Raipur, March 31: Home Minister Vijay Sharma on Tuesday declared that the era of armed Naxal insurgency has effectively ended in Chhattisgarh, marking a historic milestone for the state. Addressing a press conference at the Raipur Press Club, Sharma stated that the five-decade-long conflict was resolved within two years due to a strategic shift in governance and security operations following the change in government in December 2023.

The announcement coincides with the ‘Hamar Pahuna’ programme, fulfilling a commitment made by Union Home Minister Amit Shah in August 2024 to eradicate the armed struggle by March 2026. Sharma noted that while security personnel remained the same, the new administration provided the necessary roadmap and political will to achieve the goal. Initial assessments in late 2023 had shown that 75 per cent of the insurgency was concentrated in Chhattisgarh.

The state employed a multi-dimensional strategy combining technology-based intelligence with massive community involvement. The Home Minister credited the people of Bastar for withdrawing support for “red terror” and praised security forces for conducting operations with zero casualties to their own ranks. The administration also engaged Panchayat representatives and community heads to facilitate record-breaking rehabilitations, including a group of 210 individuals in October 2025.

Under a revamped policy, the government replaced the term “surrender” with “rehabilitation with honour” to avoid insulting those returning to the mainstream. Dedicated centres for training and lodging were established in district headquarters like Dantewada and Jagdalpur. Youth from remote regions of Bijapur and Sukma were given exposure visits to Raipur to witness urban development firsthand. Initiatives like the Bastar Olympics and Bastar Pandum cultural festival were also utilised to reintegrate the region.

The Home Minister detailed that the “Niyati Nellarnar” scheme played a pivotal role in this transition. By establishing security camps that doubled as development hubs, the state ensured that 25 essential services—including PDS rations, healthcare, and primary education—reached the innermost forest villages of Abujhmad. This “encirclement of development” effectively choked the logistical supply chains of the Maoist cadres.

Statistically, the two-year drive saw the rehabilitation of approximately 3,000 individuals, the arrest of 2,000 armed members, and the neutralisation of 536 cadres. Sharma confirmed that 99 per cent of the armed presence has been eliminated, with no remaining members of the Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee (DKSZC) operating within state borders. A few scattered individuals in north Kanker and the south remain in hiding but are no longer capable of organised attacks.

The Home Minister also highlighted the plight of victims maimed by IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices), mentioning a recent delegation that met the President of India to discuss human rights violations by insurgents. Sharma concluded that the triumph of democracy over violence has finally allowed the people of Bastar to live without fear and move freely between villages for the first time in generations.