New Delhi: A day after Union Home Minister Amit Shah reiterated the government’s resolve to completely eliminate Naxalism by March 31, Home Secretary Govind Mohan will chair a crucial meeting on Monday. Senior officials from security forces and various agencies will participate in the meeting to strategize on achieving this goal.
A former Director General of the Border Security Force (BSF) and security expert, speaking to ETV Bharat, said that the way the central and state teams are working together, it seems certain that Naxalism will be wiped out by March. However, he also suggested that the government should adopt policies for the development of tribal areas that include inclusive growth and participation of all.
The Way Forward
A spokesperson for a central security agency told ETV Bharat that Monday’s meeting is very important as it will finalize the latest strategy to eliminate Naxalism by next month. According to the spokesperson, only parts of Bijapur, Sukma, and Narayanpur in Chhattisgarh remain severely affected by Naxalism, where security forces need to eliminate the Maoists. However, a small number of Maoists and some of their top leaders are still active in a few other states as well.
Security Review and Coordination
Home Minister Amit Shah chaired a review meeting on Left-Wing Extremism in Raipur on Sunday. The meeting was attended by Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai, senior state and central officials, the Director of the Intelligence Bureau (IB), and the Directors General of forces like the CRPF, NIA, BSF, and ITBP. Home Secretaries and Directors General of Police (DGPs) from Telangana, Jharkhand, Odisha, and Maharashtra were also present. According to an official, the meeting emphasized strengthening coordination among the states.
Major Successes in Anti-Naxal Operations
Home Minister Amit Shah said that the fight against Naxals should not be fragmented. Emphasizing the need for better coordination among various states and central agencies, he said that the remaining Naxals should not be given a chance to escape to other states. According to government data obtained by ETV Bharat, 23 Maoists have been killed and 101 Naxalites arrested during anti-Naxal operations conducted by security forces in the last three months. In January alone, 23 Naxalites were killed and 28 others arrested.
In November of last year, at least 7 Naxalites were eliminated and 33 arrested, while in December, 22 were killed and 40 arrested. A total of 196 weapons and 3,844 cartridges (ammunition) were also recovered from the Maoists during the last three months.
Due to intensified operations against the Naxalites, a total of 312 Maoists were killed in 2025, including the General Secretary of the CPI (Maoist) and eight other senior members of the Politburo and Central Committee.
Significant Reduction in Naxal Violence
In 2024, violence was reported in 42 districts and 151 police stations across 10 states. This decreased to 32 districts and 119 police stations in 2025, and in January of this year, such incidents were reported in only 5 districts and 11 police stations.
In 2024, 1,090 Naxalites were arrested and 881 surrendered to security forces. This was followed by 1,022 arrests in 2025 and a record 2,337 Naxalites surrendering. Those who surrendered included high-ranking members of the Naxalite organization, such as those from the ‘Politburo’ and ‘Central Committee’.
Focus on Disrupting Naxalite Funding
The government is now focusing on crippling the Naxalites’ financial network and exposing their support system. State police and central agencies are working together to stop the flow of money and resources to the Naxalites. The National Investigation Agency’s (NIA) special ‘Terror Funding and Fake Currency Cell’ is working extensively to curb the flow of illegal funds and resources reaching Maoists.
An official said that four special NIA courts have already been established in Chhattisgarh, and efforts are underway to set up similar special courts in other states as well.
Fugitive Naxal Leaders
Giving details of prominent Naxal leaders who are still at large, another security official told ETV Bharat that Muppala Lakshmana Rao alias Ganapathy, who was once the top leader of the Maoists, is no longer active. According to the official, Misir Besra, Pusunuri Narahari alias Tech Vishwanath, and Lalchand Hembram are some of the key Naxal leaders who are still evading the law.
