Naxalism

• Naxalism started in Naxalbari in West Bengal in 1967.
• The Maoists have since carved out what they call a Compact Revolutionary Zone (CRZ), or Red Corridor, stretching from Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh to Pashupati in Nepal, encompassing parts of seven States: Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Odisha, West Bengal, Jharkhand and Bihar.
• They have their footprint in Madhya Pradesh as well. In all, the area comprises 200 districts,60 of them labelled hyper-sensitive.
• To give teeth to their struggle, a military formation called the People’s Liberation Guerilla Army (PLGA) was formed. It has become a proficient striking force.
• The PLGA has army-line command, control, communication, sophisticated weaponry, explosives, skills and guerilla-warfare tactics, combined with motivated, passionate-to- the-cause cadres.