Naxals aiming to control 35% of India by 2009

The growing strength of Naxal groups has emboldened them so much that they are harbouring ambitions of controlling more than a third of India's territories in the next two years, a latest intelligence report has said.

Basing its information on literature and pamphlets seized by the security forces in anti-Naxal operations, and also on interrogation of arrested guerillas, the intelligence report says the Naxal groups are aiming to liberate and control 35 per cent of India's land by the end of 2009, Home Ministry sources said.

In a fresh assessment of the Naxalite movement in the country, the report points out that ultra-Left groups having faith in Maoist ideologies have spread their activities to as many as 22 out of 28 states in the country, including states that were earlier not known to have any Naxal links like Delhi, Punjab, Uttarakhand and Gujarat. As many as 39 Left-wing extremist groups are currently operating in the country with a combined membership of more than a lakh. Not all of

them are violent though. CPI (Maoists) alone account for more than 90 per cent of violent incidents.

Though separate outfits, most of these Naxalite groups have common modus operandi, especially when it comes to dealing with Government and security forces. They see police and security forces just as major suppliers of weapons, the report, which was recently presented to the Home Ministry, points out. Hence the high frequency of attacks on police stations and security camps to loot firearms.

The security forces seized a number of pamphlets and booklets that urged the members to take up the cause of the local population and fight for them as endearing themselves to the local population was extremely vital for their own survival.

Identifying under-development as the primary reason for the spread of Naxalism, the intelligence report also documents factors which led to Chhattisgarh becoming the nerve-centre of Naxal activities. The state lies low on a number of development indices. Nearly 40 per cent of the population lives below poverty line, infant mortality is as high as 86 per thousand, 68 per cent do not have access to electricity and nearly half the population is devoid of drinking water at home. No wonder then that Chhattisgarh has emerged as the breeding ground for Naxal groups, the report says.

The report recommends more powers and facilities for police forces, and better coordination among security forces but goes on to say that military efforts alone would not be able to succeed against Naxalites. It has to be ably supplemented by developmental initiatives, it says.

Intelligence says...

• Naxalites aiming to control 35% of India's land area by 2009

• Naxal groups active in 22 out of 28 states

• Strategy is to attack police forces and loot their weapons

• At the same time, take up cause of locals and fight for them

• A total of 39 Left wing extremist groups present with combined membership of more than a lakh