New Delhi, August 15, 2026: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said that while armed Naxalism has been defeated, the “Naxal mindset” continues to pose a challenge to the country and called for collective efforts to identify and isolate such elements.
Addressing the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort on the occasion of India’s 80th Independence Day, the Prime Minister said that building a secure Bharat is the responsibility of every citizen. He stressed the need to ensure that the country’s young generation remains connected with the mainstream path of nation-building and the goal of creating a developed India.
“Armed Naxalites have been defeated, but the Naxal mindset remains,” Modi said, according to the Press Information Bureau. He said such forces were looking for opportunities to promote violence and anarchy and were employing different tactics to push society onto what he described as the wrong path.
The Prime Minister said Naxalism and Maoism had damaged the future of millions of young people. Recalling the prolonged conflict, he said Naxalism had held large parts of the country and a significant section of its population under the threat of violence for nearly four decades.
He also paid tribute to security personnel who lost their lives during the fight against Left-Wing Extremism, saying more than 3,500 police and security personnel had made the “supreme sacrifice” while protecting ordinary citizens.
Modi said the decline of Naxalite-Maoist violence had transformed several areas that were once affected by insurgency. According to him, regions where violence and bloodshed had once been prevalent were now witnessing development, greater trust and renewed efforts towards progress.
The Prime Minister called for vigilance against what he termed the continuing Naxal mindset and urged society to prevent young people from being drawn towards violence and extremism.
The Prime Minister also announced plans to strengthen India’s civil defence preparedness in response to the changing nature of warfare.
“Building a secure Bharat is the responsibility of all of us,” he said, stressing that security challenges could emerge both within the country and across its borders.
Modi said modern warfare was no longer confined to conventional battlefields or border areas and that the country needed to prepare its citizens accordingly.
He announced that the government would work towards building a “vibrant civil defence network” in the coming days. The network, he said, would equip citizens and civil defence personnel with modern systems and technologies and familiarise them with contemporary methods of emergency preparedness.
The announcement comes as the government seeks to expand public awareness and preparedness for emerging security challenges, with the Prime Minister emphasising that national security requires participation and preparedness beyond the armed forces alone.
