Re: Maoists attacks in India
The Naxalites are a Maoist-Leninist splinter faction of the Communist party of India who broke away in opposition to the main group’s decision to join the electoral process.
Various groups of Naxalites have taken root in large parts of the country. Nearly one-fourth to one-third of all Indian districts are now believed to be under the influence of Naxalite (Maoist) organisations.
The Naxals now operate in 182 of India’s 625 districts, a vast “red” corridor stretching across central India.
One Indian government assessment states that Naxalite influence extends over nearly 92,000 square kilometres.
Manmohan Singh, India’s prime minister, said in 2006 that the Naxals were “the single biggest challenge” to internal security ever faced by India.
Who are the Naxalites?
The term Naxalites is used to describe communist groups that advocate a class war waged by peasants against a bourgeoisie state as an essential means to achieve their goals. They are inspired by the philosophy of Mao Zedong, the late Chinese Communist leader.
When and where did the movement begin?
The Maoist movement began on the 25 May, 1967 in Naxalbari, a small village called in the Darjeeling district of the state of West Bengal. It was precipitated by a local landlord’s attack on a small tribal farmer. Other tribal and communist cadres fought back and forcefully wrested control of the land from the landlord.
Special reporthttp://english.aljazeera.net/mritems/Images/2009/4/11/200941194249588734_8.jpg
Though the state government of West Bengal managed to suppress the insurrection in 72 days, the tribesmen’s struggle attracted media attention, and the movement’s influence soon spread through the state and spilled into other Indian states such as Bihar Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala.
Who do the Naxalites represent?
The Naxalites claim to represent the most oppressed section of Indian population, especially those who have not benefited by India’s development and bypassed by the electoral process. These include the tribal peoples from the forested parts of India, the lower castes, and the landless labourers who are paid a pittance when they do get work, or otherwise have to go hungry.
Critics of the movement, however, say that despite their professed ideology, the Naxalites today oppress people in the name of class war - extorting money from middle-level landowners (since rich landowners invariably buy protection).
The Naxalites have also been accused of extorting and dominating the lives of the tribals and villagers who they claim to represent.
What attracts the population to the Naxal movement?
The first adherents of the Naxalite movement were idealist students fresh out of universities disillusioned by a system that had failed to create the country of their dreams. These were soon joined by the oppressed rural poor attracted by the teachings of these original highly-educated idealists.
The mainstay of the movement soon became the tribals, peasants and the oppressed and marginalised segments of Indian society who found a champion in the Naxal movement.
More recently, the movement has been attracting youth from poor but upper class families of Indian society. Unemployment and corruption bring even more of the unemployed rural youth into the Naxal or the Maoist fold.
IN VIDEOhttp://english.aljazeera.net/mritems/Images//2009/4/13/20094139427177734_9.jpg
India facing threat from Maoist fighters**More videos…**An expert committee set up by the government to study the Naxalite problem blamed the social, political, economic and cultural discrimination faced by the tribals and the erstwhile untouchables across the country as a key factor in drawing large number of discontented people towards the Maoists. The committee also blamed the lack of empowerment of local communities in far-flung rural areas as the main reason for the spread of the Naxal movement.
Others claim that the modern day Naxalites get support through coercion, and forcible induction of the youth into their armed bands.
Reports claim that the Naxals no longer act as representatives of the poor, the untouchables and the tribals. Rather, they have become intolerant to these downtrodden communities, critics have claimed.
Who do the Naxalites target?
Ideologically, the Naxalites are against the current Indian state. They believe that Indians have yet to win freedom from hunger and deprivation, and that the rich classes - landlords, industrialists, and traders control the means of production exploiting the poor.
They therefore target all arms of state like politicians, police officials, forest contractors, etc. At a more local level, the Naxalites target village political functionaries, and landlords and often claim protection money not to harm them.
Does the Communist Party of India support the Naxalites?
No, the Communist Party of India does not support the Naxalites.
Is the Naxalite movement a single entity or, has it split into groups like other armed struggles across the world?
The Naxalite movement has been affected by the mergers and divisions of the groups that claim allegiance to their philosophy; this ultimately weakened the movement.
Learning from this, the major Naxalite factions such as the Maoist Communist Centre of India (MCC), the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist), and the Peoples War (also known as the People’s War Group or PWG) merged under the umbrella of the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) in 2004.
CPI-Maoist is now active in 156 districts of 13 States that include Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Bihar, Orissa, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Uttaranchal and Kerala.
It is also making attempts to establish and expand its presence in other states including Gujarat, Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh.
What is the strength of the Naxalite movement?
The government of India estimates that the CPI (ML) has around 10,000 cadres adept in guerrilla warfare, with another 45,000 who support them.
What arms does the CPI-Maoists use?
Initially, the Naxalites were not well-armed, but over the years the movement has built up an arsenal of 20,000 modern weapons, which including AK-series rifles, most of which are looted from security forces. They have also acquired the technical experties to manufacture and use rocket launchers. The Naxals also frequently used gelatine sticks and Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs).
What are the major areas of operation of the CPI-Maoist?
The CPI-Maoist operate in a broad swathe out of the forest belt across the very heartland of India, often considered the least-developed area of this country.
Their operations are most prominent in (from North to South) Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, eastern Maharashtra, the Telangana (north-western) region of Andhra Pradesh, and western Orissa.
How does the CPI–Maoist operate?
The Naxalites have a well-developed organisational structure, with clear distinctions between the political and military wings. Documents and CDs recovered by the Indian government from Naxalites arrested in 2008 showed that CPI (ML) also has detailed and clearly laid-out budgets with estimations of income.
On the political side, the organisational hierarchy has a Central Committee at the top, with regional bureaus, zonal committees, and district committees reporting to them
The armed wing of the CPI-Maoist is as well-organised as the political wing with a Central Military Commission, state military commissions and a zonal military commissions.
How does the CPI (ML) fund its operations?
With their control of large parts of the thick forests stretching from north Bihar bordering Nepal to north Kerala, the CPI (ML) control the teak and timber trade and have almost complete control over the forest produce marketing.
**The Naxalites split from India’s Communist Party decades ago [EPA]**This is supplemented by the large scale cultivation and sale of marijuana in Orissa, a state in eastern India.
Recent documents and hard disks seized by the Indian police from a central committee member of the CPI (Maoist) show that the Naxals collected over Rs10bln ($200mln) in 2007 through illegal taxation and force donations from small business people, forest and road contractors and even industrialists.
Their funding was expected to increase by 25 per cent in 2008.
What steps has the Indian government taken to curb CPI (ML)?
There have been various initiatives over time to curb the reach of the Maoist movement. In the 1970s, social workers like Jai Prakash Narayan spearheaded the campaign to reduce the Maoist hold over the rural poor by instituting special programmes which were supported by local administrations.
However, security forces who were charged with fighting the Maoists added fuel to fire because of their alleged insensitivity to civilian losses and casualties. Today, each affected state has resorted to its own local means of combatting the CPI.
After identifying the Naxalites as the most serious threat to the Indian state, the central government of India has now set up a a special 10,000-strong Combat Battalion for Resolute Action (Cobra) to fight the Naxalites.
The Cobra unit will focus on “effectiveness and operational success” and they will be imparted exclusive training in the terrain and topography of the area of operation.