States » WestPosted at: Oct 30 2026 9:19PM


Questioning Govt policies does not make anyone a Naxalite: P V Ramana

Nagpur, Oct 30 (UNI) Merely questioning the government or its policies did not make anyone an 'urban Naxal' or 'dimagi Naxal' (intellectual Naxal), prominent security analyst and researcher Dr P V Ramana said on Friday. He cautioned against the loose use of such labels without substantial and conclusive evidence.
Addressing a gathering in Nagpur at the launch of his book, Ramana, who specialises in Left-Wing Extremism (LWE) and the Communist Party of India (Maoist), he said that people should not be arrested or imprisoned merely on the basis of unsubstantiated allegations of having links with Naxalites.
He stressed the need for concrete evidence before branding anyone as a Naxalite.
Referring to several cases in which people had spent years in prison before being granted bail or having their convictions overturned by higher courts, he underscored the importance of protecting the rights of innocent individuals.
He said that merely questioning the government or its policies did not make anyone an 'urban Naxal' or 'dimagi Naxal' (intellectual Naxal) and cautioned against the loose use of such labels without substantial and conclusive evidence.
Speaking during a discussion on the Naxal movement and its future, Ramana said questioning the government was fundamentally different from secretly propagating Naxalite ideology or attempting to destabilise the system through covert activities.
Explaining the distinction, he said the core ideology of Naxalism was based on armed revolution and the overthrow of an elected government through the seizure of power. Those openly advocating armed revolution could face legal action under provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and relevant state laws.
However, criticism of the government or questions about its functioning should not be equated with Naxalite ideology, he emphasised.
Ramana also highlighted what he described as the long-term strategy of the Naxal movement to establish an urban presence through front organisations, trade unions, NGOs and other platforms.
According to him, underground cadres, referred to as professional revolutionaries, allegedly operate within such organisations to influence public opinion, mobilise people and organise protests and strikes around selected issues.
He stressed that security agencies must identify genuine covert networks while ensuring that legitimate democratic activities are not targeted.
Cautioning the government and law enforcement agencies against indiscriminate use of terms such as 'urban Naxal' and 'dimagi Naxal', he said arrests without substantial evidence could weaken prosecution cases and undermine the credibility of the government's claims.
Referring to the Bhima Koregaon case, he observed that several accused had secured bail and that the prosecution was facing difficulties in establishing its allegations.
He also expressed confidence in the judiciary, saying courts would not allow convictions without adequate evidence.
On the future of the Naxal movement, Ramana said its armed structure had been substantially weakened, with cadres either killed in encounters, surrendering or abandoning their weapons.
He maintained that the People's Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA), the armed wing of the movement, was no longer functioning in its earlier form, although a few underground leaders might still remain active.
He said the movement's traditional organisational strategy rested on three pillars — a strong party, a strong armed force and a strong front organisation — but the situation had changed considerably.
Referring to former Naxal leaders who had entered electoral politics, he said some former cadres had formed political outfits and were seeking to participate in the democratic process.
Ramana said former Naxal cadres should form political parties and pursue their objectives through democratic means rather than continue underground activities.
However, he cautioned that advocating armed revolution through political platforms would defeat the very purpose of joining mainstream politics.
Emphasising that weapons could not provide a sustainable political solution, he said the future of such movements depended on their willingness to accept democratic processes and public accountability.
Calling for a comprehensive, development-oriented approach to tackle Left-Wing Extremism, Ramana said police action alone would not be sufficient to eliminate the Maoist movement.
He stressed the need for rehabilitation, employment opportunities, education and infrastructure development in affected regions.
He also said the Maoist movement had developed an extensive financial network, with collections running into thousands of crores of rupees across different states.
Referring to documents adopted by the Communist Party of India (Maoist) in 2007, he said the organisation had maintained detailed records of its financial collections and expenditure.
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