Latest news with #Naxalism
Mint
an hour ago
- Politics
- Mint
PM Modi's convoy makes way for ambulance during roadshow in Odisha
The motorcade of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday gave way to an ambulance during his road show in Bhubaneswar. A video showed the convoy slowing down to allow the ambulance to overtake as people lined up on the road to catch a glimpse of the Prime Minister. PM Modi was going to Janata Maidan to attend the first anniversary celebration of the BJP government in Odisha in a roadshow from the Biju Patnaik International Airport in Bhubaneswar amid tight security. Thousands of people were standing on both sides of the road to greet him. When the PM's carcade came near the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar, an ambulance came on the same route and as the emergency vehicle was carrying a patient to the hospital, the PM's convoy made way for it. It is not the first time that the PM had stopped his cavalcade to facilitate the movement of an ambulance. During a visit to Himachal Pradesh in November 2022, the PM had stopped his convoy to make way for an ambulance to pass in Chambi. In September 2022, PM Modi's convoy had may for an ambulance in Ahmedabad during his Gujarat visit. The car trails stopped in alignment on side of the road for an easy passage of the ambulance as the convoy was on its way to Gandhinagar from Ahmedabad. Once the hospital wagon crossed the path, the security vehicles were seen joining the formation followed by PM Modi's car. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday launched a scathing attack on the Congress, accusing it of deliberately keeping tribal communities underdeveloped and branding their regions as "red corridor" for political gains. Addressing a public meeting to mark the first anniversary of Odisha's BJP government, Modi said the saffron party has fulfilled the long-awaited demands of the people as the four gates of Puri Jagannath temple and its 'Ratna Bhandar' (treasury) have been reopened. "The party which ruled India for decades had neglected the tribal community and used them merely for political benefits," he said in an apparent reference to the Congress. He alleged that tribal-dominated regions were "intentionally left backward" during the previous regimes. "Over 125 tribal-dominated districts in the country were affected by Maoists for years. These areas were given a bad name like 'red corridor'. Most of these districts were declared backward, and the then governments did not take the responsibility to develop them," Modi said. On the other hand, Modi said that his government since some years has freed the tribal society from violence and showed them the path to development. "The BJP government took stern action against those spreading violence and at the same time ensured uninterrupted development in tribal areas," he said, adding that it has given dividends for which the Naxal violence is grossly contained. "The Naxal violence is now confined to 20 districts in the country. The pace at which the actions are being taken against the Naxalites, the tribal community will soon get rid of violence. Naxalism will be eradicated from the country and this is Modi's guarantee," the Prime Minister said, adding that the BJP government's priority is to fulfil the dreams of tribals, ease their lives and giving them new opportunities in life.
United News of India
2 hours ago
- Politics
- United News of India
Wave of development has reduced Naxal menace to less than 20 districts: PM
Bhubaneswar, June 20 (UNI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday asserted that Naxalism will soon be completely eradicated from the country, crediting his government's developmental push in tribal areas for the decline in extremist violence. Addressing a gathering on the occasion of the BJP government's first anniversary in Odisha, the Prime Minister said that before 2014, more than 125 tribal-majority districts across India were impacted by Naxalite violence. He pointed out that these tribal regions were long unfairly labeled as part of the 'Red Corridor' and had been neglected by previous governments, which declared them backward and left them behind. 'In the last few years, our government has worked to bring tribal communities out of a climate of violence and onto a path of development,' Modi said. 'We have taken strict action against those who spread violence, and simultaneously, launched a new wave of development in these areas.' As a result, he stated, the influence of Naxalism has now been reduced to fewer than 20 districts across the country. Expressing confidence, Modi said that with the current pace of development and enforcement, tribal areas will soon be entirely free from the shadow of violence. 