Marginalization and Violence: The Story of Naxalism in India

Priyanka Vora

NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad, India

Siddhant Buxy

NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad, India

Abstract:

The largest threat that the Indian Government faces today is Naxalism, which has infested itself in more than 4 states of the Country. The root of the problem lies in the simplest of issues-marginalization of the poor forest dwellers by the very government that had sworn to protect them, as the very land that they depend on for their sustenance is snatched away. It has been transferred to giant multinational corporations in the name of development, by the exercise of the power of eminent domain. The government has been striving hard but has not been effective enough to solve this problem and rather overlooks the root of the problem. Victimization of forest dwellers begins by unilaterally taking away the very land they depend on, which results in them taking up arms against the government, and ends with trying to suppress the act of insurgency by implementation of draconian laws like the Chhattisgarh Special Public Safety Act, 2005. In between, we witness the grossest forms of crimes, marginalization and inhumane conditions in the States affected by the insurgency, to remain in the most backward conditions in the country. In light of this, the paper aims to analyse the inextricable link between the behaviour of naxals, the intent of using violence against the State and the State's acts for causing this act of violence, and propose interdisciplinary solutions on a comparison with other countries which dealt with eminent domain in forest lands and hence, resolving the issue in the Indian scenario.

Keyword:

Naxalism; Marginalisation; Indian Government; Victimization.