Case study No 3From a village in Bastar district Suresh joined the ranks of the Naxalites when he wa...........

From a village in Bastar district, Suresh joined the ranks of the Naxalites when he was 12 after his village was burnt down by Salwa Judum, a state-sponsored anti-Naxal vigilante militia. His family – comprising his peasant father, mother and brother – escaped unscathed, but he was too angry to keep down. He joined Bal Sangham, the children’s wing of the Naxalites. Like other rebels, he was offered no salary, only the promise of liberation. He spent three months at a Maoist camp. By the fourth month, he was ready to embrace the gun and die for the movement.

India’s torrid economic growth in recent years has made it an emerging global superpower, but also created a yawning gap between the rich and the poor. The Naxalites, observers say, are a sign of India’s growing social inequalities. Much of the rebel-held territory, though largely impoverished tribal areas, is rich in minerals and natural resources, which the country, hungry for economic growth, is eager to exploit. The rebels, who claim to represent India’s dispossessed, accuse the government of trying to push people from their land.

In this sprawling forested region of southern Chhattisgarh, which accounts for a fifth of all the iron ore deposits in India, rebels accuse the state government of “selling out” to cash-rich steel-producing corporations such as Essar Steel and Tata Steel, who are keen to mine the mineral to feed their upcoming steel plants in the region.

Indian government planned a counter offensive against the Naxalites in the dense jungles of southern Chhattisgarh, one of the deadliest theatres of the Maoist insurgency in India. The journey into the rebel’s heartland involved a 70km hike, winding through thick jungle over the mineral-rich Bailadila Hills and on through a number of rebel-controlled villages. Suresh is caught in the anti naxal operations by the forces.

Will you treat Suresh as a criminal , what other options can you suggest ?

In the light of paragraph above, discuss the problem of Naxalism and strategies which could be employed to end this social conflict.   (250 words)

By: Parveen bansal