Naxalism in India; "single biggest internal security challenge" ever faced by the country?
According to this week’s reports on the Indian domestic front, Naxal insurgents continued their violent activities and destroyed government and civilian property in Jharkand and Orissa. Mnamohan Singh has termed the menace as the "single biggest internal security challenge" ever faced by the
country. Recent reports by the Times of India quoted central security officials as having said that Naxalism, though it started as a people’s movement, has now evolved into an extortion business. The system with its multiple rifts has lost its original ideological drivers and functions more along feudalistic lines.
It traces its origins to a 1967 incident in the remote village of Naxalbari where a tribal youth was killed by local landlords over a land dispute. The incident triggered a great uprising which enjoyed great visibility and tremendous support from cross sections of Communist revolutionaries across different states in India.
The All India Coordination Committee of Communist Revolutionaries (AICCCR) was formed as a result in 1968, touting its two cardinal principles as allegiance to the armed struggle and non-participation in the elections. An ideological rift however distributed its leadership in two parties, the Communist Party of India (Marxist- Leninist) and the Maoist Communist Centre (MCC).
Eventually Charu Mazumdar, elected general secretary of CPI (M-L), became the undisputed Naxalite guru. However, with his death in 1972, the central leadership of CPI (M-L) virtually collapsed. The history of the Naxal movement post- Charu Mazumdar, is characterized by a number of splits, brought about by personalized and narrow perceptions about the Maoist revolutionary line and attempts at course-correction by some of the major groups; where some even joined the democratic process. The splinter CPI (M-L) Liberation in 1974, and in 1976, during the Emergency, adopted a new line that called for the continuation of armed guerilla struggles along with efforts to form a broad anti- Congress democratic front.
Further splits there on produced CPI (M-L) (Unity Organization) and the People's War Group (PWG) in 1980. Since then, the principal division within the Naxalite movement has been between the two lines of thought and action, as advanced by the CPI (ML) Liberation and the PWG. At the same time the growth of MCC as a major armed group in the same areas, created the scope for multifarious organizational conflicts among the Naxal groups.
Dr. Rajat Kumar in an ICPS[1] report notes that despite the large-scale inner conflicts, there were always ongoing efforts at various levels to strive for unity. Also 1990 onwards there was a considerable increase in the number of violent incidents and at the same time, a considerable change in the policy approach of the government was also witnessed. He further noted that while the Naxal movement has experienced innumerable splits, successive governments were never able to follow a uniform approach to deal with the problem of Naxalism, thus, leading to a marked impact in the growth of the Naxal movement.
According to this week’s reports on the Indian domestic front, Naxal insurgents continued their violent activities and destroyed government and civilian property in Jharkand and Orissa. Mnamohan Singh has termed the menace as the "single biggest internal security challenge" ever faced by the
country. Recent reports by the Times of India quoted central security officials as having said that Naxalism, though it started as a people’s movement, has now evolved into an extortion business. The system with its multiple rifts has lost its original ideological drivers and functions more along feudalistic lines.It traces its origins to a 1967 incident in the remote village of Naxalbari where a tribal youth was killed by local landlords over a land dispute. The incident triggered a great uprising which enjoyed great visibility and tremendous support from cross sections of Communist revolutionaries across different states in India.
The All India Coordination Committee of Communist Revolutionaries (AICCCR) was formed as a result in 1968, touting its two cardinal principles as allegiance to the armed struggle and non-participation in the elections. An ideological rift however distributed its leadership in two parties, the Communist Party of India (Marxist- Leninist) and the Maoist Communist Centre (MCC).
Eventually Charu Mazumdar, elected general secretary of CPI (M-L), became the undisputed Naxalite guru. However, with his death in 1972, the central leadership of CPI (M-L) virtually collapsed. The history of the Naxal movement post- Charu Mazumdar, is characterized by a number of splits, brought about by personalized and narrow perceptions about the Maoist revolutionary line and attempts at course-correction by some of the major groups; where some even joined the democratic process. The splinter CPI (M-L) Liberation in 1974, and in 1976, during the Emergency, adopted a new line that called for the continuation of armed guerilla struggles along with efforts to form a broad anti- Congress democratic front.
Further splits there on produced CPI (M-L) (Unity Organization) and the People's War Group (PWG) in 1980. Since then, the principal division within the Naxalite movement has been between the two lines of thought and action, as advanced by the CPI (ML) Liberation and the PWG. At the same time the growth of MCC as a major armed group in the same areas, created the scope for multifarious organizational conflicts among the Naxal groups.
Dr. Rajat Kumar in an ICPS[1] report notes that despite the large-scale inner conflicts, there were always ongoing efforts at various levels to strive for unity. Also 1990 onwards there was a considerable increase in the number of violent incidents and at the same time, a considerable change in the policy approach of the government was also witnessed. He further noted that while the Naxal movement has experienced innumerable splits, successive governments were never able to follow a uniform approach to deal with the problem of Naxalism, thus, leading to a marked impact in the growth of the Naxal movement.
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Discussion Questions:
Discussion Questions:
· Hence far has the Naxalite movement been a success to some degree or a complete failure?
· Do you think it would gather greater strength in the future or dwindle away?
· What in your view is the basic reason behind Naxalism a) the communist ideology, or b) a convenient outlet under socio-economic deprivation?
[1] The Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies, New Delhi, India
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