'This is Modi's guarantee,' he declared. The Prime Minister emphasised that empowering tribal communities, fulfilling their aspirations, and easing their hardships remains a top priority for his government. He highlighted that for the first time, two major national schemes have been launched specifically for tribal development, with a combined outlay exceeding Rs1 lakh crore. Modi elaborated on the first initiative — Dharati Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan, under which development work is on in more than 60,000 tribal villages across India. "In Odisha too," he noted, "we are building houses for tribal families, constructing roads, and providing electricity and clean drinking water." Discussing the second major scheme, PM Janman Yojana, the Prime Minister said the inspiration for the initiative came from Odisha itself, and acknowledged the guidance of the country's first tribal woman President, Droupadi Murmu, in shaping the program. He said the scheme focuses on supporting Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs), and that development work worth hundreds of crores is currently being carried out in remote tribal hamlets under this scheme. UNI DP SSP
United News of India
4 hours ago
- Politics
- United News of India
Naxalism will be completely wiped out from the Country: PM Modi
Bhubaneswar, June 20 (UNI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday asserted that Naxalism will be completely eradicated from the country, emphasizing that "this is Modi's guarantee." Addressing the first anniversary celebration of the BJP government in Odisha, the Prime Minister said that at one point, Naxal violence had spread across more than 100 districts in the country, forming what was known as the "Red Corridor." He stated that it was the BJP government that took strong and decisive action against the Naxal insurgents, whose violent activities were obstructing development in tribal regions. Modi noted that the BJP-led government prioritized the development of tribal areas and successfully gained the trust of the tribal population. As a result, Naxal-related violence has significantly declined and is now limited to only 20 districts nationwide. The Prime Minister firmly reiterated that Naxalism will be completely rooted out from the country, adding, "This is Modi's guarantee." UNI DP GNK
The Print
12 hours ago
- Politics
- The Print
A ‘ruthless approach' is fine for terrorists. For Maoists, it must be tempered with empathy
It was a deadly blow. Basavaraju was an aggressive military commander who led some of the most audacious and daring campaigns. Earlier, in Operation Black Forest on the Chhattisgarh-Telangana border during April and May, 31 Maoists were liquidated. More recently, Gautam alias Sudhakar , a central committee member, was killed in Bijapur district on 5 June. The security forces are delivering one punch after another in quick succession. The knock-out should only be a question of time. Last month, on 21 May, the CPI (Maoist) lost its top leader, Nambala Keshava Rao alias Basavaraju , in an encounter in the Abujhmad area of Narayanpur district, Chhattisgarh. Basavaraju, who had succeeded Ganapathy as general secretary in 2018, was killed along with 26 other Maoists in the engagement. The Maoist movement in India, which was at one stage described as the gravest threat to the country's internal security, is today gasping for breath. Home Minister Amit Shah plans to bury it by March 2026, and the security forces are going hammer and tongs to achieve the target. However, though the Maoist movement may be vanquished, Naxalism may not be stamped out. Also Read: Maoism became irrelevant to India's working class much before Basavaraju's death No second chance Incidents of violence by left-wing extremism have fallen sharply from 1,936 in 2010 to 374 in 2024, a dip of 81 per cent, according to the Ministry of Home Affairs. The total number of deaths, including civilians and security forces, has come down from 1,005 in 2010 to 150 in 2024—down by 85 per cent. The total number of districts affected by Maoist violence has shrunk from 223 in 2010 to just 38 presently. The success of the security forces' operations is to be attributed to a combination of factors: aggressive campaigns that included establishing forward operating bases in areas so far dominated by the Maoists; development marked by constructing roads, erecting mobile towers, and opening post office and bank branches; choking the supply of funds to the Maoists; and tech-driven intelligence operations using drones and satellites. Other contributing factors include raising forces like the District Reserve Guard (DRG), comprising mostly surrendered Maoists, and the Bastar Fighters, which recruited villagers from remote areas; a generous surrender and rehabilitation policy; and better inter-state and Centre-state coordination. Expectedly, certain sections are critical of the government's aggressive operations. The former chief minister of Telangana, K Chandrashekar Rao, has accused the Centre of 'massacring youth and tribals', and said that 'just because you have power, you cannot go on a killing spree'. Revanth Reddy, the present CM of the state, also purportedly said that Adivasis are being murdered. The leaders of five Left parties—the CPI, CPI (M), CPI (ML)-Liberation, RSP and AIFB—recently wrote a letter to the Prime Minister, urging the government 'to put an immediate halt to the extra-judicial killings'. The Maoists, meanwhile, have been sending desperate