“First Diwali Since the Nation Won Battle Against Naxalism”: PM Modi in Bastar

Prime Minister Narendra Modi celebrated Diwali with security personnel deployed in anti-Naxal operations in Bastar on Sunday, calling it a special festival because it is the first since India won its “decades-long battle against Naxalism and Maoist terror.”

“A FIRST DIWALI”

“This Diwali in 2026 is truly special!” PM Modi said. “This is the first Diwali where every single district in the country is free from Naxalism. This is the first Diwali where crores of our citizens have overcome the fear of Naxalism.”

“YOU ARE ALL MEMBERS OF MY FAMILY”

PM Modi said he had come to spend the festival with the forces because they are family. “Today, across the entire nation and in every corner of the world, crores of Indians are celebrating this sacred festival of lights. People are travelling from far and wide to return to their homes,” he said.

“I, too, have come to celebrate Diwali in your midst. Those who protect the nation, whether at the borders or within the country, you are all members of my own family.”

He credited the troops for what had changed in the region. “I have come to celebrate Diwali in the forests of Bastar. This is a land where the menace of Naxalism once prevailed. However, owing to your sacrifice and dedication, the menace of Naxalism has now ended in this very region, and a new wave of development has begun,” he said.

"A ZERO THAT SPEAKS VOLUMES"

The visit follows the Central Reserve Police Force’s (CRPF) announcement that it has gone 12 consecutive months without an operational fatality, the last being on October 30, 2025. PM Modi hailed it as “A ZERO that speaks volumes.”

Union Home Minister Amit Shah declared Bastar free of Naxalism in May, saying the government’s target of ending the insurgency by March 31, 2026 had been met.

PM Modi has spent Diwali with soldiers every year since 2014, starting at Siachen.

RAJNATH SINGH IN SIKKIM

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh celebrated Diwali with Army personnel at the Sherathang War Memorial near Nathula Pass in Sikkim, praising their discipline, dedication and sacrifices.

Their presence along the borders, he said, lets citizens celebrate festivals and sleep peacefully. “First of all, I would like to congratulate all of you and your family members on Diwali,” he told the troops, paying tribute to the martyrs commemorated at the memorial.

With inputs from ANI