ISSN (Online): 2394-2932 Volume-1 | Issue-1 | December-2014 Paper Id: 030802 Page No: 13 -26 http://social-onlooker.rtmonline.in | [email protected]13 Published by: Naxalism – A Threat to Internal Security by Vipul Partap | Asst Professor | Maharaja Agrasen Institute of Management Studies | Delhi. & Geetanjali Bhutani | Lecturer | Dyal Singh College | Karnal. ABSTRACT Can the Naxalite revolt be explained by "objective" class conditions in the Indian countryside? The Naxalites, in language prefiguring Maoists, claimed they were fighting a war against 'semi-feudal, semi-capitalist forces,' and that objective nature of exploitation in the countryside, with its combination of pre- capitalist bondage and capitalist market relations, was impoverishing and abusing the pour majority and inducing them to revolt. Social Events are rarely if ever unified, homogeneous phenomena. The Naxalite movement in India is no exception and this is perhaps the most valuable lesson the comparison can teach us while Maoists movement in Nepal may superficially appear ideologically united and highly organized around Common goals it arose from particular historical events that affected specific peoples at certain identical places. Examine the Naxalite movement from the longer perspective its history provides may allow us to identify these local and historically grounded roots of rural insurgency and use the insights the perspective provides to analyze the case of India. KEY WORDS: Naxalism, semi-capitalist forces, Naxalite movement, Security INTRODUCTION India is bleeding not by the thousand cuts but due to “Hinterland” explosion. Naxalite attack is a major cause of concern in India today. Instances of Naxal violence are reported at regular intervals in India. The issue of the Naxal movement is attributed differently by the Naxals and
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the state power. While the former view it as a ‘socio-economic’ problem, the later regard it as a
‘law and order’ problem. Whatever, may be the fact, the concern of the development of the
people has to get priority and in no way it has to be compromised. The Govt. development
scheme and effort is laudable but there is limitation of effort. During the past years, the armed Naxalite groups have emerged as the main challenge to the
government of India. These groups have largely expanded their influence zone and Naxal
movement in India is now recognized as a part of the Maoist activism world over. Organizations
like, PWG, MCC etc. have established a network with ideologically similar organizations in
Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Sri Lanka under the aegis of the Coordination Committee of
Maoist Parties and Organizations of South Asia (CCMPOSA). Moreover, all these South Asian
Maoist organizations and parties are also members of an international organization called the
Revolutionary Internationalist Movement (RIM). Naxalism is not only a law and order problem
but a direct result of under- development. More than 150 districts in the country are affected by
Maoist violence. These are among the most backward areas of the country where poorest of the
poor live. Civil administration appears to have withdrawn from seriously affected areas leaving
the people to fend for themselves. There is an urgent need to improve the lot of the people in
tribal and backward areas. One of the main reasons for the Naxalite problem is the absence of
land reforms. The Maoist depend on the cadres of Tribal’s and Dalits (considered to be of the
lower castes) who have been dispossessed of their lands with the indifferent state machinery
adding to alienation. The police and the landlords remain the two biggest targets of the Maoists.
The Naxalite problem, which Indian Prime Minister Man Mohan Singh described as the single
biggest internal security challenge ever faced by India, shows no sign of easing. Inevitably,
foreign investors looking to expand their operations outside India’s urban areas must take it into
consideration.
MARXISM, MAOISM AND NAXALISM: THE DIFFERENCE Marxism emerged as a strong ideology in the reaction against the capitalism and the onslaughts
of the Industrial Revolution. As a result of the Industrial Revolution the society in Europe got
divided into two classes i.e. the Capitalist and the workers (also called proletariats). After the
Industrial Revolution the Capitalist class had access to all resources while the condition of
working class became vulnerable and marginalized. The working class was severely exploited by
the Capitalist Class during that time, as there were no labor laws or institutions for the advocacy
of the working class Marxism as an ideology envisage a classless society in which the political
power is hijacked by the working class or in the words of Marx dictatorship of the Proletariats.
Marxism as an ideology does not hesitate the use force and/or other violent methods to grab the
Maoism is the Asian or Chinese version of the Marxism. Asian societies did not witness the
Industrial Revolution similar to the extent and effect as in the case of Europe. Thus, in Asia the
Capitalist Class and Working Class were not as prominent as in the case of Europe. The major
difference in the demography between Asia and Europe was that majority of population in Asia
was rural and had an agrarian base. Thus while Marxism is applicable in the case of urban
working class, the Maoism talks about the peasants and landless agriculture labours. While the
Marxism envisages dictatorship of Working Class the Maoism envisions the dictatorship of rural
peasants and agriculture labour. The common features between both of them is that their goal is
same i.e. a classless society and no hesitation for the use of violent methods to grab political
power. Naxalism is the Indian version of Maoism. Since it started from the Naxalbari district of
West Bengal, thus it has been named so.
