Naxalism in india: role and responses of armed forces

Naxalism, also known as Left Wing Extremism (LWE) is perhaps the most serious threat faced by the country at present. The Naxalites or Left-wing extremists or Maoists initially launched their violent campaign of armed agrarian revolution on the lines of the Chinese revolution led by Mao Tse Tung, in Naxalbari village in 1967, in the Siliguri sub-division of West Bengal and hence the movement, Naxalism, got its name from this place. This ideology based movement was initiated by extreme left wing elements of the Communist Party of India- Marxist (CPI-M). The movement was brought under control in the mid 1970s owing to a number of factors, including an intense crackdown by the state, ideological and personal differences leading to recurring splintering and to some extent because of the land reforms implemented by the West Bengal government. However, in the 1980s the various splinter groups under different leaders regrouped themselves. Today, the Maoists have a strong presence in Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Orissa, Maharashtra and West Bengal etc. The emergence of the so called ‘Red Corridor’, which stretches all the way from the border with Nepal through Central India to Southern India, has become a grave security concern. In the districts where the Maoists have a sizeable presence, the writ of the state does not run. In these areas, the Maoists collect taxes, impose fines and levies, control the roads and even dispense crude form of justice. The movement has picked up rapidly, and poses a grave internal security threat to the country leading to an intense debate in the academia and the intelligentsia regarding the possible role of the Indian Army in controlling the menace.