changed, he said.
“For the first time in 47 years, something remarkable happened: not a single CRPF jawan lost his life while on duty during the past year,” PM Modi said.
“This is a victory for the country’s right policies and strong determination. This is a victory for your valour, courage and restraint,” he added.
Citing figures from 2004 to 2013 to criticise previous governments for their handling of Naxalism, he alleged that they had treated the problem as an incurable disease.
“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,” the Prime Minister said.
He recalled the scale of violence in the region, saying that there had been as many as 2,000 Naxal attacks in a single year. He spoke of the 2010 Dantewada attacks, in which 76 CRPF personnel were killed in an encounter with Naxalites and of another incident in which 44 civilians lost their lives.
“This land was soaked in the blood of our brave soldiers. But not a single voice of anguish was heard from those influential leaders living in their palaces. Not a single tear was shed by them,” Prime Minister Modi said.
More than 1,000 security personnel had been killed in Chhattisgarh during the period, he claimed, adding that attacks had continued almost daily for decades.
“The Naxalites had even snatched away people’s right to cast their votes,” he said, describing the fight against Maoist violence as a difficult one.
The Prime Minister also visited the CoBRA Operations Base in Karanpur, which served as a training centre and launch pad for anti-Naxal operations in Bastar and Abujhmad.
He had come to Bastar on behalf of the country’s 140 crore people to acknowledge the sacrifices made by security personnel, he said.
“I have also come here on behalf of 140 crore countrymen to express our gratitude for your sacrifice, dedication and spirit of service,” he said.
The PM drew a link between internal and external security, saying that a strong internal security framework was essential to protect the country from external threats.
“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,” he said.
Comparing the role of security personnel deployed within the country with that of armed forces guarding the borders, he said both had made immense sacrifices for India’s unity and integrity.
“Crores of countrymen are proud of you. With this sense of gratitude and belonging, I extend my heartfelt Diwali greetings to all of you, wherever you are stationed and standing guard,” PM Modi added.
