Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi celebrates Diwali with the security forces at CoBRA Operations Base at Karanpur in Bastar, Chhattisgarh

Prime Minister Narendra Modi celebrated Diwali 2026 with security forces at the CoBRA Operations Base in Karanpur, Bastar, Chhattisgarh, marking the first Naxal-free Diwali in the country.

• The 2026 Diwali marks the first festival after India won its battle against Maoist terror and rendered every district Naxal-free.
• Over the past year, not a single CRPF soldier lost their life on duty for the first time in 47 years.
• Between 2004 and 2013, more security personnel were martyred annually than Naxals killed; this trend reversed after 2014.
• The government built over 15,000 kilometers of roads, over 9,500 mobile towers, and nearly 175 Eklavya schools in Naxal-affected areas.
• According to a World Bank report, 50 crore Indians have escaped extreme poverty over the past 12 years.
• The ongoing Bastar Olympics symbolize the region's transformation from violence to sports.