good catch
   Date :13-Jun-2019

 
 
THE arrests of woman Maoist Narmadakka and her husband Kiran in Telangana and their subsequent handing over to Maharashtra Police, represents an important achievement for the cops as part of the national fight against Left Wing Extremism (LWE). No matter the few successful strikes the Maoists might have carried out in the past some time, the overall effectiveness of the Government’s drive against LWE has been good and welcome. The arrests of Narmadakka and Kiran, thus, mark reaching one more milestone in restraining Maoism in the country.
 
 
Notwithstanding the argument by a few that arrest of a couple of Maoist leaders could not be taken as reaching an important milestone, this episode should be taken as a good catch that would further the Government’s cause of defeating Maoism. For, the Maoist movement is personality-centric in which leaders play a critical role, and cadres only act as followers. So, whenever the security forces are able to arrest any leaders/s, they actually register a welcome step forward in the direction of arresting the march of LWE. By this norm, the arrest of Narmadakka and Kiran indicates that Maoism has suffered a major setback.
 
 
In fact, it is a matter of celebration that Maoism has been suffering quite many setbacks in the past some time. So good and successful has the official drive against Maoism that the Government has been able to erase as many as 44 zones off the national map of affected areas. Each time the security forces arrest Maoist leaders or bust their modules, they push forward the national cause.
 
 
Marmadakka and Kiran and their accomplices had been wanted by the cops for their recent ambush of a police party in Gadchiroli. Their dalam had been active for quite some time, dodging the cops somehow. Yet, following the Gadchiroli ambush, the cops in three states of Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, and Telangana were zeroing in on them and succeeded finally in nabbing them in Telangana. Ever since concerted action became a norm with the Police of various States, Maoism started suffering major setbacks, which was very properly exemplified by the arrests of Narmadakka and Kiran. There is no doubt that in the next some time, the pressure from the security forces would increase and the Maoists will be on the run.
 
 
One of the biggest worries in this regard is the change in political dispensations now ruling in States of Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. Some experts have sensed a little easing of pressure from security forces in these two States with change of political guard. If this is really happening, then it must be considered to be a stroke of bad luck. Lots of resources and time and personnel had to be spent to build a credible front against Maoism across the country. The cadence of that drive would get disturbed if there is uncalled for political easing of pressure in a couple of States. Hence this word of caution from us.
 
 
The initial flowering of Maoism in the country was due to a tacit political support the Left Wing Extremists received from many political parties for petty gains. It took years for all the parties to understand what was needed to be done to curb Maoism. Then came the change in political leadership of the State Governments, bringing along a change in approach to the fight against LWE. This is the point of actual worry at this stage. It is against this background of evolving potential political hiccup that we feel concerned about continued success in fight to finish Maoism. Defeat of Maoism has everything to do with the ideological issue of a band of people waging a war against the constitutionally established State of India. The morality of violence that the Maoists preach and practise that has to be defeated. The issue has to be viewed from this angle.