In India, Maoists and Naxalites are names associated with insurgent groups who fight for their lawful rights against the government. These groups are considered a significant threat to India’s internal security and are active in the Indian heartland. The conflict they create highlights the dissatisfaction of the poor and tribal people with the pace of development, unfinished land reforms, and caste and gender discrimination in their areas. People outside of India often do not understand why individuals would take up arms and fight authorities in an independent country or the differences between Maoists and Naxalites.
Key Takeaways
- Maoists belong to an underground political party called the Communist Party of India (Maoist) that aims to overthrow the government of India by waging a war with the support of the poorest people.
- Naxalites are the same people fighting for their rights as Maoists in other districts of India; they draw their name from a village called Naxalbari in North Bengal, where tribal people took up arms and revolted against the oppression of landlords.
- Maoists and Naxalites pose the single biggest threat to the internal security of India, but they are not regarded as just a law and order problem, as the government realizes its lapses and excesses in lopsided development in tribal areas that have left the poor poorer and more backward.
