Separatist Insurgencies in India - News and Discussions.

[idune]

Maoist dominated red corridor in india

http://img25.imageshack.us/i/theredcorridor.jpg/

 

[ejaz007]

Maoist massacre at police ‘picnic’ shakes India
By Matthias Williams

Public anger has flared against both the federal government and the administration in West Bengal state for failing to equip police to tackle Maoist rebels

A daylight Maoist rebel attack on a police camp that killed at least 24 people has raised a storm of criticism that India is unable to guard against rising militant violence in some key industrial and mining areas.

Home Minister Palaniappan Chidambaram, who came to the post after his predecessor quit over failing to prevent the Mumbai massacre in 2008, said there were signs of failure in how police were caught off-guard in a camp described as a “picnic spot”. The Maoists struck just two days after a bomb blast hit a tourist hangout in the western city of Pune, the first major militant strike since Mumbai. Public anger has flared against both the federal government and the administration in West Bengal state, where the camp is located, for failing to equip police to tackle Maoist rebels.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has called the rebels the biggest threat to India’s internal security. The revolt started off as a peasant-based uprising in the 1960s, but has now spread to large swathes of countryside in more than 20 out of 28 states, especially around mineral-rich eastern and central India. Monday’s strike was 60 kilometres west from where India’s third largest alloy maker, JSW Steel Ltd, wants to build a massive steel plant.

“The attack ... was a blatant warning that Maoist violence has no intention of stalling and going into a huddle while the central and state governments firm up strategic and logistic details of countering the menace,” said the Hindustan Times. Three newspapers used the phrase “sitting ducks” to describe the encampment, which reportedly lacked proper sentries, and was host to a public market and toilet. Home Ministry Secretary GK Pillai said the site was tantamount to a “picnic spot”. Security issues are the latest problem to hit West Bengal’s ruling communists, who have governed the eastern state for more than three decades. Protests by families of the slain policemen erupted on Tuesday, and effigies of the chief minister were burned. The communists face the prospect of losing the next state election in 2011 to the state’s main opposition party, which is allied to India’s Congress party-led federal government. It’s also a setback to the left’s ambitions to industrialise the state amid Maoist attacks and farm protests. “The left government’s lack of security preparedness is sending shivers through industry circles and the people at large,” said an editorial in the Financial Express.

India’s 22,000 Maoists are also a headache for the Congress party, which won a second term last year. Maoists feed off the resentment of millions of rural poor and landless who have not shared the benefits of the boom in India’s economy, which, after the global slowdown, looks set to climb back to more than 8 percent growth in the next fiscal year.

A coordinated government offensive against the Maoists could further alienate those caught in the crossfire.“The government ... must distinguish between Maoists and the rural poor in whose name and for whose support they carry out attacks against the state,” said an Economic Times editorial. “Failure to do that would breed further violence that spins into a civil war with the rural poor on one side and the mighty Indian state on the other.” reuters

Daily Times - Leading News Resource of Pakistan

 

[idune]

Maoist rebels kill 12 in attack in eastern India
Thu, 18 Feb 2010 15:48:56 GMT

Maoist rebels, including young boys and girls, practice drills.
Maoist rebels have killed at least twelve people and burned down dozens of houses in eastern India.

According to Indian officials, suspected Maoist rebels raided a village in eastern India on Thursday morning.

More than 100 militants surrounded a village in Bihar state and then opened fire and set off explosives, the Indian officials added.

The militants also abducted six people, they said.

Locals say the Maoists are responsible for the attack.

They believe the rebels suspected the villagers of helping authorities arrest almost a dozen of their comrades earlier this month.

The attack came just days after Maoists killed 24 policemen in an attack on a camp in West Bengal.

Maoist insurgents have been active in almost a dozen states across northeastern India for over four decades.

Maoist rebels kill 12 in attack in eastern India

 

[Adwitiya]

15,000 more securitymen for anti-Naxal operations


NEW DELHI: As Maoists continued to strike at will, the Centre is planning to deploy around 15,000 additional paramilitary personnel by April in the Naxal-affected states to deal with the extremists.

These men will be in addition to the 60,000 Central security personnel currently deployed to assist the state governments to counter the Naxals.

The men, who are now being acquired from forces like CRPF, BSF and ITBP, will first get a six-week training on jungle warfare before being deployed on the ground, a Home Ministry official said.

