New Delhi [India], October 21 (ANI): Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday said India’s decades-long fight against Naxalism reached a significant milestone on March 31, 2026, when the country attained freedom from the insurgency.
He paid tribute to police personnel who sacrificed their lives in the service of the nation, saying that their sacrifices had laid the foundation for India's progress and its respected position on the global stage.
Addressing the National Police Commemoration Day parade here, Shah said Naxalism had plagued several districts since 1981, claiming the lives of security personnel and civilians, with Chhattisgarh bearing the highest number of casualties among security forces.
"The year 2026 stands as a highly significant milestone for the Indian police. On March 31, 2026, the nation finally attained freedom from the scourge of Naxalism, a menace that had plagued the country for decades. Since 1981, Naxalism has inflicted deep wounds across several districts, claiming the lives of countless innocent security personnel and civilians. Chhattisgarh, in particular, has suffered the highest number of casualties among our security forces. Furthermore, more than 13,700 innocent civilians have lost their lives," he said.
Shah further paid tribute to the personnel who lost their lives fighting Naxalism and acknowledged the sacrifices made by their families.
"Today, on the occasion of Police Commemoration Day, I wish to pay my heartfelt tribute to all those martyred personnel. To their families, I want to say this: if the nation is moving forward on the path of development today, having overcome a problem that persisted for five decades, it is because the sacrifice of 3,600 brave personnel serves as its foundation. The entire nation expresses its profound gratitude for the sacrifices made by your loved ones," the Union Home Minister said.
Shah said the country overcame several challenges since independence with the sacrifices of police personnel who safeguarded internal security and protected the nation's borders.
"Today, we have gathered here to pay tribute to those brave police personnel who have made the ultimate sacrifice in the service of the nation, from the time of independence to the present day. In the nearly 8 decades since independence, our nation has come to occupy a respected position on the global stage. At the very foundation of this achievement lies the sacrifice of our brave personnel. One can hardly imagine that, had these brave men and women not made the ultimate sacrifice to safeguard our internal security and protect our nation’s borders, where we would stand today," Shah said.
Shah earlier flagged off a nationwide motorcycle rally from the National Police Memorial in the national capital to mark the National Police Commemoration Day.
The bike rally, organised under the theme 'Fight Against Drugs', comprises around 90 riders representing nine States and Union Territories, alongside personnel from Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) and Central Police Organisations (CPOs).
The riders will traverse multiple states and culminate their journey at Ekta Nagar in Gujarat, where they will participate in the grand Ekta Parade on October 31, observed nationwide as Rashtriya Ekta Diwas (National Unity Day) to mark the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
He also paid solemn floral tributes at the National Police Memorial, honouring the supreme sacrifice of police and security personnel who laid down their lives in the line of duty.
National Police Commemoration Day is observed annually on October 21 in remembrance of the brave CRPF personnel who made the ultimate sacrifice while repelling an ambush by heavily armed Chinese troops at Hot Springs, Ladakh, in 1959. (ANI)
“Naxalism inflicted deep wounds for decades”: Amit Shah says insurgency claimed over 13,700 civilian lives
