More than 3,700 people have been killed in Naxal violence in 10 states, the highest in Chhattisgarh, in the past nine years, the home ministry said in its 2018-19 annual report.

The ministry said the CPI(Maoist) continues to be the most potent among various left-wing extremist (LWE) outfits in the country and responsible for more than 88 per cent of the total violent incidents and resultant deaths.

“Amidst increasing reverses, the CPI(Maoist) has been making efforts to expand to new areas along the inter-state borders without any significant success,” the report said.

The 10 Naxal-hit states are Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Bihar, Odisha, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.

Overall reduction in violent incidents

As many as 3,749 people lost their lives in 10,660 incidents of violence in 10 states since 2010, the report said. The highest number of casualties due to LWE took place in Chhattisgarh where 1,370 people were killed in 3,769 violent incidents perpetrated by Maoists between 2010 and 2018.

Altogether, 997 people were killed in 3,358 LWE violence in Jharkhand in the past nine years, while 387 people lost their lives in 1,526 similar violent incidents in Bihar during the same period.

Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand together accounted for 71.7 per cent of violent incidents and 81.7 per cent of deaths. Odisha and Maharashtra accounted for 9 per cent each of the incidents and Bihar accounted for 7.1 per cent incidents in 2018. Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Telangana together reported less than 4 per cent incidents.

The declining trend in LWE violence continued in 2018 as well. There has been an overall 26.7 per cent reduction in violent incidents - 1,136 incidents in 2013 to 833 incidents in 2018 - and 39.5 per cent reduction in LWE-related deaths - 397 deaths in 2013 to 240 deaths in 2018.

The casualties to security forces declined by 10.7 per cent - 75 deaths in 2013 to 67 deaths in 2018 - and the number of LWE cadres eliminated went up by 65.4 per cent - 136 in 2013 to 225 in 2018.

The geographical spread of LWE violence has also been shrinking considerably. In 2018, LWE violence was reported from 251 police stations in 60 districts spread across eight states as compared to 330 police stations in 76 districts spread over 10 states in 2013.

The arc of violence has been considerably restricted with just 30 districts accounting for 89 per cent of the total LWE violent incidents and resultant deaths.

How is the govt tackling the Naxal issue?

The government has adopted an integrated and holistic approach to deal with LWE insurgency by addressing the areas of security, development and promoting good governance simultaneously. To achieve this, a National Policy and Action Plan has been put in place that adopts a multipronged strategy in the areas of security, development, ensuring rights and entitlements of local communities.

The security related measures include modernisation and upgradation of the state police under the Modernisation of Police Forces Scheme, reimbursement of security related expenditure under the Security Related Expenditure Scheme, strengthening of Special Intelligence Branches / Special Forces of the States and fortification of police stations under the Special Infrastructure Scheme, providing helicopters for anti-LWE operations, facilitating inter-state coordination and community policing.

Simultaneously, focused attention is also given to development. The government has launched special schemes for improving basic infrastructure like road and telecom connectivity and skill upgradation etc. Besides, the implementation of the Forest Rights Act, 2006, especially the provisions pertaining to allotment of title deeds to individuals and communities, is also an area priority. To give further impetus, funds are provided for filling critical infrastructure gaps in public infrastructure and services which are of urgent nature under Special Central Assistance scheme for the most-affected LWE districts.

Resolute implementation of the national policy and action plan by the government has resulted in significant improvement in the LWE scenario across the country. The past five years have seen a significant decline in LWE violence as well as the geographical spread of LWE.

The development outreach by the government has seen an increasingly large number of LWE cadres shunning the path of violence and return to the mainstream, the report said.

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