India's Maoist insurgencies

This paper attempts to trace the antecedents of the Maoist insurgency, the different phases of insurgency and the policy postures adopted by different governments to contain it. Adivasi insurgency, an offshoot of the colonial period, continued in independent India. Post-independence, government assurances to redress the forest and land rights remained mostly unimplemented. As an alternative, adivasis joined the Communist Party of India (Marxist Leninist, CPIML). However, after neutralisation of the CPIML and failure to regain forest and land rights, adivasis joined the Communist Party of India (Maoist). The government, witnessing the expanding threat from the Maoists, adopted a dual strategy. One, it amended the Forest Act to woo the adivasis, and two, it placed the Maoists on the terrorist list. However, after not getting the expected results, the current BJP government adopted an integrated and holistic approach by further amending the Forest Act, offering attractive surrender cum rehabilitation incentives and launching offensives against the Maoist leadership. However, though the insurgence has been contained, operational fault lines still remain.