Eliminating Maoist Insurgency

• 18 Dec 2024

For Prelims: Central Reserve Police Force, Commando Battalion for Resolute Action, Operation SAMADHAN, Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana, Aspirational Districts Programme, Civic Action Program, Forest Rights Act, 2006, Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, Forest Conservation Act, 1980, Fifth and Ninth Schedules, Tribal Advisory Councils. 

For Mains: Issues and Challenges Associated with Left Wing Extremism in India. 

Source: PIB 

Why in News?

Recently, the Union Home Minister paid tributes to the martyrs who have laid down their lives fighting Maoist Insurgency (Naxalism) at Amar Shaheed Smarak, Jagdalpur, Chhattisgarh. 

• He also said that by March 2026, India will be completely free from maoist insurgency (Naxalism) using the three-pronged strategy. 
  • The three-pronged carrot-and-stick strategy involves Security measures, development, and empowerment to deal with Maoist Insurgency. 

What is the Three-Pronged Strategy to Eliminate Maoist Insurgency? 

• Security Measures (Force):  
  • Deployment of Security Forces: Strengthening the presence of Central and State police forces in Left Wing Extremism (LWE)-affected areas. 
  • Joint Operations: Coordinated actions between state police and central armed forces like the CRPF (Central Reserve Police Force) and COBRA (Commando Battalion for Resolute Action). 
  • Capacity Building: Upgrading weapons, communication systems, and infrastructure for forces. E.g., use of Mini UAV for CAPF battalions, solar lights, mobile towers etc.  
  • Operation SAMADHAN: A focused approach addressing intelligence gathering, operational strategy, and development. 
• Development Initiatives: 
  • Focused Development Schemes: Implementation of flagship programs such as: 
    • PMGSY (Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana): For rural road connectivity. 
    • Aspirational Districts Programme: The government has approved the construction of 15,000 houses in Naxal-affected regions.  
      • Efforts are underway to achieve 100% saturation of government welfare schemes in every village 
    • Skill Development in 47 LWE Affected Districts Scheme: Specifically  tailored for LWE-affected areas. 
    • Civic Action Program (CAP): Providing financial grants for CAPFs to undertake various welfare activities in the LWE affected areas 
  • Special Infrastructure Scheme: Creation of basic infrastructure like roads, bridges, and schools in remote areas. 
  • Better Governance: Enhancing administrative efficiency in these regions through recruitment of local personnel. 
• Empowerment (Winning Hearts and Minds Approach): 
  • Public Engagement: Fostering trust and communication between the government and tribal communities, reducing alienation. 
  • Rehabilitation Policies: Surrender and rehabilitation schemes for Maoist cadres, offering incentives like education, vocational training, and financial aid. 
  • Addressing Grievances: Ensuring fair land acquisition policies, implementation of Forest Rights Act, 2006, and protection of tribal rights to reduce the socio-economic gap.

Note: SAMADHAN stands for S – Smart Leadership, A – Aggressive Strategy, M – Motivation and Training, A – Actionable Intelligence, D -Dashboard Based KPIs (Key Performance Indicators), and KRAs (Key Result Areas), H- Harnessing Technology, A – Action plan for each theatre and N- No access to Financing.  

What is Maoism? 

• About: Maoism is a form of communism developed by Mao Tse Tung. It is a doctrine to capture State power through a combination of armed insurgency, mass mobilization and strategic alliances. 
  • Mao called this process, the ‘Protracted People's War’, where the emphasis is on ‘military line’ to capture power. 
• Maoist Ideology: The central theme of Maoist ideology is the use of violence and armed insurrection as a means to capture State power.  
  • ‘Bearing of arms is non-negotiable’ as per the Maoist insurgency doctrine.  
• Indian Maoists: The largest and the most violent Maoist formation in India is the Communist Party of India (Maoist) formed in 2004. 
  • The CPI (Maoist) and its front organizations were banned under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967. 
    • Front Organizations are the off-shoots of the parent Maoist party, which professes a separate existence to escape legal liability. 

What are the Recent Achievements in Eliminating Maoist Insurgency? 

• ‘Maoist-Free’ Villages: In 2023, 287 Naxalites were neutralized, approximately 1,000 were arrested, and 837 surrendered in Chhattisgarh. 
  • Villages in Dantewada have been progressively declared ‘Maoist-free’, with over 15 villages achieving this status by 2021.  
  • Never before has such a vast area been freed from Naxal influence in a year, with record numbers of Naxalites neutralized, arrested, or surrendered. 

• Low Security Forces’ Casualties: In 2024, 14 security personnel deaths were reported, a dramatic decline compared to 198 deaths in 2007 (the highest recorded). 
• Winning Hearts and Minds: The Maoists' setbacks are due to waning support from tribal communities, who, after years of harm, now show fatigue and alienation. 
• Enhanced Security Measures: Deployment of 12 helicopters, up from just 2 earlier, for troop support and operational efficiency has drastically reduced the number of casualties among government troops. 
• Infrastructure and Logistics: Between 2014 and 2024, 544 fortified police stations were built, compared to only 66 between 2004 and 2014. 
  • Filling of 45 police stations to eliminate security vacuums. 
• Special Central Assistance: A total of Rs 14,367 crore has been approved so far, out of which Rs 12,000 crore has been spent on improving basic infrastructure in affected regions. 

What are the Challenges in Eliminating Maoist Insurgency? 

• Exploitation and Oppression: Maoists’ core base tribals and dalits faced historic marginalization, with Adivasis further alienated by the feudal system, caste hierarchy, and laws like the Forest Conservation Act, 1980. 
• Lack of Development: Interior areas lack basic infrastructure, with development stalled by governance and implementation failures despite significant allocations. 
• Centralized Maoist Command: The CPI (Maoists) have centralized command, while the government's fragmented response allows areas like Abhujmadh to serve as logistical bases. 
• Access to Rich Resources: 80% of coal reserves and nearly 19% of other rich mineral resources are located in naxal affected tribal areas which has given them an additional weapon and impetus to extract maximum benefits. 
• Trust Deficit: Local alienation is worsened by ineffective governance, non-implementation of constitutional provisions (e.g., Fifth and Ninth Schedules), and displacement without proper rehabilitation. 

Way Forward 

• Governance Reforms: Constitute Tribal Advisory Councils as mandated by the Fifth Schedule to empower tribals in managing their resources. 
  • Enforce Land Ceiling Acts under the Ninth Schedule to redistribute land to the landless. 
• Economic Development: Focus on aggressive and inclusive developmental initiatives to address basic human needs. 
  • Provide alternative livelihoods to replace dependency on illegal activities like opium cultivation. 
• Security Measures: Deploy specialised unit of paramilitary forces to secure tribal areas while empowering local governance structures. 
• Resource Management: Ensure sustainable and equitable exploitation of natural resources with tribals as stakeholders in the process. 

Drishti Mains Question: 

Q. Analyze the three-pronged strategy used by the government of India to eliminate Maoist insurgency. 

UPSC Civil Services Examination, Previous Year Question (PYQ) 

Mains

Q. What are the determinants of left-wing extremism in the Eastern part of India? What Strategy should the Government of India, civil administration and security forces adopt to counter the threat in the affected areas? (2020)

Q. The persisting drives of the government for development of large industries in backward areas have resulted in isolating the tribal population and the farmers who face multiple displacements. With Malkangiri and Naxalbari foci, discuss the corrective strategies needed to win the Left Wing Extremism (LWE) doctrine that affected citizens back into the mainstream of social and economic growth. (2015)