Security forces are now engaged in an offensive against the Maoists in the three inter-state junctions which are considered to be the hotbed of the extremists. They are Chhattisgarh-Maharashtra-Orissa, Chhattisgarh-Orissa and West Bengal-Jharkhand.

Government is also planning to launch operation in the West Bengal-Orissa border. In all the operations, the state police forces are taking the lead role while the Central paramilitary forces are assisting them.

"All the anti-Naxal operations are going on in close coordination with concerned state governments with the active assistance from the Central government. The long haul operations will be going on till the areas are cleared off Maoists and rule of the law is restored there," the official said.

On Monday, in a day-light attack, the Maoists killed 24 personnel of Eastern Frontier Rifles in West Bengal's Midnapore district.

In another strike, 12 tribals were killed by the Maoists in Bihar's Jamui district last night.

In 2009, the number of deaths among civilians in Naxal-affected states were 591, while 317 security personnel and 217 militants were also killed during last year, indicating a rising trend.

Home Minister P Chidambaram had described the Maoist problem as a cause of "grave concern" and feared that the trend of rising violence will continue in 2010.

According to a government estimate, there are 33 districts in the country which are seriously affected by Maoists menace while another 50 districts have Maoist presence. Around 40,000 sq km of area is now controlled by the extremists



15,000 more securitymen for anti-Naxal operations - India - The Times of India

 

[Gazzi]

India becoming a terrorist hub.....

Looks like China's prediction of breaking India like the Soviet Union seems to be gathering pace

I wonder who is arming these people

 

[Adwitiya]

India becoming a terrorist hub.....

still this is not a separatist movement and the secondly the attacks are far far much less then what are being experienced by our neighbors. if india is a hub i dont what would be the word for our neighbours.

Looks like China's prediction of breaking India like the Soviet Union seems to be gathering pace

I wonder who is arming these people

But the question is who wants to break from India?

 

[Gazzi]

still this is not a separatist movement and the secondly the attacks are far far much less then what are being experienced by our neighbors. if india is a hub i dont what would be the word for our neighbours.

You mean your media has been ignoring this issue for decades but now it is becoming hard to ignore........

But the question is who wants to break from India?

India is reaping what it sowed...........just as they are had done and are doing in other countries, quite obviously, they will do the same in India....its all a big game

 

[Adwitiya]

You mean your media has been ignoring this issue for decades but now it is becoming hard to ignore........

As far as ignorance of the issue is concerned well failed the index says a hell different stories. the issue cannot be ignored by media because of too much of competition........ how many news chanels will ignore it. you stop one other start taking the leverage....

Lol apar from the recent event the attacks were never directed to civilians and their leader Kishenji has himself appologized if the civilians were killed in the past

India is reaping what it sowed...........just as they are had done and are doing in other countries, quite obviously, they will do the same in India....its all a big game

i think it is other way around..... there is still no one who wants to get separated from India but want a communist rule. But yes there are quite a couple of movements at our neighbours place who want to separate as well as who dont give a damn in killing innocent civilians....

 

[karan.1970]

As far as ignorance of the issue is concerned well failed the index says a hell different stories. the issue cannot be ignored by media because of too much of competition........ how many news chanels will ignore it. you stop one other start taking the leverage....

Lol apar from the recent event the attacks were never directed to civilians and their leader Kishenji has himself appologized if the civilians were killed in the past




i think it is other way around..... there is still no one who wants to get separated from India but want a communist rule. But yes there are quite a couple of movements at our neighbours place who want to separate as well as who dont give a damn in killing innocent civilians....

Dude.. Ignore such posts.. they are meant as flame baits with no intellect or intent for discussion..

 

[Dark Angel]

Terrorism in Bangladesh


Bangladesh is one of the poorest countries on earth, on the brink of being a failed state, and that makes it a perfect target for Al-Qaeda and its ever-expanding network of Islamic extremist organisations. Virtually unnoticed by the world at large, Bangladesh is being dragged into the global war on terrorists by becoming a sanctuary for them.


US officials say they are "looking closely" at Bangladesh as Islamic organisations proliferate amid political violence that has flared since bitterly contested parliamentary elections in October 2001. These were won by a four-party coalition headed by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). It includes three religious extremist parties, which are staunch supporters of Islamic fundamentalism.