peace feelers. A politburo member, Abhay aka Venugopal Rao, in a letter released on 2 April, said that the Maoists would cease fire and come for peace talks if the security forces stopped setting up camps and ceased their operations. Another letter, released on 17 April in the name of Rupesh, a CPI (Maoist) spokesman in Chhattisgarh, announced that the Maoists were agreeable to ceasefire for at least a month. Yet another letter from Rupesh on 25 April appealed to the central government to stop the operations for a month, after which the Maoists would hold peace talks in a favourable environment. The Chhattisgarh government has rejected the calls for truce and dialogue. At the Home Ministry level, the thinking appears to be that in the past, whenever peace talks were held, there was no productive outcome and the Maoists, in fact, utilised the peace period to augment their strength and propagate their ideology. It is not untrue. However, one has to remember that when talks were held in Hyderabad in 2004, the extremists were negotiating from a position of strength. Today, they are in dire straits and are facing an existential crisis. The choice before them is between life and death. That being so, it would have been magnanimous on the part of the government to declare a unilateral ceasefire, give one last chance to the Maoists to come overground, hold parleys with official representatives, and join the mainstream. Even if the gesture was only partially successful, it would still avoid a lot of bloodshed. The remnants could always be taken care of by the security forces. Such an approach would have been appreciated by the people in general, and not many tears would then be shed for the intransigent hard core. A need for strategic empathy A disturbing feature of government policy is its 'ruthless approach' to the Maoist insurgency. It is fine to talk of a ruthless approach when you are dealing with terrorists. However, when you are dealing with your own people, strictness must be tempered with empathy. The majority of Maoist foot soldiers are simple tribals who joined the movement, rightly or wrongly, because they had a grievance—real or perceived. Maybe their land was taken away, maybe they were harassed by the forest officer, maybe the police were harsh with them. Marxism-Leninism meant nothing to them. Such persons deserve a chance, and it could have been given to them. Government thinking is rather simplistic: kill the Maoists and the Maoist problem will be solved. Another disconcerting feature is the fixing of a target date to finish the Maoist movement. The objective is laudable, but its achievement could have serious implications. It is fine when you fix a target date for completing a development project like building a highway, raising a dam, or setting up a factory. However, when you are dealing with an insurgency, fixing a target date may lead to some kind of competition among the police forces as to who kills more insurgents and, in the process, some elements may employ extra-judicial methods. Fortunately, there has been no serious complaint so far except general allegations, but the possibility can never be ruled out. It would have been better if the forces were asked to go all out against the insurgents and then wait for the liquidation of the Maoist movement in the normal course. There is yet another danger. The Maoists, just to demonstrate that they are still a force to reckon with, may, in sheer desperation, commit needless acts of violence. On 8 May, the Maoists killed three junior commandos of Greyhounds, an elite anti-Naxal force of Telangana, in a landmine explosion in Mulugu district near the Chhattisgarh border. In another incident, on 9 June, an Additional SP, Akash Rao, was killed and two others were injured in an IED blast in Sukma district of Chhattisgarh. The government will nevertheless, in all likelihood, be able to defeat the Maoist insurgency. The strength of the People's Liberation Guerrilla Army has reportedly been reduced to a meagre 300. Most of the politburo and central committee members have either been arrested or killed; the former has only four members left and the strength of the latter has shrunk to a mere 14. There was always a basic flaw in giving a Maoist orientation to the extremist movement, rather than drawing from the country's own civilisational ethos. A movement that declared, 'China's chairman is our chairman, China's path is our path', was doomed to fail in the long run.' Also Read: Born out of 'desperation', DRG is first line against Maoists in Bastar. Tech is giving them an edge Embers will remain Will the government be able to write the obituary of left-wing extremism in the country? Its record in reducing extreme poverty has been commendable. World Bank data shows it declined from 27.1 per cent in 2011-12 to 5.3 per cent in 2022-23, implying that the number of people living in extreme poverty fell from 344.47 million to 75.24 million. Unequal distribution of wealth, however, continues to be a problem. The World Inequality Database shows income inequality rising from a Gini coefficient of 52 in 2004 to 62 in 2023 (a higher Gini