The Waning Maoist Insurgency: Decline, Causes, and the Path to Peace
UPSC Relevance
Prelims: Internal Security (Left Wing Extremism - LWE/Naxalism, Affected Districts, Counter-insurgency strategies, Salwa Judum); Current Events of National Importance.
Mains:
General Studies Paper 3 (Internal Security): "Linkages between development and spread of extremism"; "Role of external state and non-state actors in creating challenges to internal security"; "Security challenges and their management in border areas" (LWE is a core topic here); "Challenges to internal security through communication networks, role of media and social networking sites in internal security challenges".
General Studies Paper 2 (Governance): "Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation" (Developmental aspect of counter-LWE strategy).
Key Highlights from the News
The Maoist insurgency in India is significantly declining.
Maoist presence is now mainly limited to 11 districts. Three districts in Chhattisgarh are the primary centers.
Reasons for this decline:
Effective counter-insurgency tactics by security forces.
Developmental work implemented by governments.
The Maoist strategy of capturing power by surrounding cities, based on the Chinese model, has failed.
Support for Maoists in tribal regions has decreased. Prioritizing armed struggle over development contributed to this.
The violence and displacement caused by movements like Salwa Judum initially helped the Maoists, but later the Supreme Court's intervention and the professionalism of the security forces weakened the threat.
The surrender of top Maoist leaders (e.g., Mallojula Venugopal Rao) is a clear sign of the movement's collapse.
In 2025, Maoist fatalities, arrests, and surrenders are at a record high.
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