Neighbouring India, which has had turbulent relations with Bangladesh since it gained independence from Pakistan in 1971, alleges that there are 195 camps in Bangladesh where guerrillas seeking autonomy or independent statehood in north-eastern India are being trained.

Prime Minister Khaleda Zia's government in Bangladesh has repeatedly denied it supports anti-Indian militants or allows Islamic organisations, some of them linked to Al-Qaeda, to flourish. Given the BNP's reliance on its Islamic partners, that position is to be expected. The US and its Western allies are gradually waking up to the potentially explosive situation developing in Bangladesh, which former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, leader of the Awami League, the main opposition party, calls the "Talibanisation" of Bangladeshi society.


Bottomline is ppl like u should focus on ur own self rather than being more interested in someone elses house like a jeleous S.O.B


http://www.janes.com/security/international_security/news/fr/fr050127_1_n.shtml

 

[AZADPAKISTAN2009]

wOW i NEVER know this

 

[Parashuram1]

Ahh, another of those "Comrade revolutions". My condolences to the families of the deceased. Communism in any part of the world has always come through violence, lies and propaganda. The only reason why Leftists in my country are controlled is because of the presence of strong democratic countries around.

Brazil and Columbia also face Communist violence really bad despite a very promising potential. It is democracy's greatest strength of freedom which is also unfortunately one of its biggest weaknesses when fighting social evils like Communist violence worldwide.

The reason I believe Communists use "revolutions" or terrorist activities is because their stupid ideas would never be applied in democracies and they are assured of not coming into power ever.

The democratic world shall definitely stand in support of Indian government.

 

[sajan]

Dont mix naxalism with separatism. In the early 70's kerala was a Naxalism-infested state. And the present situation in kerala is that a former Naxal leader, Achuthanandan , is the Chief Minister of the state. And that's the power of Democracy.
Since there was no 'PDF' during that time no one said that kerala is going to separate from Indian union.

 

[ejaz007]

Maoists kill 11 Indian villagers in raid


PATNA: At least 11 villagers were killed and a dozen abducted by Maoist insurgents in eastern India’s Bihar state on Thursday in a latest attack highlighting poor security in insurgency-hit states.

Thursday’s raid comes three days after the rebels killed 24 police in the neighbouring state of West Bengal. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has called the rebels the biggest threat to India’s internal security. Police said the raid by the Maoists in south Bihar’s Jamui district, about 175 km south of state capital Patna, took the locals and police by surprise.

“So far we have recovered 11 bodies,” Uday Shankar Dutta, a senior police officer, told Reuters on Thursday. At least 20 villagers were wounded. The rebels also set fire to 35 houses and some villagers could have burned alive, Dutta said. “We are looking for more bodies.” “The Maoists probably wanted to avenge the deaths of eight cadres who were lynched by the villagers recently,” another local police officer said. The Maoist revolt started in May 1967 as a peasant-based uprising in West Bengal’s Naxalbari town, but has now spread to large swathes of countryside in more than 20 out of 28 states, especially around mineral-rich eastern and central India. reuters

Daily Times - Leading News Resource of Pakistan

 

[Windjammer]

The Struggle Within: India's Red Corridor

By Alexandra Mahler Haug, 29th January 2010
Executive Summary

- There is an ongoing struggle in the middle of India’s tribal belt; a conflict which, many say, is intensified by the Indian government’s efforts to secure the area’s natural resources and raw materials.

- The Naxalites, a violent movement in control of roughly 92,000 square kilometers known as the Red Corridor, a section of territory that stretches across India, are illustrative of the challenges India faces from within its own borders, as it continues to grow and develop economically.

- While other movements seem to attack the Indian state at its strong points (its secularism, its inclusiveness, or its democracy), the Naxalites attack India’s weakest point: the government’s failure in delivering basic government services to those who need them the most.
- So far, the government’s actions (combined with the Naxalites’ reactions) have had the effect of sharpening inequity, which many see as the biggest danger facing India in the next few years, as it strives to cultivate its democratic identity on the world scene.


