Urban Naxals: The danger ahead is grave

New Delhi, May 19: If one looks at the war against the Naxals it gives the impression that the battle is being fought in the forests. While that is one part of the war, we also need to look at a more dangerous trend emerging out of the cities known as the Urban Naxals.

By and large the war of any group is fought on propaganda, sympathy and ideology. While an un-educated lot would raise their arms in forests and kill innocents, there is a dangerous trend within the cities which offers support in the form of Urban Naxalism.

Who are the Urban Naxalites?

Romanticizing the cause of the naxals is the job of the urban naxals. The pseudo intellectuals who prefer to live in the 1940s cribbing about the lack of developments are the biggest culprits in this entire issue, says an Intelligence Bureau official.

These urban naxals could be writers, teachers, professors or Bollywood directors. Each one of them have had a role in romanticizing the naxal cause. They either act on their own or form NGOs through which they provide that required platform for the naxals to further their cause.

In the wake of the several NGOs coming under the scanner, it has been found that many of them have focused their resources in naxal dominated areas repeatedly belting out an anti government stand. This gives the naxals fodder as the villagers blindly fall trap to what ever lie that these NGOs speak.

The naxal movement in the cities:

When a major module of the Kerala cadre of the naxals was busted a month back, there was material found on them which indicated that they were moving towards the cities. The naxalites had a plan of entering into Chennai and establishing their network.

This was a major step on their part since not only did they want to rely on their sympathizers in the city, but also wanted to conduct an armed struggle in the urban areas. During the course of investgation it came to light that several "intellectuals," in the cities had supported their cause. The naxals were in fact relying on their sympathizers to ensure that the movement got a boost in the cities.

The job of the urban naxals was to help build a strong network in the cities. An official part of the anti naxal operation says that the naxals would not have immediately launched an armed struggled in the cities. It was meant to be a gradual process which would begin with spreading the ideology and then building up a strong base.

The problem however is the mindset of a few people. Several professors in Hyderabad, Chennai and Bangalore colleges have been open in their support. There are those who support the cause openly while some do it behind the scenes. Both are equally dangerous.

When professors teach their students about the important of naxals to eradicate poverty they are setting in a very dangerous precedent. Such persons need to be kept under watch and prevented from spreading such ideology in the open, IB officials say.

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