Living in Jharkhand for more than 20 yrs, I was unaware of one of the biggest threats India is facing - naxalism. Not that I had not heard of this, but I didn't know the causes and effects of the same. Only thing which I remember is my dad following any news related to naxal attack in Jehanabad (my grandparents' place - also one of the areas severely affected by naxalism). Whenever I used to goto Jehanabad, I used to be awake all night. Somehow I believed if I am awake, then people wont attack our house..!!
In the last couple of months, I read more about naxalism. In most of the articles, the violence was condemned. There are hardly any articles to bring out the problems faced by them and the reasons which led them to take up arms. I do agree that the means adopted by them is wrong and can never be justified. But at least we should not turn a blind eye to their problems.
The Indian Forest Act came into action and overnight thousands of tribals living in forests were rendered homeless. The ownership of the land on which they were living for hundreds of years was given to the government without proper relocation or incentives to these tribals. They were given the right to vote in exchange for their right to live. When the rest of India was treading the road of developement and modernization, these people were denied even the basic amenities. With no proper houses, sanitation, education and earning, these tribals were left to struggle in the dense forests all by themselves. Even today there are no proper roads in their villages. The schools are the most abandoned buildings. Why should teachers come here, to the jungle, when they get their salaries sitting at home?
Naxal groups claim that their primary objective is to take up the issues of equity, class and injustice within tribal society. It started its operations in West Bengal and soon spread to less developed rural areas of Bihar, Jharkhand, Chattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh etc. Today around 200 districts are a part of the Red Corridor (areas affected by naxalism). They have the support of the tribal and rural population of central India. They prefer sending their children to training camps organized by naxals to sending them to schools. At least it gives them hope that some day they would get their land back. If someone captures our house overnight, we would also try to get it back by any means, If talks don't help, then wont we take the help of some local gundas to threaten them and get back our house by any means. They are also doing the same. Even Bhagat Singh and Subhash chandra Bose used violence to make their voice heard. Then why do we appreciate Bhagat Singh and Subhash chandra Bose but condemn naxals? Instead of understanding their problems and empathizing with them, we are thinking of the possibilities of air strike?
But in the bargain the whole population in the red corridor is living in constant state of fear. Every other day is a bandh which throws life out of gear. And who suffers, the common people. The target of their ire is common masses, the target of government atrocity and inefficiency is also common masses.
There is no one right side or wrong side in this menace and there's no direct or easy solution to this problem. Instead of deploying more and more armed forces in these areas, if our government and build more roads, TV and teachers to these areas, the situation can be under control. They need listening ears more than bombs and explosives.
19 comments:
I cant disagree with u more..
nobody joins the naxals camp voluntarily.. they make sure that 1 young member from evry family joins them so that they can find refuge in the villages.. n they catch young kids to brainwash them from the very young age.. like al quiada.. can u justify that?
As for the problems.. again the money/energy time they use in blowing up CRPF jawans can be used for smthing much more constructive.. google a bit and u will find 100s of success stories of small villages who have done wonders for themselves w/o much govt support.. its easy to blame evrything on the state thats the easiest way out..
In fact I'd support chidabrams view of using airforce against naxals..
Anu, I disagree with your point. I read an article in one of the newspapers that the naxal menace has been solved to some extent in Bihar because of the initiatives of the Government. The naxal menace shows that the money spent by the government on NREGS is totally ineffective. They need some job atleast. They are not educated. What has the government done in the past 60 yrs to improve the education and the education system. Corruption is rampant everywhere. Even in the NREGS scheme i heard that the intended beneficiaries are not getting the money. Instead it goes to some middlemen in the party which rules. You cannot curb naxal problem unless you address their basic issues. Once the basic issues are addressed, you can expect them to look for ways and means to improve their lifestyle.
@anu.... i agree that no one joins naxal camps voluntarily... but what do they do with the energy/money? they dont even have any land. They have been thrown out of their own homes. They are exploited by the land owners where they work. If you google out, u will not find many articles describing the adverse conditions which they are living in, but if you go to the dense forests, you can see how they manage to barely survive.
When whole of India if talking on cell phones, there is not even a single telecom tower in the dense forests of central India which is a home to thousands of tribals. Leave the ph, they dont even have proper sanitation. If we dont help them develop, how do we expect them to develop by themselves.
