Operation Black Forest—how Modi-Shah's push for a Naxalism-free India is gaining ground
A significant achievement has been the elimination of a top Maoist leader, Basavaraju or Nambala Keshava Rao, in Chattisgarh's Abujhmad on 21 May.
This operation, code-named Operation Black Forest, was aimed at dismantling Naxal and Maoist networks. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah are determined to eradicate Left Wing Extremism in the country and this was reflected in the latter's words: 'Our target is to end it completely by March 31, 2026.'
While India celebrated the success of Operation Sindoor, another effective operation was underway in the heartland of India. The war against Left Wing Extremism has been quietly and steadily taking place in the country's interiors where a Red corridor existed from 'Pashupati to Tirupati', undermining the progress made under the democratic reforms as envisioned by the founding fathers of the Indian Constitution.
What is Naxalism?
Naxalism is a far-Left political ideology inspired by a blend of Lenin's ideologies, Karl Marx's theories, and Mao Zedong's form of Communism. It derives its name from Naxalbari, a hamlet in the Darjeeling district of West Bengal, where a group led by the trio of Charu Majumdar, Kanu Sanyal, and Jangal Santhal, rose up and created an armed conflict in 1967. The uprising was speedily quashed by the state government. But it sparked off a nationwide movement, all the way from the borders of Nepal to the temple towns of southern India.
The Naxalites used violence in the name of ideological or philosophical ideals. They called it an uprising against injustice and class struggle, or an armed revolution, where ideologies were imported from the Communist Bloc to destroy democratic values in India. The movement is also influenced by Mao's People's War, based on guerrilla warfare and rural uprising, hence giving rise to the moniker 'Maoists'.
The Maoists consider the country and the Indian Constitution as their enemy and constantly engage in guerrilla-style warfare against the state. After Charu Majumdar's death in 1972, the Communist Party of India Marxist-Leninist, which he founded, weakened and splintered up, only to get a new lifeline in the 1990s and early 2000s. While the Communist parties remained within the parameters of the Constitution, the CPI (Maoist) operated as a fringe outfit, indulging in law and order violations with a militant mindset to fight the state. Their activities extended in primarily rural, mineral-rich, and underdeveloped belts of Jharkhand, Bihar, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh. The central goal has been to capture power through armed insurrection and violence.
The CPI (Maoist) emerged in 2004 with the merger of splinter groups, namely the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) People's War and the Maoist Communist Centre of India. While China, the country where this ideology originated, does not allow such extremist philosophies to operate on its soil, in India, these organisations have been placed on terrorist list and are banned under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.
Also read: The very people that Naxals claimed to fight for have rejected them
Why was it important to curtail Maoism?
According to the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Maoist insurgency has become a serious internal security challenge and an 'impediment to the nation-building process'. The Maoists had set up a parallel government in remote and less–inhabited areas, leading to a governmental vacuum and a concerning security situation that threatened the integrity and sovereignty of India. They do not recognise private investment and infrastructure development, and are against government welfare schemes. They ran parallel governments, engaged in unlawful activities like arms trafficking and extortion, and obstructed the functioning of schools and hospitals to ensure their sphere of influence prospered.
The principles of Maoism erode the very tenets of democracy, as they are against free and fair elections and the democratic process. Maoists claim to protect the interests of the tribals and the landless, but in reality, they deny access to development and welfare for these neglected people.
According to the South Asia Terrorism Portal, the Maoist insurgency has claimed nearly 12,000 lives since 2000. Not only are the poor civilians caught in the crossfire between the insurgents and the police forces, but valuable resources and funds that could be used for infrastructural development are diverted for anti-insurgency operations. There ought to be no misunderstanding: Maoists are a threat to national security, as they vociferously reject the Indian Constitution and aim to overthrow democratically elected governments through violence and anarchy, with the ultimate aim to control resources and create a parallel economy of terror and disruption.
Economic consequences of the 'Red' movement
The 'Red corridor' has been reduced to a handful of 'Red' hotspots, as per the MHA. The economic consequences of Left Wing Extremism have been far-reaching and monumental, mainly due to loss and damage to infrastructure, power lines, bridges, railway tracks; and the costs of deployment of security forces, loss to industry and mining operations.
Further, according to a 2009 Hindustan Times report, a parallel economy worth Rs 1,500 crore had been operating in Naxal-affected regions, where these LWE groups would extort money from contractors and industrial houses to line the pockets of their commanders. Often, companies are compelled to pay huge sums to ensure their operations are not disrupted. Moreoever, naxalism impacts foreign investments as well.
Also read: Success against Maoist leader Basavaraju was unthinkable a few years ago—here's what changed
BJP government's action plan
In 2006, a Left Wing Extremism Division was created under the aegis of the Ministry of Home Affairs to monitor and control this scourge of society. A concerted game plan was initiated to counter this homegrown terror. The Union Home Minister would meet with the chief ministers of LWE-affected states every year and make personal visits to review the situation on the ground.
