NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi celebrated Diwali with security personnel deployed in Chhattisgarh’s Bastar region on Sunday, honouring the forces involved in the fight against naxalism in an area that was once considered a stronghold of the insurgency.‘Because of your sacrifices we have put an end to the terror of naxalism here,” he said.He said that this is the first Diwali since the end of naxalism in the region.
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The prime minister had earlier said that, like previous years, he would celebrate Diwali with soldiers deployed across the country. In a video message on Saturday, he extended his greetings to citizens and wished them peace, prosperity and happiness.Bastar has been at the centre of the government’s campaign to eliminate Left-wing extremism, with the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and Chhattisgarh Police playing a key role in anti-Naxal operations.On March 31, the government announced that the country had been freed from the menace of Naxalism following the elimination of several senior leaders and cadres, alongside the surrender of hundreds of others.The CRPF recently marked 12 consecutive months without an operational fatality, with its director general GP Singh crediting improved equipment, training, strategic planning and faster medical evacuation.