Naxalism

In News

• Recently, the Director-General of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), said that hotbeds of left-wing extremism have been cleared in three States.

More about the news:

• Update of the LWE:
  • Bihar: According to CRPF Chief, Bihar is free of left-wing extremism (LWE) now.
  • Jharkhand: Security forces have made inroads into areas in Jharkhand that were once inaccessible due to the presence of Maoists.
  • Overall affected districts:
    • The number of most affected districts, accounting for 90% of the violent incidents, had reduced from 35 in 2015 to 25 in 2021. 
      • These districts are mostly in Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha, Maharashtra, Telengana and Andhra Pradesh.
      • Simultaneously, the area under influence of Maoists has also reduced significantly.
  • Incidents of violence: They have come down from the highest level of 2,258 in 2009 to 509 in 2021. 
  • The death rate: Rate came down since to violence has come down by 85%. 
  • Death toll: In the year 2010, the death toll was at the highest level of 1,005 which has come down to 147 in the year 2021. 

• Operations led by CRPF:
  • CRPF launched Operation Octopus, Operation Double Bull, Operation Thunderstorm and Operation Chakarbandha in the three States (Bihar, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh). 
• 

Left-wing Extremism(LWE) in India

• About:
  • Left-wing extremists, popularly known as Maoists worldwide and as Naxalites/Naxalism in India, has been a major threat to India since the 1960s. 
  • The Naxalites have frequently targeted tribal, police and government workers in what they say is a fight for improved land rights and more jobs for neglected agricultural labourers and the poor.
  • Red Corridor:
    • The influence zone of LWE in India is called the Red corridor, which has been steadily declining in terms of geographical coverage and number of violent incidents.
• History of LWE in India:
  • The term Naxalism derives from the name of the Naxalbari village in West Bengal where a peasant revolt took place against local landlords over a land dispute in 1967.
  • The origins of Left-Wing Extremism (LWE) in India goes back to the Telangana peasant rebellion (1946-51), the movement was at its peak in 1967, when the peasants, landless labourers, and Adivasis raided the granaries of a landlord in the Naxalbari village in West Bengal.
  • The Naxal rebellion was led by Charu Majumdar and his close associates, Kanu Sanyal and Jangal Santhal.
  • These rebels not only were assisted by the people from nearby villages but also from the People’s Republic of China. The Chinese Media had called this movement the “Spring Thunder”.
  • The movement initially took inspiration from China’s founding father, Mao Zedong, but had later become radically different from Maoism.
• Reasons for Left Wing Extremism
  • Tribal Discontent:
    • The Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 has been used to target tribals, who depend on forest produce for their living.
    • Massive displacement of tribal population in the Naxalism-affected states due to development projects, mining operations and other reasons.
      • Also, poor implementation of FRA, eviction of the land ceiling.
  • Lack of Livelihood: 
    • Such people who do not have any source of living are taken into Naxalism by Maoists.
    • Maoists provide arms and ammunition and money to such people.
  • Governance-related issues:
    • Government measures its success on the basis of the number of violent attacks rather than the development done in the Naxal-affected areas.
    • Absence of strong technical intelligence to fight with Naxalites.
    • Infrastructural problems, for instance, some villages are not yet connected properly with any communication network.
    • No Follow-Up from Administration: It is seen that even after police take hold of a region, the administration fails to provide essential services to the people of that region.

Government Initiatives to Fight LWE

• Operation Octopus:
  • Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) has been conducting a major Naxal operation named ‘Octopus’ at the heavily mined ‘Burha Pahar’ hilly range in Garhwa district bordering Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand.
  • This operation is claimed to be a big success as the force first time managed to root out Naxal dominance from the area.
• Operation Double Bull:
  • It was launched in the jungles of Bulbul area in Lohardaga and neighbouring districts of Jharkhand.
• Greyhounds: 
  • It was raised in 1989 as an elite anti-Naxal force.
• Operation Green Hunt: 
  • It was started in 2009-10 and massive deployment of security forces was done in the Naxal-affected areas
• Aspirational Districts Programme: 
  • Launched in 2018, it aims to rapidly transform the districts that have shown relatively lesser progress in key social areas.
• SAMADHAN doctrine:
  • It is the one-stop solution for the LWE problem. It encompasses the entire strategy of government from short-term policy to long-term policy formulated at different levels. 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.
• ROSHNI:
  • It is a special initiative under, Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (Formerly Ajeevika Skills), launched in June 2013 for training and placement of rural poor youth from 27 LWE-affected districts in 09 States
  • Intelligence sharing and raising of a separate 66 Indian Reserved Battalion(IRBs), CRPF battalions like COBRA battalion, Bastariya battalion etc were done by the government to curb the menace of LWE organizations.

Source: TH