Naxalism in India

Naxalism

The issue of naxalism has been dubbed as the single greatest threat to India’s security by ex-Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The violence unleashed by naxals is persistent for over five decades. The incumbent Prime Minister Narendra Modi Naxalism, the single greatest threat to India‘s internal security is a problem that India has been confronted with and is dealing with for almost five decades. Reports of Naxal strikes or the clash between the security forces within the red corridor region has become a norm. The violent confrontation between the police forces has had devastating impact on the civilians. The use of violence by the Naxals is to instill fear amongst the people by the means of psychological warfare, meaning kill one to frighten many. The Naxal movement has now created a red corridor. All the states that are within the red corridor are at proximity to each other making it an easy escape route to the Naxlites. On the other hand the fact that Naxalism is a movement that stemmed amongst and by the marginalized people, because they bore the brunt of deprivation. Finding a base in the revolutionary ideas of Marxism and Maoism, the protests were carried out. The Naxalite movement which has been a part of the post colonial India continues to remain a problem that has presented a challenge to the very system of state. The Naxalites are considered as the sole representatives of the marginalized. Due to the lack of governance on part of the state, there was a vacuum created between the government and the downtrodden masses.

There are numerous reform measures introduced by the government but these measures are not properly implemented. This indicates a gap between the governmental authorities and its delivery mechanism. It is probably because the delivery system has been marred by corruption. The Naxalites have managed to fill this vacuum, mainly by their presence in the remote areas of India where the strong governmental presence is absent. This problem can be dealt by a more vigilant government in the areas where the reform measures of the government is not being carried out. The launch of strikes against the Naxals is the common method that the government has adopted. For instance some schemes initiated by the government includes Security Related Expenditure (SRE) Scheme: Under the Security Related Expenditure (SRE) scheme, funds are provided for meeting the recurring expenditure relating to insurance, training and operational needs of the security forces, rehabilitation of Left Wing Extremist cadres who surrender. The government has launched a Police Modernization Scheme in areas affected by Naxal movements. Under this scheme huge sums of money have been provided to the state governments by the central government to modernize their equipment and tactical gear including

latest communication, vehicles and infrastructure facility. While the up gradation in the security infrastructure is critical the government must also adopt reforms and developmental policies in order to curb the problem of Naxalism.

The government has launched various developmental schemes too in order to curb the Naxalite issue, for instance Special Infrastructure Scheme (SIS): The Scheme for Special Infrastructure in Leftwing Extremism affected States was approved in the Eleventh Plan, with an allocation of Rs. 500 crore, to cater to critical infrastructure gaps. Road Requirement Plan for LWE areas: The Road Requirement Plan (RRP) Phase-I was approved in February 2009 for improvement of road connectivity in 34 extremely Naxal affected districts in 8 States

In dealing with the problem of Naxalism, the model of Andhra Pradesh and the two pronged action plan that was used had been the most effective in dealing with the Naxal violence. In the two pronged approach, the developmental activities were coupled with the Grey hounds anti Naxals combing operations.

The state has to do much more than plan counter-insurgency operations or support violent vigilante groups to suppress the Naxalite movement. After close examination of the historical and ideological origins of the movement, it is clear that the movement thrives on the dissatisfaction of the marginalized population. The socio-economic perspective of Naxalism talks about how the rebel movement is shaped due to the failure of the institutional mechanisms and frameworks to deliver socio-economic justice. This research outlines the steps taken by the government, but concedes that it is not enough to over-emphasize the 'law and order'