June 29, 2013

Naxals exist because government failed to guarantee the rule of law to the poor people.

Naxalism was a response by the farmers against exploitation in Eastern India. As time passed, Naxalites base expanded and they went against constitution in their demands by opting violence as their primary instrument and are responsible for deaths of around 6000 people. Neither did Naxalites consider the legal options available  nor did they take the path of parliament to make them heard. It would be wrong to say that Naxalites enjoy support from local tribal people. If they really do, it would have been fairly possible for them to reach parliament and make them heard. It is highly possible that architects of Naxal violence have hidden agenda to weaken the India politically.

Naxalites have been termed as a threat to national security. The truthfulness of this statement is debatable but armed struggle is a threat to the security of citizens who get caught in the cross fire between government and naxalites. The real issue does not lie with tribals or industrial houses but with our political class who allow the problem to go out of control and does not act at the right time. Political class do not want to talk about the root cause of the issue but is looking for solution. Until the rule of law is guaranteed for poorest of the poor, such problems will manifest again and again. the tribal people and Naxalites need to be treated separately. The government need to understand that Naxalites uses tribal people as a defense for their anti constitutional demands.

But our government is no less in opting for non-constitutional methodologies to end this problem.  State sponsored Salva Judam has been a blow to the constitution because when state is sponsoring a armed group against another, government actions denotes that constitutional values are not standing the test of  current times. This raises a very serious question on the government. Resentment of people can be addressed only through good governance with in the ambit of constitution and not through state sponsored militia. The core concerns of the naxal affected areas are not the lack of  development but fear of exploitation and displacement when industrial houses would enter these lands to extract the natural resources. The government can definitely enter the area with army but worst would come later when industrial exploitation would sabotage the life of tribals in their homelands. Additionally, the state sponsored militia against another exposes the diluted faith of government in the constitution. Government's accountability to the constitution stands compromised.

   Sooner or later government will allow extraction of natural resources in tribal lands and tribals would have to evacuate their rich homelands. Before this adventure becomes a exploitation, a highly possible situation, the government needs  to strengthen tribals socially, financially, and most importantly politically. The land procurement and rehabilitation process need to be refined and made transparent as per the wishes of our tribal citizens being displaced. Government should and has to stand for people's rights. Government should investigate the genuineness of Naxalite Leadership's claim about tribals support. If Naxal leadership enjoy the support from tribal people, Government need to come up with  a political solution for Tribal belt along with eliminating the naxalism.




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