Naxalite Insurgency in India
The Naxalite uprising commenced in a small village of Naxalbari (in Siliguri division of West Bengal) in May 1967, located close to the international border with then East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) and in proximity to the open Nepalese border; with the Chinese presence in Tibet just 100 kin to the North. The area under Naxalite influence also included the narrow Siliguri corridor linking the North East region with the rest of the county. Insurgency in Mizoram erupted in early 1966!
The eruption of the Naxalite movement coinciding with the insurgency in Nagaland and Mizoram was a mere coincidence or was it part of some grand design that slipped the attention of the Government of West Bengal, Govt. of India, Intelligence agency and the rest of the governing and security mechanism?
I remember the news reports and commentary by Radio Peking (now Beijing) towards the later part of Jun 1967 stating that “A phase of peasants’ armed struggle led by revolutionaries of the Indian Communist Party has been set up in the countryside in Darjeeling district of West Bengal state of India. This is the front paw of the revolutionary armed struggle launched by the Indian people under the guidance of Mao Zedong’s teachings!”
Having seen the emergence, growth, and cancerous spread of Naxalite over three decades, I was not al all surprised with the demand of Naxalite in Andhra Pradesh in the third week of July 2004 that CPI (ML) must be involved in any further negotiations between the newly elected state government and the Naxalite. There must be some good reasons for such demand and the confidence of Naxalite in other parts of India too in some of the political parties/establishments.
While the Naxalite movement was brought to manageable levels in Bengal its growth in other states of India has continued steadily and systematically. Our political masters, governing, administrative and security mechanisms and agencies have remained preoccupied with other matters of the moment that they had, and continue to have little concern towards the growing threat howsoever predictable it may be. How else can we justify the phenomenal growth and influence of Naxalites which has now spread over nine states (55 districts) in India! Naxalites also made inroads into Karnataka and the day is not far off when they will join hands with anti-national elements in Kerala too.
With Maoists threatening the existence of the present governing mechanism in Nepal, Naxalite are controlling parts of Eastern UP, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Chattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Eastern Maharashtra, Orissa, and Andhra Pradesh. From the Himalayan Kingdom to the Bay of Bengal the Naxalite are calling shots.
Likely, they are already getting help from LTTE. Having made inroads into Karnataka with the linkages in Kerala the area of Naxalite influence will be from the Indian Ocean (Western coast of India) to the Himalayas! Some of our armchair strategic thinkers and experts will laugh at this possibility, but one should ask the Chief Ministers and Director General of Police about ground realities.
Again for some unexplained reasons, our National focus has been towards J&K (not that it is less important); cross border terrorism, proxy war and so on from Pakistan, we have totally ignored the North East and Central India. If analysed from a strategic and National Security point of view the Northern and Western flanks of India are threatened by terrorism. North East (due to our own faults) under the influence of insurgents. Nepal has become an undisputed base for ISI. Bengal, Bihar, Assam and even adjoining areas of Nepal and Bhutan are infested with illegal migrants from Bangladesh threatening the demographic balance and the Naxalite calling the shots in Central and Southern parts of India it does not require excellence of armchair, air-conditioned theorists, security experts, social scientists to know as to what the future holds for our coming generations if we fail to arrest the Naxalite trend, its further growth and concurrent dangers to national security.
While the Naxalite uprising in West Bengal was a peasant revolution, the factors responsible for the growth of Naxalite violence in Bihar and Jarkhand are primarily to be located in feudal agrarian structure in which there is a strong interface of caste and class. The left-wing extremism and the activities of private Senas are its direct manifestation. Apart from this other exigencies factors also provide impetus to its sustenance which includes proximity to Bangladesh, porous border and linkages with Nepal, drug and weapon smuggling, and the mafia controlling mineral resources and its illegal exploitation. Not to be left behind some of our so-called politicians are always eager to cash on such situations and indirectly encourage the continuation of these.
Everywhere in Bihar, it is the landlords who are armed and many times derive sadistic pleasure by beating and eliminating poor peasants, burning their houses, destroying crops and raping their women. The reports and eyewitness’ accounts from Bihar suggests that wherever the Naxalite has managed to acquire significant strength the incidents of day to day rural violence have gone down considerably. The Naxalite in Bihar and Jharkhand also enjoy political patronage. The Naxalite has become an important force in left politics and for the mineral (coal) mafia.