coefficient indicates greater inequality, while a lower value suggests a more equal distribution). It is also significant that, as areas affected by Maoist violence are being cleared by the security forces, industries are moving in to exploit the virgin forests. In Gadchiroli district of Maharashtra, for example, the government has given environmental clearance to Lloyds Metals and Energy Ltd. to more than double iron ore output at its Surjagarh mine. Deforestation, which results in the displacement of tribals and contributes to their alienation, continues unabated. India lost 17,700 hectares of primary forest in 2023 and another 18,200 hectares in 2024. There is a genuine apprehension that Mao-vadis may gradually be replaced by MOU-vadis. It would seem that while the security forces are doing the job assigned to them, there is no corresponding attempt to address some of the pressing socio-economic issues that contributed to the emergence and countrywide spread of the Naxal problem. That being so, it seems that while the fire would be extinguished, the embers would remain. The CPI (Maoist) politburo may be decimated, its central committee may be disintegrated, the People's Liberation Guerrilla Army may be vanquished, the party cadres may all be killed, but the idea of Naxalbari would, in all probability, survive—to the extent it represented a protest of the poorer, deprived, and marginalised sections of society against political insensitivity, social discrimination, and economic exploitation. The writer, a former Police Chief, is author of The Naxalite Movement in India. Views are personal. (Edited by Asavari Singh)
Time of India
a day ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Amit Shah on Pahalgam attack, Manipur crisis, China threat and Modi's governance philosophy
Union Home Minister Amit Shah , in an interview marking 11 years of the Modi government, spoke to Rahul Tripathi and Pranab Dhal Samanta on a range of issues — from the Pahalgam attack and the broader security situation to India's growth prospects and Modi's governance approach. Excerpts: What are your thoughts on the Pahalgam attacks and its impact on normalcy in J&K? Our policy of zero-tolerance against terrorism is intact. What we have tried to do as a government is to address the root causes, be it in Kashmir, Naxal areas or the Northeast. For instance, 12 agreements have been signed in the Northeast. To tackle Naxalism, there's no option but to strike those with weapons. But, even today, the number of those who have surrendered is higher than those killed. We brought a lucrative surrender policy. Similarly, we went to the root causes in Kashmir. Firstly, no one can deny the provocation from Pakistan, role of the ISI and the Pakistan Army. This is a known fact. But why did the Kashmiri youth pick up weapons. We went into that question deeply. It emerged that the maximum number of youth armed themselves after the elections conducted by Indira Gandhi ji. Next, due to Article 370, a theory kept evolving that we are special and that we can even get independence. We closed that chapter of Article 370 and then peaceful elections ensued, followed by panchayat elections. The earlier hold of a few political families was broken and some 19,000 youth became sarpanch, zila adhyaksh, MLAs etc. So, a democratic process began. Plus, Kashmir has witnessed unprecedented development work since 2014. We achieved 100% saturation in all welfare schemes. Electricity shortage is almost over. Most villages are now connected. Many infrastructure projects like the Chenab bridge have taken off. All this also encouraged tourism. The Pahalgam attack is a temporary setback to tourism. I am confident that within a year or two, things will be back to normal. What is the role of foreign terrorists and the extent of local participation? In the past one and a half years, not a single Kashmiri youth has picked up weapons. This is an agreed figure among all Intelligence agencies. There has not been a single incident of stone pelting in the past three years. Also, there's not been a single funeral procession of a terrorist for the past four years. So, they are sending foreign terrorists. We have sent them a strong signal thrice already –– through a surgical strike, air strike and this time, we have gone deep inside Pakistan territory to hit them. And Modi ji has clearly said that Operation Sindoor is not over yet. Does the new normal mean, India can get to wage war any time? This is not the right interpretation. New normal means that what kind of activity or attack they do here, they will get a strong and disproportionate response from us. This is now the Indian government's policy. Live Events How many foreign terrorists are there in J&K? It's very difficult to give an accurate figure of foreign terrorists because an assessment is yet to be made on how many got in during the melee and fight of Operation Sindoor. As for the whereabouts of particular terrorists, our fight is not against some specific terrorists, but all of them. Many killed in Operation Sindoor, for instance, were involved in the Mumbai attacks. This is anot fight against