SUPERB, but...

 

THE latest report of the Union Home Ministry about waning footprint of the Left Wing Extremism (LWE) in the country begins the New Year on a positive note. It is good to learn that the efforts of Naxalites or Maoists are failing in expanding to new areas. But, there are indications that underline the need for the entire apparatus to be on the alert to face the complex challenges arising out of the changed modus operandi of the LWE operatives, especially in urban areas. Over the past decade, a well-organised response to the LWE activities has restricted the LWE arc of violence to just 25 districts in the country. The security forces and the Intelligence agencies have dealt a heavy blow to the Maoists’ Central Committee as well as its various armed units.

 

Importantly, soon after demolishing the Maoists’ anti-people reign of terror from various tribal-dominated, forest and mineral-rich, but developmentally backward areas of the country, the Government has given a boost to development projects, industrialisation, and employment generation. This ensured that the Maoist propaganda failed to enthuse the people in these areas. People also realised that Maoist terror had kept their areas developmentally backward. Resultantly, the Maoists are not finding enough recruits for their units. There are reasons to believe that the Union Home Ministry’s plan to ensure that the worst-hit Chhattisgarh gets rid of the Maoist menace by March 2026, will be realised on ground. While acting tough and ushering in development, the Government has also offered an opportunity to the surrendered Maoists to make a fresh start.

 

This is also yielding positive results, and has led to arrest or elimination of some of the LWE leaders in the country. For long, this moment was awaited by the people who did not want to side with the LWE leaders but were forced to join them at gun-point. Now, these people are the most relieved lot. While celebrating the success, however, awareness must not be lost about LWE operatives’ effort to expand to new areas. Though the Red terrorists are not finding support for their armed activities, there are pointers that facing the reverses the Maoists have changed their strategy. The pointers came out during the Lok Sabha as well as Maharashtra Legislative Assembly elections. Maharashtra Chief Minister Mr. Devendra Fadnavis created ripples when he alleged that ‘Urban Naxals’ had infiltrated into ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ of the main Opposition Congress party. Maoists trying to infiltrate into legal, mainstream organisations poses a challenge. For, it becomes difficult for the agencies to act against LWE operatives working clandestinely within legal, democratic organisations. Any action may snowball into a political issue. Besides, the Maoists’ network of academicians, activists, artists carries on subtle propaganda in different walks of life. Government action against such urban operatives may stir a hornet’s nest. To act against and ensure conviction of such operatives, legal framework needs to be reworked. The agencies have to ‘prove’ legally that an activist they arrest is actually involved in LWE or Naxal or Maoist armed activity. Mere activism is no crime.

 

As such, Maoist sympathisers gradually get bail or are acquitted of charges. Only a few States like Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Chhattisgarh, Odisha have a Special Public Security Act to deal with the Red terrorists. In Maharashtra, a Bill in this regard has been introduced but yet to become a law. Hence, the Union Home Ministry, while celebrating the success in reducing LWE activities, must also start working on a plan to counter the changed modus operandi of the outlaws, especially in urban areas. That plan will have to be in the domains of Intelligence, enforcement, as well as law.