Two of the crucial aspects that can potentially bridge the divide between the state and tribal population are, firstly filling up the prevalent political vacuum in the affected areas and secondly, democratising media to provide the tribal population with means to communicate with the state and society.
Author
Shashank Ranjan, Adjunct faculty, Jindal School of International Affairs (JSIA), O.P. Jindal Global University, Sonipat, Haryana, India.
Summary
s per Global Terrorism Index 2023, the Maoists rank 12 among the 20 deadliest terror groups. Also, as per SATP (South Asia Terrorism Portal) data, indices of Maoists violence have dipped over the years – from 1180 killings in 2010 to 135 in 2022. Notwithstanding the above, the Maoists challenge, especially in Bastar remains formidable. The outfit retains its ability to strike at will, as demonstrated in Aranpur ambush on 26 April.
The cornerstones of government’s approach to deal with Maoist challenge are – security, development, ensuring rights and entitlements of local communities, improvement in governance and public perception management. It is felt that there are missing pieces in the state’s strategy, leading to distancing of the majority tribal population. The current phase of Maoism in Bastar has tribal population as its primary support base and the solution lies beyond the mentioned cornerstones vis-a-vis winning over the tribals.
Two of the crucial aspects that can potentially bridge the divide between the state and tribal population are, firstly filling up the prevalent political vacuum in the affected areas and secondly, democratising media to provide the tribal population with means to communicate with the state and society.
Political Activism
The world over, ‘political engagement’ closely followed by law enforcement has been the most successful strategy in combating terrorist groups. The eventual resolution of the Maoist conflict has to be political. Unfortunately, the mainstream political parties are conspicuous by their absence at the grassroots in these regions. Political parties need to have a strong local structure to accommodate aspirations of tribal youth. As long as political parties continue to be inert in areas and do not fulfil their core responsibilities, there will be space for Maoists to exploit.
Published in: The Print
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