LEFT WING EXTREMISM

Posted 15 Apr 2024

4 min read

Recently, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) released a booklet titled ‘Decisive Battle with Left Extremism’.

LWEs are individuals or groups who espouse radical leftist ideologies and seek to overthrow established systems of power through violent means.
- LWEs are commonly referred to as Maoists globally and as Naxalites within India.
- Naxal insurgency in India originated in the 1967 uprising in Naxalbari, West Bengal.
- India’s Red Corridor: Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha, Bihar, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, and Kerala in varying degrees.

Jal, Jungle, Jameen (Water, Forest and Land): Forced labour, expropriation of resources by outsiders, evasion of land ceiling laws, denial of land claims and poorly framed legislations are curtailing the rights of people in LWE-affected areas.
Socio-Economic Inequalities: Lack of employment and education opportunities, Infrastructure deficit, absence of healthcare amenities, and social exclusion compelled youth to join Naxalite organisations.
- Insurgency historically flourished in areas where poverty has taken root.

Inadequate Governance: Several reports suggest that government policies are not properly implemented on the ground led to rise of Naxalism.

Strategic
- SAMADHAN: The new operational Doctrine ‘SAMADHAN’ was enunciated to tackle LWE by MHA in 2017. (refer image)
- Special Taskforce: Special operation teams formed in centre and state forces.
- Offensive strategy: In 2022, security forces have achieved unprecedented success in Operation Octopus, Operation Double Bull, and Operation Chakrabandha in fight against LWE.
Developmental
- Better centre-state coordination: The government has made funds available for the capacity building of states under various schemes such as the Security related expenditure (SRE) scheme, and the Special Infrastructure Scheme (SIS).
- Public participation in Development: The MHA has ensured people’s participation by giving additional thrust to the scheme for the welfare of the poor and the development of militancy-affected areas.
- Rehabilitation: The government’s surrender and rehabilitation policies offer incentives like vocational training, and financial assistance aiding their integration into mainstream society.
  - For instance, Industrial Training Institutes and Skill Development Centres have been established in LWE-affected districts.
- Improved Development and Governance: Initiatives focusing on education, employment generation etc. have reduced the grievances that fuelling extremism.

Geographical Location: The continuous forest terrain of states like Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Orissa, and Telangana have allowed the Maoists/Naxals a free space to conduct arms training, hide themselves and carry out guerrilla warfare.
Security Challenges: Unhindered inflow of arms and ammunition to Naxalites, through illicit manufacturers, stealing from government stocks, inadequate monitoring and surveillance etc., poses a significant security threat in LWE areas.
Slow pace of political reforms and participatory democracy: There is a lack of political representation of marginalized communities, particularly tribal populations.
Ideological Appeal: LWE groups have constructed a narrative that attracts people, particularly from tribal communities to join the Naxalite movement.

Bridging trust deficit: Employ more local people in the administrative process which can act as a bridge to curtail trust deficit. Further, support of civil society can be taken for awakening tribals.

For example, the Peace March was organized in 2021 where tribals from Chhattisgarh, Odisha and Telangana participated under the slogan of ‘Bastar maange hinsa se azadi’.

Counter Ideological appeal: Cherish and nurture the democratic way of life deeply enshrined in our Constitution, as opposed to the totalitarian and oppressive nature of the Maoist ideology.
Centre-state coordination: Both should make synchronised efforts in eliminating radicalization and clear delineation of roles and responsibilities should be delineated to tackle LWE.
Security and Capacity building: Emphasis should be laid on the modernization of local police forces, and forces should be used in small groups to maintain greater efficiency.
Use of technology: Geographic information system and Global Positioning System can help in identifying camp locations and planning attacks to eradicate threats by security forces in LWE areas/red corridor.