Review of Naxal movement
Praveen Dixit
Communist Party of India (Maoist), CPI(M) a banned organisation under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) since 2009 has appealed its cadre and masses through its recently published twenty-five pages booklet to observe CPI(Maoists)’ twentieth foundation day from September 21 till Oct 20, 2024 throughout the country. Though the Naxal movement has been in existence from 1968 after its formation by Charu Majumdar and Kanhai Chatterji, it also witnessed splintering of its activities in various groups. On 21 September 2004, these splinter groups united themselves to form Communist Party of India (Maoists) inspired by the principles of Marx, Lenin and Mao. It firmly believes to capture power through armed revolution to eliminate capitalism advocated by United States, feudalism and its remaining remnants. It proposes to start this revolution from rural areas and encircle the urban areas. According to CPI(Maoists) the urban areas would provide sympathisers and further the mass movement. It boasts that during last twenty years, it launched several successful ambushes against para-military and police forces killing 3090 commandos or policemen, injured 4077 of them, and captured 2366 sophisticated modern weapons as well as 1,19,682 ammunition rounds. Significantly, the appeal is completely silent regarding gruesome murders committed by them of innocent persons who they claim to be police informers, even though they may belong to scheduled caste or scheduled tribe. Even many of their former colleagues who had surrendered out of frustration have been also eliminated brutally. The party is of the firm opinion, that without armed revolution, there would be no social justice, real freedom, establishment of peoples’ rule and freedom for self-determination with the resolve to break from India. As per the booklet, the three miraculous weapons to achieve these targets are the Party, Peoples’ Liberation Army (PLA) which operates in Dandakaranya, and various urban organisations which act as front to mobilise its sympathisers and resources.
In 2007, the party formulated “Strategy and Tactics of the Indian Revolution”. According to the same, the primary objective was to kill as many soldiers from Inian army, police and government officers. This was necessary to create liberated zones where there would be no control by the government. It further states that Urban Naxalism is required to recruit new candidates, ensure supply of various items including medicines, money, and acquire new technologies. This movement would be particularly spread among labour, semi-skilled workers, students and middle-class intellectuals. It will make special efforts in social groups belonging to women, scheduled castes and scheduled tribes. They would be encouraged to protest against exploitation of labour, oppose globalisation and act against Hindu supremacy. Members of Urban Naxal groups would be encouraged to infiltrate army, para-military forces, police and senior bureaucratic circles. They were expected to assist the movement from within by providing strategic information, ensure supply of arms and ammunition, manage media, unhindered provision of medicines, ensure favourable publicity and help for injured persons. At present, there are about 227 such organisations under various innocent looking nomenclatures functioning in the country. These have been classified as A 4 and are known to be non-communist socialist organisations. Members of these are sympathisers and a select few from these are identified for indoctrination and thereafter elevation to the level of A 3 which are Communist organisations having firm belief in armed revolution. Many of these sympathisers have captured students’ movements in Central and few State Universities. As per the recent directive, the Party considers BJP as its primary enemy and to defeat BJP, it has encouraged its cadre to join the opposition parties which are characterised as secondary enemy.
Geographically, the Naxal movement, though started from Naxalbari, near Siliguri in West Bengal, spread to almost all states from Pashupati to Tirupati and by 2013 more than 110 districts were in the grip of it. However, after the BJP was elected to form the government at the Centre in 2014, it has initiated various developmental measures including ‘one window assistance’ to make sure all developmental activities reach the last person without any difficulty. Under this scheme, necessary certificates including domicile, EBC, are ensured facilitating youth to get professional skills, employment or start one’s business. More than 10000 young boys and girls from Gadchiroli district have taken the benefit of this scheme and are highly satisfied. Several State governments have formulated ‘surrender policy’ for the former cadre and providing rehabilitation measures for them. Many important carders including women who were captured as child soldiers by Naxals and were working as pivotal persons have come forward to take advantage of the scheme. This has struck a body blow to the Naxal movement. In addition, mining activities have started in collaboration with local scheduled tribe personnel which is providing sustainable employment to many and thus changing their lives. Government of India has also declared many of these areas as aspirational districts and making all out efforts to improve the condition of the locals through better medical and educational facilities, besides roads, and telecommunication facilities
Government of India has initiated measures for sharing intelligence, coordination, training among affected state police forces. It has provided additional para-military forces and finance for improving existing infrastructure of the law-enforcing agencies. As a result, the number of adversely affected districts has come down drastically to thirty-four from earlier 110. At present, CPI(Maoists) appears to be still active in Abujmal Pahad area of Chhattisgarh. Difficult terrain, inaccessibility of the remote inhabitations is contributing to helplessness of the local people in being under the control of lawlessness of Naxals who call this area as ‘liberated areas.’ It is imperative that new loitering drone technology is swiftly adopted by law enforcing agencies to minimise losses to security personnel and assist the local people to neutralise the insurgent elements.
Apart from such administrative measures, it is imperative to realise by all democratic and freedom-cherishing political parties including those who are in opposition as well as social influencers such as media, academicians and professionals that there would be no change of heart of CPI(Maoists)’ cadre, who are determined to break India through armed revolution and capture political power to usher in their dictatorship. Public Safety Bill 2024 introduced in Maharashtra legislature to ensure this democratic freedom also needs to be enacted unanimously.
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