A Critique on the Issues and State Policy on the Naxal Menace in Contemporary India

Abstract

The Naxal movement in India has a history of nearly four decades. States having lopsided economic development and still poor in human development indicators are the worst affected one. The paper has attempted to focus on the issues such as: what are the central issues, this movement rooted in socio-economic structure but having a violent character; what should be the proper approach to tackle this problem from the perspective of governance; why this internal security problem need to be addressed on priority; what are the recent trends in Naxal movement in India; can the red terror be addressed merely as a law and order problem or a wider perspective is needed to look into the movement; and lastly what remedies to formulate as a policy guideline for the state, administrators and other agencies? The paper has also viewed the problem from a human rights perspective, where not merely the police, paramilitary personnel or Salwa Judum activists but also the Naxal groups have violated the basic tenets of right to live, natural rights and human right.