The North News
Chandigarh, April 17
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday declared that the government aims to eliminate Naxalism from India by March 31, 2026, placing the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) at the heart of this mission. Speaking at the CRPF’s annual parade at Neemuch in Madhya Pradesh, Shah described the force as the “backbone” of India’s internal security and counter-insurgency efforts. He praised the CRPF’s elite Cobra battalion, stating that its presence strikes fear into the hearts of Naxalite insurgents.
“The dream of spreading red terror from Pashupatinath to Tirupati has now been crushed, with Naxalites restricted to just four districts,” Shah said, attributing this drastic reduction to the CRPF’s efforts. He added that more than 400 forward operating bases have been set up in affected areas over the past five years, leading to a 70% drop in violence over the last decade.
Amit Shah also recalled several historic contributions of the CRPF, from thwarting terrorist attacks on Parliament in 2001 and the Ram Janmabhoomi complex in 2005, to playing a key role in maintaining law and order post the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir.
“CRPF personnel ensured that the first assembly elections in Kashmir post-Article 370 were held peacefully. Not a single booth was looted, not a single bullet was fired,” Shah noted, calling it a “landmark achievement.”
The Home Minister also paid tribute to the 2,264 CRPF personnel who have laid down their lives for the nation. “Their saga of bravery will be etched in golden letters in the centenary celebration of India’s independence in 2047,” he said.
He highlighted CRPF’s global role under UN peacekeeping missions in countries like Sri Lanka, Haiti, Kosovo and Liberia. With 2,708 medals to its name, the CRPF holds the distinction of being the most decorated force among all Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs).
Shah emphasised the CRPF’s legacy, tracing it back to its establishment in 1939 as the Crown Representative’s Police. It was India’s first Home Minister, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, who reshaped the force and gave it its present identity. Today, the CRPF boasts nearly 3 lakh personnel deployed across 248 battalions, making it the largest paramilitary force not just in India but in the world.
He also referenced the CRPF’s sacrifice in Hot Spring, Ladakh in 1959, where jawans were killed during a clash with Chinese forces. “It is in their memory that October 21 is observed every year as Police Commemoration Day,” he said.
Reaffirming Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s directive to rotate security force parades across India, Shah said Neemuch – the birthplace of CRPF – was chosen to host this year’s ceremony to honour the force’s roots. “The CRPF is inseparable from India’s security framework,” Shah concluded, hailing its role in everything from guarding the Amarnath and Vaishno Devi pilgrimages to protecting sites like the Ramjanmabhoomi and Krishna Janmabhoomi.
