PM Modi celebrates Diwali with security personnel in Bastar, says country is free of Naxalism

Prime Minister Narendra Modi celebrated Diwali this year with security personnel in Bastar, Chhattisgarh, and addressed the jawans there. Modi said this is the first Diwali when every district in the country has been freed of Naxalism.

Speaking about leaving for Bastar, Modi said, "I am going to Bastar to celebrate Diwali with my brave security forces. This region once struggled with Naxalism, but development is now blooming here." He also said that in areas that earlier saw Naxal attacks, normal life is now returning to track. Of the security personnel, he said, "I salute the sacrifice, selfless service and unwavering devotion to the nation of my brave security personnel."

Modi told the jawans that Naxal terror has ended and a spring of development has begun. He said, "I have come to the forests of Bastar to celebrate Diwali among you." Referring to millions of Indians in the country and across the world celebrating the sacred festival of lamps, he said people are travelling from far away to reach their homes. It is a big festival for meeting family and relatives, he said, and he too had come to celebrate Diwali with the jawans.

Modi told the jawans, "Those who protect the nation on the border and within the country, the defenders of the country, the brave soldiers of Bharat Mata, you are all my sons and daughters, my own, you are all part of my family." He said every Diwali spent with brave soldiers, from Kargil, nestled in the lap of the Himalayas, to Lepcha, from Sir Creek by the sea to INS Vikrant stationed in the ocean, has been memorable for him.

He said, "This Diwali of 2026 is truly special. This is the first Diwali when the country has won the decades-long fight against Naxalism and Maoist terror. This is the first Diwali when every district in the country is free of Naxalism. This is the first Diwali when crores of countrymen have won over the fear of Naxalism."

The Prime Minister said the fight against Maoist terror and Naxalism was not easy. There was a time when more than 230 districts in about 20 states were affected by Naxalism. Normal life came to a halt after evening. According to him, the Naxalites had even snatched away people's right to vote. A large part of the country, including Bihar, Maharashtra, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, was in the grip of left-wing extremism. Modi recalled that in 2010, 76 security personnel were killed in an encounter with Naxalites in nearby Dantewada. He said, "This is an extraordinary achievement. The credit for it goes largely to you, and to lakhs of brave soldiers and security personnel like you. That is why today I have come to celebrate Diwali with you and to thank you for your sacrifice, dedication and service on behalf of 1.4 billion countrymen."

Modi also targeted the Congress. He said earlier governments had not cared for the security forces.

In his speech, Modi cited a World Bank report which says 50 crore Indians have come out of poverty. He said slogans of "Garibi Hatao" were raised for several decades, but work on it has been done in the past 12 years, and 50 crore people in the country have been freed from poverty.

The Prime Minister also raised the issue of "urban Naxals of the mind", whom he called "mental Naxals". He said armed Naxalites have left the forests, but "mental Naxals" are misleading children. According to him, these people have taken over institutions and entered the minds of the new generation. Modi said they must be identified and defeated. He said organisations devoid of ideas are under the control of Naxalites and it is now necessary to identify and defeat them.

Finally, Modi said today's achievements inspire, but this is not the end. These victories and successes are a platform for a new flight, he said, and that flight will be one of the country's dreams that have been cherished for decades.