There is an ongoing struggle in the middle of India’s tribal belt; a conflict which, many say, is intensified by the Indian government’s efforts to secure the area’s natural resources and raw materials. In recent years, India's biggest companies have moved stealthily into the forest areas, buying up land and acquiring the rights to extract the natural wealth, efforts deemed necessary by the government to enhance economic growth and create new jobs. However, others take issue with this purely economic view of the forests and lands, seeing these extraction efforts as attempts to ensure economic gain for few while further marginalizing many peoples. Unfortunately for the government, the majority of the dissenters are the Naxalites, a violent movement in control of roughly 92,000 square kilometers known as the Red Corridor, a section of territory that stretches across India from Andhra Pradesh to the Nepalese border. Heirs to the revolutionary ideology of Mao, the growing influence and strength of the Naxalite movement prompted the Indian Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, to describe the rebels in 2006 as the single biggest internal security challenge faced by India.

It seems that the Naxalite problem, however, is more than a security concern. The violence—as well as the casualty count—attributed to the Naxalites has been increasing steadily since 2004. But in trying to quell the movement, the Indian government may be shooting itself in the foot, for its militaristic efforts to trounce the Naxalites so far seem to be feeding the problem. By narrowly focusing on strong military efforts and extractive economic development, the Indian government is alienating the people they need most desperately to reach: some of India's most impoverished people within the Red Corridor, most of which are semi-literate tribes who exist in near-destitution and who are the Naxalites’ most avid supporters. In these villages, the Indian state is almost invisible and the vacuum is eagerly filled by the Naxalites. It is certain that continued extreme poverty and malnutrition help motivate these people to support a movement that is trying to bring attention to the region’s plight and marginalization.

While other movements seem to attack the Indian state at its strong points (its secularism, its inclusiveness, or its democracy), the Naxalites attack India’s weakest point: the government’s failure in delivering basic government services to those who need them the most. So far, the government’s actions (combined with the Naxalites’ reactions) have had the effect of sharpening inequity, which many see as the biggest danger facing India in the next few years. The problem of inequity is the Naxalites' most effective recruiting device, and the government seems to be playing right into their hands. Additionally, as Indian troops have used school buildings as part of their operations (thereby inviting attack by the Naxalites), the conflict has had the unfortunate effect of disrupting the education of some of India’s most marginalized children, who will determine the area’s stability or unrest in the future.

As the Indian government intensifies its campaign against the Naxalites, human-rights groups argue that the problem cannot be solved by brute force. It is evident that the Naxalite movement is a complex social issue, with roots in the tremendous deprivation of millions of rural Indians. But further hasty and ill-strategized military efforts are certain to only exacerbate the violence. Negating the power of politics of development could help turn Naxalism into more of a mass movement in India, thereby increasing the unrest in an area that so desperately needs basic governmental support and stability.

India is often extolled on the international stage as the world’s largest democracy, a place where plurality, inclusivity, and diversity are evident in many ways. But the Naxalites remind us that threats to democracy are never far away and moreover, that these threats can be easily ignited with a simple catalyst if safeguards are not in place. The struggle between the Naxalite movement and the Indian government is illustrative of the tension that is inherent in trying to balance between national economic development efforts and sustaining (and hopefully enhancing) local populations’ health and happiness. It is important, and indeed, necessary, to note that this tension is not easily dissolved by mere violence or force. The tension between the Naxalite movement and the Indian government highlights the importance of integrating national development strategies with local practices; it highlights the importance of encouraging grounds-up involvement in development efforts and local inclusion in development practices; and it highlights the power that can result from alienation, showing how easily a marginalized group of people can be persuaded by their dissatisfaction to resort to violent actions with devastating outcomes.

The Naxalite movement is a domestic security concern for India, but it is also a matter of greater significance. India should not further antagonize the Naxalites by merely cracking down in an effort to continue their extractive economic development policies. Violence alone will not suffice, especially in a democracy. India needs to recognize that unmitigated economic development at the cost of all else is not a viable–or smart–option. To ensure a better, future nation, India should invest in the individual futures of its citizens by guaranteeing basic freedoms and services, such as education and infrastructure, to all – including those that challenge its basic practices and premises. By guaranteeing that the minority voice will always be heard and considered (so long as the minority does so in a non-violent fashion), India can show the Naxalites – and the world – that it is truly a nation of the people; that economic and business interests will not run rampant over all other concerns; and that it has the capacity – and the integrity – to be a strong, democratic participant on the world scene.

The Struggle Within: India's Red Corridor - The Henry Jackson Society