DNA Edit: Stymieing Red terror

It’s a major victory for the Maharashtra police for being able to significantly reduce the threat of Naxalism in Gadchiroli district. The two fierce gun battles that led to the death of 37 Maoists underscored a do-or-die struggle for the two sides – one upholding the law, the other making a mockery of governance and the country’s democratic institutions. It should also be a case study on how accurate intelligence on the ground can be a decisive factor in the war against Red terror.

Since the police had prior information that at least two dalams – each dalam comprises 20-22 members – were gathering at Kasnasur village, they could wait in ambush. When the adversary doesn’t play by the rules, and the terrain is treacherous, state forces have little option but to rely on a network of informants to chalk out their strategies. In the last few encounters across the country, the Naxals could gain an upper hand only because they had news about the movement of troops.

Gadchiroli is part of the corridor, running north-south of the country that offers safe passage to Maoists due to dense forest cover. It’s also one of the most backward regions in Maharashtra where malnutrition is rife: More than one-fifth of children in the district are short as well as underweight for their age. Though a mineral-rich state, development had to take a back seat because of the Naxalite threat. This feature of poverty sitting atop a huge reserve of natural wealth, made Gadchiroli, along with other regions of the country, a fertile ground for insurgency.

Moreover, the state’s failure to address the issues of poverty, healthcare, and employment over the years have been instrumental in fostering a negative sentiment among the locals, which the Maoists tapped into to market themselves as the messiah of the poor and the destitute. Police excesses also fed into the anger against the state machinery. The most effective counter to the Maoist threat is not bullets but development. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee could nullify the dangers of Naxalism in Jangalmahal with a series of measures, including infrastructure, welfare schemes and art and culture festivals.

The Maharashtra government, too, has stepped up its efforts to rescue the people of Gadchiroli from the everlasting nightmare of deprivation. An irrigation project, Prime Minister’s housing schemes, rehabilitation of project-affected victims, digging agricultural wells, creating employment opportunities and rural electrification are supposed to bring about a radical change in the remote, arid region. Without genuine humanitarian interventions, the state government’s assertion that it will end Naxalism in four years sounds hollow. This round may belong to the government, but the sword of Damocles hangs heavy on both civilians and state forces. Battle-hardened Maoists, with access to sophisticated weapons, aren’t willing to throw in the towel, despite the recent reverses. The extreme doctrine of Maoist violence has survived the last 60 years, building its foundations on the corpses of its victims.