Naxalism In India……….An Introductory Approach

2 What Is Naxalism ?

For understanding the actual meaning of Naxalism, we need to understand the meanings of few other terms such as Maoism, Communism, Marxism etc.

3 Marxism Method of societal analysis given by two German philosophers, Karl Marx and

Friedrich Engels. Key Features : 1. Marxism is Revolutionary 2. Opposes all forms of “reformism” and “gradualism” or “evolutionary socialism”. 3. “The real enemy is at home!” The fundamental principle of Marx and Engels' thought is thus that economic

conditions determine all social arrangements, human relationships, thought, and values. In Marxist terminology, the economic substructure determines the cultural superstructure. Consider two propositions:

1. The so-called "free market“ 2. The so-called "law“ of supply and demand

4Marxists say these notions, masquerading as "science," are simply myths that serve the interests of capitalism. Obviously (to Marxists) the capitalists control both the market (i.e., no way is it free), and also both supply and demand (i.e., there is no neutral "law“ of supply and demand). Capitalists clearly control supply; but they also control demand by their control of media, which they use to manipulate peoples’ perceptions of their "needs."

That is, capitalists make people think they need things that they really don't need. Then, having created "demand," capitalists can raise prices (leaving workers' wages the same), and make more and more profits. Thus, says Marx, the condition of the worker inevitably gets worse and worse. The more he produces, the less he can buy.

Marx says this situation is inherently unstable, because workers will get more and more miserable, and the economic and social gap between workers and capitalists will grow wider and wider. The workers will eventually revolt and seize ownership of the means of production. This is why Marx says capitalism contains the seeds of its own destruction.

5 Maoism It is a political theory derived from the teachings of the

Chinese political leader Mao Zedong. Key Features : 1. Political Ideology, representing Mao's theories and methodologies about how China and the world should be transformed in revolutionary ways 2. Unique notion of permanency in time and un-limitedness in space. 3. Greater emphasis on destruction than on construction.

6 About Naxalism………..

The term ‘Naxal’ derives its name from a village called Naxalbari in the State of West Bengal where the movement had its origin. Initially their ideology comprises of Marx and Lenin. Later on they also influenced by communist theory of Mao Zedong.

Origin-split in the Communist Party Of India (CPI) Naxalism is an informal name given to the activities

of the revolutionary group that was born out of the Sino-Soviet Split in the Indian Communist Movement.

7 About Naxalism…..

Origin was West Bengal Currently active in Chhattisgarh, Orissa & Andhra Pradesh History of Naxalism : 1. Charu Majumdar and Kaanu Sanyal were the first to pick weapons against the govt. in 1967. 2. In 1971, the Naxalite Movement became so popular in Bengal that students quit the colleges and joined the movement.

8 Kanu SanyalOne of the founding leaders of

Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) (CPI(ML)) formed in 1969.

Born in 1932 Slogans : 1. ‘Hamar baari tomar bari, Naxalbari, Naxalbari‘

2. 'Amar nunu tomar nunu, Kanu nunu Kanu nunu‘

Biography: The First Naxal

9 Charu Majumdar One of the founders of Naxal

movement along with Kanu Sanyal Born in 1918 (Siliguri, Bengal) He, as General Secretary of

Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) (CPI(ML)) inspired the people from downtrodden class to take their rights forcibly instead of “begging” for them.

He targeted the young students from colleges and fuelled them against the govt.

10 Differences in Maoism & Naxalism Maoism

Wants to take control of government and run their own government to enforce their ideology on whole country

Aim was to fundamentally transform country towards socialism

Political guiding ideology

‘Power flows from the barrel of gun’

naxalism

It was a workers(rural area) revolt against their masters and landlords against marginalization of the poor or rural areas

Showed anger of worker class people

Military guiding Ideology

Power flow the hands of people

11 Who are NAXALITES ?? Fight for poor and downtrodden

Demand communism i.e. everyone should be socially and financially equal

Believe in decentralization of power

Use terror as a political weapon

Mostly use forest cover

Use religion as cover for their activities

How NAXALS became Maoists ??

