PM Modi Celebrates Diwali With Soldiers In Bastar, Declares Every District Free From Naxalism

Prime Minister Narendra Modi spent Diwali with the soldiers who guard India’s forests, celebrating the festival of lights at the CoBRA Operations Base in Karanpur, in Chhattisgarh’s Bastar district. Addressing personnel from the CRPF, CoBRA, BSF, ITBP, SSB and state police forces, he described this year’s Diwali as a historic one, declaring that every district in the country is now free from Naxalism.

A Diwali Like No Other In 40 Years

“After 40-50 years, a Diwali like this has come,” the Prime Minister told the personnel gathered at the base. “This is the first Diwali when the nation has won its decades-long war against Naxalism and Maoist terror. This is the first Diwali when every district of the country is free from Naxalism. This is the first Diwali when crores of countrymen have overcome the fear of Naxalism.”

The message set the tone for the day. Bastar, once known as one of the most difficult postings in the country, hosted the Prime Minister’s Diwali celebration this year — a place that, in his words, has been freed from the shadow of Maoist violence after decades of conflict.

The Base That Turned The Tide

The CoBRA Operations Base at Karanpur is no ordinary camp. It has served as a training centre and launchpad for counter-Naxal operations across the Bastar region and Abujhmad, areas that were once considered major strongholds of Maoist insurgency. From this base, security forces planned and launched operations that steadily pushed back the insurgents over the years.

Standing at the same base, the Prime Minister thanked the personnel for their sacrifice and commitment, saying the change in Bastar was the result of their courage on the ground. He also cautioned that while armed Naxal groups have been wiped out from the forests, ideological supporters of the movement still remain in society — a warning he has repeated in his addresses to the forces.

A Record Year For The Forces

The Prime Minister also shared a figure that drew attention across the country. For the first time in 47 years, not a single CRPF personnel lost their life in the line of duty over the past year — a milestone he credited to better training, equipment and planning, and to the bravery of the men and women in uniform.

It was a moment of pride for the personnel present, many of whom have spent years posted in some of India’s toughest terrain. The Prime Minister spent time with them, shared sweets and extended Diwali greetings to their families.

A Tradition That Began In 2014

Celebrating Diwali with the armed forces has been a tradition for the Prime Minister since he first took office in 2014. Every year, he has travelled to a different border or conflict zone — from Siachen to the Indo-China border — to mark the festival with soldiers far from their homes.

This year, the choice of Bastar carried a special meaning. The visit was presented as a celebration not only of Diwali, but of a long internal security challenge that the government says has now been overcome. The Prime Minister said that with Naxalism over, the focus in these regions will now shift fully to development — roads, schools, hospitals and jobs for the people who live there.

For families lighting diyas across Bastar on Sunday evening, the festival carried extra meaning: a Diwali in a region that, for the first time in decades, its leaders say is free from fear.

What does a Naxal-free Bastar mean for the future of the region? Share your view in the comments below.