Naxals – Single biggest internal security threat

“Naxalism is the single biggest internal security challenge India has faced”. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, November 2004.

It took 6 years and massacre of 76 CRPF personnel in Dantewada district for India to realise that the threat is real. According to a report by Research and Anlaysis Wing (RAW), there are 20,000 armed cadre Naxalites operating apart from 50,000 regular cadres working in various organizations.

Before we look into what the all fuss is all about let’s see what these naxals are fighting for? The naxal movement in India had started in late 60s (1967) at Naxal Bari, a small village in West Bengal. The movement had started as a protest against feudal exploitation and oppression over rural power. Naxalites claims that they are fighting to create a class-less society. But people opposing to naxal movement claims that they are terrorists oppressing people in the name of a class war. Not going by who is right or wrong but looking into the actions of Naxals in India over the past two decades, there is a clear indication that Naxalism is the single biggest challenge. Otherwise who would justify the killings of innocent civilians and armed personnel in the name of creating class struggle? One cannot give an alibi to terrorism or extortion in the name of poverty and brining equality within the society.

Then why not take a tough stand against naxalites? Like various other causes in this country, naxal struggle has also got support by some so called intellectuals, who find reasons to sympathise with this so called struggle. Apart from these intellectuals these naxals have also got support in the right place in the government with people like Shibu Soren (who seems to have won election with the support of Naxalites).and closeness of political parties like CPI, CPM to these movements. We should rise as a nation against this threat and make sure stringent of action is taken against these people who find no remorse in killings innocents. For if no strict action is taken then the day is not far when these naxals would overthrow government and form a government of their own as it happened in our neighbourhood Nepal.