NEW DELHI: Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Friday that Left-Wing Extremism (LWE) is a menace to humanity, and the government is resolute in eradicating it from the country in the next two years. During a security situation review of LWE-affected states, Shah underscored that, under Prime Minister Modi’s leadership, the Central government has made substantial strides in curtailing LWE.
Leading the high-level meeting with National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, chief ministers, deputy chief ministers of various Naxal-affected states, and security agency officials, Shah reported that the country has witnessed the lowest number of violent incidents and deaths in Naxal-affected areas in four decades. Pre-meeting reports indicated a 77% reduction in violent incidents in 2022 compared to the peak in 2010. Shah revealed plans to establish 195 new Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) camps and 44 additional camps to bolster security coverage in Naxal-affected states since 2019.
Shah emphasized the need for constant surveillance in areas liberated from left-wing extremism to prevent its resurgence. He noted a 69 per cent decline in deaths of security forces and a 68 per cent decrease in civilian deaths from 2014 to 2023, compared to the period from 2005 to 2024. He urged LWE-affected states to collaborate by forming joint teams of civil and police officials to investigate financial support for left-wing extremism.
Highlighting the government’s efforts, Shah mentioned that the ex-gratia amount for LWE victims increased from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 20 lakh in 2017 and has now risen to Rs 40 lakh. He also shared that over 14,000 projects have been launched under the Special Central Assistance scheme in districts affected by LWE, with 80 per cent completed. The Centre allocated `3,296 crore to LWE states under this scheme, with `992 crore allocated for fortified police station construction, intelligence network strengthening, and special forces in LWE-affected areas.
The meeting also discussed the ‘National Policy and Action Plan to address LWE,’ approved in 2015, which includes a multifaceted strategy involving security measures, development initiatives, and protection of local communities’ rights. According to Home Ministry data, there were 17,679 LWE-related incidents and 6,984 deaths between 2004 and 2014.