India’s Modi says armed Maoists are fading, but warns threat remains from ideological supporters

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the nation from the Red Fort monument in New Delhi on Independence Day, emphasizing the decline of India's Maoist insurgency while warning against the threat posed by ideological supporters. In his speech, Modi stated that Maoist violence was "breathing its last" following years of security operations against the insurgency, once considered the country's biggest internal security threat.

Also known as the Naxalite movement, it had challenged state authority across large parts of central and eastern India for several decades, resulting in numerous civilian, rebel, and security personnel casualties.

Modi acknowledged the success in eliminating armed Naxals in the jungles but stressed that "dimagi Naxals" or people aligned with the movement's ideology were now seeking opportunities to incite violence and unrest. He emphasized the importance of identifying and isolating these individuals. The Prime Minister also announced a set of measures aimed at fostering self-reliance across various sectors, including defense and agriculture, with a strong emphasis on youth development.

This announcement followed the emergence of a youth-led protest movement, the Cockroach Janta Party, which posed a rare challenge to Modi's government and led to the resignation of his education minister.

Although Modi did not directly reference the protests, he highlighted initiatives targeted at young Indians, such as AI skills training and free online coaching for competitive exams. He noted that India had evolved from a "fragile" economy into the world's fastest-growing major economy over the past decade and reiterated his government's goal of turning the nation into a developed nation by 2047, marking the centenary of its independence.