3 min readApr 1, 2026 06:13 AM IST First published on: Apr 1, 2026 at 06:13 AM ISTFor almost six decades, the Maoist insurrection has cast a shadow. Emerging from agrarian unrest in Naxalbari, West Bengal, the movement spread to parts of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Odisha. Today, as the country appears close to a decisive end to the insurgency — Home Minister Amit Shah has said the Red Corridor has dwindled to two districts — the moment calls for a sober reckoning. The steady squeezing of the movement in the past two years — arrests, surrenders and killings of left-wing extremists (LWEs) — is no doubt a military defeat of Maoism. Several Maoists who have laid down arms have spoken of the futility of violent means. Their ideological disenchantment also speaks of their recognition of the democratic possibilities of a state they once criticised as “semi-feudal” and “semi-colonial”. This points to the task that lies ahead — to build on this opening in ways that guard against the erosion of trust, and deepen democracy.The Red Corridor took root in areas marked by multiple state abdications and political failures. Extremism drew sustenance from the government’s failure to establish a credible presence through welfare interventions among marginalised communities. In forested areas, where the state’s writ was weak, Maoist groups established parallel governance structures, collecting levies, dispensing justice, and tapping into the anxieties of people displaced by infrastructure projects. For years, the government’s response oscillated between neglect and displays of force. In 2006, then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh described Maoist violence as India’s single biggest internal security threat. The past two decades have seen a decisive shift, however, towards combining security operations with development initiatives. The task begun by its predecessor has been pursued by the NDA government with vigour. Roads, schools and hospitals have come up in once-inaccessible areas, increasing numbers are in the ambit of the banking structure, and direct benefit transfers have enhanced the efficacy of welfare schemes. At the same time, better-equipped security forces, supported by effective intelligence, have dealt a string of reverses to LWEs.AdvertisementThe deeper challenge has, however, not been completely overcome. Uneven development, land acquisition for infrastructure projects and environmental degradation remain fraught issues. Areas with a history of lawlessness require continuing vigilance against the emergence of newer forms of unrest. The state should not only be efficient, it must also be, and be seen to be, just.