BURKAPAL MAOIST CASE

• National Investigating Agency court in Dantewada on July 15 has acquitted 121 tribals, including a woman who was arrested in connection with a suspected 2017 Maoist attack that claimed the lives of 25 security personnel in Chhattisgarh Sukuma district.
• All the arrest persons had spent over five years in jail by the time the acquittal order came.
• The failure of the justice system again paves the way for tribes to join the rebel or the extremist or even the Maoist group.

Naxalism in India

• The Naxalism term derives its name from the village of Naxalbari in West Bengal.
• Initially, it originated as a rebellion against the local landlord who bashed a peasant over a land dispute. The rebellion was initiated in the year 1967 with the objective of the rightful redistribution of the land to working peasants under the leadership of Kanu Sanyal and Jagan Santhal.
• Starting in West Bengal this movement has spread across eastern India mainly in less developed areas of states such as Chhattisgarh, Odisha, and Andhra Pradesh.
• Naxalism is considered to be one of the biggest internal security threats which India faces. The Naxal violence is related to the feeling of deprivation of the people and their commitment to take revenge against those who are believed to be responsible for such denial.
• The presence of Naxal in the country highlights the loophole in the law and order of the country, which has failed to curb the menace.
• It is considered that the Naxal support the Maoist political sentiment and ideology.

Causes of Naxalism

Gaps in the socio-economic system of the country

• The poverty and economic inequality and underdevelopment in the Naxal-affected regions.
• Indigenous tribal populations were deprived of their lands and uprooted from their traditional source of livelihood.
• Even the infrastructural problem, for instance, some villages are not yet connected properly with any communication network.

Lack of basic facilities

• Lack of basic facilities like education, freedom, sanitation, and food.
• Inequality, illiteracy, and the lack of opportunities have led the local tribes to support the naxal base.

Tribal discontent

• Forest Conservation Act 1980, deprives tribes who mainly depend on forest produce for their livelihood.
• Due to development projects, and mining operations there has been a huge displacement of tribal people from their traditional dwelling habitats.

Lack of coordination between state police and central forces

• Inadequate training and combat capability of force in the Maoism-affected state.
• The lack of institutionalized intelligence sharing between states and the Centre.

Confusion over tackling the Naxalism as a social issue or as a security threat, even the state government considers Naxalism as the central government issue and thus is not taking any initiative to fight it

The steps were taken by the Government:

• Operation Green Hunt: started in the year 2010 and a massive deployment of security forces was done in the Naxal-affected areas. Initially from the 223 districts that were affected due to Naxalism in the year 2010, the number has come down to 90 in the nine years.
• Relief and Rehabilitation policy was started by the government to bring the Naxalites into the mainstream.
• Special Central Assistance (SCA) Scheme: aims to fill critical gaps in public infrastructure and services of emergent nature in the most LWE-affected districts.

This Scheme was for 3 years 2017-18 to 2019-20 with an outlay of Rs.3000 crore.

• Security Related Expenditure Scheme: mainly to assist the States to combat LWE and the support is being given to 90 districts under Security Related Expenditure (SRE) scheme.

The government of India provides funds for Police Modernization to all the States.

Strategy to end Naxalism

• The focus must be on effective good governance in the Naxal-affected area by strengthening the law and order of the country.
• The central government needs to implement a coherent national strategy to end Naxalism.
• Even the dialogue between the Naxal leader and the government official can be a way to work out a solution.

Rehabilitation and resettlement

• There needs to be more emphasis on the rehabilitation of the tribal people who have been displaced due to the development project

Stop the political marginalization of weaker sections

• Weaker sections of the society such as the schedule castes and the schedule tribes still face huge discrimination from the upper caste, even today this downtrodden section does not enjoy participation in casting and contesting politically, making them the soft target of Naxal. So, the reservation policy must be revisited to empower them.

Removing disparity

• The socio-economic disparity and the growing distance between the rich and the poor is one of the main problems that has contributed to the growth of Naxalism, this distance needs to be filed to an extent hastily to stop Naxalism

There is a need for a holistic approach focusing mainly on the development and security-related intervention which will help in tackling the Naxalism effectively.

