Naxal insurgency hit area in nine states has decreased considerably from 2013 till 2024, according to Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai. The minister wrote in a reply to BJP MP Satish Kumar Gautam that in states like Maharashtra, Odisha, Telangana, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, Kerala and Madhya Pradesh, the extent of Left Wing Extremism has been limited significantly. In 2013, LWE was spread across 126 districts, which has come down to only 38 this year. Moreover, there has been a 73% reduction in Naxal related violence. The minister referred to the Union Government’s 2015 policy to combat Naxal insurgency, and credited it for this major achievement.
Current Situation
It has been reported by the Minister that LWE is now restricted to fifteen districts in Chhattisgarh and seven districts in Odisha. Jharkhand and Madhya Pradesh have five and three affected districts, respectively. Two districts are still hit by LWE in Kerala, Maharashtra and Telangana. Only one district remains impacted in Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal. Compared to the previous year, there has been a reduction of 17% in Naxal-related civilian and security personnel casualties, and a 32% reduction in Naxal perpetrated acts of insurgency. Moreover, there was a major breakthrough in 2023, when polling booths were set up in Bastar, an area notorious for Maoist activity, for the Chhattisgarh state assembly elections.
Origins of Naxal Insurgency
In 1967, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) suffered a split, and some members left and formed the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist). Starting in the village of Naxalbari in West Bengal, from where the movement derives its name, the uprising spread into rural, tribal areas of Central and Eastern India. The movement was led by Charu Majumdar, and its ideology was greatly influenced by Mao Zedong, the communist leader of China. The movement aimed at overthrowing the government of India, and has led to innumerable deaths and has set back development in the area. In 2009, Naxals were said to be the biggest challenge to the internal security of the country, according to then-PM Manmohan Singh.
Government Action
The government has taken serious action against Maoism, including development of infrastructure and economy of the affected areas and the setting up of vigilante and self-help groups. One group in particular, the Salwa Judum, is a tribal militia which was mobilized and supported to fight insurgency at the grassroots level. In 2015, the government launched a major National Policy and Action Plan to combat LWE. This policy had a wide-reaching impact, and it aimed at eliminating dangerous elements while protecting the rights of local communities. The government has also attempted to reintegrate and rehabilitate Naxals into mainstream society. The current government has a heavy handed approach to fighting insurgency in the country, and results show its success.
