May 2025- How India Broke The Back Of Terrorism And Naxalism

Among these was an incident on May 25, 2013, when armed Maoists ambushed and killed 25 Congress leaders in Chhattisgarh’s Darbha Valley, including former state minister Mahendra Karma, Chhattisgarh Congress chief Nand Kumar Patel, and senior leader Vidyacharan Shukla

When future generations read the history of the country, the month of May 2025 will thrill them greatly. Firstly, between May 7 and 10, India launched such a powerful strike against terrorists crossing the border to wreak havoc and their handlers that they will be nursing their wounds for years.

Secondly, in the same month, a major operation was successfully conducted against Naxalites, who, under the guise of an ultra-left movement, have been waging war against their own country for decades. It now seems that the final bastion of Naxalism is on the verge of collapse. Terrorism in Kashmir and Naxalism in several states have been festering wounds for years. Eliminating both was absolutely necessary.

On one hand, the Indian Army destroyed nine terrorist hideouts in Pakistan, while on the other, special security forces engaged in anti-Naxal operations eliminated several top Naxal leaders and others involved in numerous killings. While the entire nation was celebrating the success of Operation Sindoor on May 11, hundreds of our soldiers were pursuing Naxalites in the jungles, who, over the past few decades, had mercilessly killed hundreds of people from the political class, business community, police, and paramilitary forces.

Among these was an incident on May 25, 2013, when armed Maoists ambushed and killed 25 Congress leaders in Chhattisgarh’s Darbha Valley, including former state minister Mahendra Karma, Chhattisgarh Congress chief Nand Kumar Patel, and senior leader Vidyacharan Shukla. It is now a matter of relief that Naxalites are being eradicated from the Chhattisgarh-Telangana border region.

When Union Home Minister Amit Shah tweeted that on May 14, 2025, security forces conducted their largest-ever operation against Naxalism, killing 31 Naxal insurgents in the Karregutalu Hill area and hoisting the tricolor there for the first time, the joy of Operation Sindoor’s success doubled for the nation. Karregutalu Hill had been a central command hub for Naxal organizations, housing entire battalions of the People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army, Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee, Tritiya Prastuti Committee, and Central Reorganization Committee. This was a strategic location used by Naxalites for years for recruitment, training, and weapons manufacturing. It took security forces 21 days to liberate Karregutalu Hill from Naxal control. During this operation, Chhattisgarh Police and Central Armed Police Forces recovered the bodies of 31 uniformed Naxalites, destroyed 214 Naxal hideouts and bunkers, and hoisted the tricolor on Karregutalu Hill, declaring victory.

Those who advocate for human rights for Naxalites should feel ashamed to know that security forces seized 450 improvised explosive devices (IEDs), 818 BGL shells, 899 codex wire bundles, several detonators, and a large quantity of explosives from Naxalites at Karregutalu Hill. In this major operation, 18 personnel from the Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA), Special Task Force (STF), and District Reserve Guards (DRG) were injured. In 45-degree Celsius heat, many of our soldiers fought without food or water, achieving victory against Naxalites with their unwavering resolve. Their spirit was saluted by both Prime Minister Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah. Shah said, “Karregutalu Hills, once ruled by red terror, now proudly flies the tricolor.”

The Modi government has set March 31, 2026, as the deadline to eradicate Naxalism. This campaign for a Naxal-free India is progressing with excellent coordination between various states, central agencies, and the Modi government. Accurate intelligence from agencies and synergy between them have enabled strikes against the Naxal movement’s framework. According to an estimate, over 300 Naxalites have been killed in the first five months of 2025, the highest in the last 15 years. The fight against Naxalites is now largely confined to parts of Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, and Maharashtra.

At this time, Naxal organizations are leaderless. Recently, a Naxalite with a Rs 10 lakh bounty, Pappu Lohara, was killed. Earlier, another senior Naxal leader, Prabhat Ganzhu, with a Rs 5 lakh bounty, was also eliminated. After the killing of top Naxal commander Nambala Keshav Rao, alias Basavaraju, in Chhattisgarh, the Naxal movement’s backbone has been broken. Large-scale surrenders are now being witnessed.

It is true that if a sovereign nation like India remains entangled in external and internal armed conflicts, its pace toward becoming a developed nation by 2047 will be hindered. Prime Minister Modi’s approach is not to shy away from a visible problem or sidestep it to move forward. Home Minister Amit Shah shares the same spirit and is now leading the final phase of the campaign to free the country from Naxalism. There is no doubt that the days of those who believe in “red salute” and changing the system through guns are now numbered. For Naxalites, only two options remain: either fully accept the democratic concept of social development with public participation, lay down arms, surrender, and start a new life, or take responsibility for their own end. With security forces relentlessly hunting Naxalite executioners in the jungles, escape is no longer possible.

The current Indian government never wants to kill its own people. That is why Home Minister Amit Shah repeatedly visits Naxal-affected states, urging those on the path of violence to surrender their weapons. In April, during his visit to Chhattisgarh, Shah addressed Maoists as “brothers” in Bastar. He said, “I have come to request all Naxalite brothers to lay down their arms and join the mainstream. You are our own. No one is happy about your death.” He also assured that what could not be achieved in the last 50 years, PM Modi wants to deliver in five years, but this is only possible with peace. He guaranteed schools, healthcare, and food security, stating that every village would have a small clinic, every tehsil a small hospital, every household 60 kilos of free rice, and everyone a ration card, Aadhaar card, and health insurance card. The Chhattisgarh government is also providing Rs 1 crore to every village declared “Naxal-free” under its surrender and rehabilitation policy.

Every government knows that punishment alone is not the solution. If Naxalism arose due to social discrimination, its ultimate end will come only after social and economic transformation. Albert Einstein said, “Peace does not mean merely the absence of war, but the presence of justice, law, order, or government in society.”

(The author is Delhi-based senior journalist and writer. He is author of Gandhi's Delhi which has brought to the forth many hidden facts about Mahatma Gandhi)