The counterinsurgency policies of the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata party of India and the Naxalite insurgency
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Authors
Christian, Nilesh J.
Subjects
Bharatiya Janata Party
BJP
Hindu
nationalism
Hinduism
Hindutva
Indian National Congress
INC
Naxalite insurgency
Communist
Maoist
policies
counterinsurgency
insurgency
Andhra Pradesh
Chhattisgarh
Jharkhand
Odisha
West Bengal
hawkish
BJP
Hindu
nationalism
Hinduism
Hindutva
Indian National Congress
INC
Naxalite insurgency
Communist
Maoist
policies
counterinsurgency
insurgency
Andhra Pradesh
Chhattisgarh
Jharkhand
Odisha
West Bengal
hawkish
Advisors
Chatterjee, Anshu N.
Mabry, Tristan J.
Date of Issue
2016-12
Date
Dec-16
Publisher
Monterey, California: Naval Postgraduate School
Language
Abstract
Over the last six decades, the Naxalite insurgency has spread to over 40 percent of India and survived multiple administrations. The Naxalites adopted a flexible approach, using the government's neglect of Dalits and tribal peoples to its advantage. By 2006, the Indian National Congress (INC) government declared the insurgency a great threat to national security but implemented only half-hearted counterinsurgency efforts. In 2014, the Hindu nationalist party (Bharatiya Janata Party or BJP) came to power with the promise of aggressively dealing with the Naxalites. This thesis examines the BJP's counterinsurgency policies and practice in comparison to its election rhetoric. Since 2014, the BJP has implemented a holistic and balanced approach in its multipronged counterinsurgency strategies by using security, good governance, development, peace talks, and amnesty. The government is allocating needed resources to implement its strategy effectively. In the last two years, Naxalite violence has decreased, although the government still faces many challenges such as coordinating efforts and controlling corruption and other unlawful activities. However, in comparison to the INC, the BJP's counterinsurgency approach is more pragmatic and resourceful. It is attempting to solve the underlying causes of discontent among the indigenous people by supporting political, economic, and social justice.
Type
Thesis
Description
Series/Report No
Department
National Security Affairs (NSA)
Organization
Identifiers
NPS Report Number
Sponsors
Funder
Format
Citation
Distribution Statement
Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.
Rights
This publication is a work of the U.S. Government as defined in Title 17, United States Code, Section 101. Copyright protection is not available for this work in the United States.