Bhopal, Sep 26 (IANS) Chief Minister Mohan Yadav announced a historic milestone on Friday, declaring Balaghat, the last bastion of Naxalite activity in Madhya Pradesh, free of its long-standing "Naxal-affected" label. Speaking at a public event in Bhopal, he aligned the state's progress with Union Home Minister Amit Shah's pledge to eradicate Naxalism nationwide by March 2026. "Balaghat has shed the tag of Naxalism; the only Naxal-affected district has now come out. With 'Lal Salam' fading, we are confident India will soon be free of this menace," CM Yadav asserted while addressing a gathering assembled at the programme 'Urban Transformation Summit 2025' in Bhopal.

Naxalism in Madhya Pradesh, rooted in the 1980s, thrived amid dense forests and tribal discontent, fuelled by land alienation, poverty, and mining encroachments. Balaghat, spanning 9,429 sq km in southeastern MP, bordering Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra, became a hotspot due to its rugged terrain and marginalised Gond and Baiga tribes. Remote villages like Baihar and Lanji offered ideal hideouts for CPI(Maoist) guerrillas, who ran "janatana sarkars" (people's governments), redistributing land and extorting mining operations to fund their insurgency while opposing exploitative development.

The district's violent history peaked in the 2000s with ambushes on police and infrastructure sabotage. A 2011 incident saw Naxals kill villagers suspected of being informers. By 2021, Balaghat, Mandla, and Dindori were merged into a unified anti-Naxal zone to streamline operations. Post-2015, surrenders surged - over 10,000 nationwide by 2025 - driven by robust counter-insurgency and rehabilitation programmes. MP Police's Hawk Force, bolstered by 325 new posts, neutralised 10 Naxals in six months, including clashes on January 3 in Dharamara forest, February 19 on the Mandla-Balaghat border (four women cadres killed), and June 14 (four more, including three women, with a grenade launcher seized).

Balaghat, once among six national "districts of concern," now stands transformed, with MP's Naxal footprint nearly eradicated. CM Yadav credited integrated security measures - CRPF, COBRA units, and local police - with development initiatives like women's self-help groups, industrial jobs, and solar-powered farming. Challenges like terrain-aided hideouts and IED risks persist, but experts note a 40 per cent drop in violence due to infrastructure and rehabilitation. As India nears its 2026 goal, Balaghat's turnaround signals a shift from red corridors to growth hubs, heralding a new era for Madhya Pradesh.