Prime Minister Narendra Modi used India’s Independence Day speech to announce that the country has largely overcome the armed Maoist rebellion that persisted for decades, though he cautioned that ideological successors to the movement remain a concern.
Modi stated that India had succeeded in “getting rid of armed Naxals,” referring to members of the Naxalite movement, a Maoist-influenced group that challenged government authority across central and eastern India for years. He argued that while the armed threat has diminished, “dimagi Naxals” or intellectual Naxals continue to pose risks by seeking opportunities to incite violence. He called for such figures to be “identified and isolated.” The terminology echoes the contested label “urban Naxal,” previously employed by Modi and his party to characterize activists, academics, intellectuals and government critics.
The statements arrive in the wake of youth-led demonstrations, including the Cockroach Janta Party movement, which recently challenged the government and contributed to the resignation of the education minister. Though Modi did not directly address these protests, he devoted significant attention to youth-focused programs, including artificial intelligence skills training and complimentary online preparation courses for competitive examinations.
During the address, Modi highlighted economic achievements, noting India’s transformation into the world’s fastest-growing major economy over the past decade since he took office in 2014. He reiterated his administration’s aspiration to achieve developed nation status by 2047, marking the centennial of Indian independence. Modi attributed the reduction in Maoist violence to his government’s security and development initiatives.
Human rights organizations have consistently raised concerns that Indian authorities employ counterterrorism statutes, sedition laws and restrictions on foreign funding to constrain civil society organizations and target critics of government policies.
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