X or Y terrorist. This is a fight against terrorism, which includes every terrorist. Has the delayed census not affected economic panning? Nowadays there are many surveys done for planning. There was a time in the days of the British when census was the sole survey for economic planning. Not today. Plus, there's constant updation of the voters' list. On the basis of all this, new districts etc are made. Our government believes in timely conduct of census and it will be done by 2027. How will you enumerate caste? This is no rocket science. Already, every individual's religion is asked. Now, caste will also be asked. What plans are afoot after the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty? We have five projects that we will start soon. We will link the waters of Indus and Chenab with Beas and take it to no need to make reservoir dams. Actually, the mountainous terrain is not conducive for making big reservoirs. The best option is to first saturate the usage in J&K and then divert the excess water to Beas. For that, all we have to do is build a 160 km canal to link the rivers. Will this also bring water to Delhi? If it goes to Ganganagar, it will go via Delhi. India is among the fastest growing economies but still short of 8% growth. Your thoughts. In today's world, our growth cannot be very different from the global rates of growth. We will be in competition with the top-10 economies of the world, so growth rates will be in that range. Every economy experienced low growth after the pandemic. But not only did India maintain its growth, we have been the fastest growing economy for the past 7-8 years. When the calculation of 8% was made, it was in the context of the global economic performance then. Now, we are the fourth-largest economy in the world, aiming to become the third-largest. So, this speed can only be compared with the GDP of other countries. While FDI flows have increased, there's also been significant exit. Your views. We cannot be conservative on this front. Much of the outward movement is related with investment by Indian companies overseas. So, should Indian companies not become global? Let's not create a negative environment. With India emerging as a manufacturing destination, investment is moving with facilities of Indian companies located in India and elsewhere. We should, therefore, applaud the expansion of Indian companies. Since 2014, India has attracted $749 billion FDI, which is a143% increase when compared to $308 billion between 2003 and 2014. Forex reserves have doubled, rising to $654 billion from $309 billion . Your views on local currency trade in the light of Donald Trump's position. He may have issues but remember, no country can progress without hurdles. Ifeel trade in local currencies is today a requirement for many countries doing business with each other. While India is ranked high on GDP, criticism is it's still low on per capita income. How can someone make such wild allegations when in the last 11 years India has become the 4th largest economy from the 10th, rising from a size of $2.03 trillion to $ 4.19 trillion; when capital expenditure has risen from `. 1.9 lakh crore to `. 10.46 crore, when per capita income has risen from `. 68,572 to `. 133,488; when the growth of FDI inflow has been a phenomenal 143%, from $308 billion to $749 billion; when the average rate of inflation has reduced from 10.1% to 4.6%; electronics exports have jumped from $7.6 billion to $38.6 billion; when multi-dimensional poverty has reduced from 29.7% to 11.6%; when forex reserves double from $309 billion to $654 billion; when the speed at which highways are built has increased from 12 km to 21.3 km per day, when the number of airports has more than doubled from 74 to 162; when metro rail has increased from 248 km to 1000 km. Those who look at things from a Leftist and narrow perspective will always find ways to puncture India's growth story. In the banking sector, when the Modi government assumed charge, the NPA of banks was in two digits, but now it has reduced to 2.3%. As many as 55 crore new bank accounts have been opened in the last 11 years under the initiative made for financial inclusion. The total deposit held by these accounts is `. 2.61 lakh crore, and 56%, and 67% of these accounts are in the rural and semi-urban areas in which 55 ministries have transferred `. 44 lakh crore through DBT under 439 schemes. As many as 37 crore RuPay cards have been distributed. India's digital transactions now account for almost 50% of the total digital transactions. Under PM Modi, India's banking reforms & financial inclusion of the poor are a model for the world to study. And the low ranking in Human Development Index? That's because of the Congress legacy. They left 70 crore people in poverty. We have lifted 25 crore of them out. What is the situation in Manipur? We are trying to get both sides to talk. Look, whenever there's been ethnic violence, it takes time for things to mend. But I believe that from a law and order perspective, the situation has greatly improved. Will Vikas or caste be the main issue in the Bihar polls? What becomes an election issue