Naxalite or Naxalism is an informal name given to communist groups that are now active in more than 8 states of India striving to establish a ‘red’ corridor through an armed revolution.
It is said that the naxal movement originated from a small village in West Bengal, Naxalbari when the local peasants under the leadership of Charu Majumdar and Kanu Sanyal who led a violent uprising in May 25, 1967,after local peasants were attacked by landlords over land dispute. What started as a local level movement soon spread into a call of revolution to overthrow the government and upper classes whom the protestors held responsible for their plight.
Fourty two years later, the naxalites have established their presence in more than 36 percent of India's geographical area comprising roughly 90,000 square kilometers. More than 20,000 insurgents are currently in operation, and they have been termed as the most serious threat to India's national security by Prime Minister Manohan Singh. The government in the current budget increased the allocated funding on internal security from Rs 17,674 crore to Rs 21,715 crore.
At present their presence can be seen in the states of Chhattisgarh, Orissa, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Jharkhand, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal.
The red bastion that they have managed to establish in states like Chhattisgarh and Andhra Pradesh stands testimony to the kind of violence they propagate.
Chhattisgarh is at present the worst hit by Maoist activities. The affected area is Bastar in southern Chhattisgarh, comprising five districts. Kanker (northern Bastar), Bastar (Jagdalpur), Dantewada (southern Bastar), Bijapur and Narayanpur combined together add to 39,000 sq km, a area that is little larger than Kerala and a little smaller than Haryana.
What is the reason behind the growing force of Naxalism? We need to go the roots of the problem to understand why rural youth are joining the movement, a movement which has well lived past its age.
Naxalites are composed primarily of youths, and its through these youths that they carry out their violent operations and illegal activities. Isn’t it important to look into the issue that why the youths, particularly the tribals join naxalites outfit? After all the life of a naxal is not a bed of rose.
Naxals unlike the Islamic terrorist don’t follow or fight for the purpose of any particular religion. It is totally different from the present Kashmir problem or the former Punjab trouble. It should not be looked as terrorist problem, but as a socio economic problem.
No employment, increasing poverty, government machinery which has failed, failed to deliver even the basic amenities; and machinery in which everything comes for a cost, laws which prohibit them from using their own resources, all these factors have contributed towards changing the mind and transforming a common youth to feared naxalites.
It is said that the naxal movement originated from a small village in West Bengal, Naxalbari when the local peasants under the leadership of Charu Majumdar and Kanu Sanyal who led a violent uprising in May 25, 1967,after local peasants were attacked by landlords over land dispute. What started as a local level movement soon spread into a call of revolution to overthrow the government and upper classes whom the protestors held responsible for their plight.
Fourty two years later, the naxalites have established their presence in more than 36 percent of India's geographical area comprising roughly 90,000 square kilometers. More than 20,000 insurgents are currently in operation, and they have been termed as the most serious threat to India's national security by Prime Minister Manohan Singh. The government in the current budget increased the allocated funding on internal security from Rs 17,674 crore to Rs 21,715 crore.
At present their presence can be seen in the states of Chhattisgarh, Orissa, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Jharkhand, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal.
The red bastion that they have managed to establish in states like Chhattisgarh and Andhra Pradesh stands testimony to the kind of violence they propagate.
Chhattisgarh is at present the worst hit by Maoist activities. The affected area is Bastar in southern Chhattisgarh, comprising five districts. Kanker (northern Bastar), Bastar (Jagdalpur), Dantewada (southern Bastar), Bijapur and Narayanpur combined together add to 39,000 sq km, a area that is little larger than Kerala and a little smaller than Haryana.
What is the reason behind the growing force of Naxalism? We need to go the roots of the problem to understand why rural youth are joining the movement, a movement which has well lived past its age.
Naxalites are composed primarily of youths, and its through these youths that they carry out their violent operations and illegal activities. Isn’t it important to look into the issue that why the youths, particularly the tribals join naxalites outfit? After all the life of a naxal is not a bed of rose.
Naxals unlike the Islamic terrorist don’t follow or fight for the purpose of any particular religion. It is totally different from the present Kashmir problem or the former Punjab trouble. It should not be looked as terrorist problem, but as a socio economic problem.
No employment, increasing poverty, government machinery which has failed, failed to deliver even the basic amenities; and machinery in which everything comes for a cost, laws which prohibit them from using their own resources, all these factors have contributed towards changing the mind and transforming a common youth to feared naxalites.
The pathetic and callous attitude of the successive state government in various states towards the development of backward areas has contributed in no small way in the spread of the naxal movement.
The youths seeing no hope of improving socio economic condition are delineated from the mainstream society. They are disenchanted and share a feeling of discontent against the society, a society which is nothing but the creation of the state.
It is a false general impression that the illiterate mind of the rural-tribal youth is easily susceptible towards adopting a lifestyle of a naxalites. All naxalites are not illiterate. It has been observed that many of the members of the “Dalam” (a group of naxalites operating in a particular area), are very ably educated, some even have completed their graduation. The core members of the Dalam have been found to highly qualified. Why blame them instead of blaming a system which doesn’t give the opportunity to utilize the education that they have been imparted?
Naxals like any Indian citizen are part of the same country in which we live. They are not foreigners but they too have evolved from the same civilization from which we have evolved. So why view them differently?
The roots of this problem are in the bleak socio-economic conditions of our country, especially the deep rural areas which have been neglected, and have seen either no or very little developmental activity. Development of not only the naxal infested area but the other interior remote part of the country should be given its due attention.
The answer to eradicating this menace does not lie in the brutal use of force but a strategy that is based on pushing the agenda of socio-economic development in the rural and remote areas. Generating employment opportunity, which is resented by the naxals, will go a long way in dissuading more young legs in joining the movement.
Perhaps then only this age old problem will gradually disappear as it once appeared. Till this happens the slogan “Lal Salam” will continue to inspire fear even in the strongest of the hearts.
There is no shortage of Security personnel’s, innocent villagers, and disoriented youth in this huge country, but letting them die for a cause which is not justified, either ethically, morally, politically or economically is not acceptable.
The answer to eradicating this menace does not lie in the brutal use of force but a strategy that is based on pushing the agenda of socio-economic development in the rural and remote areas. Generating employment opportunity, which is resented by the naxals, will go a long way in dissuading more young legs in joining the movement.
Perhaps then only this age old problem will gradually disappear as it once appeared. Till this happens the slogan “Lal Salam” will continue to inspire fear even in the strongest of the hearts.
There is no shortage of Security personnel’s, innocent villagers, and disoriented youth in this huge country, but letting them die for a cause which is not justified, either ethically, morally, politically or economically is not acceptable.
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