Are Naxals Amit Shah's next target?
After fulfilling long-standing demand of the RSS-BJP by scrapping special status of Jammu and Kashmir, it seems Union Home Minister Amit Shah is turning his attention to Naxal insurgency.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah held a meeting of chief ministers and police officers on Monday to review Naxal situation and counter-Naxal operations in the affected states. (Photo: PTI)
The Narendra Modi government has been on a spree, in its second term, to fulfil long-pending demands of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). Scrapping the special status of Jammu and Kashmir and a law to ban instant triple talaq among Muslims are the prime examples. Now whispers in the corridors of power signal that next in line could be the left-wing extremism or Naxalism as it is commonly known.
The RSS has been cautious in making its disapproval of Naxal insurgents despite various BJP governments at the Centre and in states taking strong measures to contain left-wing extremism. The RSS has favoured a multi-pronged strategy to counter Naxalism. In recent times, the RSS-BJP leadership has been extremely critical of what their supporters call "Urban Naxals".
In October last year, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat launched a book titled, Kaun Hain Urban Naxals (Who Are Urban Naxals). It was published by Vishwa Samvad Kendra, the communication and publication wing of the RSS. A month earlier, Bhagwat had released a booklet on Naxalism asking people to identify and expose "Urban Naxals". The right-wing supporters consider them as allies of Naxalism in the country.
The RSS has been trying to turn the red corridor into a saffron patch. A bigger mandate in the 2019 Lok Sabha has given the RSS-BJP leadership confidence that the people are ready for the change. Naxalism powered by an extreme left ideology also poses an obstacle to the RSS's ultimate objective of making a homogenous Indian society.
Scrapping of the special status of Jammu and Kashmir and Articles 370 and 35A, and making instant triple talaq a punishable criminal offence, a part of the objective has been achieved. Naxalism becomes the automatic next target for the BJP-led government.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah held a meeting of chief ministers and police officers from 10 Naxal-affected states in this regard on Monday. Incidentally, this was the first meeting of state leaders called by Amit Shah since taking over as Union home minister in May this year.
The 10 Naxal violence-hit states are Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha, West Bengal, Bihar, Maharashtra, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. Chief ministers of all except West Bengal, Telangana and Maharashtra attended the meeting called to review the counter-Naxal strategy.
After the meeting, Amit Shah wrote on Twitter, "Had a very fruitful meeting with the CMs of the LWE affected states. Discussed several issues related to the security & development of these states. Left Wing Extremism is against the idea of democracy and under the leadership of PM @narendramodi we are committed to uproot it."
This move to review the Naxal situation and counter-Naxal operations come days after the government set up a panel to implement benefits, announced in July, for the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs). The beneficiary forces are CRPF, CISF, BSF, ITBP and SSB. They will be given non-financial functional upgradation (NFFU) grade and categorised as an organised group A service.
These are the forces that are deployed in anti-Naxal and counter-terror operations, and carry out counter-insurgency tasks besides guarding the international borders. This is significant to keep the forces fighting insurgents in good morale. More than 11,000 serving officers will be benefited from this move.
Though the government has claimed success in counter-Naxal operations in the past five years, there is speculation that the Union home ministry under Amit Shah is about to unveil a recast counter-Naxal plan.
According to home ministry statistics, there has been 43.4 per cent reduction in the incidents of Naxal violence under the Modi government. Compared to 8,782 cases of Naxal violence during 2009-13, only 4,969 cases were reported during 2014-18.
In terms of death of people including security personnel in Naxal violence, there has been a decline of 60 per cent since 2014. Against 3,326 people losing their lives during 2009-13 in Naxal violence, 1,321 people were killed during 2014-18 in similar incidents.
Left-wing extremism was reported in 60 districts in 2018. Of these, according to the government, only 10 districts account for two-thirds of the total Naxal violence. The government has rolled out a development plan with annual allocation of Rs 1,000 crore in Naxal-affected districts for building key infrastructure and public services.
Both Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, and triple talaq were mentioned in the BJP's election manifesto for 2019 Lok Sabha polls. Combating Naxalism was also part of the manifesto. During election campaign, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had told a rally at Sagar in Madhya Pradesh that he had taken a "vow to avenge every drop of martyrs" and for that "we have to free this country from the menace of terrorism and Naxalism."
