In his Independence Day speech from the Red Fort, Prime Minister Narendra Modi referred to certain individuals and forces in the country as possessing a “Naxalite mindset” (being “intellectual Naxalites”). This remark has deeply irked many. Posts by leaders like Arvind Kejriwal and P. Chidambaram saying, “We are Naxalites and we are proud of it,” are being published on social media.This clearly indicates that the Prime Minister’s comment struck a raw nerve with these individuals. The younger generation is unaware of how Naxalism emerged in India and how the violence perpetrated by them claimed the lives of thousands of innocent people.Therefore, it is essential to inform today’s “Gen Z” about the immense damage the country has suffered due to Naxalism. Furthermore, the current “Gen Z” has no idea about the havoc wreaked across the country by terrorists from Pakistan between 2004 and 2014. The current ‘Gen Z’ has grown up in a highly secure environment, in an era of advanced technology.Unaware of the state of affairs during the tenure of Sonia and by extension Rahul Gandhi, when the country was plagued by Naxalism and Pakistani terrorism, the ‘Gen Z’ ought to understand the brief history of Naxalism. The movement emerged as a reaction against the atrocities of the state machinery and the oppression by landlords and moneylenders.Naxalites incited armed uprisings against the government apparatus and the establishment. Consequently, in states such as West Bengal, Odisha, Jharkhand, Telangana, Chhattisgarh, and Maharashtra, armed Naxalites claimed the lives of innocent civilians and police personnel. Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar provided a constitutional framework for seeking redress against atrocities committed by the police, government officials, or landlords.However, Naxalites do not believe in this legal recourse. Naxalism and terrorism reached their peak between 2004 and 2014. During the tenure of the Manmohan Singh government, thousands of people lost their lives in violence perpetrated by Naxalites. On May 25, 2013, 27 people including senior Congress leader Vidya Charan Shukla were killed in a Maoist-orchestrated bomb blast and shooting incident in Chhattisgarh.Prior to that, in 2010, 76 Central security force personnel had been killed in a Naxalite bomb blast in the same state. Many such incidents occurred during that period. However, the Manmohan Singh government of the time failed to take stern action against the Naxalites. After the Modi government came to power in 2014, rigorous action against Naxalites was initiated. Consequently, Naxalite forces fled the forests and began targeting urban areas. Their objective in these urban regions was to incite riots by spreading rumors and fostering misunderstandings among various castes and communities.The violence at Bhima Koregaon in 2018, along with the stone-pelting and arson directed at the police in Navi Mumbai, serve as major examples of the activities of ‘Urban Naxals.’ During the Shaheen Bagh protests in New Delhi, roads were blocked for several days. Then there were riots in Delhi, in which the main accused was Aam Aadmi Party corporator Tahir Hussain. Regarding the student protests, a march towards Parliament was undertaken despite the police denying permission.During this event, numerous police personnel were assaulted, and many police vehicles were damaged. The Naxalite elements that had infiltrated the student protests in Delhi aimed to provoke the police into opening fire on the demonstrators. It is worth noting that not a single organization involved in the Delhi protests participated in the agitation in Jharkhand. The current objective of Naxalite forces is to incite violence through protests against the Modi government.That is precisely why figures like Kejriwal and Chidambaram took offense at Prime Minister Modi’s remarks. Chidambaram, who today declares, “Yes, I am a Naxalite,” had previously, during his tenure as Union Home Minister, identified urban Naxalism as the greatest threat facing the country. Sushilkumar Shinde, who succeeded Chidambaram as Union Home Minister, also acknowledged the significant danger posed by urban Naxalism. In November 2013, the government led by Dr. Manmohan Singh filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court, explicitly stating that urban Naxalism was a threat to the nation.The Manmohan Singh government’s affidavit noted that urban Naxalites operate through various organizations and maintain links with the Communist Party of India (Maoist). The affidavit pointed out that organizations operating under the guise of human rights were, in reality, linked to urban Naxals. Statements made by P. Chidambaram regarding this matter are still available on YouTube today. Chidambaram, who once described Naxals as a threat to the nation while in power at the Centre, has now begun to say that he is proud to be a Naxal. This has exposed the Congress party’s opportunistic politics.The menace of Naxalism had escalated massively during the Congress regime. Veteran journalist and former Indian Express editor Shekhar Gupta wrote an article in The Print on September 3, 2018, criticizing the Congress for the proliferation of Naxalism in the country due to its weak policies. This article is also available online. Naxalites have killed thousands of central security force personnel and police officers. They misled thousands of youths, turning them into violent Naxalites.Over the past 12 years, the Modi government has effectively curbed the Naxalite menace through stringent measures. Naxalites who were hiding in the forests have either been killed or have surrendered to the government. However, many individuals who style themselves as intellectuals and thinkers are actively grooming Naxalites in major cities through various means. To this end, various caste groups are being misled, and animosity is being fomented among different communities.An organization named ‘Kabir Kala Manch’ has been active in Maharashtra for quite some time. In 2013, some activists from Kabir Kala Manch surrendered before the then State Home Minister, R.R. Patil. At that time, Patil had adopted a tough stance against Naxalite organizations. Activists from this very group were subsequently arrested in connection with the 2018 Bhima-Koregaon riots. R.R. Patil had previously stated that the true masterminds behind the Naxalites who hide in the forests are actually located in the cities. All the logistics, funds, and weapons required by the Naxalites are supplied from urban areas.Patil had even informed the Legislative Assembly that a Naxalite training camp had been held in a city like Pune. R.R. Aaba had presented evidence regarding this in the Legislative Assembly. While speaking in the House, he had also expressed regret that existing laws were inadequate for apprehending the masterminds behind the Naxalites. Kejriwal and Congress leaders ought to recall the massacres perpetrated by Naxalites to date. These leaders fail to realize that, merely to oppose Narendra Modi, they are effectively shielding the perpetrators of such carnage.
Disclaimer: Views expressed above are the author’s own.