Raipur: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will celebrate Diwali with security personnel in Chhattisgarh’s Bastar on Sunday, marking his first visit to the state for the festival and his 13th consecutive Diwali celebration with the country’s armed forces.The visit assumes significance as Bastar, once the epicentre of India’s Maoist insurgency, is witnessing a major transition following the Centre’s declaration of a Maoist-free India earlier this year.Announcing his visit on social media, Modi said, “Heading to Bastar to celebrate Diwali with our brave security forces. This is an area where Naxalism once held sway and now, development is flourishing. I am going to salute our brave security personnel for their sacrifices, selfless service and unwavering devotion to the nation.”Bastar has been at the centre of decades-long anti-Maoist operations, with CRPF, CoBRA, District Reserve Guard and other security forces playing a crucial role in dismantling insurgent strongholds.Modi’s visit is being seen as recognition of their sacrifices and the region’s transition from Maoist violence towards peace and development.
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The PM has celebrated Diwali with security personnel every year since assuming office in 2014. Last year, he joined naval personnel aboard INS Vikrant off Goa, while in 2024 he celebrated with troops in Gujarat’s Kutch region.Although the precise location of Sunday’s programme has not been officially disclosed, Modi is expected to interact with security personnel deployed in Bastar.The visit carries particular significance because Bastar, once regarded as the epicentre of India’s Maoist movement, has undergone a major security transformation. The Centre declared the country effectively free of Left-Wing Extremism on March 31 this year, following intensified security operations, mass surrenders and the expansion of government presence in areas previously dominated by Maoists.