Sharp decline in Naxals violence

Subhasish Mitra (Wide Angle)

Latest report shows there has been a decline of more than 52 per cent in Left Wing Extremism related violence, 69 per cent in deaths, 72 per cent in security forces deaths and 68 per cent in civilian deaths between 2014 and 2023 compared to the period from 2005 to 2014.

 

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) are working closely with all state agencies to attack the financing of Left Wing Extremism (LWE) to wipe out the menace from the country in the next two years.

 

Union Home Minister Amit Shah has suggested that LWE affected states should make efforts by forming a joint team of civil and police administration to stop the financial support of extremist groups.

 

Shah said that the Narendra Modi government increased the ex-gratia amount for victims of Left Wing Extremism from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 20 lakh in 2017, and now it has been further increased to Rs 40 lakh.

 

In last 9 years, Modi government has increased the Security Related Expenditure (SRE) by more than double in comparison to the earlier period.

 

The Union Home Minister said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi, success has been achieved in curbing leftist extremism in the last few years and now this fight has reached to a decisive phase.

 

He said that with the determination of Prime Minister Modi and the cooperation of all the states affected by Left Wing Extremism, major successes have been achieved against it in 2022 and 2023.

 

Shah said that vacuum areas have been shrinking since 2019. The government has established 195 new camps of CAPFs, 44 more new camps will be established. He said that the deployment of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) against left-wing extremism, rationalisation of development and setting up camps in vacuum areas are the priorities of the Modi government.

 

At a high-level security review meet in the national capital, the Union Home Minister said that there is a need to maintain constant surveillance in the areas liberated from Left Wing Extremism so that this problem does not revive.

 

He said that there is also a need to monitor that left wing extremists from areas where this problem has been eliminated do not take shelter in other states.

 

Shah said that the Modi government has adopted a policy of zero tolerance against left wing extremism since 2014. As a result of our zero tolerance policy, the lowest level of violence and deaths has been recorded in 2022 in last four decades.

 

The Union Home Minister said that the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) are working closely with all state agencies to attack the financing of Left Wing Extremism.

 

He said that all the affected states need to make efforts by forming a joint team of civil and police administration to dismantle the network of financial support of Left Wing Extremism.

 

He said that the Modi government had increased the ex-gratia amount for victims of Left Wing Extremism from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 20 lakh in 2017, now it has been further increased to Rs 40 lakh.

 

Besides, the government has taken several steps to speed up the development in Left Wing Extremism-affected states. Special attention is being given to areas like road construction, telecommunication, financial inclusion, skill development and education.

 

Shah said the Centre government has launched more than 14,000 projects under the Special Central Assistance (SCA) scheme to accelerate development in the districts most affected by Left Wing Extremism.

 

He said more than 80% of these projects have been completed and Rs 3,296 crore has been released to Left Wing Extremism-affected states under the scheme.

 

He said under the Special Infrastructure Scheme (SIS), projects worth Rs 992 crore have been sanctioned for the construction of Fortified Police Stations, strengthening of State Intelligence branches and Special Forces of Left Wing Extremism-affected states. In last 9 years, Modi government has increased the Security Related Expenditure (SRE) by more than double in comparison to the earlier period.

 

A glimpse at the data on the significant decline in violent incidents of Left Wing Extremism from 2014 to 2023 as compared to 2005 to 2014.