Bastar, November 2026 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday celebrated Diwali with security personnel at the CoBRA Operations Base in Karanpur, Chhattisgarh's Bastar district, and praised their courage, dedication and sacrifices in the fight against Naxalism.
The visit was aimed at honouring personnel deployed in the region and recognising their contribution to efforts to eliminate Maoist violence and restore peace. The Karanpur facility has served as a training centre and an operational base for counter-Naxal activities in Bastar and Abujhmad, areas that were once considered major strongholds of the Maoist insurgency.
Addressing the personnel, Modi said that while millions of people across India and abroad were celebrating Diwali with their families, he had chosen to spend the festival with security forces because he considered them members of his extended family.
“Today, millions of Indians are joyfully observing the revered festival of lights throughout the nation and across the globe. People are travelling from distant places to reunite with their families. This is a wonderful occasion for loved ones to come together and celebrate. I have also come here to join you in the Diwali festivities,” he said.
Referring to the personnel protecting the country's borders and maintaining internal security, the Prime Minister described them as the courageous sons and daughters of the nation.
“You are all like family to me,” he said, emphasising his personal bond with the security forces.
Security forces credited with Bastar's transformation
The Prime Minister highlighted the transformation taking place in Bastar, attributing the change to the determination and sacrifices of security personnel.
He said the region had once faced a serious Naxal threat, but the commitment of security forces had helped overcome the challenge and create conditions for a new phase of development.
“You are all members of my family. This time, I have arrived to celebrate Diwali in the Bastar forests. This is a territory where Naxalism used to be a significant threat. However, because of your sacrifice and commitment, that threat has been eliminated in this area, and a new era of development has started,” Modi said.
He noted that the festival carried special significance this year, as the country was marking what he described as a historic milestone in its decades-long fight against Naxalism and Maoist violence.
PM calls it a historic Diwali for the country
Modi said this Diwali was particularly significant because people were celebrating it after decades of confronting the threat of Naxalism.
“After 40–50 years, a Diwali like this has come. This is the first Diwali when the nation has won its decades-long war against Naxalism and Maoist terror. This is the first Diwali when every district of the country is free from Naxalism. This is the first Diwali when crores of countrymen have overcome the fear of Naxalism,” he said.
Describing the achievement as a major national milestone, the Prime Minister said a substantial share of the credit belonged to security personnel who had worked in difficult conditions and made sacrifices in the line of duty.
He said his decision to celebrate Diwali with them was an expression of gratitude and recognition of their service.
Modi's visit to the CoBRA base underscored the government's focus on acknowledging the role of security forces in the fight against Left-Wing Extremism and in facilitating the return of peace and development to previously affected regions.