And u justify the use of sir strikes??? The fighter aircrafts and the air bombing skills of Indian Airforce is typically suited for enemies and not for our own people. They have the capacity to destroy the entire villages at one go. Its our land which will bleed and become barren. Eye for an eye will turn the whole world blind. We would be no better than those poor uneducated tribals who are using arms and destruction for their causes.
Nice article PS. I do agree to some extent about us looking at one side of the coin and tribals getting a raw deal.
What I would like to add to the discussion is that Naxalism has become a full fledged industry. There major source of income being opium plantation and extortion money. We also cant ignore the amount of political clout they veil in certain parts of Bihar atleast which I have witnessed first hand.
By one theory government is palying hard ball with them because of the pressure from the mining giants and other such quarters.
I do believe Naxalism will fade over a period of time as common man becomes more frustrated by constants bands and tribals are drawn to main stream.
But there is no quick fix to it.
to put in a perspective from information from reliable sources:
Naxalites have called up each house in all major towns in certain districts of West Bengal demanding money with a threat attached of harming the dear ones of the concerned families (this was not a simple threat but smthing like: "We know ur kids are here here and here and worry abt them"). I dont know what naxalites are doing is right or wrong. All i know is every hungry person wants food and for food s/he can do anything.
@sid.. naxalism would never fade if govt does not take up their issues of development.... it would only add to their frustration of getting things done by any means...
@ach.. criminals and so called underworld ppl are a bigger menace to the society but the government is not bombing their houses just because unlike poor uneducated tribals, they have done their share of palm greasing and the govt officials are equally reaping the benefits..!!!
@pallavi : i suggest u read the demands once.. http://www.hinduonnet.com/fline/fl2116/stories/20040813004303200.htm
All this has lost its sig long back.. ask any naxal he wudnt even kno what he is fighting for.
also how canu justify their violent means.. law and order needs to be restored at all costs they have turned against the state machinery.. n they are killing our very own people how do u justify that? .. Also, its the same as kashmir they recruit kids and say kashmir wants to be a part of pakistan as people are taking part in the fight..
Naxalites are no robin hood pallavi stop glorifying them..
Temme can we thnk of a safe travel from jsr to ranchi now? n rajdhani exp being derailed/stopped mid way. who exactly are they fighting ..common people?
As for NRGEA scheme i'll jus quote Dr. Ganesh Natrajan, CII & CEO Zensar Tech... "If we look at the reasons for the sustenance of GDP growth was the rural sector.They are the voting bank people like us dint vote the govt back it was the rural India . They did a very smart thing the NREGA Scheme, Farmer’s loan waiver has a cascading effect,".. in short he goes on to say that it was these schemes that saved us from the full fledged impact of financial crisis..
Jus 1 more point.. u really dont know what all d govt does for poor people.. Talk to some of them then u'll kno.. I spent two months in dwarka interacting with slum ppl.. there are ample of education/microfin schemes avlbl and are quite operational..
The thing is ppl have an attitude problem.. they want money.. easy money with 0 effort.. Ask them if they want free edu for their child upto 12th std or 15k.. 90% wud say 15k..
Blaming the goverment for everything in my opinion isnt justified.. Even u kno quite a few naxal have support from politicals parties .. Is it really poor ppl fight? or these parties do not want 2 loose their vote banks hence ensure the brainwashing..
I suggest you do more reasearch as to how they gather funds for this fight..
The naxalite prone states have shown an increase in (illegal) opimum cultivation the money then is used for funding of naxals..
If land is so precious to them and farming is all they care about.. how does implanting it with land mines fit into the picture?
@anu... If its the govt's responsibility to frame rules for development of poor, then the govt is equally responsible for the execution of the same. But the govt is least bothered for the execution else they would not be able to ask for votes without even changing their agenda. Since last 60 yrs, the govt is asking for votes for development and education of poor and has not been able to do even a bit for the majority of rural population.
The key to stopping any kind of violence is always spreading more awareness and education and improving their conditions. Violence can never be used to stop violence.
Two meals a day is the most important concern of any individual. If the govt can at least provide them the means to earn that, why would any parent want their kid to become a naxal. But seeing their kids die of hunger in front of them is far worse than sending then for camps organized by naxals. At least that gives them hopes of getting their land and life back.
