By Sanket Sheth:
Last Saturday, I took the chance of watching Chakravyuh, a film taking up the polemic issue of naxalism. While the story-line was mediocre, what is appalling is that the problem of naxalism spreading like cancer in India has been completely forgotten. The grave danger posed by this sedition act has been overshadowed by frenzied acts of corruption and graft. The common citizenry of India has seen the ghastly results of naxalism but haven’t known the causes behind it.
Naxalism has arisen due to the voracious appetite for money by some ambitious individuals. Naxalism is a result of two nations: those who have it all and those who have very little. Before accusing the residents of beaten off track as radicals, we must find out why they have turned so. Capturing the naxalites is important, but what is equally important is curbing and preventing those circumstances that have led to the vicious cycle of homicide. No one ever wants to lead a life in hobo camp away from family, in constant fear and have arduous training to kill innocent citizens. Naxalites are the consequence of the tyrannical and oppressive acts. When someone is robbed of basic living rights, he is bound to turn homicidal. So much has been seized of them that they have developed the mentality of retaliating in the same manner. So oppressed and destitute are they, that every sumptuous human being is an enemy in their eyes. Adding fuel to the fire are vested interests of politicians who believe  in keeping them ignorant to grab a large vote bank without doing anything. They are the same politicians who shake hands with business tycoons, help them in setting up large plants on these lands, buy land from tribal people at paltry sums and render them helpless to fill their own pockets. When human beings see their kins suffer and die just for the covetous ambitions of few, very little emotions are left in them. All happiness they seek is in revenge. When they resort to killing, the elegant class terms them as naxalites and murderers. Help of law will be sought to remove them. Their arrest and penalty add insult to the injury of this deplorable lot which arouses the choler. Enemy nations help this lot and add to the internal security problems. By the time, government realizes of the problem, the tumour would have spread across the nation.
So, what is the solution? Should the problem be solved at the tip of gun? Will this bring a permanent solution to this problem? The actual solution lies not in the hands of state but in the hands of the blessed coterie. We, who are amongst the beatified by nature, should be willing to share our joy of fulfilment of materialistic pleasure. With the tones of food discarded at parties and weddings with the destitute caboodle sitting awe struck in hunger just near to the five star hotels, we are showing the attenuation of fading humanity. We must bridge this ever increasing col. Every human being has an aspiration to live a life of fulfilment. When they fail to achieve this and get victimized to exploitation by the lah-di-dah class, the only saviour is the sadistic happiness, seeking happiness by seeing the fulfilled class in pain. Then, it is we who term them as criminals and their movement around as dangerous and life-threatening. Consequently, the gap always elevates as there is little communication left. The rich feel down market to talk to them and the poor apprehends to talk.
The solution lies with us. The recipe is ready. The only ingredient left is the salt of willingness. Helping them develop is in our interest. It will keep the society safe and secure in longer run. If the rich want their children to be safe and not in the hands of kidnappers, the rich must understand the value of the life of the child of the one living in slum. If we care about them, provide shelter, education and food to the extent possible for us, and we can prevent their ostracisation. The inequality must be shredded.
P.S: There is enough for everyone’s need not for everyone’s greed. ~Â Mahatma Gandhi