India’s Maoist threat
On Tuesday, the rebels struck the deadliest blow in their decades-old insurgency.
How will India deal with the growing influence and power of the Maoists after the extreme left-wing rebels struck the deadliest blow in their decades-old insurgency killing 75 Indian soldiers on Tuesday?
The rebels ambushed troops from India’s Central Reserve Police Force in a remote region of the central Chattisgarh state. The soldiers, who were returning from a mission, were taking a break when they were targeted.
This is the third major Maoist strike in the last four days.
The rebels have stepped up attacks in response to a huge government offensive to drive them out of their stronghold known as the ‘Red Corridor’ – a large chunk of territory in eastern and central India.
The Maoists say they are fighting for the rights of impoverished tribals and the rural poor who, they say, have been neglected and exploited by the government for decades.
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For its part, New Delhi calls the Maoist insurgency the biggest internal threat to its security and has vowed to hit back harder.
On Wednesday’s Riz Khan we ask: Can India tackle the Maoist insurgency without addressing its growing social and economic divisions?
Joining the discussion will be journalist and author Sudeep Chakravarti who has written about the Maoists in his book Red Sun: Travels In Naxalite Country, Ajit Doval, the former chief of India’s intelligence bureau, and Shoma Chaudhury, the executive editor of Indian news magazine tehelka.com. She has written extensively on the reasons behind the rise of Maoism in India.
This episode of the Riz Khan show aired on Wednesday, April 7, 2010.