There are moments in a republic’s life when the state reasserts not merely its authority, but its moral clarity. Home Minister Amit Shah’s declaration that India stands on the cusp of becoming free of the Maoist scourge marks one such moment. The deadline of March 2026, that was predictably dismissed by the Opposition as political bravado, has, by all accounts, been met with a resolve that is as consequential as it is overdue. For decades, Left Wing Extremism cast a long, dar