is always a people's call. But I believe vikas (development) is a big issue for the people of Bihar. Who is NDA's CM candidate? Only time will decide who will be the Bihar. But what is clear is that we will fight this election with Nitish Kumar as chief minister. Eleven years at the Centre, 14 years in Gujarat. What's your take on the Modi governance model? The biggest feature of Modi ji's governance approach is that all schemes and plans are inspired from the ground, not imaginary. Next, instead of trying to carve out big new plans, he believes in first plugging gaps so that whatever has been done till now is better optimised. For instance, if you were making 20,000 homes till now, you now make 3.65 crore and we will increase by 3 crore homes. As a result, the problem of housing is solved. Likewise, by achieving 13 crore gas connections, the entire problem gets solved. The same is happening with drinking water and health. So, instead of solving issues in bits and pieces, to go for a final solution with complete is a big shift under Modi. How do you see your government's track record on reforms? For easing investment, we have decriminalised over 3,400 laws, brought in a framework of policy continuity. We have created a healthy competition among states on manufacturing. Since 2014, we have reformed the taxation system, brought in faceless scrutiny. Simple slabs (5%-30%) without deductions have been introduced. Corporate taxes have been cut from 30% to 22%, it's just 15% for new manufacturing companies. Incentives worth Rs 1.46 lakh crore have been given in 14 sectors through PLI schemes. How do you address regional disparity in growth? You can't say this now. The Narendra Modi government has worked hard since 2014 to ensure the fruits of growth are spread evenly. Who could have imagined a `. 27,000-crore investment for a semiconductor plant in Assam. I head the Northeast Council and let me tell you the ground is ready for investment and growth. Remember, as a land mass, the Northeast is bigger than Uttar Pradesh. Has GST helped? The role of GST is providing symmetric development is an area which gets very little attention. Earlier, say a good was being manufactured in Gujarat and sold in Kolkata. The 12-16% transport cost was compensated by the high sales tax rates. Now, because of a common rate, the transport cost is extra, which is forcing business to invest in manufacturing locally. States like West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha and others which were lagging in manufacturing are now benefiting. The earlier picture where only a few western states and Tamil Nadu were able to attract investment for manufacturing is undergoing a change because of GST. So, a businessman from Gujarat is now investing in UP or someone from Maharashtra is going to the Northeast. Many companies have expanded into these states. This is a big change. What's the roadmap for GST reforms? GST has made a big change in India's sales tax regime. Some 16 different taxes and cess have been collapsed into one tax. And I believe that the Narendra Modi government has, after resolving all the teething problems, now brought GST to the doorstep of the next stage of reforms. I can say that following all stakeholder discussions, we are now ready for the next stage of GST reforms. How do you respond to criticism on lack employment opportunities? Any honest assessment of a government's performance is always comparative. And I believe we have generated four times more employment than the UPA government. You cannot become a $4 trillion economy, have 300% growth in infrastructure, new avenues in manufacturing and not have generated employment. Do you see the trend on freebies ebbing at any point? Our political system is quite flexible. There will be a politically conscientious call on this. It's too early to say when and how. In BJP states, we are clear that freebies should not cross a certain percentage of the budget. When will J&K get full statehood? I have stated in Parliament that statehood will be given at the right time. How will you calibrate economic ties with China, also a security threat? India's economic relations with any country will depend on the global situation. No two countries can script their economic relationship in isolation from the rest of the world. But our priority is our boundary, our borders. In an age of AI, you are betting on cooperatives, Why? For countries will small population, GDP is the main economic factor. But for a country with 140 crore population like India, beyond GDP, we need to look at employment opportunities and contribution of the entire population to the GDP. Today, everyone has basic amenities. But there's an aspiration to achieve a better living standard. For this, small finance is needed. Cooperatives fill that gap. How do you see geopolitical turbulence impacting India's prospects? India is not just the safest and best, but the only place to invest. We are a democracy with transparent policies, a big consumer market. We have the brain power and skills to offer. I believe this turbulence is not a hurdle for India. We should see it as an opportunity.
