Contemplating ‘the greatest threat to India’
Naxalite Movement reflects underlying issues in the Indian social, economic and political institutions, while exposing its claim of a big democratic country. This was stated by Asghar Ali Shad, writer and author of a book on the guerrila movement that was launched at the Institute of Policy Research Islamabad (IPRI) on Monday.
Published by IPRI, the book “Naxal Tehrik Ki Ibtida Aur Farogh” (Genesis and Growth of Naxalite Movement) gives a detailed account of the atrocities of the guerrilla movement with facts and figures, which claims to establish a state based on radical left doctrines in India within two decades, and which the Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has described as “the greatest threat to Indian security”.
“The spread of Naxalite movement since 1967 reflects the widespread alienation and discontentment felt by large parts of the country”. Naxal movement highlights various underlying weaknesses of India’s governance, political institutions and socio-economic disparity. It has succedded to spread its network to 240 districts in 15 states, the author said.
“Given this socio-economic alienation, it is easy to see how the Naxalite’s ideology is popular among the rural poor and indigenous tribes in India,” said Shad, who is a linguist and specializes in India’s domestic politics.
However, some argue that Naxalites are not concerned about the socio-economic welfare of the poor and are simply using them as a means to seize political power, he added. “It is an amazing fact that India, having one of the fastest growing economies in the world, and being the most populous democracy, is facing several resistance movements,” Shad said.
During question answer sessions the participants agreed that to comprehensively dissolve the Naxalite-like threats, the governments of India and Pakistan should address root causes of uprising and resistance movements. Socio-economic alienation and dissatisfaction with the widening economic and political inequality will not be solved by military force alone, they said.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 26th, 2011.
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most of the poor people who join maoists group in india are not bcz they are against capitalism and want to establish socialism or communism. they are simply poor and deprived people for whom indian govt. and selfish middle class have never cared. but know perception have changed, intelligentsia in middle class and civil society sympathize with their cause. the problem of maoist never gone and is not going to be out of control bcz leftist party enjoy power under democracy here since independence and now indian govt. is paying more attention to their cause. the situation is not as serious as depicted in this article.
well said Rajesh.
Corporation controlled Indian media with political associations are bent on undermining efforts by those deprived of basic human rights to fight for any justice. Corporate hoarding of lands where the poor people live have further marginalized them. The adivasis and dalits have been forced to pick up arms rather than die from hunger and starvation, which is States policy towards 70% of India's population. Naxals are followers of Maoist revolutionary ideology. They want to take over the state by force and though not against devolopment, they are definitely against enroachment of huge mining companies who are evicting them by force from their own ancestoral home land. They have lived in these forests for centuries. Without education, health centers, almost non existant devolopment in the past 60+ years, the adivasis have been forced to near starvation and destitue like condition. It is for these issues they are fighting having lost all hope and trust in the Indian democratic system to provide them any means of survival. Naxals have to fight. They speak for millions. No matter how the State and the upper caste Hindus look at the revolution of the Maoist struggle, even calling them terrorist, is simply a way of ignoring and avoiding responsiblity in Governance. The situation is not unlike that for Palistinians where they are forced out of their lands by a powerful country like Israel. And India has now called Israeel a natural ally.A brutal regime bent on extermination the poor and annexing the land. India is learning these horrific, terrorising policies from Israel, who is assisting Indian State machienary with arms and equipment in fighting Naxals. The situation is very similar. If Indian forces are able to defeat the Naxals, it will be a sad day for India, because undemocratic, Nazi like forces would heve won.
The core ideology of the Naxalite movement is Marxist-Leninist. These people are completely opposed to any capital-based endeavors and it will be hard to reconcile with these people in a modern India. But the good news is that this core group is a very small minority.
The vast majority of those who either actively participate in or support Naxalite activity are just poor, disenfranchised and socio-economically isolated people who have been conveniently ignored by the "India Shining" brigades in Mumbai, Bangalore and Delhi. Like everyone else, these people want the state to acknowledge and address their issues, and share a piece of the pie with them.
It is not surprising that the regions with the most Naxalite activity are the most economically deprived regions of the country where access to justice, education, health and social services is close to non-existent.
The Indian government needs to bring this majority into the mainstream and address their legitimate grievances. Once that is done, the die-hard minority will become isolated and wither away.
Not unsurprisingly, this is also the solution for the problems that Pakistan faces in Balochistan, FATA and parts of KP.