Government pushes development projects across Bastar as Maoist influence weakens
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday said the long-standing threat of Maoist violence in India is nearing its end, asserting that the “shadow of red terror” has largely been removed from the tribal region of Bastar in Chhattisgarh and that the area is now moving steadily toward development.
Speaking during a discussion in the Lok Sabha on the government’s deadline of March 31 to eradicate Maoist violence, Shah said that Left-wing extremism is now on the verge of extinction in the country.
Maoism ‘almost eradicated’ from Bastar
Shah said the government has carried out an extensive campaign to improve basic infrastructure and welfare facilities across the Bastar region, which for decades was considered the stronghold of Maoist insurgents.
“Today, Naxalism has been almost eradicated from Bastar,” Shah said while responding to the debate.
According to him, several initiatives were launched to ensure development reached remote tribal areas. These included setting up schools in villages, opening ration shops across the region, and strengthening healthcare infrastructure through Primary Health Centres and Community Health Centres at the tehsil and panchayat levels.
He also noted that residents have been issued Aadhaar cards and ration cards, enabling them to receive government welfare benefits including five kilograms of subsidised food grains.
Development reaches once-isolated tribal belt
Shah said the lack of development in Bastar for decades was largely due to the dominance of Maoist groups that prevented administrative outreach and infrastructure growth.
“The people of Bastar were left behind precisely because the shadow of red terror loomed over the region. Today that shadow has been lifted, and Bastar is on the path of development,” he said.
The Home Minister credited the success of anti-Maoist operations to the combined efforts of security forces, state police and local tribal communities who supported the campaign.
Shah blamed the spread of Maoist violence on decades of governance under Congress, claiming the party’s rule failed to address the developmental needs of tribal communities.
He said Maoist violence had claimed the lives of nearly 20,000 people and affected around 120 million citizens across several states.
“Over the last 75 years, the Congress party governed for 60 years. Why then did tribal communities remain deprived of development?” Shah asked.
Shah also referred to remarks made by former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who had once described Maoism as one of the biggest internal security threats to the country.
Despite this acknowledgement, Shah alleged that sufficient action was not taken during the previous government’s tenure to tackle the insurgency.
The Home Minister reiterated that the government’s ongoing strategy combines security operations with welfare and infrastructure development to permanently eliminate Maoist influence in affected regions.
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