New Delhi [India], October 18 : Noting that 303 Naxalites have surrendered in the last 75 hours, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said that the day is not far when the country will be completely free from Naxalism and that the festivities of Diwali are going to be something truly special in the areas liberated from Maoist terrorism.
Addressing the NDTV World Summit 2025 here, PM Modi said Naxalism has been loosely used by some people but "in reality, it is Maoist terrorism".
He said that Maoist terrorism is "a great injustice, a grave sin against the youth of our country" and he could not leave the young people of this nation in such a situation.
The Prime Minister said he used to feel deep restlessness within but remained silent for long. "Today, for the first time, I am sharing my pain with you," he said.
He hit out at the Congress, saying during its rule at the Centre, an entire ecosystem of urban Naxals had developed.
"These urban Naxals were and still are so dominant that they run a massive campaign of censorship to ensure that incidents of Maoist terrorism do not reach the people of the country. There used to be so much discussion in our country about terrorism, and debates were held on Article 370. But the urban Naxals who had flourished in our cities during the Congress regime, and those who had taken control of various institutions, worked to cover up Maoist terrorism. They kept the country in the dark," he said.
He said just a few days ago, many victims of Maoist terrorism came to Delhi and it was a deeply painful sight.
"There were many of them. Some had lost a leg, some had lost an arm, some had lost an eye... parts of their bodies were gone. These were the victims of Maoist terrorism. They were poor villagers, Adivasi brothers and sisters, sons of farmers, mothers and women who had both their legs amputated. They stayed in Delhi for seven days. With folded hands, they pleaded, "Please take our stories before the people. They even held a press conference, but none of you would have seen or heard about it," he said.
"Those who act as contractors of Maoist terror didn't allow the story of their suffering to reach the people of Bharat. The Congress ecosystem made sure that this issue was never talked about," he added.
PM Modi noted that there was a time when almost every major state in the country was affected by Naxal violence and Maoist terrorism.
"The Constitution was in force in the rest of the country, but it was completely missing in the Red Corridor. And I say this with full responsibility that those who touch their head with Constitution book even today work day and night to protect these Maoist terrorists who do not believe in the Constitution at all," he said.
The Prime Minister said governments were elected, but they had no authority or recognition in the Red Corridor. "As evening fell, it became difficult for anyone to step outside their homes. Even those responsible for providing security to the public had to move around with security for themselves. Over the past 50-55 years, thousands of people have been killed because of this Maoist terrorism. Countless security personnel have fallen victim to it, and we have lost so many young lives," he said.
"These Naxals, these Maoist terrorists did not allow schools to be built, did not allow hospitals to be constructed. If a hospital existed, they would not let doctors enter; and those that were built were blown up with bombs. For decades, a vast part of the country and a large section of the population were deprived of the light of development. Our Adivasi brothers and sisters, Dalits, and poor communities had to bear the greatest suffering and loss because of it," he added.
The Prime Minister said there are mothers who have lost their sons, mothers who had hopes and dreams for their children and some of those sons fell into the trap of the Maoist terrorists' lies, while others became victims of Maoist terror.
"That is why our government, with full sensitivity, made every effort to bring these misguided youths back into the mainstream after 2014. And today, for the first time, I want to tell my fellow countrymen and this will bring satisfaction to them and they will bless us. The mothers who lost their sons will bless us, and they will bless the strength of our nation. And today, the country is witnessing the results."
He said eleven years ago, about 125 districts in the country were affected by Maoist terrorism but today, that number has come down to just 11 districts.
"You can imagine how much effort this must have taken. And even among those 11 districts, now only three remain that are still heavily affected by Naxal violence," he said.
PM Modi said thousands of Naxalites have surrendered their weapons in the past decade.
"In just 75 hours ... I know this may not be the main news in the media, but for me, this is a matter of great personal satisfaction. In these 75 hours, 303 Naxalites have surrendered. Once upon a time, 303 was their weapon, but today, 303 Naxalites have surrendered. And these aren't ordinary Naxalites ... some had a reward of one crore rupees on their heads, some 15 lakh rupees, and others carried 5 lakh rupees reward on their heads," he said, adding that a large cache of weapons has also been seized from them.
PM Modi said these people have left behind guns and bombs and are ready to embrace the Constitution. "When there is a government fully dedicated to the Constitution, even those who have strayed from the right path eventually return and bow their heads before it. Now, they are coming back into the mainstream of development," he said.
"And these people are now admitting that they were on the wrong path. They spent five decades of their lives, their entire youth, in this struggle, but the change they had hoped for never came. Now, they will move forward on the right path with faith in the Constitution of India."
He said Bastar was once a stronghold of Naxals, but today Adivasi youth of the region are organizing the Bastar Olympics, and lakhs of young people are coming to the sports fields to show their strength and talent.
"This time, the festivities of Diwali are going to be something truly special in the areas liberated from Maoist terrorism. These people had never seen Diwali for 50-55 years, but now, they will. And I have complete faith, my friends, that our efforts will bear fruit.
"There too, the lamps of joy will be lit this Diwali. The day is not far when the country will be completely free from Naxalism and Maoist terrorism. And this, too, is Modi's guarantee," he said.