Govt’s Welfare Measures Take a Toll on Maoists

NEW DELHI: At a time when the lawmakers in the country concede that some of the government-run welfare schemes have been rendered inefficient due to large-scale corruption at the implementation-level, the Maoists feel the other way round. They find a number of schemes effective on the ground and believe they have adversely impacted the ‘red revolution’ much more than the security forces’ anti-Naxal operations.

The unexpected acknowledgment of the improved socio-economic conditions of the people by the ultras, who exploit poverty and under-development of the villagers, confirms that they are now rattled by the welfare measures including subsidised ration, MNREGA, land reforms, rural banks and construction of roads. The Maoist leadership has asked the various state committees to carryout a field survey to assess the impact of welfare programmes on the ground.

“In this regard, Eastern Regional Bureau of CPI (Maoist), which supervises activities in Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Assam, Eastern Uttar Pradesh and North Chhattisgarh, has asked various state committees to carryout a detailed field study in villages and circulated a 19-column proforma to be filled during the survey,” a recent Intelligence Bureau (IB) report to the PMO said.

The IB has also shed light on the unrest among the Naxal cadre due to the development programmes in villages. It said, “The Maoists blame these programmes for the rising attrition rate as village-level activists now get involved in various contract works associated with the schemes.” Subsidised rations are also a reason for the dwindling number of cadre, the outfit believes.

For the field survey, the ultras have asked the cadre to study how the welfare schemes are affecting the ‘revolution’ and accordingly the group is planning a suitable modification of its tactics. “Lamenting the lack of maturity on the part of some its senior leaders, who could not sense the changing ground realities, the outfit asserted that the need of the hour is a comprehensive survey of the situation in the rural areas from a Marxist perspective,” the IB dossier further stated.  

The extremist oufit has proposed meetings between middle-level/lower-rung cadre and the villagers to assess the impact of relief and rehabilitation schemes including subsidised rations, MNREGA, health centres, establishment of schools etc.  And the Maoists’ are apprehensive that the government schemes will sound the deathknell of the organisation.

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