The Cabinet Secretary is also expected to hold regular review meetings with the Chief Secretaries, the DGs and the DGPs. A concerted plan to end the Naxal movement is in place, and it is clear that PM Modi and Amit Shah mean business. 'The day is not far when Maoist violence will be completely eradicated from the country,' PM Modi said last week while announcing infrastructure projects worth over Rs 48,520 crore in Bihar's Karakat.
Schemes to strengthen the security forces against LWE have been initiated such as the Security Related Expenditure (SRE) scheme, Special Infrastructure Scheme (SIS), and Fortified Police Station scheme under which 626 such police stations have been constructed.
The Road Requirement Plan-I (RRP-I) for LWE-affected areas scheme is being implemented by the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways for improving road connectivity in 34 LWE affected districts of eight states—Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, and Uttar Pradesh. This scheme envisaged construction of 5,361 km road lengths in LWE-affected states, of which 5,204 km roads have been completed, according to the home ministry.
Another scheme, Road Connectivity Project for LWE-affected areas (RCPLWE), worth Rs 11,725 crore, has been approved for the construction of 12,228 km of roads and 705 bridges sanctioned in LWE-affected states under the Ministry of Rural Development, out of which 9,506 km roads and 479 bridge works have been completed.
Three telecom projects—Mobile Connectivity Project Phase-I & Phase-II, Provision of 4G mobile services in the villages of aspirational districts, and Saturation of 4G mobile services—are being implemented in LWE-affected areas to improve telecom connectivity. In total, 10,511 mobile towers are planned in LWE-affected areas under these projects, of which 7,777 mobile towers have been installed so far. This will help monitor and control Naxal terrorism in the affected areas.
The Aspirational Districts Programme (ADP), launched in 2018, has also been a game-changer in uplifting underdeveloped districts through data-driven and inclusive governance.
The double engine of PM Modi and Amit Shah envisage a holistic integration of former Naxalites into a civil society based on the tenets of inclusion and equality as envisaged by the founding fathers of the Constitution of India, creating a space for positive dialogue and rehabilitation of former rebels.
Outreach programmes for the tribal youth are being conducted and a budget of Rs 52.5 crore has been released for this purpose. It involves influencing the youth through jingles, pamphlet distribution, and documentaries to help them eschew the path of conflict and embrace life under the umbrella of the Constitution. The aim is to mainstream the people by encouraging them to leave the path of violence and choose peace and prosperity to help build an inclusive society.
Meenakashi Lekhi is a BJP leader, lawyer and social activist. Her X handle is @M_Lekhi. Views are personal.
(Edited by Aamaan Alam Khan)
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Print
23 minutes ago
- The Print
Bastar's forest, land belong to its residents, security camps to become thing of past: Deputy CM
'Youth have to understand what the current government of Chhattisgarh and the Centre have been doing to deal with it. You (youth) have the great power of social media in your hands, any news spreads like a wave among you. I request you to use your social media power for these things,' he maintained. Sharma, who holds the home portfolio, noted, 'Youth should know what Maoism is, where it started and how it started. They have to understand these things.' The Deputy Chief Minister made the remarks while speaking on the issue — 'The ugly face of Maoism – from Beijing to Bastar' — at an event organized at Dr Shyamaprasad Mukherjee Auditorium in Jagdalpur, the headquarters of Bastar district, an official statement said. Jagdalpur, Jun 3 (PTI) Chhattisgarh Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma on Tuesday urged youth to understand what central and state governments have been doing to stamp out the menace of Left-wing extremism and contribute in eliminating the ideology of the outlawed CPI (Maoist). The youth of Bastar will help end the Maoist ideology with their efforts and push for development. Security forces will always be there for their protection, the release quoted Sharma as saying. He said in 1989, a massacre was carried out at Tiananmen Square in Beijing because some youths had demanded democracy. Sharma said, 'Maoists want to form a government with the barrel of a gun. They want to form the government by killing democracy. They want to form the government like they have formed in China. They want to subjugate the people in the same way.' Referring to the opposition, he said, 'There are some people who travel from here to there, saying that (Prime Minister) Narendra Modi ji's government, (CM) Vishnu Dev ji's government are taking action (against Naxalites) so that resources of Bastar are handed over to someone. 'They are trying to spread big lies. I want to tell you that the intention of Chief Minister is very clear — water, forest and land of Bastar belong to Bastar, to the youth of Bastar, to the people of Bastar. Development of Bastar will be on the Bastar model. It will be done according to Bastar,' he asserted. Sharma said in the coming years, there will be no need for security camps in Bastar. Once Naxalism is eliminated, these camps will become centres for collecting, processing and marketing forest produce. PTI TKP RSY This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
United News of India
2 hours ago
- United News of India
After 18 years, SC closes petitions on Human Rights Violations by Salwa Judum in Chhattisgarh