OBJECTIVE CONDITIONS AS A CAUSE OF REVOLT Clearly, objective economic conditions contribute towards revolt. Routledge (1997) identifies five main variables in his analysis of the Naxalite movement. Land inequality in which the bottom 50% of households controlled just 9% of available
agricultural land by the early 1970's. Underemployment of landless laborers leading them to take loans on exorbitant rates of
interest. Harvest failures in 1965-67, just before the Naxalbari revolt began, which were
exacerbated by a cut in US food aid in 1966. The unequal regional Impacts 01 the Green Revolution, whose benefits were
concentrated in the wheat-producing areas. Urban recessions, which hit West Bengal especially hard and thereby made unemployed
student activists available to the CPI (ML). NAXALISM AND INTERNAL SECURITY Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said Naxalism remains the biggest internal security challenge
and it is imperative to control Left-wing extremism for the country’s growth. His government
has not underestimated the problem of Naxalism. State action in the context of internal security
has to be based on the constitutional framework, conventions of governance on relations between
center and states, the rule of law and justice, and free discourse. As the system has developed in
the country, the police need to follow the rule of law and take recourse to the criminal justice
system as long as citizens are not armed, and there is no direct conflict with the police. However,
were reportedly having old and outdated ammunition. Central Para Military Forces have been
deployed by the centre to states combating the Naxalite Insurgency. Another major step is the
training of the soldiers and policemen with Guerrilla warfare, a technique Naxalites adopt and
are adept at.
While strengthening the police on one side, the government has been focused on bringing about
socio-economic development in the Naxal infested areas in order to provide proper employment
opportunities to the locals so that lesser number of people resort to violent means. In fact Andhra
Pradesh government came out with the surrender and rehabilitation policy for the Naxalites
which is doing fairly well. West Bengal has also announced a Naxal surrender program similar to
the one in Andhra. The revision of the Security Related Expenditure (SRE) Scheme in 2005
covers the budget for all these policies. Presently 76 districts in 9 states which are badly affected
by Naxal activities are covered under this scheme.
Efforts are being made to form local resistance groups against Naxal violence by training the
individuals to fight against Naxalites. Provisional Armed Constabulary in Uttar Pradesh,
Greyhounds in Andhra Pradesh and COBRA are some Special Task Forces constituted to deal
with the issue. Recruitment of more than 14,000 personnel has been done for the special task
force. Salwa Judum was one such movement initiated by the Chattisgarh Government where
local tribal people were involved, but was eventually banned by the Supreme Court of India
owing to numerous defects of the program. This growing trouble of Naxal insurgency, which has
spread its tentacles to a lot of states, needs to be addressed collectively by all the state
governments in tandem with each other. Plans for Anti Maoist Centers, equipped with
helicopters and guarded by CRPF officials, at the borders of states affected by it are already in
motion. The government has also constituted an 'Empowered Group of Ministers' to counter the
problem of Naxalism headed by the Home Minister and select Chief Ministers. The Communist
party of India has also been banned under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act. Institution of
Indian Reserve Battalions is being done in order to enhance the security network of the states.
The institution of all these committees and acts is a fairly simple task as compared to effective
implementation of the same and bringing about the required change in the prevailing scenario.
DALIT AND ADIVASI IN NAXALISM Although the terms of references did not specifically mention Naxalites, the group’s brief was to identify causes of unrest and discontent in areas affected by “widespread displacement, forest issues, insecure tenancies and imperfect market conditions etc. Clearly, such areas fall in above mentioned five states- and significantly enough, the group organized field visits in these areas to
observe the situation at first hand, on the basis of which it has come out with stark revelations that expose the culpability of the state in denying the poor their basic rights, the treachery of a corrupt bureaucracy to implement the laws, and its complicity with a trigger happy police to suppress popular protest. The main support for the Naxalite Movement comes from dalits and adivasis, termed as scheduled castes and scheduled tribes respectively in official parlance, which comprise about one-fourth of India’s population, the majority living in rural areas. Apart from high levels of poverty, the dalits suffer from various types of disadvantages like
unemployment, illiteracy, social discrimination, human rights violation. As for the adivasis
population, besides remaining backward in all aspects of human development including
education, health, nutrition, etc, they have been steadily losing their traditional tribal rights.
These groups fail to take advantage of constitutional rights. Thus they are very much attracted
towards Naxalite movements as these movements fight for their minimal rights so most of them
join these movements. Incidentally, every dalits and adivasis poor in India has not joined the
Naxalite movement. There are many states with pockets of high proportion of adivasis and dalits
but little Naxalite influence, as in Punjab, Haryana, Gujarat and Rajasthan. For such a violent
upheaval to happen there is the likelihood of the spread of awareness and consciousness. And
this is where the Naxalites have played a significant role by stepping into craters of dalits an
adivasis deprivation in the five states, and organizing the deprived for their rights.
WOMEN IN NAXALISM The Naxalite movement is increasing its tenacity to strike at will. It continues to persist in terms
of spatial spread, intensity of violence, militarization and consolidation, ominous linkages with
subversive/secessionist groups and increased efforts to elicit mass support. Thousands of armed
guerrilla warriors are no longer engaged in isolated attacks, but are resorting to large militarized
assaults and have forged external links. Unfortunately, it is observed that women Maoists are
equally involved indirectly and directly in such violent activities, causing threat to internal
security of the Nation. India, the largest successful democracy, is witnessing such violent figures.
The involvement of women in Maoist activity is not at all a fresh new entity. Right from the
conception of this great, historic Naxalbari armed peasant rebellion; it is found that women
played a very vital role in this ‘Spring Thunder’ of 1967. The spring thunder of Naxalbari was a
clarion call for the oppressed and exploited people of India. The Indian Communist movement
had gone through many ups and downs since then. There were many twists and turns, ups and
downs in these forty years. It has been forty years since six peasant women, two children and a
peasant had laid down their lives in Naxalbari while fighting for land and life with dignity – their
liberation. As per the report of CPI (Maoist) Information Bulletin, in the Srikakulam struggle,
which was the major armed struggle of the Naxalbari period, there were 17 women martyrs.