BONALU FESTIVAL

It is an annual festival celebrated in the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad, and also in a few parts of Telangana.

About the Festival

• The festival is mainly dedicated to Goddess Mahakali, as per belief, a ferocious avatar of Goddess Durga.
• The word “Bonam” which signifies a meal or a feast in Telugu.
• During this, the devotees offer rice cooked with milk and jaggery in an earthen pot, which is decorated with neem leaves, turmeric, and vermilion. Women carry these pots on their heads to the temples.
• Apart from Yellamma, during the Bonalu festival, the different forms of Mahakali are worshipped, including Mysamma, Dokkalamma, Pedamma, Pochamma, Yellamma, Poleramma, and Ankalamma.

BHIL TRIBES

Bhil tribes in Maharashtra, and Madhya Pradesh set an example through ‘Jeevan Shala’ which is established and has been running several schools in central India’s tribal areas for 30 years, despite the government opposition.

About Bhil Tribe

• The word Bhil is derived from “Veel”, which means “bow” in the Dravidian language.
• The Bhil tribe is called “Dhanush Purush of India” because they are highly adept at learning Dhanush.
• Bhils are a group of tribal Indians who are scattered throughout India from Gujarat in the west to Tripura in the Far East.
• As of 2013, they were the largest tribal group in India with the majority living in the states of Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Chhattisgarh.
• Bhils have a rich and unique culture. The Bhilala subdivision is known for its Pithora painting.
• Ghoomar is a traditional folk dance of the Bhil tribe.
• Ghoomar is the symbol of femininity in the Bhil tribe.
• The young women take part in this dance and declare that they are stepping into women’s shoes.

NATIONAL EMBLEM

A first glimpse of the national emblem at the top of new parliament housing coming under up as part of the Central Vista project has been unveiled by the Prime Minister.

About national emblem

• The State emblem of India is the National Emblem of the Republic of India and is used by the Union Government, State Government, and other various government agencies.
• The state emblem is an adaptation from the Sarnath lion capital of the Mauryan emperor Ashoka.
• Four Asiatic lions are part of the national emblem with three lions being visible to the naked eye and the fourth one always hidden from the general view, mounted on an abacus with a frieze carrying sculptures in high relief of an elephant, a galloping horse, a bull and a lion separated by intervening wheels over a bell-shaped lotus.

Emblem adopted

• On 26 January 1950, the state emblem was adopted by the Government of India where only three lions are visible and the fourth is hidden from view.
• The bell-shaped lotus has been omitted.
• The wheel appears in relief in the center of the abacus with a bull on right and a horse on the left and the outline of other wheels on the extreme left and right.

Feature of the national emblem

• It is the official seal of the government of India
• The four animals are shown representing four directions.

• An elephant: East-elephant depicts the dream of Queen Maya, where a white elephant enters her womb.
• A galloping horse: west – it represents the horse Kanthaka, which Buddha is said to have used for leaving his princely life.
• A lion: north- it shows the attainment of enlightenment.
• A bull: south – it depicts the zodiac sign of Taurus, the month in which Buddha was born.
• The word Satyameva Jayate from Mundaka Upanishad, which means truth alone triumphs inscribed below the abacus in Devanagari script.
• The four lions symbolized Buddha spreading dharma in all directions.

Legal provision

• State Emblem of India (Prohibition of Improper Use) Act 2005 and the State Emblem of India (Regulation of Use) Rules 2007:
• According to these rules, the National Emblem of India can only be used as per the provisions of the State Emblem of India (Prohibition of Improper Use) Act 2005, and any unauthorized use is punishable under the law.
• There is strict punishment for imprisonment of up to 2 years or a fine of up to Rs 5000 if someone violates the law

Usage

• On the Currency of India
• On the Passports of India
• The Ashoka Chakra in the National Flag is taken from the National Emblem
• On the Letterheads of the Central Government, State Government, and other government agencies.
• Buildings:
• Rashtrapati Bhawan
• Parliament House
• Supreme Court
• High Courts
• Central Secretariat
• Secretariat Buildings of States and Union Territories
• State Legislature
• Premises of India’s Diplomatic Mission abroad
• Residence of Heads of Missions in the countries of their accreditation