Curbing Urban Naxalism: A Comprehensive Approach

Maharashtra Special Public Security Bill 2024 is an attempt to curb unlawful activities on the part of persons and organisations involved in naxalism. The bill broadly defines unlawful activities, including acts of violence, vandalism, and incitement to disobedience against established law.

The Narrative World    14-Jul-2024   
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Naxalism has been a continuing threat to India for a long time and has mainly been an issue faced by rural regions. However, lately, a more insidious variant of this threat has been manifesting in the form of urban centres; sometimes this is referred to as "Urban Naxalism." This encompasses people or groups based in cities who extend ideological, logistical, and, at times, even operational support towards the Naxalite movement.
 
The Maharashtra government did a good thing when it tabled the 'Maharashtra Special Public Security Bill 2024' recently in the assembly. This article tries to go into the dynamics of urban naxalism, its repercussions, and possible ways to tackle it effectively.
 
Understanding Urban Naxalism
 
Urban naxalism refers to the concealed support and propagation of Maoist ideologies in urban areas. Unlike their rural counterparts, who directly indulge in armed insurgency, the Urban Naxals exploit democratic spaces like universities, NGOs, media, and cultural organisations for their cause.
 
They use these platforms to spread propaganda, recruit members, and provide logistical support to rural Maoists. This urban infiltration is one of the most significant challenges to India's internal security and stability.
 
Factors of Urban Naxalism
 
A combination of several socioeconomic and political factors has led to the growth of urban naxalism.
 
1. Ideological Transition: The rural peasant-based movement of Maoists has adjustments to fit in with the urban setup. The so-called Urban Naxals use the very democratic freedoms for dissemination of their ideology by hijacking issues related to social justice and human rights and seeking legitimacy, and support is garnered.
 
2. Democratic Spaces Exploitation: The fertile grounds for propagating Maoist ideologies are universities, media houses, and NGOs. Urban Naxals hold seminars, do workshops, organise rallies, and influence public opinion to recruit sympathisers.
 
3. Socio-economic Inequalities: Income inequality, resourcefulness, and disfranchisement of urban minorities constitute fertile ground for Maoist sympathies. The rural-urban divide accentuates all these issues, making Maoist ideology very appealing to the disaffected.
 
4. Logistical Support: Many a time, urban Naxals work as intermediaries who transfer funds, arms, and supplies to rural Maoists; besides communication and coordination, they sustain this rural insurgency.
 
Government Responses and Strategies
 
The Indian government has been taking different administrative and other measures in the past to contend with naxalism on the rural and urban fronts. The latest bill introduced by Maharashtra is part of an integral strategy oriented more towards combating urban axalism. Herein are components of the approach:
 
1. Legislative Measures: 'Maharashtra Special Public Security Bill 2024' is an attempt to curb unlawful activities on the part of persons and organisations involved in naxalism. The bill broadly defines unlawful activities, including acts of violence, vandalism, and incitement to disobedience against established law. It metes out fierce penalties to all persons associated with unlawful organisations, thereby discouraging any person from showing support for the Maoist movement.
 
2. Strengthened Enforcement: It has been laid down that offences under this bill shall be cognizable and non-bailable. Hence, whoever gets arrested will not get bail so easily. Investigations shall be done by senior police officers, hence increasing the rigour and seriousness of enforcement actions.
 
3. Advisory Bodies and Oversight: There shall be an advisory board, backed by due process, that assesses the legitimacy of declaring organisations unlawful. This board will provide a check against the arbitrary actions of the state.
 
4. Public Awareness and Media Strategy: There is an urgent need to make people aware of the government's socio-economic development schemes and how they differ from Maoist propaganda. The government will use extensive media in order to propagate its efforts and launch a behavioural change communication campaign at the mass level, which also counters the Naxalite narratives.
 
5. Strengthening Intelligence and Coordination: This demands improving the sharing of intelligence between the centre and states. Mechanisms like the Multi-Agency Centre and the State Multi-Agency Centre help in producing gainful intelligence, leading to real-time sharing of intelligence, followed by rapid action against the activities of Naxalites.
 
Socioeconomic Development as a Long-Term Solution
 
Stringent laws and robust enforcement must be in place, but this can never be enough to eradicate naxalism. It needs socio-economic disparities, a lack of development, and governance deficits at the root. The following are some recommended measures:
 
1. Comprehensive Rural Reform: Drawing inspiration from the Colombian peace process-like models, India can definitely look towards holistic rural development related to infrastructure, health, education, and employment opportunities for the Naxal-affected regions.
 
2. Inclusive Development Programs: The Roshni scheme for the skill-building and employment of tribal youth should be expanded. Such developmental benefits would most benefit grassroots-level communities and might undercut support for Maoists.
 
3. Empowerment of Panchayati Raj: Stronger institutions of local self-government mean that grievances can be adequately addressed at their very roots. The involvement of people at the local level in developmental planning ensures that their needs and aspirations are duly met.
 
4. Engaging Civil Society: A supporting role can be played by NGOs and civil society organisations in bridging the gap between the government and these marginalised communities. Constructive engagement will be encouraged instead of confrontation; incentives will, therefore, spur trust and cooperation.
 
Conclusion
 
Taming Urban Naxalism calls for the adoption of a multi-faceted strategy that combines stringent enforcement of law with socio-economic development.
 
This is where the Maharashtra Special Public Security Bill, 2024, comes in as an initiative taken in the proper direction, though, in reality, it was supposed to be synchronically combined with a comprehensive approach conditioned at the very root cause of these sympathisers.
 
Only through a strategy soaked in and imbued with the lofty ideal of inclusive development, strengthening local governance, and involving public awareness can India counter this threat of urban naxalism and try to build a more secure and egalitarian society.
 
Article by
Shomen Chandra
Sub Editor, The Narrative