India: Tackling The Maoist Threat · Global Voices
Rezwan

A tribal village in Chattisgarh. Image via Flickr user Pixel_monkey, used under CC license BY-NC-NA
The relentless Maoist attacks have become India's biggest security threat as Maoist separatists have inflicted another deadly blow on Indian security forces. According to reports Twenty-six personnel of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) were killed in a Maoist ambush in Chhattisgarh's Narayanpur district on the 29th of June, 2010. Only in last April 76 less equipped CRPF personnel were killed by Maoist attacks. Netizens analyze the cause behind the Maoist onslaughts and discuss ways to tackle the threat.
There are many theories to interpret the Maoist problem, which has a long history. While some like Raunaq Pradhan think that it represents a freedom struggle, others suggest that it is a form of class struggle.
Aju Basil James at The Viewspaper discusses the reasons behind the Maoist insurgency:
The basic problems, many experts proclaim, are the age old ones of poverty and unemployment. The Maoists are concentrated in the forests of Chhattisgarh, Jharkand and Orissa, the area popularly known as the ‘Red Corridor’. These areas are primarily inhabited by tribals and indigenous people. Even as India achieves high growth rate figures and climbs up the ladder in international circles, these people have received next to no benefits of the economic prosperity seen in the big cities. They are still oppressed by bureaucrats and exploited by politicians. If anything, they have only faced the negative side of the liberalised economy – land grabbing by private companies, exploitation of natural resources and a further apathy from governments.
Prerna Suri at The Asia Blog reports that neglect is one of the reasons behind Maoist terror:
They say all this violence is in retaliation for years of neglect. Although Chattisgarh is among the richest states in India, having large desposits of bauxite and iron ore, the state has seen little or no development in years.
Royden D Souza at Despatches And File Notings analyzes the strategy of the Maoists:
The Maoists have gained influence over more than 200 districts over the last 40 years, by a strategy called oil spot strategy. Their approach was to gain control over a small area and then increase their control in the surrounding areas like an oil spot that spreads on the water surface.
Indian philosopher Vishal Mangalwadi thinks that Maoists’ war is against India's criminal capitalism:
The Maoist case against Hindu Capitalism is simple: A significant number of our miners, industrialists, democratically elected politicians, Gazetted officers (Administrative and Police), and their un-’holy’ godmen have joined hands to become criminal mafias. Their power is reinforced by official militias called “Special Forces” and unofficial militias such as Selwa Judum that started the present round of tragic violence.
And why is Maoism flourishing? The get compassion from the poor by promising an egalitarian, exploitation free society. Shantanu Dutta quotes Vishal Mangalwadi in analyzing the Maoists popularity – the Maoist leadership chooses to “identify with the landless, the displaced and the marginalized tribals.” So they make better image bearers among the poor and the oppressed.
From Kolkata Nila-kantha-chandra writes in his blog Cuckoo's Call:
From what I see around me, living in Calcutta, it seems we are living under the shadow of looming violence. A civil war, where the have-nots finally turn against the haves. Once something like that erupts, we are in for successive rounds of ever more ferocious blood-letting. No good will come of all that, and India's future as a pluralist democracy would be under severe risk. Life in India would become like what life is like now for people in Afghanistan and Iraq.
But the question is, can the necessary changes that must take place in India, which have NOT taken place in the 63 years since India's independence – can such change happen, before the destructive violence erupts? Things like education, healthcare, housing, drinking water, sanitation, public transport. Equal opportunity for all irrespective of their socio-economic circumstances.
I do not see that on the horizon, quite the reverse actually. Neither the govt, nor the private business sector has any such inclusive vision. The civil society is weak and fractured, and divided by caste and religion.
The Indian government is looking for strategies to tame the Maoists. The government has gone on the offensive against the Maoists with police and special forces which changed things little. There are talks about deploying army in Maoist hit areas. India’s intelligence officials are unable to decipher encrypted data sent on Blackberry handset or intercept calls on Skype to get intel on the Maoists. The thoughts of banning these services sound more like cutting the head to cure a headache.
Naveen James at My Country My Views discusses who should bear the responsibility for the unwanted killings and how these can be stopped:
Naxalism or Maobadis cannot be rooted out overnight.This has to be dealt with lot of sense of purpose and a firm policy. No government till date has shown great hunger to deal with this and now this looks like the greatest internal security threat the country has ever faced. Lack of strong political will is putting hundreds of innocent jawans on the line of fire.We cannot afford to loose so many soldiers/jawans to this mindless killings. We also have to ensure that exploitation of the tribals is stopped and economic development happens.
The government of the day is not doing enough and who should be blamed for this? “We The People” should take the blame. We have elected this government to work and if they don't then it is our responsibility to see that they act or perish. The media can play a very big role in this by being the voice of the people. But unfortunately the media tends to go after, rather chase only that news which can make a sensation and get them eye balls& TRP's. The people, Media, Intelligentsia, administration and who & who's of this country must join hands and get the government to act. No country can afford to sacrifice so many of its dedicated forces.
Unless efforts like the above are not taken up India will face a looming catastrophe as per Vishal Mangalwadi:
Maoists are not the only ones gearing up against India Inc; most of the poor are being radicalized, whether by Islam, Hindu godmen, or Maoist guerillas.
The government of India has acted wisely in not sending the military against the Maoists. For the military may soon be needed to defend our metropolis from the downtrodden who are finally rising up against India’s Criminalized Capitalism.