The Naxal Challenge: Causes, Linkages, and Policy Options

Naxal violence poses the biggest challenge to national security, and yet so little research material is available on the subject. This volume edited by P.V. Ramana, one of the few scholars of this important subject, should make compelling reading not only for policy-makers and scholars but also for the lay reader interested in the subject. It should remove some of the serious misconceptions about the nature and extent of the problem. [The issue] can no longer be treated as a local law-and-order problem to be left to be tackled by the local police. Nor will the problem disappear by pumping in more funds. While the genesis of this growing menace lies in social and economic injustices and lack of development, its rapid growth in recent years is linked to politics and poor governance. This is the message that comes out loud and clear from these contributions by eminent experts. The problem needs to be confronted on all fronts in a coordinated manner.