Bad peace is better than a good war. Maoists have always believed that revolution is the only means to liberate people from economic penury. The post-Independence political history of India has many examples of armed uprising ending through talks. Putting an end to the Maoist violence is critical to both India’s economic progress and internal security.
The problem of Maoist violence can only be solved by bringing development to the impoverished areas. The need of the hour is that political leaders in Jharkhand, Orissa, West Bengal and Chhattisgarh talk to the rebels and address their concerns. The acute poverty and social and economic exploitation have much to do with the spread of the Maoist rebellion, especially in areas inhabited by tribal people.
If the anti-Maoist operation is a necessity, so is an urgent and realistic development plan to end centuries-old social and economic deprivations that tribal people suffer. It is also the state’s prerogative to ensure that civilians and armed personnel are not killed in cold blood.
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Brief History: The communist movement in India officially began in the 1920s with the formation of the Communist Party of India (CPI) .
In 1964 a serious ideological rift within the party, corresponding with the Sino-Soviet split, led a breakaway group to form the Communist Party of India (Marxist) which is now a mainstream Marxist political party.
Some members of the Marxist party were behind a famous uprising in defence of tribal land, in Naxalbari in West Bengal in 1967.
The leaders of the Naxalbari uprising broke away from CPI (Marxist) in 1969 to form the CPI (Marxist-Leninist) — the Maoists, or Naxalites. This party advocated armed revolution and denounced participation in the electoral process.
Soon the Maoists had created vast guerrilla zones stretching from West Bengal to Bihar to Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh.
But within a few years their fortunes were waning because of internal splits, the death in 1972 of their ideological leader Charu Mazumdar, and major crackdowns by the government.
Since then there have been many communist revolutionary groups operating in different parts of India.
One of the most significant was the People’s War Group, formed in 1980 by Kondapally Seetharamaiah, a schoolteacher. It promotes an armed revolution, targeting the state and the security forces as well as oppressive landlords. It began in Andhra Pradesh and spread to Chhattisgarh and Orissa states.
It gained strength in 1998 when it merged with another left-wing group, the Communist Party of India (Marxist Leninist Party Unity).
Partly as a result of such mergers, the Naxalite movement has grown much stronger in recent years.
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The following is a chronology of how the Maoist war began and the journey so far:
6 April 2010 | Over 70 CRPF personnel were killed in an attack by Naxalites in Dantewada district of Chhattisgarh. Read story
22 Feb 2010 | The Centre on Monday told the Supreme Court that it has envisaged a Rs7,300 crore package for the development of Naxal-affected states in the country. Read story
16 Feb 2010 | Maoist rebels detonated land mines and set a security outpost ablaze in eastern India, killing at least 24 policemen in the worst-ever attack on police in the restive area. Read story
3 Feb 2010 Column | Naxalism and angst of Jharkhand tribals
8 Jan 2010 | The 2001 census had revealed a shortage of 472,846 houses in Naxalite-affected districts. Read story
22 Dec 2009 | Home minister P. Chidambaram convenes a meeting of chief secretaries and police chiefs of five Naxal-affected states on 24 December to take stock of their plans to deal with Maoists. Read story
3 Dec 2009 | The government will be prompt in initiating talks with Maoist insurgents if they give up violence, home minister P. Chidambaram told Parliament, while launching an attack on those who sympathized with the Naxalites. Read story
1 Dec 2009 | Naxalite groups choke movement of the commodity from the mines of state-run Coal India Ltd (CIL) India’s largest producer of the fuel. Read story
17 Nov 2009 | Maoists, who have influence in varying degrees in a quarter of India, oppose the building of roads in their strongholds, as police vehicles can then drive in. Read story
12 Nov 2009 | In a huge haul, about 45 quintals of explosives meant for Maoists were seized by the Special Task Force of Bihar police from two places in naxal-hit Gaya district. Read story
5 Nov 2009 Edit | Caught in a crossfire of ideas
4 Nov 2009 Column | Maoist crisis: govt needs to change stance
28 Oct 2009 | Sharpening its attack on Union railways minister Mamata Banerjee over the hijack drama of Bhubaneswar Rajdhani Express, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) accused her of playing a part in the hijacking. Read story
22 Oct 2009 Column | Maoist documents point to erudite research
15 Oct 2009 | PM tells a meeting of top police officers from around the country that Maoist rebels posed the greatest threat to India’s internal security and that a new strategy was required to deal with the problem. Read story
10 Oct 2009 | The Naxalite attack at Bhamragad in Maharashtra’s Gadchiroli district, in which 17 policemen were killed, could have been an attempt by the Maoists to seek attention during election time, top state officials said. Read story
8 Oct 2009 | Maoist rebels ambushed a police patrol in Maharashtra and killed 17 policemen, a day after home minister P. Chidambaram warned them to give up violence or face a major assault by security forces. Read story
8 Oct 2009 Column | Maoist rebellion looks set to get shriller
2 Oct 2009 Column | Why the Green Hunt rhetoric rings so hollow
27 Aug 2009 Column | Andhra grapples with Maoists, new acronyms
25 Aug 2009 | Maoists blow up a mobile tower in Latehar district on the second day of their 48-hour bandh in five states, including Jharkhand. Read story
24 Aug 2009 | Around 20 rebels blastthe track between Kumundi and Hehegarha railway stations, about 150km from Ranchi. Read story
24 Aug 2009 | The Centre asks nine states, including Naxal-hit Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh, to tighten their security and intensify vigil against possible strikes by Left-wing extremists on important installations. Read story
