New Delhi: The last five years have seen 207 security forces personnel dying in combat against Naxalites while medical conditions such as heart attacks have killed a total of 577 personnel of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) in Naxal-affected areas, the government has said.
The data was shared by Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai in a written reply submitted in the Lok Sabha.
Rai, however, said that 647 Left-Wing extremism (LWE) cadres have been neutralised and 207 personnel of security forces have attained martyrdom during the last five years from January 1, 2019, to July 15, 2024, in LWE-related violence.
Over the past five years, from 2019 to 2023, the minister reported that 297 CRPF personnel died due to heart attacks and illnesses, with 108 from the Border Security Force (BSF), 76 from the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), 74 from the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), and 22 from the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB).
Since 2019, 297 CRPF personnel, 108 CISF personnel, 76 ITBP personnel, and 22 SSB personnel have died due to heart attacks and illnesses. Specifically, within the CRPF, the numbers were 45 in 2019, 63 in 2020, 73 in 2021, 62 in 2022, and 54 in 2023. For the BSF, 22 personnel died in 2019, 21 in 2020, 22 in 2021, 21 in 2022, and 22 in 2023. In the CISF, there were eight deaths in 2019, 25 in 2020, 14 in 2021, 15 in 2022, and 14 in 2023.
The minister also mentioned that “no specific unusual causes of heart attacks and illnesses in Naxal-affected areas have been observed.”
Decline in Naxal violence
Rai reported that incidents of Left Wing Extremism (LWE) violence have decreased by 73% since 2010. He noted that the resulting fatalities, including those of civilians and security personnel, have dropped by 86% from the peak levels in 2010 to 2023. Up to May 30 this year, there has been a significant 32% reduction in LWE-related incidents and a 17% decrease in the resulting deaths of both civilians and security forces compared to the same period in 2023.
“The geographical spread of LWE violence has also constricted substantially with reduction of LWE-affected districts from 126 across 10 states in 2013 to only 38 districts across nine states in 2024. The number of police stations reporting LWE-related violence has significantly reduced from 465 police stations in 2010 to 171 police stations in 2023. Till June, the LWE violence was reported from 89 police stations,” Rai said.
Additionally, a 24×7 toll-free number (18005990019) from the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD) has been made available to allow personnel to access psychological counselling. Other welfare measures have also been implemented.
The CRPF is the country’s largest Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) with a sanctioned strength of 3,30,851 personnel followed by the BSF with 2,65,808, CISF with 1,86,924, ITBP having 98,858 personnel and SSB with 97,774 staffers.