Context: Recently, the Union Home Minister of India chaired a review meeting of the Left Wing Extremists situation in Chhattisgarh at Raipur.
Left-Wing Extremism (LWE)
About: Left-wing extremists, known globally as Maoists and in India as Naxalites/Naxalism, have posed a significant threat to India since the 1960s.
Geographical Spread: 46 Districts affected in 2011
Origin of Naxalism: The origins of the LWE date back to 1967, specifically in Naxalbari, Phansidewa, and Khoribari within West Bengal's Darjeeling District.
Leadership: The initial uprising was spearheaded by prominent figures such as Charu Majumdar, Kanu Sanyal, and Jangal Santhal, all of whom were affiliated with the Communist Party of India (Marxist).
Peasant Revolt: The formative stage of the LWE movement manifested as a peasant revolt, reflecting the socio-economic concerns that fueled its inception.
Historical Roots: The roots of LWE in India can be traced back to the Telangana peasant rebellion, which occurred from 1946 to 1951.
However, the movement gained prominence in 1967 when peasants, landless laborers, and Adivasis (tribal people) raided a landlord's granaries in Naxalbari, West Bengal.
Government Initiatives To Fight LWE
Operation Green Hunt: It was started in 2009-10 and massive deployment of security forces was done in the Naxal-affected areas
Aspirational Districts Programme: Launched in 2018, it aims to rapidly transform the districts that have shown relatively lesser progress in key social areas.
SAMADHAN: Doctrine is the one-stop solution for the LWE problem. It encompasses the entire strategy of government from short-term policy to long-term policy formulated at different levels.