I love the name 'Operation Green Hunt'. It says all the right things, gets the urban news-watching population tingling, and gives the impression that the government is finally doing something about the Red vermin terrorising the hapless people in villages centuries behind us. Add to that a suitably gruesome murder of a cop, and heartless media coverage of his son's grief, and you have a nation fully behind your operation. Get the news channels to set appropriately worded polls that give 90-10 splits in your favour, and you can undermine the efforts of the last signs of dissent. Mr. Chidambaram is a very smart man.
Naxalism in India is finally making news again for reasons other than the latest death toll. Talking heads appear again on TV, competing with each other to break decibel levels. Although our apathetic generation cares more about the Champions League T20, the rest of the nation is sufficiently riled to generate enough TRPs. Facing the brunt of the media's - and therefore, the people's - anger are not the Naxalites themselves, but human rights activists, who - horror of horrors - don't support a state offensive against its own people. They are accused of a lack of patriotism, callousness and sympathy for the Naxalites. Idealogues like Swapan Dasgupta, and our beloved Home Minister line up to ask them, where were you when people like Francis Induvar were brutally beheaded? They ignore the fact, and have ignored for a long time, that these activists have frequently condemned the violence of the Naxalites. Can you blame them for ignoring all those press releases? The average PUCL statement is dull and dreary, and always fixates on things like custodial killings and torture; how can it compare in newsworthiness [sic] to calling Mmbai Bombay in a B-Grade film?
The activists' stand is clear: they condemn violence on both sides, they condemn government apathy to the plight of the people who live in these godforsaken places. They have never shied away from condemning the latest Maoist beheading, even in the heady days of Lalgadh. But at the same time, they oppose the idea of a state-funded private militia like the Salwa Judum terrorising people, or the idea of a state that facilitates torture of its own, even innocent, citizens. They were active in fighting the incarceration of Dr. Binayak Sen, arrested for giving a damn: a fight that, for the most part, received a handful of column inches on Page 7 of a few newspapers.
Chidambaram attacks their stance by saying that they were putting a gang of murderous criminals and the government of this nation on par. While a section of society often mistakes one for the other, it's true, the two aren't equal. The state, if anything, has a greater responsibility to abide by the rules. After all, it is supposed to be the legitimate power in the conflict, the good guys. If they resort to inhuman acts of torture and murder to fight murderers, they lose their moral legitimacy, as well as make it the duty of every conscientious citizen of this nation to stand up against them.
Human rights activists are also accused of romanticising the Maoists. These accusations are a huge compliment to their oratory and written skills: it is very difficult to romanticise the beheading of Francis Induwar. Most activists do not support the Naxalites - those who do are well within their right - and criticise their heinous crimes. But the legitimate grievances of the tribals and oppressed cannot be denied. The pathetic state of development in these areas feeds a resentment against the state, and is responsible for the support the Naxalites enjoy. The example of Punjab has shown that it is impossible for an insurgency to survive without the support of the local populace, and for a movement to last forty years, it needs more than just adequate terror. Whatever be their methods, the Naxalites command respect for living and working with the people in the heartland.
The best way to fight Naxalites is not through jingoistic crackdowns with catchy names, but through the elimination of their support from the people. This can only be done through addressing the grievances of the people, and developing the jungles. This includes an end to land grabbing, providing access to water, healthcare and all the entitlements of the people that the state has denied them. It includes an end to exploitation and a humane police force. Unlike your average jihadi, the Naxalites are not fighting to take away your freedoms, but secure a viable future for the poorest of the poor. The best way to defeat them is to give the people what they want.
