Over 200 districts in nine States are in the shadow of Maoists. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh calls them the “gravest threat to internal security”. Home Minister P. Chidambaram wants permission for the deployment of the armed forces to combat them. Dozens of civilians have perished in the grisly crossfire. With several of their colleagues nabbed, the Naxals have resorted to Taliban-style beheading to get their message across. Etcetera.
Is the State only trying to tackle Naxalism as a law and order problem instead of treating it as a more complex socio-economic phenomenon—the result of lack of development, exploitation of tribal land, business-friendly policies, police atrocities? Are the Naxal methods right? Do they have the licence to inhumanly target civilians, all for their “cause”? Should the Army be deployed against Indians, even if they are Maoists?
Regardless, by going all out against Maoists, the Indian State has staked all. Questions: Will it win the war? And will there be peace in the countryside thereafter? Or is the State only fighting a war for big business?
Arundhati Roy: ‘Govt at war with Naxals to aid MNCs’
churumuri 
Just returned from an extended trip to rural UP. Bangalore seems to be in a different planet altogether.
My learnings from the trip are clear. The state has already lost the battle against the Naxal movement. Neglect and deprivation are deep rooted and the rot appears to be beyond repair. 75,000 troops is the wrong thing to do and any intervention that uses state sanctioned violence will be too late.
The urban media has no clue about what is going on in the “other” India. Their reportage is criminally negligent and blatantly one-sided. The urban media is starting sound like they are blood relatives of the BUSH family. Since you have no clue as to what the hell is happening in these districts lets just massacre them.
In such an environment where Naxals and state machinery are preeching violence it is unlikely that humanity will prevail. The million of people in these districts will be caught in the middle and, most likely, many will be butchered.
AB
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@Anand Bala
which part of UP u went. As far as I know, none of their districts are naxals affected.
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“Is the State only trying to tackle Naxalism as a law and order problem instead of treating it as a more complex socio-economic phenomenon”
That’s the question which would even stop migration of UP/Bihari to rest of India.
I read the Arundhati Roy’s views which was totally pragmatic about Salwa Judum being Congress agenda.
Mr Raajdeepa Sardesai sitting with chicks in Mumbai asks this type of question to Arundhati Roy:
“CNN-IBN You want the Government to take the entire responsibility? Shouldn’t civil society and activists be taking some of this responsibility? ”
What the hell is home minister for ?? To run behind Sonia lifting his Panchey and saving Thinakaran?
Our local channels have no idea of what’s going on at all.
I really pity the state of journalism in India even in such hours.
Still interesting is Arundhati who is cousin of NDTV’s Prannoy gives rival CNN-IBN interview ?
@Anand
” The million of people in these districts will be caught in the middle and, most likely, many will be butchered.”
According to Arundhati “according to RTI no single person in developmental work killed by Naxals and Naxal term is used very loose”
So please don’t flame up things.
And all these have come up in Dantewada in Jharkhand which borders Orissa, AP and Maharashtra. A very central place.
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# Anand Bala
Can you please share your experiences ? Keen to know and understand the other side of the story -something we dont get to read in the English press. That will hopefully balance our views..
thank you..
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@ BB@B
UP is not as Naxal affected as some of it’s neighboring states. It is the poverty, illiteracy and lack of basic amenities that I saw there that is at the root of my reaction. I was in and around Mirzapur. What little I saw leads me to believe (and this is a personal opinion) that the rot is deep. The fault lies entirely with the government both at the state and the center. Criminal negligence is the only way to describe the role of the government in these areas.
@Raaja
I agree with most of what Arundhati says. Her book “listening to grasshoppers” kept me good company on this trip. The truth remains that people will get caught in the cross fire. Stating that the civilians will be caught between the armed Naxalite movement and state sponsored violence was not meant to be inflammatory. Both sides, in my opinion, are wrong.
@Andy
It was trip to meet an old family friend. Had nothing to do with development, politics or activism.
I met ordinary people. Each meeting was interesting and a little different. The poverty and illiteracy (particulalry amongst women) stood out like a sore thumb. I have been putting together some notes, hopefully they will make it to my blog.
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The government should have the will to eliminate the Naxals, then only can they do it. When they do not have the will to eliminate terrorists, how will they handle the Naxals? When is the next elections? We have some state having elections all the time of the year. So———-!
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I feel sympathy for Naxals. I would probably have become a Naxal if I was poor. We are a country of all hype and no substance.
Politicians, ultra rich and Bureaucrats live like olden day kings. They know the truth, how f**ed up is this country. But they are smart and choose to be here, since they can get away with everything which includes murder, corruption to insider trading. Traffic comes to halt for them, people salute.
Rich and Middle class live like second class citizens. But they atleast find solace in dreams, waiting for great India to raise up as a super power. They have hope, though most of the hope surrounds that 1 crore apartment, wife and kids.
Poor live like rats. They have no hope nor any direction. Somehow they know its never going to be better.
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Well this may sound ridiculous, but what I think the people in areas affected by Maoists should do is, collude with the Maoists and target the people responsible for the problems of the land. This way the Maoists get their share of mayhem, and the people also get a sort of justice.
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The state cannot root out naxalism, for that matter none of the -isms can be rooted out. They can just be temporarily suppressed as they are ideas. If you suppress them today by force, they will surface again tomorrow with a different intensity and in a different colour. Baseline, one cannot suppress and idea by force without trying to look at the problem/logic that is fuelling the idea.
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the best way towards unhindered suicide is to believe the pills u swallow will cure u.
all very smart ppl who want to become naxals-if they were poor etc etc must get what they want to give.
todays wars are different. a country’s enemies hide with the poor. these are cowards that will kill govt servants and blow up infrastructure. they will claim mass support but will never win an election. they cannot and will not give up their gun until their limbs are taken away.
too much violence ah? u asked for it.
now let them deal with the full measure of the state they chose to wage war upon.
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It is survival of fittest folks. Resources are scarce, we keep popping out babies like there is no tomorrow. Added to it we arent very resourceful and efficient by nature.
Choose your side and stick to it. Be prepare when the time comes to fight or take flight. See what’s happening in Pak. A sudden increase in food prices around the work and a few of bad natural disasters at home should make things go from bad to worse quickly.
Maybe we are more than a lifetime away from such a situation in Karnataka – but may not take long for things to get worse in the badlands of the north and spread down to the south.
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People’s Republic of India will form soon and Naxals will will win.
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Have any one has ever seen the system under the soviets. It was heaven.
here we have lost our life. f**k all those who say no to communism.
every one’s life become meaningfull and people live in harmony and brotherhood with employment, health, education….ALAS I could born in a socialist INDIA….
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why does the government talk about naxilism when the whole urban region is destoyed by currupt politicians and goverment officials.why cant the goverment start cleaning from this end so that naxilites would join the main stream .i am sure if the naxilites disappear then immediately the corrupt politician and the goverment officer will enter and soon spoil the tribal society.result is a 100 percent dirty and currupt india.
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