Naxalism- A Threat or Taboo ?

 Recently on 3rd April 2021 Sukma-Bijapur attack was an ambush carried out by the Naxalite-Maoits  insurgents from the Communist party of india  against Indian security forces on 3 April 2021 at Sukma-Bijapur border near Jonaguda village which falls under Jagargunda police station area Sukma district of Chattisgarh, leading to the killing of 22 security personnel and 9 Naxalites. The death toll was the worst for Indian security forces fighting the Naxalites since 2017.

Now Let Us Understand What Naxalism Is.

• The term Naxalism derives its name from the village Naxalbari of West Bengal.

ORIGIN:

• While the origins of Naxalism in India go back to the Telangana peasant rebellion (1946-51), the movement was at its peak in 1967, when the peasants, landless laborers, and Adivasis raided the granaries of a landlord in the Naxalbari village in West Bengal.
• This rebellion was suppressed by the police force, which consequently led to the Naxalite movement under the leadership of Charu Majumdar and his close associates, Kanu Sanyal and Jangal Santhal.
• These rebels not only were assisted by the people from nearby villages but also from the People’s Republic of China. The Chinese Media had called this movement the “Spring Thunder”.
• The movement initially took inspiration from China’s founding father, Mao Zedong, but had later become radically different from Maoism.
• In the following decades, the movement had later spread to other regions in the country.

What are the causes of Naxalism?

• Forest mismanagement was one of the main causes of the spread of Naxalism
• Haphazard tribal policy implementation, marginalization, and displacement of the tribal communities worsened the situation of Naxalism
• The increase in the interregional and intraregional differences and inequalities led to people choosing Naxalism
• Lack of industrialization, poor infrastructure growth, and unemployment in rural areas led to disparity among the people living in these areas
• The poor implementation of the land reforms has not yielded the necessary results.
• Forest cover in India is the main area of operation for these groups
• The unemployed youth in India is one of the major supporters of the Naxalism movement.

                    Distribution of Naxals In Various Regions In India

MAJOR NAXAL ATTACKS:

• April 2010 Dantewada Maoist attack: The April 2010 Dantewada Maoist attack was a 6 April 2010 ambush by Naxalite-Maoist insurgents from the Communist Party of India (Maoist) near Chintalnar village in Dantewada district, Chhattisgarh, India, leading to the killing of 76 CRPF policemen and 8 Maoists

• 2020-21 March - 17 security personnel of Chattisgarh police were killed in a Maoist ambush in Sukma districts Elmaguda forest, including 12 from the District Reserve Guards and 5 others from Special Task Force during a security operation launched against Maoists alongside the CRPF. 15 personnel were wounded and 16 weapons stolen.

• 2021:3rd April - 22 soldiers including 14 Chhattisgarh policemen and 7 jawans of the CRPF, including 6 members of its elite CoBRA unit, were killed in a Maoist ambush on the border of Bijapur and Sukma districts in southern Chhattisgarh.

Steps were taken by the Government

• Operation Green Hunt: It was started in 2010 and massive deployment of security forces was done in the naxal-affected areas.

• From 223 districts that were affected due to Naxalism in the year 2010, the number has come down to 90 in nine years.

• The government even started ‘Relief and Rehabilitation Policy’ for bringing Naxalites into mainstream.

• Members of the Central Committee Politburo of communist parties have either been killed or arrested.

• Aspirational Districts Programme: Launched in 2018, it aims to rapidly transform the districts that have shown relatively lesser progress in key social areas.

• Continuous efforts of government have reduced the frequency of violent attacks in the naxalism-affected regions.

Conclusion:

India has made some success in containing Naxalism but the root causes have not been addressed yet. The central and the state governments should continue to follow the two pronged strategies i.e. ensuring the safety of the people in the Naxal-affected regions as well as taking initiatives for the development of such regions.

Written By:

Rahul Pradhan

Smith Pandya