Nepedia
Back to Discover
Fluent Reader
📖

Naxalite–Maoist insurgency

society Maturity 13-18 evolution war conflict Next article →

This article covers sensitive topics: evolution, war_conflict. Parents can manage visibility in Parental Controls.

The Naxalite–Maoist insurgency was a long conflict in India. It involved the government and groups called Naxalites. These groups followed Maoist ideas about politics. They wanted to start a rebellion in rural areas. They called this a "people's war" against the government.

This struggle changed many parts of the country over many years.

The conflict began with an uprising in Naxalbari in 1967. A group led by Charu Majumdar, Kanu Sanyal, and Jangal Santhal wanted change. They wanted to redistribute land to people who did not own any. In May 1967, the Siliguri Kishan Sabha declared support for this struggle. They wanted to use armed force to help the landless. This led to a fight in Naxalbari where 11 people were killed.

After this, the Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) was formed in 1969.

As time passed, the movement grew and split into many small groups. In 1980, Kondapalli Seetharamaiah founded the People's War Group in South India. This group became very strong near the Andhra Pradesh and Orissa border. The fighting became much harder and more violent during this time. In the 1990s, there were mass murders in the state of Bihar.

Governments responded by creating special police forces and new laws to stop the rebels.

The insurgency reached its highest point in the late 2000s. In 2004, the CPI-Maoist was formed by merging two different groups. They attacked many government buildings and used explosives. Between 2005 and 2008, about 700 people were killed every year. The conflict was even deadlier between 2009 and 2010.

During this peak, the government launched Operation Green Hunt to bring stability.

Since then, the influence of the Naxalites has declined quickly. The government used development plans to help rural areas grow. The "red corridor" area shrank from 180 districts to only 12 by 2025. Over 10,000 people surrendered between 2015 and 2025. By March 31, 2026, the Indian government claimed the country was "Naxal-free."

While most fighting has stopped, at least two commanders are still active.

340 words

Where will your curiosity go next?

Keep exploring at your chosen reading level.

More to explore

What is Nepedia?

A free, ad-free encyclopedia for children. Every article is written at five reading levels, so the same page works for a five-year-old and a fifteen-year-old — use the level switcher above to see this one change. No account needed to read.