What are the reasons behind the spread of Left Wing Extremism (LWE)-1?

What are the reasons behind the spread of Left Wing Extremism (LWE)-1?

Recently, I got an opportunity to participate in Doordarshan Panel Discussion on the Provisions of the Panchayats (Extension to the Scheduled Areas)/PESA. I had emphatically expressed two points as follows:

• The PESA was adopted in Odisha in 1997 and was diluted in many ways. If one compares Odisha’s PESA with the original PESA, one can see the glaring difference. Besides, there are many lapses across all the Schedule V Areas of the state. These lapses have definitely contributed to the s rise and spread of Left Wing Extremism.
• The Constitutional role of the Governor of the State for the Schedule V areas which says that the Governor make a report to the President of India regarding the administration of the Schedule Area. However, the Governors have failed to do this as a result there has not been the critical appraisal of the system of Governance. This has led to the Governance Deficit.

Now, being disturbed by the expanding  scale of LWE, there are many discussions at many levels in which the Government, the Academics, the Political Parties and the Civil Society Activists are engaged. I had the opportunity of participating in a few.

Working for more than 30 years in the Tribal Areas, I have experienced the development challenges, the hopes and aspirations of various tribal communities.  I have also visualised the world of possibilities. What is missing is the tribal self-rule as assured by the Constitution and the PESA. What is lacking is the interface between the tribal communities and the Constitutional Authorities. When the access to these Authorities is denied and when the tribals and poor do not get a chance to ventilate their grievances and when there is an assault on their lives and livelihood, what option is there for them?

On the other hand, the shrinking democratic space in the tribal areas with so much violence and counter-violence and the double speak of the state have contributed much to the expanding discontent among the tribals. For example, the tribals have certain cohesive ethnicity and all the government programmes are dicing these communities. Take the example of the formation of the SHGs and inroad of micro-finances. They divide the tribal communities. Take another example of the scale of Land Acquisition for Industrialisation and other mega projects and in comparison to that the land to the landless tribals is insignificant. Take another example on development planning process. Instead of involving the tribal communities, everything is top-down. These are the reasons why the tribals are losing their trust on the State and other well-wishers!