Now only three districts of Chhattisgarh (Bijapur, Sukma and Narayanpur) are most affected by Left Wing Extremism (LWE).
- The number of LWE affected districts has also been further brought down to just 11 from 18.
Left Wing Extremism (LWE) in India
- Background: Originated from the Naxalbari movement of 1967 in West Bengal.
- Ideology: Rooted in socio-economic inequalities and driven by Maoist principles, Naxalism has historically impacted some of the most remote, underdeveloped, and tribal-dominated regions of the country.
- The government has set a target to completely eradicate the LWE by the 31st of March 2026.
India’s multidimensional counter-LWE strategy
- National Action Plan and Policy (2015):
- It includes targeting of top leaders as well as over ground workers, countering the nefarious ideology, choking of finances, enhanced coordination between states and centre governments, etc.
- SAMADHAN strategy: It includes Smart leadership, Aggressive strategy, Motivation and training, etc.
- Development Interventions:
- Financial Inclusion efforts including opening bank branches, ATMs, and post offices, and operationalizing Banking Correspondents.
- Skill Development and Education initiatives like establishing ITIs, Skill Development Centres, and Eklavya Model Residential Schools.
- Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan for providing personal amenities and benefitting the local population.
- Community Engagement and Perception Management: E.g., Civic Action Programme (CAP) humanizes security forces and builds rapport between them and local people.
- Other: Surrender-cum-rehabilitation of naxalites, etc.
