Prime Minister Manmohan Singh considers Naxalism Indian’s biggest internal threat. No doubt about it. It’s fair to acknowledge a problem but the logical extension to the acknowledgement is what we are going to do about it? Unfortunately, the government seems to have no clarity in approach to handle this problem.
Past few years, the cancer of Naxalism has grown at alarming rate, the beheading of Jharkhand police inspector Francis Induwar marks the severity of the infection that plagues our motherland. We need a precise surgical operation along with proper medicine to heal the disease.
After the beheading incidence, Union Home Minister P Chidambaram says “The cold-blooded murder is simply not acceptable. I condemn it.” Mr. Home Minister, we need action not mere condemnation. Francis Induwar has become the 339th policeman to be killed in naxal violence in Jharkhand between January 2003 and October this year. The State’s 20 of the 24 districts are Maoist-infested. Now, this is a seriously grave situation. We cannot afford to make our policemen as a fodder in this battle. Right now as I write this article, news is coming in that 18 policemen have been killed in Maharashtra’s Gadchiroli district and a police informer is beheaded.
The ideology of naxalism for whatever reason it originated have steered away from the conceived ideology of fighting for the landless, deprived class and has now hit a dead-end, left with just violent streak. To tackle this war within, the government should have multi pronged strategy. Naxal movement cannot be won only by guns. Guns for guns can never solve the problem completely. One should acknowledge the reason for the movements like naxal to thrive and take measures to arrest it.
India is developing fast and steady last one and half decade or so. We have many billionaires in the Richie rich list. We have one of the world’s largest booming middle class populations. We take pride in the progress we are making. When we say “we” does it include all Indians? Unfortunately the answer is “no”. There is a huge glaring gap between urban India and rural India.
Let’s see some fact sheet:
- India ranks 134 in human development index according to 2009 UN report.
- The human poverty index value of 28.0% for India, ranks 88th among 135 countries for which the index has been calculated. The HPI measures severe deprivation in health by the proportion of people who are not expected to survive to age 40.
- 46% of our children aged under 5 are underweight, ranking 137. We are just one rank ahead of Bangladesh.
- 41% of our population lives below 1.25$ a day.
- 75% of our population lives below 2$ a day.
- We have 8.2% Scheduled tribe population and 16.2% scheduled caste population, together they make 1/4th of our total population and predominant among them still untouched by the economic progress we make.
This is hard facts that we need to acknowledge. Add to this close to nil development in many rural areas, lack of healthcare, lack of even basic infrastructure etc. Statistically government after government has spent billions and billions for the underprivileged. Schemes under various names have been announced every now and then. Unfortunately, we have no proper accountability and system to make sure the schemes reach the right people at the right time. It’s not surprising as according to the Berlin-based watchdog Transparency International, India figures 85th among 180 countries in the corruption perception index.
All this have dealienated a section of our population giving rise to disgruntled youth who are easily brainwashed into joining the naxal movement.
What can be done to counter naxal movement?
- Strengthen the police force. When I say strengthen, I mean strengthening combat wise as well as discipline wise. Our police force needs to be modernized to face the challenges of modern times. We still use outdated approach and equipments that needs immediate attention. Secondly, the police force needs an image makeover. At many parts of India, even kids are scared of police, to an extend, their mothers conveniently pull the word “police” to make their child keep quiet. Talk about the image! Police force needs to represent a friendly face.
- Strengthen the ground level intelligence. A proper network of informers and intelligence gathering mechanism needs to be developed for any major success against naxalites.
- Raising specialized force to counter guerrilla warfare. Enemy is invisible. We are not fighting a regular army but a guerrilla group that hits, runs and hides after an ambush. To counter this we need to raise a specialized force who can hunt down the enemy in its own game. We need more specialized task force like existing greyhounds special force and cobra special force.
- Coordination of inter-state agencies. Naxal movement is spread across various states. In many parts, they attack in one state and hide into the forests of the neighboring states. Proper coordination mechanism and intelligence sharing between various state agencies is vital.
- Inclusive development mantra. Inclusive growth that takes along the population length and breadth of our country on the development road. Attending to the priorities like basic infrastructure, healthcare, right for education to all, women empowerment all this will aid in ringing death bell to naxal movements and channelize the energy of the neglected people into positive role.
For all this to happen, we need a government with a political will and a conscience to deliver what it is supposed to. Will that happen? We don’t want more francis Irudwars to be beheaded, we definitely don’t want our policemen to be killed brutally. We definitely don’t want our youth to be brainwashed into violent path.
Wake up politicians! Deliver what is expected from you.
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India is a soft state…that’s why when their leaders are arrested the so called intellects stand by them… they blabb about Human Rights….delay and try to influence the law to take its course….vote bank politics is devisive and this is the recation of this hate politics…tacle naxalism and terrorism with strong arms as these mutually pose a danger to The Nation India
a good topic to discuss, and also because not every one is aware of such conditions in the country
There should be efforts to make common people know about this, because i feel that it is with the help of all that all the problems can be solved
keep smiling!
I think a specialized force by the name of COBRA(Combat Battalion for Resolute Action ) has been already operational under command and control of CRPF… they are an elite force trained and specialized in Jungle warfare specifically created to combat the Maoists …I think GOI is contemplating an action of the joint paramilitary forces along with help from IAF …. plus they are taking the several development issues …let us see how it all turns out…
Yes, I have mentiond it in the point 3 , Infact along with COBRA there is also Grey Hound force. What we need is more strength and bites to this specialized forces , coordinated with various agencies.
I disagree with first 4 points to counter Naxal problems.
Naxalism has become an idea and idea can not killed with gun. IF military might could finish off a struggle fought by dedicated and highly motivated people, USA would have finished off with Taliban, al Qaida long ago. Also India would have finished off with insurgency in North East India as well as in in Kashmir. Though it could finish militancy in Punjab by force, the force was not the only reason.
Indian Police forces already have very good IPS officers who are able and well trained leaders. They should be enough to counter any brain behind poor and uneducated tribal posing as Naxalites.
GOI should try to cut the supply line of Naxalite cadres. How Naxalites are getting new recruits year after year ? Many people argue that, if malls in cities were not in need of air conditioning, most probably, no one from cities or government would have entered those areas where tribal had been living for centuries, let alone try to establish power generating industries…
Thanks for the comprehensive commenting.
About yout ideology of Naxalism. I would still stick to my notion that Naxalism as an idea has come to a dead end. Yes there might be still people who have an ideology but much of the cadre and leaders now spearheading have one idea that is to spread violence not for any cause (as they may claim)
About your take on police force. As i mentioned in my topic.What matters at the end of the day is approach to the problem. We may have good IPS officers but do our politicians and beurocrats “use” the good brains ? Answer is no. The good brains are wasted. Secondly, our police force needs a “image make over” as i mentioned in the article.
Having said that, yes there are recruits? I have answered that in my lost point. When we alienate a section of population they become a easy harvesting field for handlers.