The Naxalites in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra and Orissa get their strength, support, sustenance, encouragement and protection from the forest and mineral mafia. The origins of Naxalites in these states are directly traceable to the exploitation and oppression of tribal and landless people. With the exploitative forestry and commercialisation of free based biomass on which the tribal depend for their survival, the unscrupulous mine owners, contractors, forest mafia are using Naxalites to extract money from the corporate world, big companies, merchants, businessmen and even government officials. There are reports that the Naxalites enjoy links and the patronage of some of the politicians also. Now the Naxalites clout is by no means confined to the tribals, although the tribals remain the most important component of then bases and strongholds.
Immediately after the Naxalbari uprising, Andhra Pradesh particularly the Telangana region came into focus since it became the ‘hot bed’ of Naxalites. Srikakulam uprising though it was controlled set back the rosy scenario of the countryside being ripe for armed revolution as a prelude to the transformation of the country into people’s democracy. A large number of young men and women get attracted to revolutionary ideology and philosophy. It is worth noting that quite a few leading members of CPI (M) had become Maoists in the wake of the Naxalbari uprising. The Naxalite movement thereafter has gained enough strength and movement. There have been phases of on and off depending on the political leadership and governing mechanism in the state. It is no secret that many politicians have been openly sympathetic and supportive of Naxalites. Many times in past the law and order mechanism and machinery in the state was directed to Look the other way and cool off depending on who was in power. The Naxalites in the past have misused the cooling-off period to gain strength and increase the area of influence. The attempt on the life of Chandrababu Naidu the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh brought to the focus the reach, capability and ability of the Naxalites to cause damage and terrorise people. Though there have been many incidents of Naxalites targeting politician’s government officials and the police the threat was not taken seriously. It is unfortunate, but true that the police personnel and paramilitary personnel are treated as expendable commodities and except for lip service the loss to their life is never taken seriously. Their injury and deaths are always taken for granted and termed as hazards of duty.
When such an attitude becomes too obvious it once guesses as to what the response of the police will be!
Based on my long experience of combating insurgency and terrorism in North East, Punjab, Kashmir and Assam, and having studied the Naxalites in-depth, I can say with a reasonable degree of confidence that the planning for the assassination of Mr Naidu would have taken at least six months and preparations and rehearsals would have commenced at least three months before the final act. It is difficult to believe that it was a handiwork of a few revolutionaries or criminals who turned Naxalites because of momentary provocation. It was a well-conceived, thoroughly planned and executed operation. A good number of well placed, ambitious, connected, financially well off; technically qualified persons must have been behind the plot. I must sound a warning to those who was the brain behind the act that terrorist, insurgents, Naxalites once they gain expertise, mechanism and confidence, they do not hesitate to repeat the same whenever they are tasked to do so. The personality, targets may change depending on who wants to kill whom. Look at the Chhattisgarh attack. There is no harm in learning from the experience of Pakistan. The terrorism planned, exported, sustained, encouraged by Pakistan has returned to Pakistan. Those in Pakistan who was instrumental in exporting terrorism into Kashmir and the rest of the parts of India are now targeting Gen Musharraf, the person who instigated and supported terrorism. It is the lesson and undisputed fact of history that those who encourage and gain from violence, unrest, terrorism repay sooner or later. Look at the USA!
The district of Latur, Nanded, Osmanabad, Solapur is fertile ground for Naxalites in the state of Maharashtra. The pitiable condition of denotified tribes in these districts and elsewhere in Maharashtra can easily be exploited by interested parties for narrow political and economic gains. The government of Maharashtra, law and order authorities if fail to initiate preventive measures with utmost urgency and sincerity the state may be in for a rude shock shortly.
The call for boycotting the elections, call for bandh in nine states though it was not successful, disruption of the polling process, destruction of national property, killing of police personnel if taken lightly encourages the Naxalites and boost their confidence. When they can project a candidate for election and ensure victory for the favourite candidate/s, they start getting convinced that they can capture power through similar processes and means. That is what motivates the Naxalites, insurgents and terrorists. Ray of hope of capturing/gaining power or influencing governing mechanism sustains the ideology of these elements. How does one explain that after recently held elections for Parliament and State assemblies the level of Naxalite violence in some of the states has come down considerably? Though it is a good sign, but are we to believe that Naxalites have been marginalised or eliminated or have lost the support of the masses after the elections? Or it is an indication of the fact that there is tacit understanding?
