Analysis: India lures Maoists with money

NEW DELHI, Nov. 7 (UPI) -- The Indian state of Jharkhand, which has been hit by Maoist violence, has formulated a surrender policy for rebels under which former militants will be paid a monthly salary along with a one-time financial package for laying down their arms.

Severely criticized both within and outside the state following the killing of 17 people in Giridih on Oct. 26, the state government is working on the new policy.

“The proposed surrender policy, which my government will announce within a month … includes a monthly salary for surrendered Naxals besides the one-time package,” said Jharkhand Chief Minister Madhu Koda.

Under the policy, rebels who surrender will also be allowed to hire a lawyer of their choice at the government’s expense. Federal security agencies say they oppose such a provision because this will amount to virtually letting rebels off.

Last month’s killings in Giridih put the heat on the state government to formulate a policy that could deal with Maoist violence through both social and security strategies.

The state Cabinet met earlier this week to fine-tune the new policy, which would also likely include stringent police action against rebels.

Intelligence agencies have, however, expressed doubts over the efficacy of the proposed policy. They say the rebels are earning millions of dollars through extortion in the mineral-rich state.

Federal data say there are as many as 8,000 rebels active in the state, one of 14 affected by the Maoist violence that has so far killed more than 10,000 people nationwide.

At the Cabinet meeting, Koda also approved proposed joint action and borderline management plans with neighboring states, including Bihar, to battle Maoist violence more effectively.

Experts say rebels have shifted their targets recently, moving from small contractors and local moneylenders in Jharkhand to politicians, bureaucrats and social workers. They say there are few prospects in Bihar and Jharkhand for a way to end the crisis.

These states may appear to be better off than Chhattisgarh, which accounts for nearly half of all Maoist-related fatalities, but closer scrutiny reveals a troubling picture of consolidation and the loss of state control.

The Institute of Conflict Management, a non-governmental think tank that has gathered data on Maoist activities in Jharkhand and Bihar, said that until Aug. 9, 2006, close to 296 people were killed in Chhattisgarh. Jharkhand saw 67 fatalities in the same period, and Bihar 40. According to Interior Ministry figures, in the first six months of 2006, of a total of 806 Maoist-related incidents, Chhattisgarh accounted for 360, Jharkhand 169, Andhra Pradesh 104 and Bihar 63.

The economic backwardness, administrative collapse and lawlessness that grip many districts in Bihar and Jharkhand are seen as main reasons behind Maoist rebels gaining ground. Of India’s 100 most-backward districts, the two states are home to 38.

“The backwardness of the region and its people presents a fertile ground for Maoist ideological mobilization and operations,” said Saji Cherian, a fellow at the Institute for Conflict Management. “Further, the quality of law and order and general administration in these states is uniformly poor, considerably weakening any possibility of effective counter-insurgency campaigns.”