Context:

• The Maoist insurgency — once described by former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh as the “gravest internal security threat” to India — is witnessing an unprecedented decline.
• Originating from the Naxalbari movement of 1967 in West Bengal, it spread primarily across the "Red Corridor," affecting states like Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha, Maharashtra, Kerala, West Bengal, MP, and parts of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
• While the armed movement is on the verge of collapse, the underlying issues of inequality, deprivation, and exclusion that fuelled it remain unresolved.

Current Status of the Maoist Insurgency:

• Sharp decline in Maoist strength:
  • As per South Asia Terrorism Portal (SATP) data (till October 29, 2025), 333 Maoists killed, 398 arrested, and 1,787 surrendered this year.
  • Large-scale surrenders this year highlight the waning influence:
    • 103 Maoists surrendered in Bijapur.
    • Senior leader Mallojula Venugopal Rao and 60 cadres in Gadchiroli.
    • 210 Maoists (110 women) surrendered in Jagdalpur, depositing over 150 weapons including AK-47s, INSAS rifles, grenade launchers, etc.
• Shrinking red corridor:
• As per the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), only 11 districts are now affected by Left-Wing Extremism (LWE).
• 3 districts — Bijapur, Sukma, and Narayanpur (Chhattisgarh) — remain severely impacted.
• In contrast, 223 districts were affected 15 years ago.
• Credit for the turnaround:
  • Success attributed to the holistic, integrated approach of the Central Government, combining:
    • Security operations,
    • Developmental initiatives, and
    • Effective coordination between State police and Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs).
  • Reflects the capacity of Indian security forces to contain and neutralize internal insurgencies.

Historical and Ideological Roots:

• Origins of the Maoist movement:
  • The Naxalite movement, inspired by Charu Mazumdar in the late 1960s, drew from Mao Zedong’s revolutionary ideology.
  • However, its foreign ideological borrowing limited grassroots resonance.
  • The movement attracted support by championing the cause of the landless, tribals, and marginalised populations neglected by the state.
• Persisting ideological undercurrent:
  • Despite the insurgency’s collapse, the sense of injustice and marginalisation that fuelled it remains.
  • Economic inequality, social exclusion, and political neglect persist, keeping alive the ideological embers of rebellion.

Persisting Inequality and Deprivation:

• Uneven economic growth:
  • India’s economic rise has been impressive but exclusionary.
  • India still ranks lowest among the G20 countries in both per capita GDP ($2,878) and PPP ($12,131.8) terms, and it trails behind even Sri Lanka and Bhutan.
  • Gini Coefficient, a measure of income inequality, shows only modest improvement.
  • The number of billionaires (wealth exceeding $1 billion or Rs 8,800 crore) in the country has gone up to 1,687, an increase of 148 from last year.
  • Top-down development models lack sensitivity to local realities, especially in tribal and forested regions.
• Human development gaps:
  • Left-Wing Extremism (LWE) districts lag in all major human development parameters. For example,
    • Malkangiri (Odisha): Human Development Index (HDI) is only 0.37 vs state average 0.579.
    • Gadchiroli (Maharashtra): The NFHS-5-based District Nutrition Profile (2022) shows that around one-third of children under five are stunted or wasted, and more than 60% of women of reproductive age are anaemic.
  • Despite improvements in infrastructure (roads, mobile towers), and initiatives like Industrial Training Institutes and Eklavya Model Schools have, the basic metrics of human well-being - education, healthcare, and nutrition - remains poor.
• Tribal displacement and forest rights:
  • Tribal populations in mineral-rich regions bear the brunt of “development”.
  • Displacement due to mining, dams, industrial projects, often without adequate compensation.
  • For example,
    • 15% of Forest Rights Act (FRA) claims are pending.
    • 78,000 hectares of forest land diverted for non-forest use in the last four years.

Implications and Challenges Ahead:

• Physical victory vs ideological continuity:
  • The armed struggle is nearly over, but the moral critique of inequality endures.
  • Without addressing structural socio-economic disparities, discontent could re-emerge in new forms.
• Poor governance and exclusion:
  • Inclusive growth, effective local governance, and tribal empowerment remains a challenge in the LWE-affected regions.
  • Land rights, forest rights, and rehabilitation policies lack implementation.

Way Forward:

• Sustain security gains: Maintain vigilance and intelligence-led policing to prevent Maoist regrouping.
• Accelerate human development: Focus on education, healthcare, nutrition, and livelihood in tribal areas.
• Implement FRA and PESA effectively: Empower local communities in resource management and self-governance.
• Inclusive growth and good governance: Adopt bottom-up development tailored to local needs rather than one-size-fits-all schemes.
• Political empowerment: Deepen grassroots democracy through Panchayati Raj and Scheduled Areas governance reforms.

Conclusion:

• India’s successful containment of the Maoist insurgency marks a major internal security milestone, demonstrating the strength of its democratic and administrative institutions.
• However, the end of the insurgency must not breed complacency.
• The ideological spark of Naxalbari — born out of inequality, alienation, and deprivation — will continue to simmer unless India bridges the divide between rapid growth and inclusive development.