The ORF Chennai Chapter of Observer Research Foundation (ORF) brought together eminent, senior retired civil servants and police officials, well-known academicians and journalists and policy makers for two days, on January 28 & 29, 2005, at a Workshop on the Naxalite Movement. Mr D Raja, National Secretary, Communist Party of India, inaugurated the Workshop, which was conducted under the guidance of Mr B Raman, Distinguished Fellow and Convenor, ORF, ORF Chennai Chapter.
The ORF Chennai Chapter of Observer Research Foundation (ORF) brought together eminent, senior retired civil servants and police officials, well-known academicians and journalists and policy makers for two days, on January 28 & 29, 2005, at a Workshop on the Naxalite Movement. Mr D Raja, National Secretary, Communist Party of India, inaugurated the Workshop, which was conducted under the guidance of Mr B Raman, Distinguished Fellow and Convenor, ORF, ORF Chennai Chapter.
The themes of the sessions were viz. 'Economic and Social Causes of the Naxalite Movement', 'Political Dimensions of the Naxalite Movement', 'Law and Order Approach' and External Linkages'. The Workshop concluded with a Panel Discussion on the theme "What are the parameters of a viable strategy to deal with Naxalite violence?" The Panelists included Prof. S.D.Muni, of the South Asia Division, JNU, New Delhi, Prof. V.Suryanarayan, presently Head, Department of Maritime Studies, University of Calicut, Mr T.S.R. Subramanian former Cabinet Secretary, Dr. A. Vaidyanathan, former Member, Planning Commission, and Mr Sarad Chandra Behar, former Chief Secretary, composite Madhya Pradesh State.
Inaugurating the Workshop, Mr Raja said the Naxalite problem should not be treated as a law and order issue, and suggested that a long-term political solution should be thought of to resolve it. He noted that the Naxalite movement was a "disorder" and suggested that it has to be "confronted theoretically." Factors such as lack of access to cultivable lands, pressure from moneylenders and caste discrimination provided the basis for the Naxalite movement and these should be taken note of when attempting a long-term solution, Mr Raja said. He called upon the bureaucrats and police to be more people-friendly, and advised the Naxalites of the Communist Party of India (Maoist), or CPI-Maoist, to "realise that violence would not pay". He said he was in favour of conducting negotiations with the Naxalites, but efforts should be made simultaneously to solve the socio-economic problems that gave rise to the Naxalite movement.
Initiating the Panel Discussion, Prof SD Muni, who is also Honorary Director of Research, Observer Research Foundation, remarked that 'widespread deprivation, fleecing by money lenders, high-handed methods of the police and the existence of a large number of oppressed people' constitute the "flesh and blood of the Naxalites". He also said that "there were ideologically degenerated elements within the Naxalite movement" who have turned as "parasites" and were "flourishing" as a result of the continuance of the Naxalite movement. He also noted that the Naxalite leadership has "developed its own stakes" and a "syndrome for power" is palpable among them.
Prof Muni called for a "differential approach" while addressing the Naxalite problem because the Naxalite movement differs from one State to the other in the country. It is important to address the "root causes" of the problem, he noted. He declared that "the law and order approach can not be the mainstay" of the approach of the Government towards the Naxalites. He emphasized that it is essential to endure that there is development, good governance and implementation of justice and fair play, as part of the strategy to address the Naxalite problem, and suggested that it was also important to engage the Naxalites in a dialogue. Prof Muni suggested a simultaneous pursuit of all these aspects, as part of the strategy to address the Naxalite problem.
"Caste discrimination, a sense of alienation, the anguish of deprivation are some of the causes that give sustenance to the Naxalite movement", noted Prof V Suryanarayan. He called upon the civil society to play an active role in addressing the Naxalite problem.
Mr TSR Subramaian, among other things, suggested a 'national action plan' to eliminate poverty and called for putting in place a 'new dispute settlement mechanism to settle local disputes in rural areas, as part of the approach to finding a solution to the Naxalite problem. He averred that the Naxalite problem is a "manifestation of the socio-economic fault lines in the society." He also said that "lack of governance and the cavalier attitude" of the civil society were responsible for the sustenance of the Naxalism in the country. He declared that the critical issue is the elimination of poverty and noted that, according to official figures 40 crore people in the country were below poverty line (BPL). He said the belief that prosperity has been trickling down and, therefore, the problem of poverty would be solved was misplaced.
Mr Subramaian said it was wrong to treat the Naxalite problem as a law and order issue and drew the attention of the distinguished panel to the way the problem was once perceived. He sad that, for some time, the terminology used was "Naxal infested' areas and this was subsequently altered to "Naxal affected".
Making a pointed suggestion on the approach to find a solution to the Naxalite problem, Mr Subramaian called for drafting a Specific Action Plan. Elaborating the suggestion, he said the focus should be on the civil administration, rather than on police administration; the focus should be on development with an over-all re-orientation of the development, but there should also be a "strong law and order appendage". He suggested that, "in all Naxalite-affected areas the Government should constitute a Special Task Force, put in place a high grade intelligence apparatus and a civilian coordination center". The action plan should be regularly and strictly monitored and appropriate course corrections should be made, he added. While responding to a question, he said it is essential to have a comprehensive approach while addressing the Naxalite issue and concluded by saying that the "core" of the problem is a "sense of deprivation, poverty and bad governanbce".
While agreeing that, "decidedly", the Naxalite problem can not be viewed as a law and order problem, Dr A Vaidyanathan, suggested that we should devise ways 'to open up political spaces for local accommodation at the village level. Corruption, 'leakages' from Government funds' rising expectations and aspirations of the people, the failure of the state to deliver on promises, fall in relative income of the rural people were some of the causes of the Naxalite problem that Dr Vaidyanatahn had identified.
Mr Sarad Chandra Behar suggected various measures as part of a comprehensive strategy to address the Naxalite issue. He said that "India has a democratic structure but is not a democracy". This could be rectified by making a beginning with instilling 'internal democracy in the political parties'. He ruled out a law and order approach to the problem and said this would not work because of the magnitude of Naxalism and its territorial expanse. The various measures he suggested included: strict adherence to the Constitution and the Rule of Law, re-conceptualization of governance; unified civil administration rather than its compartmentalization into various and water-tight departments such as agriculture, welfare, etc; changes in the recruitment policy of civil servants so that those selected would be those who would work as agents of change, independent bureaucracy that could distinguish between the professed and real agenda of the political bosses; a clear and perfect understanding of the spirit and provisions of the Fifth Schedule of the Constriction as well as its strict implementation in the tribal areas, strengthening the Panchayat system, make bureaucrats accountable to the people and not to their superiors, employ specially trained revenue, forest and excise officials in all the 159 Naxalite affected districts; strict implementation of Panchayat Extension Scheduled Areas Act (PESA), put n place a strong social audit system, close coordination, rather than rivalry, between the IAS and IPS officers, and the constitution of a Social Intelligence Bureau (SIB).
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