16 Aug 2009 | Pro-active action against Naxals and security in the aftermath of Mumbai terror attacks will be reviewed at a meeting of chief ministers convened by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Read story
12 Aug 2009 | Security tightened at National Aluminium Co. Ltd (Nalco) bauxite mine, after the company received a letter from suspected Maoists threatening to attack the site. Read story
12 Aug 2009 | The officers say that a new surrender policy being contemplated by the government, based on cash payments to those who give up the gun, could work in Naxalite-affected states only if the security forces are able to first dominate the areas now held by the guerrillas. Read story
6 Aug 2009 Edit | Money for the Maoists
28 July 2009 | The Centre approves Rs7,800 crore under a road connectivity plan and a special infrastructure scheme in Left-wing extremism affected states in the 11th Five Year Plan. Read story
22 July 2009 | The Chhattisgarh police have informed the Union government that the state needs at least 54 battalions—or 54,000 men—of armed police to mount continuous and effective operations against Naxalites. Read story
15 July 2009 | 29 policemen killed by the Maoists in a forest ambush in the mineral-rich central state of Chhattisgarh, which experts described as a glaring example of policemen ignoring combat safety doctrine. Read story
14 July 2009 Edit | Maoists and the fiscal deficit
12 July 2009 | Maoists killed at least 30 policemen, including a senior officer, in two separate ambushes in Chhattisgarh, officials said. Read story
2 July 2009 | At a time when Maoist rebels are expanding their influence elsewhere in India and stepping up attacks, security forces in Andhra Pradesh claim to have finally gained the upper hand over the rebels they have been battling for two decades. Read story
23 June 2009 | Tribals who launched the agitation eight months ago in protest against alleged police atrocities are facing starvation and fleeing homes. Read story
21 June 2009 | Union home minister P. Chidambaram issued a statement describing the situation in Lalgarh as “tense” and asked politicians, people and NGOs to keep away from the conflict area. Read story
21 June 2009 Edit | Red star over Lalgarh
20 June 2009 | West Bengal police claims partial victory after the state police and central security forces reclaim Lalgarh area cut off for eight months by Maoists. Read story
18 June 2009 | The West Bengal government rules out an apology, as sought by Maoist leader Kisanji, for the “atrocities” committed on tribals at Lalgarh and blamed the ultras for bloodshed and violence in the restive West Midnapore district. Read story
12 June 2009 | Proximity to their strongholds is helping Maoists make inroads into districts that lack basic infrastructure. Read story
7 June 2009 | Maoist forcibly shut down Hindustan Unilever’s joint venture plant in Nepal protesting the alleged encroachment of Nepalese territory by the Indian forces. Read story
11 May 2009 | Prachanda blamed “bureaucratic and security officials” in India for the trust deficit and said that because India’s political leaders were busy in the elections these officials were handling Nepal. Read story
6 May 2009 | CPN-Maoist workers thrashed workers of NC and the CPN-UML in Ramechhap and Rolpa districts. Read story
4 May 2009 Edit | Prachanda marches out
4 May 2009 | Nepal’s president sacked army chief general Rookmangud Katawal to stay in his post, defying the Maoist government and thrusting the Himalayan republic deeper into political crisis. Read story
4 May 2009 | Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal faced a major setback when the second largest coalition partner CPN(UML) with 108 members in Parliament, said it was quitting the govt. Read story
23 April 2009 | In fresh attacks, Maoists exploded bombs injuring two officials in Jharkhand where security forces repulsed a naxalite bid to disrupt the second phase of elections after a fierce hour-long gunbattle. Read story
23 April 2009 | Heavy firing between Maoists and security forces were reported at Basadera under Ghatsila police station bordering West Bengal. Read story
23 April 2009 | Naxalites blew up a railway station building and tracks near Medininagar in Palamau district, disrupting train services, police said. Read story
20 April 2009 Edit | Maoists strike once again
13 April 2009 | Maoist rebels killed 10 policemen in eastern India and shut down a mine operated by state-run National Aluminium Co Ltd (NALCO) as they stepped up attacks ahead of a general election. Read story
19 Feb 2009 Edit | Commando only in name
30 Oct 2008 | Orissa’s complex mix of religion, caste and tribal loyalties forces the Naxalites to remap their strategy here. Read story
18 Sep 2008 | The Union government has lined up a Rs5,500 crore project to link remote areas in 33 districts that have an active Naxalite or Maoist, presence with highways to provide rapid access to paramilitary forces. Read story
31 Aug 2008 Edit | The Prachanda path
15 Aug 2008 | The head of Nepal’s former rebel Maoists, who led a campaign of armed struggle for a decade, announced that he would stand in elections to become the country’s first post-royal prime minister. Read story
16 Jul 2008 Edit | A state of denial
22 May 2008 | Rebels promise poor families in east, central India their kids wil have food, better life in camps; sometimes, take children by force. Read story
9 April 2008 Edit | Of monarchs and Maoists
19 March 2008 | Many Nepalis wonder if the conflict-hardened organization has given up violent tactics; party says it is reformed. Read story
25 Jan 2008 | Part reportage and part travelogue, this is an unflinching look at India’s Naxal reality. Read story
13 Jan 2008 | Rather than targeting people, Naxalites have targeted economic installations, with Railways bearing the brunt in badly affected states of Bihar, Jharkhand, Orissa and Chhattisgarh. Read story
2 Jan 2008 Edit | Two threats
21 Dec 2007 | Left-wing Maoist guerrillas, locally known as Naxalites, are active in 11 of the country’s 28 states. Read story
23 Sep 2007 | Guerrillas set fire to about a dozen lorries, blocked highways and attacked a police patrol, killing three people, including one officer. Read story
27 June 2007 | Be it growing communal and sectarian violence, manipulation of IT systems, proliferation of nuclear arms, jihadi influence or lack of resolute leadership, terrorism is threatening to destablize every pillar on which hinges the great India Shining dream. Read story
Reuters contributed in this story