You are more concerned of a safe travel from ranchi to jsr where as they dont even have roads to travel on... put urself in their shoes once and then only you will realize their agony. And if you have time read this http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/news/world/22-walking-with-the-comrades-aj-07
I am not trying to glorify their viloence but only trying to put forth the other side of the story. If you can think of some other means by which they can solve then probs then it would be most welcome. Just saying that their means are wrong is never enough but we generally just keep on arguing on that.
and the education/microfin schemes avlbl are not majorly because of govt but because of NGOs. How many of such education/microfin schemes are avlbl for tribals. Do the tribals even know that such schemes exists?
If some ppl are displaced from their land because of some dam or industry construction without proper relocation, then a whole lot of politicians and public figures would come to help them and hold protests. How many politicians and public figures came to the rescue of these tribals when their land was taken from them?
@pallavi: Education is guarentedd by govt not by any NGO Microfinance was started by RBI not by any NGO..
There are deeper questions surrounding the Maoist revolt that need to be answered. It is fashionable now to say that the Adivasis have gained nothing since independence. And to some extent, the figures speak for themselves.
The scheduled tribes number 85 million people in India . Some estimates suggest that *Adivasi lands constitute up to 20 per cent of India’s entire territory*. But something like 2/3rds or more of all Adivasis are still illiterate.
Hence, say some activists, the poor Adivasis have no choice but to turn to the Maoists because the Indian state has failed them.
Actually, it is not that simple. Take the case of the Harijans , who have been at the bottom of the social pyramid for centuries. Post Independence, we offered Harijans and Adivasis the same sorts of things: affirmative action, seats reserved in Parliament, etc. Because they were concentrated in certain areas, Adivasis could swing elections in a way that Harijans could hardly ever do. Two new states – Jharkhand and Chhatisgarh – are Adivasi dominated.
So why is it that the Harijans have accessed the political system, have thrown up the likes of Mayawati and have successfully demanded the attention of the Indian state while the Adivasis are still seen as helpless victims?
Put it another way: why is the same system that empowers Harijans regarded as so useless by so many activists that they claim that the Adivasis have no choice but to support those who commit murder in their names?
There may be ways of reaching out to the tribals, bypassing the Naxalites. But all that will have to wait. First, the state must reassert the rule of law. Then, it will finish off the Maoists. And only then, will we tackle the serious issue of social justice. As regrettable as this is, the Maoists have left us with no choice.
@anu... Most talked about operations against naxalism is the Green Hunt Operation. The goal of this operation is to defeat the Naxalites militarily while also facilitating economic and social improvement in the states where they have a significant presence.
While the development component of the operation is vague, the government has given some indication of how much money it plans on spending. During a Supreme Court hearing in February of this year, the centre stated that it would disburse approximately Rs 7,300 crore ($1.6 billion) to those states participating in the security operation.
However, all is not well. Green Hunt has been the target of vigorous and sustained criticism from many representatives of civil society. In particular, the anti-Naxalite push has been attacked for being little more than a brutal assault on civilians by a government determined to re-establish their writ in large parts of its hinterland.
The claim that economic under-development in central and eastern India’s tribal belt has lead to the rise of Naxalites has become an unchallenged truism. The ‘backwardness’ and poverty of the adivasis (tribals) in places such as Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand is so acute that the Naxalite ‘option’ is, for some, the only option. There are few livelihood alternatives. The solution is, according to this argument, massive investment and development which will provide access to jobs and give people a stake in India.
Take the example of Jharkhand. The state holds 40 percent of India’s precious minerals and the state government has signed over a hundred MoUs with industrial and mining companies in the past few years, translating to roughly Rs 467,240 crore ($102 billion) in investment. This is not an insignificant sum, not least for areas populated largely by adivasis. Rather than being a welcome development, increased investment has led to intensified struggles against land acquisitions.
Estimates suggest that while three-quarters of the people displaced by development in the state are adivasis, they are given only one-fourth of the jobs created.
While they have been prohibited from exploiting the forests, there has been little provision of the educational and social infrastructure needed to provide people the ability to succeed in a modern economy.
