MAOISM – INTERNAL SECURITY
News:
Biggest attack by Maoists in Chhattisgarh in two years
What's in the news?
● The
Naxal ambush has highlighted what is seen as the last major challenge for
security forces in Chhattisgarh - foiling Improvised
Explosive Device (IED) attacks in the forested tri-junction in Bastar region.
Key takeaways:
● Security
officials cite the lack of foolproof technology to detect IEDs and the
increasing desperation of Naxals, who are avoiding direct combat with the
forces involved in operations to completely stamp out LWE (Left Wing Extremism)
in the State, for such incidents.
Left-wing
extremism, also known by various other names such as Naxalism and Maoism, is a
form of armed insurgency against the
State motivated by leftist ideologies.
Maoism:
● Maoism
is a form of communism developed by Mao Zedong.
● It
is a doctrine to capture State power
through a combination of an armed insurgency, mass mobilization and strategic
alliances.
● Mao
called this process, the ‘Protracted
People’s War’, where the emphasis is on ‘military line’ to capture power.
Origin:
● The
origins of the LWE can be traced back to 1967
in the three areas of Naxalbari (from which the term Naxal originates),
Phansidewa and Khoribari in West Bengal’s Darjeeling District.
● The
initial uprising was led by Charu
Majumdar, Kanu Sanyal and Jangal Santhal, who were members of the Communist Party of India (Marxist). The
initial uprising was in the form of a peasant revolt.
● Two
years later in 1969, the Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) was
formed.
● Although
originated in West Bengal, the
movement spread to the less-developed rural regions of southern and eastern
India, in Telangana, Andhra Pradesh,
Odisha and Chhattisgarh.
● Today,
almost all the Naxal groups trace their origins to the CPI (M-L).
Factors responsible for the rise of LWE:
● The
chief reason behind the rise of the movement was the severe lack of development of these regions
despite being mineral-rich.
● They
were largely tribal belts that were neglected
by the government and also by the mainstream media.
● There
were gross ineffectiveness and
mismanagement in the administrative machinery. Corruption was also rampant
leading to misery for the people.
● The
alienation and social exclusion of
large groups of people led to sections of them feeling a disconnect with the
government of the day and also society at large.
● The
issue of Jal-Jangal-Jameen (water,
forest, land) is at the centre of these revolts initially. Tribal people are
routinely exploited for their mineral-rich land. There is illegal encroachment
and the forest-dwellers are bereft of rights in their own land.
Government Measures to Counter Naxal Violence:
● The
government has taken up a holistic approach by using security-related interventions
coupled with developmental measures to root out the violent uprisings.
● The
D.Bandyopadhyay Committee (2006)
highlighted the lack of governance, economic, socio-political and cultural
discrimination against the tribals as the chief reason for the spread of
Naxalism. The Committee recommended
tribal-friendly land acquisition and rehabilitation as a means to counter this
issue.
● The
Government of India is focusing on building road connectivity and bridges in
areas affected by Maoist activities.
● Aspirational Districts:
The MHA has been tasked with the monitoring of the Aspirational districts
programme in 35 LWE affected districts.
● HRD measures:
Building of schools under the Eklavya model.
● National Policy Action
Plan: To address Left Wing Extremism approved
in 2015, has development as one of the most important components.
● Central Reserve and Armed
Police Forces are making their way into core area
of operation of naxal areas and establishing Forward Operating Bases (FOBs). Local villagers are being
provided with basic facilities like healthcare, education and more employment
opportunities after the establishment of FOBs
● Operation SAMADHAN:
The policy was initiated in 2015 as a multidimensional approach to tackle LWE.
The chief objective of the approach is to ensure participatory governance and
protection of the rights of the tribal people.
○ Samadhan
stands for S- Smart Leadership, A- Aggressive Strategy, M- Motivation and
Training, A- Actionable Intelligence, D- Dashboard Based KPIs (Key Performance
Indicators) and KRAs (Key Result Areas), H- Harnessing Technology, A- Action
plan for each Theatre, N- No access to Financing.
Counter Operations by Center or State Government:
● Grey Hound Police
– The Greyhounds are an elite commando force of Andhra Pradesh created to
combat left-wing extremists. It is considered the best anti-Naxalite force in
the country. Greyhound is a simple but effective organization and recruits the
best of the best from the Andhra Pradesh Police.
● Salwa Judum
– which means, “Peace hunt” in the local Gondi tribal dialect. The movement was
launched by a few villagers angered by Naxal interference in the local trade of
tendu leaves (used for making bidis).
● Maintaining law and order
in Dantewada and Bastar was outsourced to the
Salwa Judum cadres, who were made Special Police Officers (SPOs). Poorly
trained, ill-equipped, and immature, some of the Salwa Judum cadres themselves
looted many tribal villages. It resulted in a civil war-like situation in these
regions. Later, Supreme Court ruled that this movement is unconstitutional and
only states have the responsibility of maintaining law and order.
● Operation Green Hunt
– It was the name used by the Indian media to describe the “all-out offensive”
by the government of India’s paramilitary forces and the state’s forces against
the Naxalites. The operation is believed to have begun in November 2009 along
with five states in the Red Corridor.
● Surrender Policy
– Naxal-affected states have also announced surrender policies. The Jharkhand,
Chhattisgarh and Orissa government has announced cash benefits along with
incentive to move towards peaceful form of livelihood for surrender But, there
is no effective intelligence mechanism to identify Naxal cadres. Often, tribal
youths surrender as Naxal cadres; many of them even join the Naxal movement to
reap these benefits.
WAY FORWARD:
● Indian
counterinsurgency has to work with a dual objective of defeating the insurgents militarily and fully quell the insurgent
impulses with institutional changes.
● States
must do more to synergize their efforts by launching coordinated operations, thereby denying Maoists any space for
maneuverability.
● On
parallel grounds, it is also important to segregate the population from the
insurgents both operationally and ideologically.
● The
conflict over the distribution of resources can be mended with economic development.