The End-Stage of Left-Wing Extremism

On 31 March 2026 the Union government declared India "effectively free" of Left-Wing Extremism, closing a chapter that opened with the 1967 Naxalbari uprising and long scarred a "Red Corridor" through central and eastern India. The tally of LWE-affected districts, 126 in 2014, has fallen to just two, and the list of "most affected" districts has emptied entirely. Packaged under three pillars — Vishwaas (trust and security), Nirman (infrastructure) and Jan Kalyan (welfare) — the campaign fused relentless operations with roads, mobile towers and a generous surrender deal. February 2026 delivered a symbolic capstone: Politburo strategist "Devuji" walked out of the forest with three other senior CPI (Maoist) leaders.