Naxals control 19% of
India's total forests
New Delhi, June 11 2005, IRNA
Mismanagement of forests is the main reason for the spread of Naxalism from just
one village in West Bengal to 7,000 villages in the last 38 years.
Different Naxal groups now control 19 percent of India's forests over an area two and a half times the size of Bangladesh.
According to the report published in English daily here, has revealed startling links between forest mismanagement and the spread of Naxalite groups.
Since last year, the ultra-leftist CPI-Maoist has been spreading at the rate of two districts each week, and their activities have gone up from just nine states in November 2003 to 15 states in 2005.
"This group controls close to 19 percent of India's forests. Inside these forests the government ceases to exist. Financially, the CPI-Maoist is the richest and largest revolutionary group in India." The yearlong study finds forest-related issues are fast emerging as entry points for Naxalites.
"Ignored as a law and order problem, Naxalites have made tremendous inroads using environmental issues like forests, displacement and tribal self-rule," Orissa is considered fertile ground for proliferation of Naxalism. Tribal alienation, displacement by large projects and the government's failure to ensure food security are the main reason for the spread of Naxals in Orissa and other states.
The Naxals lure people with vulnerable likelihood, like fishermen, bamboo-cutters, farmers and daily laborers.
It was evident from the recent assembly of fishermen, bamboo-cutters, slum-dwellers and marginalized farmers in a public rally at Bhubaneswar organized in support of the Naxalites.