Aiming to end Naxalism by next March, Centre working on four-pronged strategy

With the Centre directing security forces to focus on developing regions that have been sanitised following the extermination or arrest of Naxals, the emphasis has now shifted to establishing critical road connectivity infrastructure in Left Wing Extremism (LWE)-affected areas.

According to top security officials familiar with the developments, during Home Minister Amit Shah’s review of the situation in Chhattisgarh last month, police and paramilitary forces were instructed to implement a four-pronged strategy aimed at eliminating LWE from the country by March 31, 2026.

In the first phase, referred to as the operative vertical, security forces have been tasked with identifying and investigating the supply network modules supporting the ultras, particularly those based in semi-urban areas.

These overground workers form a vital intelligence and logistics network for the Naxals. The Centre has directed security personnel to either persuade them to surrender and reintegrate into the mainstream, or arrest them once credible evidence of their involvement in violent activities is established.

The Tribune has reported about this strategy of the Centre earlier.

In the second stage, known as the development vertical, the focus is on implementing development initiatives in areas formerly dominated by Left Wing Extremism (LWE), once they have been effectively sanitised.

The third stage involves reopening road routes that were previously shut due to LWE-related violence, sources said.

As part of this effort, CRPF Director General GP Singh last week met Border Roads Organisation (BRO) Director General Lt General Raghu Srinivasan, who briefed him on key road and connectivity projects in LWE-affected areas. The meeting was seen as strategically significant, with sources noting that enhanced infrastructure will not only improve operational efficiency in anti-Maoist operations but also spur socioeconomic development.

While reopening road routes remains a key priority, core LWE-affected areas in Chhattisgarh are also set to gain rail connectivity. The Railway Ministry has initiated a location survey for a proposed 169-km rail line linking Kothagudem in Telangana to Kirandul in Chhattisgarh. This line will traverse the Naxal-affected districts of Sukma, Dantewada and Bijapur, which currently lack railway access.

Meanwhile, under the fourth stage, the Centre has instructed security forces to undertake confidence-building measures by countering misinformation campaigns and false narratives being propagated by the dwindling cadre of Naxals among villagers in Chhattisgarh’s forested interiors, sources added.

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