PM Modi celebrates Diwali with security forces at CoBRA Operations Base at Karanpur in Bastar Chhattisgarh
Prime Minister Narendra Modi celebrated Diwali with security personnel at the CoBRA (Commando Battalion for Resolute Action) operations base in Karanpur, located in the Bastar district of Chhattisgarh. He thanked them for their courage and sacrifices in the fight against Naxalism.
Highlighting the significance of this year’s Diwali, PM Modi said that this is the first Diwali since India emerged victorious in its decades-long struggle against Maoist violence, with every district now declared Naxal-free. He stated that he had come to Bastar to express gratitude to the security forces on behalf of 1.4 billion Indians.
Recalling the period when Naxal violence affected over 230 districts across nearly 20 states, the Prime Minister spoke of the heavy toll it had taken on both security personnel and ordinary citizens. He credited the transformation in the situation to shifts in government policy since 2014, robust security operations, and decisive action against the funding networks of Naxal groups.
PM Modi also commended the contributions of the CRPF, CoBRA, BSF, ITBP, state police forces, and the 'Bastar Fighters'. He said that for the first time in 47 years, not a single CRPF soldier on duty had been martyred over the past year.
The Prime Minister highlighted that alongside security operations, significant development initiatives have been undertaken, including the provision of roads, mobile towers, schools, hospitals, and banking facilities in remote, far-flung areas.
Citing a World Bank report, he mentioned that 500 million Indians have been lifted out of extreme poverty over the last 12 years.
Referring to the 'Bastar Olympics', Prime Minister Modi observed that children in the region are now choosing sports over guns. He urged both security forces and citizens to work together toward building a poverty-free, drug-free, and developed India.