NAXALISM

• Maoist or Naxalite insurgency: ideologically driven movement drawing

inspiration from ideas and thoughts of Mao Tse Tung. The aim of the
Maoist insurgent is to end class-based division and replace the Indian
state with the state whose policies and character are guided by Maoist
political ideology.
• The term ‘Naxal’ is derived from a village called Naxalbari in Darjeeling
district of West Bengal where the movement originally emerged in
1967. It originated as a small peasant rebellion by members of the
Santhal tribe against the exploitation and oppression by local landlords.
• Headed by Charu Majumdar. Kanu Samyal, R. p. Singh, Jangal Santhal., the movement spreads
into other states as well like Bihar, AP, Orissa, Chattisgarh, Maharashtra, Jharkhand, U.P. (red
corridor)
• In 1970’s suppressed under operation steeplechase. Charu Majumdar was arrested 1972, 1977
released
• Naxal movement was fragmented into four major groups on ideological ground: Maoist Communist
Centre (MCC), People’s War Group (PWG), the Party Unity (PU), and CPI-ML (Liberation). New
impetus provided by India's economic reforms. 2006 Manmohan Singh declared it the single
biggest challenge ever faced by our country, declared as terrorist group under UAPA in 2009
• In 2004 while rejecting parliamentary democracy the first three merged together to form CPI-
Maoist launched an armed rebellion against the state forces after which the movement became
more intensified.
• The group aims to overthrow “imperialism, feudalism, and comprador bureaucratic
capitalism only through the protracted people’s war”
• The military strategy aims to create revolutionary base areas in country side where the
state has little reach and cannot enforce the rule of law. They further describe there
relationship with people as of fish and water. For them people are there eyes and ears
• The continuous violence not only undermines the authority of state in eyes of local
population but also discourages police officers from operating effectively for fear of
ambush. Between 1980-2015, 20,012 people got killed out of which 4761 are naxals,
3105 are security forces and 12,146 civilians. Recently in April 2023 11 security officials
were killed in an Maoist ambush in Dantewada district
• Several perspectives: nature of conflict
• Security : creation of outside forces to weaken Indian state, law and
issue problem
• Liberal perspective: developmental problem product of unequal
development, lack of employment, lack of opportunities.
• Radical: class differences, outcome of structural violence, deprived and
discriminated forced into armed struggle
• Poverty, mal-governance, industrialization without rehabilitation and placement policies
• “However, wrong in their method adopted in order to attain the objective, it needs to be realized by any
dispassionate observer that the crime of Naxals is the crime of all those who cannot remain unmoved
and inactive in an India where a child crawls in the dust with a begging bowl; where a poor girl can be
sold as a rich man‘s plaything; where a poor and low caste man‘s wife is an object of sex for a rich;
where an old women must half-starve herself in order to buy social acceptance from the powers that be
in her village; where countless people die of sheer neglect; while many are hungry while food is hoarded
for profiteering; where usurers and trickster export the fruits of labour from those who do the work;
where the honest suffer and languish while the villainous prosper; where justice is exception and
injustice the rule; and where the total physical and mental energy of millions of people is spent on the
struggle for mere survival. It is the crime of those who know that a radical change is necessary, so that
the skill, creativity, ingenuity and diligence of the Indian people can be given full scope to work in
building a different kind of India, a truly independent India, a better India.”
• The state has used multipronged strategy to counter this menace . They include use of
force, economic assistance, egalitarian development. Operation Green Hunt launched in
2010 to counter the Maoist threat . Massive deployment of forces in naxal affected areas. At
present 36 battalions of Central Para Military forces are deployed in Naxalite affected areas.
• The govt started relief and rehabilitation policy for bringing Naxalites into mainstream.
Special funds have been created and allocated for the development of these regions.
Because of these efforts fresh recruitment has dried, they are short of ammunition
• The union government had informed parliament in Dec. 2022 that incidents of Naxal
violence have reduced by 77% from high of 2213 in 2010 to 509 in 2021. only 126 police
stations of 46 districts reported LWE related violence in 2021 as compared to high of 465
police stations of 96 districts in 2010.
SALWA JUDUM

• Meaning “Peace March ” or “Purification Hunt ” in the language of the

Gonds, the Salwa Judum was a militia specifically mobilised with the
intention of countering the Naxalite violence in the Chhattisgarh region.
It consisted of local tribal youth with logistical and training support
from the state government of Chhattisgarh. (Bastar and Danteward).
• It became active when Chhattisgarh state signed mining agreements
with the Tata and Essar group
• To facilitate a smooth operation of their activities, the Salwa Judum
began to herd the local villagers into makeshift camps.
• Accused of human rights violation
• On 5 July 2011, the Supreme Court of India in a case filed by Nandini
Sundar and others declared the militia to be illegal and
unconstitutional, and ordered its disbanding.
• Despite the order, the Salwa Judum remains a part of the auxiliary
force of the state police. Despite the controversial nature of the Salwa
Judum, other states were more than enthusiastic in setting up their
state militias composed of ordinary people to counter insurgencies in
their regions.