Amit Shah labels Naxalism as a ‘curse to humanity’

Hours before presiding over a review meeting on Left-wing Extremism (LWE) in the national capital, Shah expressed his thoughts on 'X'.

New Delhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday termed Naxalism a “curse to humanity”, adding that the Union government, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is committed to rooting out Left-wing Extremism in all its forms and manifestations.

Shah took to ‘X’ to share his views a few hours before he is to chair a review meeting on Left-wing Extremism (LWE) here in the national capital.

---

“Naxalism is a curse to humanity and we are resolved to uproot it in all its forms. I look forward to chairing the Review Meeting on Left Wing Extremism (LWE) in New Delhi today to further our efforts to fulfil PM @narendramodi Ji’s vision of an LWE-free nation,” Shah posted on ‘X’.

The meeting is to start around 10.30 am and is likely to be attended by chief ministers, Home ministers or their representatives from Bihar, Odisha, Maharashtra, Telangana, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, and Kerala. These are states that are deemed to be affected by Left Wing Extremism (LWE).

Union Home Secretary, top officials of Central Armed Police Forces, and many senior officers of central and state governments will also attend the meeting.

The review meeting, which is held at regular intervals, aims at meeting the central government’s commitment to the development of the Naxal-affected states as well as making the country LWE-free.

A lot of success has been seen in the last few years in this direction due to the joint efforts of the Centre and the states in cracking down on Left Wing Extremism. The joint crackdown has led to a significant decline in incidents of Naxal violence.

The central government, however, is of the view that unless the country gets rid of the problem of Left Wing Extremism completely, the states affected by Naxal terror cannot realise their true potential.

Left-wing extremism has been a significant security challenge for so many decades. Though primarily a State subject, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has promulgated a ‘National Policy and Action Plan’ since 2015 to address the Left-wing Extremism menace holistically and the progress and the situation is being monitored rigorously and this Policy consists of a multi-pronged approach.

The significant features of the policy are zero tolerance towards violence coupled with a big push to developmental activities so that benefits of development reach the poor and vulnerable in the affected areas.

Pursuant to the Policy, the Ministry of Home Affairs is supporting the State Governments in Capacity Building and strengthening of Security Apparatus by deployment of CAPF Battalions, provision of helicopters and UAVs, and sanction of India Reserve Battalions (IRBs) and Special India Reserve Battalions (SIRBs). Funds are also provided under the Modernization of Police Force (MPF), Security Related Expenditure (SRE) Scheme, and Special Infrastructure Scheme (SIS) for the modernization and training of State Police.

For the development of Left-wing Extremism-affected states, the government of India has taken several developmental initiatives which include sanctioning 17,600 kilometres of road. To improve telecom connectivity in Left-wing Extremism affected districts, new mobile towers are being installed. For financial inclusion of the people in Left Wing Extremism-affected districts, several post offices, bank branches, ATMs, and banking correspondents have been opened.

Special focus is also being given to the opening of Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS).
The fight against the Left Wing Extremism menace is now in a crucial stage and the government is optimistic about reducing the menace to an insignificant level at the earliest.