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STASTICAL APPROACH

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Major Naxal attacks between 2005 - 2010

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Naxals : Gunning the Civilians

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Red Corridor : The naxal area

24 Introduction The Red Corridor is a region in the east of India that

experiences considerable Naxal activity. The naxalites group mainly consist of the armed cadres

of Communist Party of India (Maoist). Parts of Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand,

Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal

According to the Government of India, as of July 2011, 83 districts across 10 states are affected by Naxalism, down from 180 districts in 2009.

25 Economic situation

The districts that comprise the Red Corridor are among the poorest in the country. Areas such as Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Telangana (formerly part of Andhra Pradesh), are either impoverished or have significant economic inequality, or both.

Non-diversified economies that are solely primary sector based.

Agriculture is the mainstay of the economy. Mining and forestry are supplementary.

The region has significant natural resources, including mineral, forestry and potential hydroelectric generation capacity.

26 Social Situation

Stratified societies, with caste and feudal divisions

Most of the area has adivasi population (tribal) including Santhal & Gond.

Bihar and Jharkhand have both caste and tribal divisions and violence associated with friction between these social groups.

Telangana too has deep caste divisions.

Both Chhattisgarh and Orissa have significant impoverished tribal populations

27 Affected Districts

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Root Causes of Naxalism

29 Social causes1. Poverty

2. Socialisation

3. Unemployment

4. Illiteracy

5. Social Motives

6. Rumors

30 Psychological Causes

1. Culture

2. Leadership

3. Impression Management

4. Person’s perception

31 Administrative causes

1. Government repression

2. Industrialization

3. Lack of land reforms

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Impacts of Naxalism

33 Impact on economic development Reduction in per capita GDP growth Higher inflation rates Lower tax revenues Lower domestic investment High expenditure on defense -> lower expenditure on education and health Lower exports Reduced bilateral trade >> Reduced FDI Micro-economic effects :a) lower tourist inflowsb) reduced long term investments in agriculturec) reduced enrollment in schoolsd) lower job availabilitye) reduced usage of public transport

34 Positive Impacts

Conservation of forests Protection to adivasis (tribals) Ensuring decent wages to laborers Ensuring proper attendance of govt. officials Abolition of corruption ‘Land to the tillers’ Abolition of begar system No reports of atrocities against women

35 NEGATIVE IMPACTS OF THE NAXAL MOVEMENT

Against Elections Exercise terror among the people Disruption of govt. infrastructure like roads, school buildings Salwa Judum >>> Displacement of 50,000 people Caught in the cross firing between the security forces and the

Naxals >>>> loss of life and property No longer a people-centric approach >>> It has more or less

become a terrorist group with only one principle which is to seize power. Demolished fundamental rights

36 Media As a Weapon

Print media

Movies and Documentaries

Social Media

Fake News

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Approach of Govt. towards solving the problem

38 Cost Of Govt. Negligence in past

What’s probably worrying the government is that the Naxals are targeting the poor to get their recruits and there is no dearth of the poor in India. Naxals are successful in the poorest districts of India.

For example, the rural tribal villagers in Chhattisgarh (where Naxalism thrives) live on less than 35 cents a day, one of the lowest in the country.

39 Cost Of Govt. Negligence in past

Orissa seems to be in a bad shape. Here over 72 percent of all adivasis (indigenous minority of the population of India, the term often used synonymously with tribals) live well below the poverty line and the Naxals are becoming more powerful by the day.

The Naxals are making hay in the north-east too. Tea-estates in Assam have become breeding grounds for the Naxals.

40 What is Govt. doing presently ?

The Indian government seems to be waking up to the issue of Naxalism and has started thinking critically over this issue with the help of state governments.

Here are some of the initiatives taken by the individual states:

States of Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal will share information and coordinate with one another in adjoining border areas (to stop the Naxals from escaping across the borders after launching attacks).

41 What is Govt. doing presently ?

The Jharkhand government is setting up a state industrial security force on the lines of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) to protect industries as the Naxalites (who operate in 18 of the 24 districts in the state) often destroy equipment of business establishments if they are not given extortion money.

The Orissa State government will be getting 10000 extra personnel for fighting the Naxals – long term deployment of two battalions of CRPF in Orissa and an additional five India Reserve Battalions.

42 What is Govt. doing presently ? In Tamil Nadu, a 10-day guerilla warfare training

programme has begun for 320 cops in the seven districts falling under the Central Zone. The commandos of the elite STF will provide specialized training such as

(1)Sophisticated arms training (2) Combing operations in reserve forests (3) Setting up of temporary tents and bunkers to the 320

cops.