It is reported in the media that the Central Government is seriously considering adopting a uniform policy to tackle Naxalites. Nothing can be more dangerous and faulty. The reasons, incentives for the emergence and continuation of Naxalism are different in different parts of India and. thus will need a different type of treatment.
The government and the agencies dealing with Naxalites will do well to resist the temptation to ask for satellite coverage, photographs of Naxalites camps, use of helicopters for anti-Naxalite operations and so on. These are fantasies that must be avoided. No technology can track a Naxalite, terrorist or insurgent when they move in small numbers. Even the most powerful nation in the world does not possess such technology. If they had such a technology how it is that till today they have not been able to track and locate Osama-bin-Laden and some of his Al-Qaida elements? What is needed is to develop an effective intelligence system, human intelligence, operational mechanism, good means of transportation and communication for police force, body protection, protection against mine blast and explosives, good light weapons, ability to move and observe at night and most important of all proper selection, training and motivation of youngsters to counter Naxalite and eliminate Naxalite. While this should be an operational philosophy, the political and governing mechanism must initiate sincere, honest and practicable policy and action plans to address the problems of rural masses, tribals, underprivileged, and exploited who sent recruits to Naxalite, who provide sustenance and support to the Naxalite. The breeding grounds must be dried up. El Naxalite and bullet for bullet will not suffice and will not yield desired results. No ‘Super Cop’ philosophy and ideology will work. The reasons and actions for the success of one of the so-called ‘Super Cop’ were totally different and should remain as ‘Secret’!
It is learnt that some of the state governments are considering ordering Cease operations or lifting the ban on PW and other Naxalite groups. There is a need to exercise utmost caution and care. There are enough examples that lifting of the ban, ceasing operations have been misused by the elements in the past to regroup, consolidate their gains and improve their hold further. This has happened in the North East and other parts of India. Though lifting of the ban and meaningful dialogue for resolution of problem or conflict through a well thought out process is always desirable, care must be taken not to lose guards. It is also necessary to explain and convince the rank and file in police organisation about the usefulness of negotiated process and peaceful resolution of the problem. The police should not get demotivated and demoralised. As the head of the Operational Group of Unified Command in Assam, dealing with an insurgency, and having conducted successful counter-terrorist operations in Punjab and Kashmir; I know what are the feelings, sentiments and thought processes of the police force when certain concessions are offered by the state government without taking the police personnel in confidence. If the police personnel lose faith, trust, confidence, and respect for the governing mechanism and political establishment, the Naxalite will again gain the upper hand.
While dealing with Naxalite it is the responsibility of the state government, there is a need for comprehensive and integrated policy and approach by the central government. There is a need to keep a watch on anti-Indian elements in Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Pakistan. Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka have the potential to emerge as recruiting hubs, and sustaining centres outside the Indian mainland. There is also a need to take precautions and steps to prevent various Naxalite groups apart from PW and MCC to form new groups or reappear as a news organisation like it is happening in Kashmir and elsewhere in the world wherein every week, one hears about a new terrorist organisation or group claiming responsibility for a successful terrorist act. Many insurgents, guerrilla, terrorist groups tend to be more adopt in stocking their weapons equipment and ammunition safely and discovering new ways of collecting funds as has happened and is still happening in Nagaland, Assam, Manipur, Tripura, and some parts of Arunachal Pradesh.
It is in the long term National interests of India to control and arrest the spread of Naxalite, prevent their linkages with other organisations and groups with the support of people, local popular media, and social scientists to eradicate the Naxalism from the minds of the people.
At the movement, we are countering Naxalite but we are not seriously addressing Naxalism. We must address the root causes and develop youth to prevent the further supply of recruits and cadre to Naxalite. There is also a very urgent need to eliminate the provocateurs, instigators, and sustainers of Naxalite violence no matter who they are and how rich and influential they are. If we are serious we must act fast with utmost sincerity and urgency before the Naxalite and Moist supply chain finds a suitable landing site on the Western Sea coast of India and becomes another Ho Chi Minh trail from the Indian Ocean to the Himalayas! Our armchair security experts and analyst will never agree with the possibility mentioned by me; till it becomes a ground reality. When it becomes a reality we will appoint a commission, study team to find out where we went wrong and why we were caught unprepared! Just the same ways as we had to find out what happened in Kargil and why did Kargil take place! There is just no harm in learning from our mistakes and be careful in future. Is anyone concerned?
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