Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the nation on India’s 79th Independence Day, asserting that the country’s decades-long Maoist insurgency was nearing its conclusion following sustained security operations. Speaking from New Delhi’s Red Fort, Modi characterized the armed phase of the Naxalite movement as “breathing its last” after years of counterinsurgency efforts.
Modi introduced a new concern regarding what he termed “dimagi Naxals,” referring to individuals who support Maoist ideology without engaging in armed activities. He stated that these ideological adherents pose a threat to social stability and must be identified and isolated. The prime minister emphasized that such individuals seek to mislead society and undermine state authority. He also announced various initiatives designed to promote self-reliance across multiple sectors including defense and agriculture, with particular emphasis on youth engagement.
The Naxalite movement, which traces its origins to a 1967 uprising in eastern India and drew inspiration from Chinese revolutionary ideology, has been considered one of India’s most significant internal security challenges. The insurgency claimed thousands of lives among civilians, combatants and security forces over its decades-long existence. Modi credited his administration’s security and development policies, implemented since 2014, with substantially reducing Maoist violence.
Opposition figures and international observers have raised concerns about the terminology and its implications. The phrase “dimagi Naxal” is viewed by critics as an extension of the previously used label “urban Naxal,” which Modi’s government has applied to activists, academics and other critics. International human rights organizations have documented concerns that such language has been used alongside anti-terror laws and sedition provisions to restrict civil society activity and target government opponents.
Opposition Congress party leader Jairam Ramesh characterized Modi’s remarks as political rhetoric and suggested the terminology reflects government efforts to stigmatize dissent before eventually incorporating contested ideas into policy.
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