The Kerala govt. is now surveying laborers from other states as the Maoists are using the state as a hide-out.

The Maharashtra government and the state police is setting up with a special force.

43 Steps taken by central govt.

The central government will be investing Rs. 500-crore to fight the Naxals. This money will be used to provide

(1)Critical mobility to the police (2)Secure camping grounds and helipads at strategic

locations (3)Build basic roads for the forces so they have mobility in

otherwise inaccessible areas.

India’s Interior Ministry has set up an anti-rebel cell to ensure periodic review and close monitoring of rebel activities.

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Factors Responsible for the Growth of Naxalism

45 Political Reasons Emergence of the movement coincided with the

formation of the first United Front Government in West Bengal (1967) with CPI (M) as its main constituent. The movement thus received increasing official support, attention and press coverage in those times. The movement was influenced with the political ideology of Chinese Communist Party and Mao Zedong. They used slogans such as “China’s path is our path; China’s Chairman is our Chairman”. However, this ideological inclination to China faded away later. Today, the Naxalite groups are no more having the same perceptions. However, their commitment to Maoism remains as it was earlier.

46 Political Reasons

The movement was influenced with the political ideology of Chinese Communist Party and Mao Zedong. They used slogans such as “China’s path is our path; China’s Chairman is our Chairman”.

However, this ideological inclination to China faded away later. Today, the Naxalite groups are no more having the same

perceptions. However, their commitment to Maoism remains as it was earlier.

The Naxalbari movement began as an armed peasants uprising. The insensitive nature and apathy of the political system towards tribals remained one of the most important factors that led to such uprisings.

47 Political Reasons The most important political factor for rise of naxalism

is the inability of the legitimate political authority in India to provide avenues for structural uplift to the deprived sections of society in the affected states. There are some areas where there is absolutely no civil administration or police.

The Naxalites operate in a vacuum created by administrative and political institutions, espouse local demands, take advantage of the discontent prevalent among the exploited sections of the population and seeks to offer an alternative system of governance that promises emancipation of these segments from the clutches of the exploiter classes through the barrel of gun.

48 Economic Reasons Problem of poverty and economic inequality and

underdevelopment in the naxal affected regions. Skewed distribution of land and economic growth. Encroachment of forest lands by and wealth controlled by

contractor-politician nexus. Entry of mining companies in Tribal lands and forests,

posing threat to the livelihood of the tribals. Indigenous tribal population deprived of their lands,

uprooted from their traditional source of livelihood. Globalization accused to have led many MNCs making inroads in tribal areas owing to their resource richness. The benefits of the resource exploitation are not passed on the tribals.

49 Economic Reasons

Well knitted linkage between the illegal mining industry in Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand which results in a lucrative source of earning for the Naxal leadership and cadres.

The tribal villages have no medial facilities, no schools, low literacy, and high poverty.

The Naxalite cadre base is formed of tribals, lower castes from India’s poorest communities, form the Naxals’ cadre base. Naxalite movement is supported by the grievances of the tribals and the dalits.

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Psychology of Naxals / Issues of Naxals

51 Caste / Gender based exploitation

This includes 1. Victimization of Adivasi women 2. Sexual exploitation of women living in Salwa

Judum3. Recruitment of teenage girls as special police

officers 4. Exploitation of low caste women by upper caste

males.

52 Religious Minorities

The Maoists use the 1. Babri mosque demolition 2. Gujarat riots3. And other such events to call up the minorities to unite against the fascist Hindus.

They give unequivocal support to Kashmiris, Nagas, ULFA and Meiteis.

53 Ideology of Left Wing Violence Naxalism is actually based on the principles of Maoism to

achieve a similar transformation in India. Ideologically, the whole movement of Naxalism / Maoism / Left Wing Extremism (LWE) is a hodge-podge of Marxism, Leninism and Maoism (MLM). This entire movement is for a communist revolution, which they call “Indian Revolution” to establish socialism and thereby to reach the stage of communism. To achieve this so called “Indian Revolution”, they would overthrow the Indian State through armed struggle; capture the political power and then Introduce New Democratic Revolution (NDR).

