Left Wing Extremism (LWE) in India is a violent insurgency concept and act driven by Maoist or Naxalite ideologies, which the government considers a major internal security challenge. The movement originated in the Naxalbari village of West Bengal in 1967 as a peasant revolt against deep-seated socio-economic inequalities, land disputes, and tribal neglect. Key leaders like Charu Majumdar, Kanu Sanyal, and Jangal Santhal organized landless peasants to seize land from landlords, aiming to overthrow the state and establish a communist society.
The mechanism of LWE involves armed struggle and guerrilla warfare, with the goal of achieving a "new democratic revolution". The primary organization is the Communist Party of India (Maoist), formed in 2004 by the merger of the People's War Group and the Maoist Communist Centre of India. This organization is listed as a terrorist organization under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), 1967. The movement operates primarily in the underdeveloped, forest-rich regions known as the "Red Corridor".
The government's response is coordinated by the Left Wing Extremism Division of the Ministry of Home Affairs, created in 2006. Recently, the geographical spread of LWE has significantly contracted, with the number of affected districts dropping from 126 in 2013 to 38 in 2024. Incidents of violence have reduced by 76% between 2010 and 2022, and the government has set a goal to eliminate the insurgency by March 2026. While the core ideology remains the same, the movement's operational capacity and geographical influence have been severely diminished.