'Naxal-free India': Govt shares 'historic milestone' after six decades of violence

The Ministry of Home Affairs officially communicated to states that no district in the country remains classified as Left-Wing Extremism (LWE)-affected, mark...

What Happened

The Ministry of Home Affairs officially communicated to states that no district in the country remains classified as Left-Wing Extremism (LWE)-affected, marking a formal milestone after nearly six decades of insurgency.
LWE-affected districts declined from 126 in 2014 to approximately zero by mid-2026, with "most affected" districts falling from 18 (2014) to 3 (Chhattisgarh) and ultimately nil.
The milestone follows sustained security operations, the SAMADHAN doctrine, development initiatives in the erstwhile "Red Corridor," and large-scale surrender and rehabilitation programmes.

Static Topic Bridges

Origin and Ideology of Left-Wing Extremism in India

India's Maoist insurgency traces its origins to the Naxalbari uprising of 1967 in the Siliguri sub-division of West Bengal, led by Charu Majumdar and Kanu Sanyal. The movement espoused an armed agrarian revolution against landlordism.

1967 (Naxalbari): Peasant armed uprising — the genesis of the "Naxalite" label.
2004: CPI (Maoist) formed through the merger of CPI-ML People's War Group and the Maoist Communist Centre of India — the primary organisation driving insurgency in the 2000s–2020s.
Ideology: Maoist armed agrarian revolution; rejection of parliamentary democracy.
"Red Corridor": A belt of districts across Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana where LWE had maximum footprint.

Connection to this news: The CPI (Maoist), formed in 2004, was the primary target of counter-LWE operations. The 2026 milestone directly tracks the near-dismantling of this organisation.

Constitutional Framework — Article 355

Article 355 imposes a duty on the Union to protect every state against external aggression and internal disturbance.
This provision is the constitutional basis for the Centre's active role in supporting state police forces in LWE operations.
The Centre cannot deploy paramilitary forces in a state without coordination with the state government, but Article 355 provides the sovereign justification for such sustained engagement.
LWE is treated as an "internal disturbance" under Article 355, not as an "armed rebellion" (which would trigger Article 356 or Article 352 considerations).

Connection to this news: The Centre's multi-decade security and developmental engagement in LWE-affected states rests constitutionally on Article 355, exercised cooperatively with state governments.

The SAMADHAN Doctrine

Articulated by the Ministry of Home Affairs in 2017 and operationalised with full force from 2019, SAMADHAN is the integrated counter-LWE strategy combining security operations with governance and development.

S — Smart Leadership (MHA-level strategic supervision; regular review by the Home Minister)
A — Aggressive Strategy (intelligence-driven, target-based operations replacing area-domination patrols)
M — Motivation and Training (specialised jungle warfare training for state police; CoBRA battalions of CRPF)
A — Actionable Intelligence (real-time intelligence fusion across central and state agencies)
D — Dashboard-Based KPIs and KRAs (measurable outcome tracking)
H — Harnessing Technology (drones, satellite imagery, improved communications in forested terrain)
A — Action Plan for Each Theatre (district-specific, terrain-specific plans)
N — No Access to Financing (choking extortion revenue and hawala channels)

Connection to this news: The SAMADHAN doctrine is directly credited with the operational success that reduced the LWE footprint from a national threat to zero affected districts.

Security Forces and Operational Architecture

CRPF and CoBRA battalions: Central Reserve Police Force's CoBRA (Commando Battalion for Resolute Action) units are the primary jungle warfare force in anti-Maoist operations.
State Police: Chhattisgarh's District Reserve Guard (DRG) — comprising surrendered Maoists and tribal youth — played a decisive role in the final phase.
Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY): Road connectivity was a force-multiplier; LWE cadres relied on forest inaccessibility.
Aspirational Districts Programme: Development-focused central intervention in 112 backward districts, many overlapping with the Red Corridor.

Connection to this news: The parallel security-and-development approach — not security alone — is cited as the reason for the durable reduction in LWE activity.

Key Facts & Data

Naxalbari uprising: 1967, West Bengal (Siliguri sub-division) — Charu Majumdar, Kanu Sanyal
CPI (Maoist) formation: 2004 (merger of CPI-ML People's War Group + Maoist Communist Centre of India)
Peak LWE violence: 1,936 incidents in 2010; 1,005 deaths in 2010
2026 milestone: LWE-affected districts: 0 (down from 126 in 2014; over 200 districts at peak in mid-2000s)
Violence reduction: ~88% reduction in LWE incidents from 2010 to 2025; ~90% reduction in deaths (1,005 → ~98)
Cadre attrition (approx. figures reported): 312 LWE cadres eliminated, 800+ arrested, 1,600+ surrendered in recent years
SAMADHAN doctrine: Launched 2017 by MHA
Key security force: CRPF CoBRA battalions; State DRG units (Chhattisgarh)
Constitutional basis: Article 355 (Centre's duty to protect states from internal disturbance)
Government deadline met: March 31, 2026 target for Naxal eradication — formally achieved