The term Naxal comes from the village Naxalbari in West Bengal where the Naxalbari uprising of 1967 occurred. People who are engaged in the insurgency are called Naxals or Naxalites. The movement itself is referred to as Naxalism.

• Naxalites are a group of far-left radical communists, supportive of Maoist political sentiment and ideology.
• Their origin can be traced to the splitting in 1967 of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), leading to the formation of the Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist).
• Initially the movement had its centre in West Bengal. In recent years, it has spread into less developed areas of rural central and eastern India, such as Chhattisgarh and Andhra Pradesh through the activities of underground groups like the Communist Party of India (Maoist).
• Dalit’s and other lower-caste members have also joined the militant movement

Who is Mao Tse Tung?

• Mao  (26 December 1893 – 9 September 1976) was a Chinese politician, Marxist theorist, military strategist, poet, and revolutionary who was the founder of the People’s Republic of China (PRC).
• His theories, military strategies and policies are known as Maoism.
• They use violence and believe in adopting the military line to capture power.
• They attack the symbols of the country’s power such as the police, schools, and other government institutions.

Causes

1. The Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 deprives Tribals of the authority to use forest produce.
2. Further, there has been a huge displacement of the tribal population in the Naxalism-affected states due to development projects, mining operations, and other reasons.
3. Tribal population lives below the poverty line, they are deprived of basic amenities like education and health, so they join Maoists.
4. Some villages are not still connected technologically so it also creates a loop hole by wrong intelligence.
5. Some security forces harass the villagers thinking they are Maoists so it also leads them to join Maoists.

Impacts

1. Local People are not allowed for voting and even government to be formed.
2. They try to destroy the roads, transport facilities.
3. They even kidnap high profile personalities and try to extract ransom.
4. Even till today many tribal villages remain isolated, known as red corridor.

RED CORRIDOR

The red corridor, also called the red zone or according to the Naxalites–Maoist parlance the Compact Revolutionary Zone, is the region in the eastern, central and the southern parts of India where the Naxalites–Maoist insurgency has the strongest presence.

Measures to combat Naxals

• Security Operations: The government has conducted numerous security operations against LWE groups, involving paramilitary forces like the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Border Security Force (BSF), and state police forces. These operations aim to neutralize LWE cadres, disrupt their networks, and seize arms and ammunition.
• Schemes:Various development schemes have been implemented in LWE-affected areas to address socio-economic disparities and improve living conditions. These include the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA), and the Backward Regions Grant Fund (BRGF).
• Special Forces and Commando Operations: Specialized forces like the Greyhounds in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, and the Special Task Force (STF) in Chhattisgarh have been created to conduct focused operations against LWE groups. These forces undergo rigorous training and are equipped to handle guerilla warfare tactics employed by the extremists.
• Legal Measures:Legislative measures such as the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) have been used to curb LWE activities. This act provides legal tools to designate groups as terrorist organizations and take action against their members and supporters.

Biggest Naxal Encounters in India

1. April 16-Anti Maoist Operation:One of the largest operations by security forces in Chhattisgarh, 29 Naxalites have been killed in the Kanker area. Top Maoist commander Shankar Rao was among those killed
2. Thirteen Naxalites including ten men and three women were killed in an encounter on April 2, 2024 in Bijapur.
3. Dantewada Ambush (2010):In one of the deadliest attacks on security forces by Naxals, 76 personnel of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) were killed in an ambush in the Dantewada district of Chhattisgarh.
4. Operation Prahaar (2018):Operation Prahaar was launched by security forces in the Gadchiroli district of Maharashtra, targeting Naxal hideouts. Several encounters took place during this operation, resulting in the deaths of several Naxal cadres.

Conclusion

The encounters also raise concerns about human rights violations and the need for ensuring that security operations adhere to legal and ethical standards. The encounters between security forces and Naxal insurgents in India reflect the persistent challenge posed by left-wing extremism in certain regions of the country.