Paper Title: Naxalbari Movement in West Bengal
Author:
Abstract:
India has witnessed a rich history of peasant movements, both before and after independence, driven by factors such as colonial exploitation, agrarian distress, and socio-political transformations. In fact, Indian society has been replete with the manifestation of numerous peasant movements across the time both in pre-independent and post-independent India. This paper tries to give an extensive overview of the Naxalite movement. The Naxalite Movement in West Bengal, ignited by the Naxalbari uprising in 1967, stands as a significant chapter in India's socio-political history. The movement began in the village of Naxalbari in Darjeeling district, where a peasant revolt against local landlords escalated into a broader call for land redistribution and social justice. Led by figures like Charu Majumdar, Kanu Sanyal, and Jangal Santhal, the uprising was influenced by Maoist principles, advocating for a protracted people's war to dismantle feudal structures and establish a classless society. Rooted in Marxist-Leninist ideology, the movement emerged as a radical response to deep-seated agrarian inequalities and socio-economic injustices faced by marginalized communities, particularly tribal sharecroppers. This paper provides a comprehensive knowledge about the root causes, characteristics and faulty policy of the ruling left parties in West Bengal responsible for overwhelming atmosphere of violence and terrorism picturised mainly as a Naxalite phenomenon. The first part deals with the history of the movement by describing its origin and development until today. Part two deals with the strategy and actions of the Naxalites and sets its focus on the root causes. The paper begins by focusing on how the land of Chaitanya, Rabindranath, Kirtan, Baul-Bhatiali became hot-spot of violence. After successful completion of this Paper, we will be able to
i) know the inner causes, characteristics of Naxalbari movement, lack of unity of the leaders,
ii) how the sons of soil (Adivasi) were exploited and deprived of their rights and demands.
Keywords:Naxalite movement, Development, Violence, Marginalized Communities, Adivasi, Rights and Demands.
Doi Link – https://doi.org/10.63431/AIJITR/2.II.2025.104-119
Review By – Dr. Sudipta Halder Maity