And as far as comparision with dalits is concerned, they were always in power since Independence. Right from Ambedkar dalit Movement, their concerns have been voiced throughout the Indian History. However no such concerns were raised for tribals. This just reiterates the absence of political and public figures in support of tribal rights
well... sab comments ko milake post karen toh hum apna hi ek blog bana sakte hain :P :D
pallavi, jahaan tak blog ki baat hai it's good ki tum aise serious issue pe kuch likhi... I'm glad to see the variety in ur posts now a days aur khaskar yeh wala toh ekdum opposite hai blog ke title se, na humour hai na non-sense :)
but jahaan tak issues ki baat hai I dont think ki hinsa, vidroh ya aatank kisi bhi samasya ka samadhaan hai... log kamzor apni soch se hote hain, woh chahe slum ke rehnewale hon ya kisi viksit sheher ke nivaasi... kya karna chajiye kya nahin yeh shayad hum na bata payen par itna toh hum (aur sabhi deshvasi) jaante hain ki samasya kitni bhi badi ya jatil ho, vidroh se kewal bigadta hi hai... sulajhta nahin hai... aaj hum apna ghar bachaane k liye hinsa ka maarg apnayenge, kal mere padosi, phir ek ek karke pura desh shamsaan ban jaayega... kitni bhi majboot chardiwaari banao apne ghar ki par chori roki ja sakti hai kya agar ghar mein hi chor hon toh... yeh kaisa tareeka hai kuch suljhaane ka jiske parinaamswaroop sirf vinash hi vinash fail raha hai
@Gopal.... isi bahane apna blog to shuru karo..!!! :P
waise maine bhi kabhi nahi kaha ki violence is the right means... but jab koi aur tareeka na rahe to insaan majboor ho kar hathiyaar utha hi leta hai..!!! mai to bas dusra side bhi rakh rahi hun....
lo isko bhi defend karo..
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Maoist-blast-derails-13-coaches-of-Express-train-20-dead/articleshow/5983218.cms
After a delibrate read of all the comments and my own knowledge of the whole sit is that of course govt is directly responsible for alll the things that are happening in the country... reason is the timid approach and the lessons left for naxals from the history may it be cease fire and returning the paki land in 1971 or release of militants at khandhar or our approach in kargil itself...
all the excellent examples of appeasement.. no solid steps taken to curb them anyays and to add to it are our defence set ups in the state.. the CRPF does not have any technologically advanced equipment to perform te job for which they exist.. even consider the most recent bargain which still seems to be years behind schedule.. the MMRCA acquisition or be it the vikramaditya deal.. all these speaks vollumes of the timidity and the non decisiveness of our govt structure in safegarding their own motherland and make it secure for the citizens..
take the example of Israel, such a aggresive country remember the capture of two army soldiers by the arabs or palestinians, they bombarded them like hell.. whole world could only condemn it but no one dared to put up any kind of opposition..
Coming back home this problem certainly requires an aggressive return to let everyone know if any one feels that he/ she has been not provided with what they are rightful of getting they should take up a path which does not challenge the existence / intentions for existence of a govt..
The answer to all this mabe better take on the part of the govt to spread more literacy through NGOs who are not likely to be baised for vote banks and create effective nodal centres for the people to communicate and a more than that providing that satisfaction to the people that they are cared for...
Just another point, out of 100 people there are around 60 -70 people who just do what they are convinced for.. 15 - 20 are who know what is right and what is wrong but however do not participate in decision making and the left 10 maybe the ones who take decision based on what they perceive and convince the majority to do things as per their thoughts which unfortunately in INDIA are the politicians.. in a small pocket such people instigate the mass to take up arms or participate in strikes or to in a minuscule amount they maybe trying to take up the right path of bringing up the soceity..
Be it any organisation the structure remains more or less the same so wherever possible i feel one must participate to raise the masses to growth and prosperity and not take up arms and kill their fellow citizens for a crime which they were never a part of...
and to create a deterrent for the spoilt ones air strikes can be an option but however being ready for the losses which no one would have anticipated is for the future to take a call for..
we all are commenting each other...
i think there is a big role of local people, for there backwardness, govt. is trying its best, but implementation of govt's effort is to be done in naxals area, but no effective local support. Govt can not tolerate Blood at any cost... We all r Indians, and by arms and agitation how can they expect peace and devlpoment....!! Starting of Naxalism is A story of past.....
they are teaching their kids about Gun and blood, developing feeling of insecurity from our Govt, which is a only representation of we people of India .
the way they are demanding development and their rights, shows that they dont know the meaning of development..
Or they are just being used by their bosses to maintain their supremacy.....
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