Elimination of Left Wing Extremism

Syllabus :GS 3/Internal Security

In News

• The Union Home Minister claimed that Left Wing extremism will be completely eliminated in the country before March 2026.

About Left Wing Extremism (LWE) 

• The Left Wing Extremism (LWE) or Naxal insurgency in India originated in a 1967 uprising in Naxalbari, West Bengal by the Communist Party of India (Marxist). 
• Ideology: They are a group of people who believe in the political theory derived from the teachings of the Chinese political leader Mao Zedong.
  • The Naxals strongly believe that the solution to social and economic discrimination is to overthrow the existing political system. 
• Leader: The initial uprising was led by Charu Majumdar, Kanu Sanyal and Jangal Santhal, who were members of the Communist Party of India (Marxist).
  • The initial uprising was in the form of a peasant revolt . 
• Affected Regions: Although originated in West Bengal, the movement spread to the less-developed rural regions of southern and eastern India, in Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and Chhattisgarh.

Factors Responsible for rise of LWE 

• Tribal dissatisfaction arises from the Forest (Conservation) Act of 1980, which prohibits tribes who rely on forest resources for their livelihood from even harvesting bark. 
• The implementation of development projects, mining operations, and other factors has resulted in significant displacement of tribal populations in states affected by LWE.
• Vulnerable individuals lacking sustainable means of support become susceptible to joining the Naxalite movement.
  • Maoists exploit this situation by providing weapons, ammunition, and financial assistance to these individuals.
• Insufficient technical intelligence hampers effective strategies against Naxalism.
• Following the police’s control over a region, the administration often fails to deliver essential services to the local population, leaving them without the necessary support.

Threats posed by LWE

• They threaten the locals before the conduct of elections and prevent them from voting. Violating the principle of participative democracy.
• They resort to violence through their guerrilla tactics and attempt to set up their own government in the local villages. 
• They destroy the roads, transport system and government resources, thereby creating hindrance in governance and connectivity. 
• Urban Naxals, who sometimes operate under the cloak of NGOs or social-work units, raise questions about the use of force by government machinery.
  • This helps them build a strong bastion of sympathisers and volunteers in towns and cities and across social media.
• They resort to extortion, abduction of important personalities like Politicians, bureaucrats, police etc. and put up their demand. 
• They hire vulnerable people who have low literacy levels, unemployed or low income, particularly the tribals, who aren’t aware of the consequences of joining such forces, building up their cadre. 
• They attack the police, government and collect weapons, technological devices to fight against them on the technological front.

Government’s Efforts 

• As per Seventh Schedule of the Constitution of India, subjects of Police and Public Order are with the State Governments.
  •  However, the Government of India (GoI) has been supplementing the efforts of States affected by Left Wing Extremism (LWE). 
• National Policy and Action Plan (2015): Multi-pronged strategy to address LWE.
• Security Measures: Deployment of Central Armed Police Forces battalions
  • Training and modernization funds for State police
  • Provision of equipment and arms
  • Intelligence sharing
  • Construction of Fortified Police Stations
• Development Initiatives:
  • Expansion of road networkImproved telecommunication connectivity
  • Skilling and financial inclusion programs
• The Bandyopadhyay Committee (2006) highlighted the lack of governance, economic, socio-political and cultural discrimination against the tribals as the chief reason for the spread of Naxalism.
  • The Committee recommended tribal-friendly land acquisition and rehabilitation as a means to counter this issue.
• Operation Green Hunt: It was started in 2009-10 and massive deployment of security forces was done in the Naxal-affected areas 
• Aspirational Districts Programme: Launched in 2018, it aims to rapidly transform the districts that have shown relatively lesser progress in key social areas. 
• SAMADHAN doctrine is the one-stop solution for the LWE problem

Progress

• 53% reduction in incidents.
• 70% reduction in fatalities.
• Affected districts decreased from 126 (2013) to 38 (2024).
• States like Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh are largely free of Naxalism.

Suggestions and Way Forward 

• Strategy should be developed for LWE, inter-state coordination, capacity building of security forces, investigation and prosecution, and development of LWE-affected areas.
• Special Investigation Agency (SIA): States’ SIA should be trained like NIA for effective prosecution Inter-State Cases  Should be handled by NIA, with a focus on preventing financing and weapon supply.
• There is  a need for continuous monitoring of government schemes to benefit LWE-affected areas.
• There is a need to formulate policies for educating those affected by LWE.
• Address LWE supply chains, financing, and ideological support comprehensively.
• States must work together to achieve the goal of eradicating LWE by 2026.
• Innovative measures are required to be employed in preventing IED (Improvised Explosive Device) related incidents which have caused significant casualties in recent years.
  •  Emphasis should be laid on the capacity-building and modernization of the local police forces.
• States should rationalise their surrender policy in order to bring innocent individuals caught in the trap of LWE into the mainstream. 
• States also need to adopt a focused time-bound approach to completely eliminate LWE groups and ensure all-round development of the affected regions

Source:TH