New Delhi, June 3 (UNI) Bringing closure to a long-running legal battle, the Supreme Court has disposed of all pending petitions filed by sociologist Nandini Sundar and others concerning alleged human rights violations committed by Salwa Judum activists and security forces in Chhattisgarh. These matters had remained before the apex court for nearly 18 years. The case traces back to the Chhattisgarh government's controversial deployment of local tribal youth as Special Police Officers (SPOs) to combat Maoist/Naxalite insurgency. The SPOs, often associated with groups like the 'Koya Commandos' and Salwa Judum, were accused of committing serious rights violations in the course of anti-insurgency operations. In a landmark 2011 ruling, the Supreme Court had directed the State of Chhattisgarh to disband and disarm all SPOs, noting grave concerns over state-sponsored vigilantism. Despite that judgment, two writ petitions and one contempt petition remained pending until recently. A bench comprising Justices B.V. Nagarathna and Satish Chandra Sharma disposed of the cases, holding that the writ petitions were closed on the ground that the reliefs sought had already been addressed through the 2011 judgment. The contempt petition, which challenged the Chhattisgarh Auxiliary Armed Police Force Act, 2011, was found to be outside the scope of contempt jurisdiction, as it effectively sought new writs in the guise of contempt, the court ruled. The bench clarified that the enactment of a law cannot be considered contempt of court merely because it follows a judicial order. 'The promulgation simpliciter of an enactment is only an expression of the legislative function and cannot be said to be an act in contempt of a Court unless it is first established that the statute so enacted is bad in law constitutionally or otherwise,' the Court held. Emphasising the separation of powers, the bench reiterated that any law passed by Parliament or a State legislature must be challenged solely on grounds of legislative competence or constitutional validity, not as contempt of court. The Court underlined, 'A legislature has the power to enact or amend a law, even to remove the basis of a judicial judgment, as long as it operates within the constitutional framework.' It also noted that Courts do not have the authority to treat the exercise of legislative power as contempt, simply for enacting or amending laws. Importantly, the bench observed that restoring peace and ensuring rehabilitation in Chhattisgarh remains the constitutional responsibility of both the State and the Union, citing Article 315 of the Constitution. 'It is the duty of the State of Chhattisgarh as well as the Union of India to take adequate steps for bringing about peace and rehabilitation to the residents of Chhattisgarh who have been affected by the violence from whatever quarter it may have arisen,' the Court said. UNI SNG RN
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Trader, driver held in Rourkela for ‘illegal' sale of explosives
Bhubaneswar/Rourkela/Keonjhar: An explosives trader and his driver were arrested in Rourkela on Tuesday for illegal operations, with local police simultaneously inspecting explosives storage facilities in Keonjhar district. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The crackdown follows the recent loot of 4,000 kg of explosives materials by Maoists from a stone quarry in Sundargarh district on May 27. Shravan Agrawal (42) and his driver Birsa Samad alias Ishak Samad (30), who were arrested in Rourkela, do not have any links with Maoists, police said. "Agrawal is accused of selling explosives to unlicensed persons, preparing fake invoices, fudging stock registers and facilitating illegal storage. We have so far not found his link with Naxals," SP (Rourkela), Nitesh Wadhwani, told TOI. The arrests occurred after cops found explosives materials in a truck near a petrol station on June 1, posing public safety risks. A second truck containing unauthorised explosives was seized on Tuesday. The accused were booked under sections 288 (negligent conduct with respect to explosive substance), 125 (endangering life or personal safety of others), 318(4) (cheating) of the BNS and section 4 and 5 of Explosives Substance Act. The seized trucks contained explosives, super electronic detonators, and various types of wires, used for blasting in mines and stone quarries. "Our investigation revealed Agrawal's involvement in illegal explosive distribution for profit, with four warehouses located in different areas of Bargaon in his name," another police officer said. DIG (western range), Brijesh Kumar Rai, said, "The accused not just supplied explosives to ineligible persons, but also violated the SOPs regarding the safe movement of explosives on roads. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Further investigation is on." Following the loot of explosives in Sundargarh, police in Keonjhar district inspected all magazine explosives warehouses in mining-dominated Joda, Barbil, Champua, Bamebari, Rugudi, Bolani, Sadar, Ghatgaon, Soso and Daitari areas and checked their licences, safety measures and compliance of guidelines for storage. "An awareness meeting is going to be organised with the owners of all explosives warehouses in the district. Strict action will be taken against those who violate the rules," said SP (Kepnjhar), Nitin Kusalkar. Sources said districts like Sundargarh, Mayurbhanj and Keonjhar require substantial explosives due to extensive mining operations. Police are scrutinising storage facilities, transportation practices and documentation. "Frequent violations of safety protocols, with explosives transported improperly on motorcycles have come to the fore. Warehouses, typically situated half a km from village boundaries, often lack adequate security personnel," Santosh Nayak, a retired police officer, said.
