Left-Wing Extremism (LWE) is a concept and a major internal security challenge in India, defined by the government as a violent insurgency driven by Maoist or Naxalite ideologies. The primary organization is the Communist Party of India (Maoist), which seeks to overthrow the democratic state through armed revolution and is listed as a terrorist organization under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.
The movement's origin is rooted in deep-seated socio-economic inequalities, land disputes, and tribal alienation. The term Naxalism derives from the peasant uprising that began in Naxalbari village, West Bengal, in 1967. The CPI (Maoist) was formally created in 2004 through the merger of groups like the People's War Group (PWG) and the Maoist Communist Centre of India (MCCI).
The government's response is coordinated by the LWE Division of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), established in 2006. The mechanism involves a multi-pronged strategy combining security and development, formalized under the National Policy and Action Plan (2015). Key provisions include the Security Related Expenditure (SRE) Scheme, which reimburses security-related costs to affected states, and the Special Central Assistance (SCA) for filling critical infrastructure gaps. Security operations involve specialized forces like the CoBRA (Commando Battalion for Resolute Action).
LWE connects to the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 and development initiatives like the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY). It is also intrinsically linked to the Panchayat Extension To Scheduled Areas Act (PESA) and the Forest Rights Act, 2006, which address the tribal rights issues that LWE groups exploit.
The situation has changed significantly, with the number of LWE-affected districts declining from 126 in 2013 to 38 in 2024. The MHA has recently refined its classification of affected districts. The government has set a target to make India effectively Naxal-free by March 31, 2026.