New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said he guarantees that the day is not far when the nation will be rid of Maoist terror, and hit out at the previous Congress regime for nurturing “urban Naxals” and turning a blind eye to the violence unleashed by them.
Addressing the NDTV World Summit here, Modi recounted the recent success in countering Maoist terror, saying 303 Naxal operatives have surrendered in the past 75 hours and only three districts of the country now remain in the severe grip of Left Wing Extremism.
“Eleven years ago, approximately 125 districts across the country were affected by Maoist terrorism. Today, that number has been significantly reduced to just 11 districts. Of these, only three remain severely impacted by Maoist influence,” he said.
Modi said over the past decade, thousands of Naxalites have surrendered, abandoning their violent path.
“To put this into perspective, in the past 75 hours, 303 Naxalites have surrendered. Those who once carried .303 (rifles) have surrendered today. These are no ordinary Naxalites. Some had a bounty of Rs 1 crore, some had a bounty of Rs 15 lakh, and some had a bounty of Rs 5 lakh,” he said.
The prime minister also said that these individuals were now returning to the mainstream of development and openly acknowledging that they were on the wrong path.
“They are now moving forward with faith in the Constitution of India,” Modi said.
“In the last 50-55 years, thousands were killed by Maoist terrorists. These Naxals would not allow schools or hospitals to be built… They would not let doctors enter clinics… They would bomb institutions. Maoist terrorism was an injustice to the young people,” he said.
“I used to feel agitated… This is the first time I am expressing my pain to the world,” Modi said.
The prime minister also said that when his government was voted to office, he worked with utmost sensitivity to bring these youth, who were misled, back to the mainstream of development.
“The day is not far when India will be totally free from Naxalism and Maoist violence — this too is Modi’s guarantee,” he told the gathering that included Sri Lankan Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya, former UK prime minister Rishi Sunak and ex-Australian prime minister Tony Abbot, among others.
“Areas that were affected by Naxalism will celebrate Diwali for the first time in 60-70 years,” the prime minister said.
During the Congress regime, “urban Naxals” were so dominant that no information about any Maoist terrorist incident reached the people of the country, as they enforced heavy censorship on such incidents, Modi said.
“This is why my government has made particular efforts to reach out to these wayward youth and bring them back into the mainstream. Today, the country is seeing the result of these efforts,” he said.
“Earlier, the headlines were about vehicles blown up in Bastar and security personnel killed. Today, the youth there are organizing ‘Bastar Olympics’. This is a big change,” Modi said.
“And I say with great responsibility that those who wear the Constitution on their foreheads still work day and night to protect these Maoist terrorists, who do not believe in the Constitution,” the prime minister said, in an apparent dig at Congress.
Modi asserted that while earlier governments carried out reforms as a compulsion, his dispensation does it with conviction and has turned every risk into reform.
India now does not remain silent after terror attacks but hits back using surgical and air strikes, he said.
“Earlier governments carried out reforms as compulsion, we now do it with conviction. Age of the unknown can be an uncertain thing for the world but it is an opportunity for India as it has always turned risks into reforms.
“… We have turned every reform into resilience and every resilience into a revolution,” he told the gathering.
“India no more remains silent after terror attacks but gives a befitting reply through air strikes, surgical strikes and Operation Sindoor,” he said.
“When wars became headlines globally, India proved naysayers wrong by continuing to march ahead as the fastest growing economy,” Modi said.
Asserting that India is not in a “mood to stop”, he said as the world today faces various roadblocks and speed-breakers, it is only natural to talk about an unstoppable India.
“We will neither pause nor slow down; 140 crore Indians will move forward together with full momentum.
“Today, India has moved from being among the fragile five to becoming one of the world’s top five economies… From chips to ships, India is self-reliant and filled with confidence in every sphere,” he said.
Noting that nationalization of banks during Congress rule led to the creation of “a mountain of non-performing assets for the banks”, Modi said that democratization of financial and other institutions is the key driver behind an unstoppable India.
“People are India’s biggest strength, and they can excel when there is no pressure or intervention from the government.
“India has proved everyone wrong on digital financial infrastructure. The world sees India as a reliable, responsible, and resilient partner, and a land of opportunities,” Modi said.