They follow the Theory of Contradiction whereby contradiction between the great masses and feudal system can be ended only by the New Democratic Revolution (NDR).

54 The contradictions are – 1. Between the idealist outlook and the materialist outlook of the world 2. Between proletariat and bourgeois 3. Between labor and capital 4. Between feudalism and common masses and so on

The Maoists party programme included the following:

1. To declare that Indian Independence in 1947 was a fake independence2. Armed Struggle is the path to seize political power by encircling from

countryside to countrywide 3. Chinese path of armed struggle has to be followed. 4. Maoist forces of South Asia should be united to overthrow the Indian

State5. Women, Dalit, Minority and Nationality question is essentially a class

question6. Boycott of elections 7. New democracy will be people’s democracy. Ultimate goal is to

establish a People’s Democratic Federal Republics of India

55 Issues of agrarian community

The Maoists point to the farmer suicides in Vidarbha, Andhra Pradesh etc.

Their programme includes1. Signing off the peasants debts, 2. Restoration of farm subsidies, 3. Investment in irrigation, 4. Proper prices of farm produce 5. Ban on Multi National Companies.

56Stated Purpose of the Naxal Movement

One of the foremost purpose of the Naxal Movement is to establish an alternative state structure in India by creating a “red corridor”. The term Red corridor has been used for the entire naxal-infested region in India that includes Chhattisgarh, Odisha and Jharkhand as well as parts of Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal and Maharashtra. Red Corridor is almost contiguous from India’s border with Nepal to the northern fringes of Tamil Nadu. However, Red Corridor is actually a contiguous strip that runs from the southern tip of Chhattisgarh to central Jharkhand – the two key theatres of naxal violence.

57 Various Mobilization Strategies

58 State response to naxalism Government of India’s response to Naxalism can be summarized in the

following points: 1. Deployment of CPMF, IR , Cobra Battalions and Eradication of Naxalites.2. Integrated Action Plan (IAP) Modernization of Police Force scheme3. Security Related Expenditure (SRE) scheme, Infrastructure Scheme (SIS) 4. Training for state police by Army, Fortified Police Stations 5. Intelligence sharing, Inter-state coordination and Unified Commands 6. Assistance in development works, Various development programs and

schemes, Civil Action Plans 7. No dialogue with Naxalites unless they abjure violence 8. Surrender Policies by state Governments

59 Some writings found on Naxalism

“The spread of Naxalism is an indication of the sense of desperation and alienation that is sweeping over of large sections of our nation who have been not only systematically marginalized but cruelly exploited and dispossessed in their last homelands…the central Indian adivasis have been described as “the original autochthonous people of India” meaning that their presence in India pre-dated the Dravidians, the Aryans and whoever else settled in this country…these are the real swadeshi products of India, in whose presence all others are foreign. These are ancient people with moral rights and claims thousands of years old. They were here first and should come first in our regard…Unfortunately like indigenous people all over the world, the India’s adivasis too have been savaged and ravaged by later people claiming to be more civilized.”

60 “At the national level 45.86 percent of all

adivasis live below the poverty line which means that almost half of India’s original inhabitants go to bed every night starving. Several anthropometric studies have revealed that successive generations of adivasis are actually becoming smaller unlike all other people in India who benefit from better and increasingly nutritious diet.”

“Poverty, lack of land reforms, caste discrimination and oppression and denial of access to justice push the Dalits closer to the Naxals. The concentration of Dalit populations in the Naxalite affected areas in India is quite high.”

61 How to tackle Naxalism in India1. Good governance2. Dialogue with naxals as well as tribals3. Generate more employment and increase wages4. Pay attention to rehabilitation and resettlement5. Take steps to prevent environmental degradation6. Stop the political marginalization of weaker sections7. Remove disparity8. Let ordinary citizens have access to basic resources9. Take steps for welfare of the tribals10.Modernize law enforcement agencies

62 References

www.google.com www.youtube.com At War with Oneself by Nandini Sundar

63 More Some More Of That ??…………….. Here U Go

http://naxalwatch.blogspot.in https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xxui-UHYG44 http://

understandingsociety.blogspot.in/2010/12/indias-naxalites.html

Google Search “articles in newspapers about naxalism “

64 A Presentation By

Manoj Kumar & Rameshwar Kunkana

Have a Good day !!!