NEW DELHI- Naxalism has been called by the government as the biggestinternal security threat faced by the country. According to the Ministry ofHome Affairs (MHA) data released on Monday, the MHA said 90 districtsspread across 11 states are affected by threat. The list also includes the30 worst-affected district, Indian Express has reported.
In 2015, the NDA government had adopted the ‘National Policy and ActionPlan’, which aimed at addressing Left Wing Extremism (LWE) in the country.In the last couple of years though, Maoists have managed to carry out bigstrikes killing scores of policemen. In Chhattisgarh, over two dozenpolicemen were killed in separate incidents in 2017; at least nine CRPFpersonnel were killed in a similar attack in Sukma last month.
The report considers Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha and Bihar as statesthat are severely affected by LWE. West Bengal, Maharashtra and AndhraPradesh (earlier a part of the severely affected category) are consideredpartially affected. Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh are classified asstates that are slightly affected.
According to the report, Maoists are making a foray into Kerala, Karnatakaand Tamil Nadu, and planning to link the Western and Eastern Ghats throughthese states. They are not only planning to increase their activities inthese areas, but also carve out a base for themselves in the tri-junction.The report also notes that the Maoists are attempting to make inroads intoAssam and Arunachal Pradesh, and their success in doing so can havelong-term strategic implications.
*Is the recently drawn red corridor different from the older one?*
In 2015, the total number of LWE-affected districts was 106. It rose to 126in 2017 following bifurcation of states and districts, and the expansion ofMaoists activities. All expenses incurred by the affected areas are coveredunder the Security Related Expenditure (SRE) Scheme of the MHA, whichprovides funds for transportation, communication, hiring of vehicles,stipend for surrendered Maoists, and temporary infrastructure for securityforces.
Of the 106 districts, 36 accounted for 80 to 90% of the country-wide LWEviolence, and were categorized as “Worst Affected Districts”. In its recentreview, the Home Ministry noted that 44 of the 126 districts reportednegligence violence, and they were removed from the list. Eight newdistricts which witnessed Maoist movements were added to the SRE list.Currently, 30 instead of 36 of the worst affected districts account for 90%of the LWE violence.
*So, which are the new districts where Maoists are making inroads?*
Eight new districts have been included by the MHA. *Kerala:* Malappuram,Palakkad and Wayanad *Andhra Pradesh:* West Godavari *Chhattisgarh:*Kabirdham *Madhya Pradesh:* Mandla *Odisha:* Angul and Boudh
*Which are the districts that have now been excluded?*
As many as 44 districts have been removed from the list. Among them themajority belongs to the following states: * Telangana: 19 districts *Odisha: 6 districts * Bihar: 6 districts * West Bengal: 4 districts *Chhattisgarh: 3 districts * Jharkhand: 2 districts * Maharashtra: 1 district
*What were the criteria for removing the districts and including new ones?*
The primary criterion was ‘incidents of violence’. The 44 districts, whichhave been excluded, did not report any significant incidents of violencedue to LWE in the last three years.
Similarly, three new districts in Kerala were added following reports ofNaxal movement, and their overground activities. Incidents of violence haveseen a 20% decline with a 34% reduction in related deaths in 2017 ascompared to 2013. The geographical spread of LWE violence also shrunk from76 districts in 2013 to 58 districts in 2017.
The new districts will receive the SRE fund from the Centre, which willmonitor development and security-related projects. Last year, the combinedSRE expenditure in LWE-affected districts was Rs 445 crore.