Can India Truly End Naxalism?

As India approaches its self-imposed deadline to end Left Wing Extremism, host Nidhi Sharma speaks with ET’s internal security editor Rahul Tripathi, SHantanu Nandan Sharma, and Vijay Sharma, Deputy Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh. Ground reports from Bastar reveal a conflict in transition shrinking, yet not fully extinguished. Security operations have led to mass surrenders, reducing insurgent strongholds to a handful of districts. However, the deeper challenge now lies in rehabilitation and reintegration. Former militants, many still ideologically conflicted, are being trained in state-run camps under tight surveillance. As infrastructure and governance finally reach long-neglected regions, the question remains: can development outpace decades of distrust and radicalization, or is this merely the quiet before another cycle of unrest?

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