From Guns To Growth: How Amit Shah Led India's Fight Against Naxalism

News18

17-07-2025

Last Updated:
Over 8,000 Maoist cadres have surrendered since 2014. In just the past 16 months, more than 1,600 laid down arms, choosing peace over bloodshed.
In 2014, Naxalism was a dominant internal security challenge in India, especially across central and eastern states. In several districts, Maoist groups wielded such control that they operated parallel administrations—complete with their own 'people's courts." Public services were non-existent, and civilian as well as security personnel casualties from frequent attacks were alarmingly high. The reach of the insurgency, at its peak, extended across more than 18,000 square kilometres.
According to data from the Ministry of Home Affairs, the decade between 2004 and 2014 saw over 16,400 incidents of Naxal-related violence, resulting in the deaths of 1,851 security personnel and 4,766 civilians. In 2010 alone, 2,213 such incidents were reported, marking the deadliest year with over a thousand fatalities. As many as 126 districts were officially designated as Naxal-affected.
Yet, things took a drastic turn after 2014. With the arrival of the Narendra Modi-led NDA government, the Centre adopted a focused, integrated approach that treated Naxalism not merely as a law-and-order issue but as a complex socio-economic challenge. Recognising that development was key to disempowering extremism, the government rolled out a series of coordinated measures under the umbrella strategy known as SAMADHAN—Security, Aggressive operations, Motivation, Administrative measures, Development, Harnessing technology, Action plan for capacity building, and No access to arms/ammunition.
This multifaceted strategy combined precision intelligence operations with targeted development in affected regions. Aggressive counter-insurgency efforts such as Operation Prahar and Operation Octopus directly hit the Maoist leadership, leading to the arrest or elimination of several senior commanders. At the same time, the government ramped up investment in basic infrastructure—roads, communication, policing, and rehabilitation.
The results of this approach have been dramatic:
This isn't just data—it's the difference between fear and freedom for millions.
Over 8,000 Maoist cadres have surrendered since 2014. In just the past 16 months, more than 1,600 laid down arms, choosing peace over bloodshed. Many are now back in their villages – some running shops, others driving autos, a few even working with local police units as informants or volunteers. The government's rehabilitation schemes gave them not just money, but dignity.
Each affected district now gets Rs 30 crore annually under a Special Central Assistance Scheme, with a total of over Rs 6,500 crore spent on modernising local policing and building capacity at the grassroots.
This success is rooted in a twin-engine approach. While Prime Minister Modi focused on delivering development and infrastructure to previously ignored regions, Union Home Minister Amit Shah led an assertive internal security doctrine – cracking down on arms supply chains, neutralising leaders, and dismantling the organisational structure of Maoist insurgents. Together, this combination of development and decisive policing has changed the game.
What once seemed like an intractable problem now stands as a case study in effective counter-insurgency. The government's commitment, from precision operations to grassroots upliftment, has yielded measurable change. The reduction in violence, improved governance, increasing surrenders, and growing connectivity all point to a new era of stability.
India's fight against Naxalism isn't just a counter-insurgency operation. It's a national recovery story. It's about a country refusing to leave its most vulnerable behind. It's about a mother no longer having to hide her son from either the rebels or the police. It's about reclaiming forgotten lands not just with boots on the ground, but with hospitals, roads, schools, and dignity.
As the government sets its sights on a Naxal-free India by March 31, 2026, the mission is clear—but it's also deeply personal. For every surrendered insurgent who found a new life, for every child now going to school in a red zone, for every family that sleeps in peace tonight – it already is a victory.
Not just a victory over violence. A victory for India.
The author is State Secretary, BJP Tamil Nadu. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18's views.
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