Lok Sabha Question No. 831 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-07-25
Subject: Naxalite Incidents
Ministry: HOME AFFAIRS
Asked by: Lallu Singh

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 831

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 25 TH  JULY, 2023/ SRAVANA 3, 1945 (SAKA)

NAXALITE INCIDENTS

831.      SHRI LALLU SINGH:

Will the Minister of HOME AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

(a)  the  steps  taken  by  the  Government to prevent naxalite organisations from recruiting children; and

(b) the number of naxalite related incidents and deaths that happened in the country between 2004 to 2014 and from 2014 to till date separately?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS (SHRI NITYANAND RAI)

(a) As  per  Seventh  Schedule  of  the  Constitution  of  India,  subjects  of Police  and  Public  Order  are  with  the  State  Governments.  However,  to address  Left  Wing  Extremism  (LWE)  menace  holistically,  Government  of India (GoI) approved 'National Policy and Action Plan to address LWE' in 2015 envisaging a multi-pronged strategy involving security related measures, development interventions, ensuring rights and entitlements of local communities  etc.  Steadfast  implementation  of  this  policy has resulted in consistent decline in LWE related violence and it's geographical spread .

GoI  has  enacted  the  Juvenile  Justice  (Care  and  Protection  of Children)  Act,  2015  (JJ  Act)  for  children  in  distress  situation  including children  in  conflict  with  law  (CCL)  and  children  in  need  of  care  and protection (CNCP). As per provisions of JJ Act, a child who is victim of or affected by any armed conflict, civil unrest or natural calamity, is included as  a  'child  in  need  of  care  and  protection',  among  others.  The  act mandated a safety net of service delivery structures including institutional and  non  institutional  care  mechanisms,  to  ensure  the  best  interest  of children.

As per the JJ Act, any non-state, self-styled militant group or outfit declared as such by the GoI, if recruits or uses any child for any purpose, shall be liable for criminal prosecution.

Ministry of Women  and  Child Development is implementing a centrally sponsored Child Protection Services (CPS) scheme, for supporting the States/Union Territories (UTs) in providing a framework for care and protection of children in distress conditions. Under the scheme, institutional care is available for CNCP and CCL, including provisions for boarding, lodging and holistic development of children. The scheme also

provides for non-institutional care wherein support is extended for adoption,  foster  care  and  sponsorship.  The  primary  responsibility  of implementation of the scheme rests with the States/UTs.

(b) During the period from 2004 to 2014 there were 17,679 LWE related incidents and 6,984 deaths. During the period from 2014 to 2023 (till 15 June 23) there have been 7,649 LWE related incidents and 2,020 deaths. Year-wise details are annexed.

A  comparison  of  various  statistics  of  LWE  violence  over  last  nine years  (May  2014  to  April  2023)  with  preceding  nine  years  (May  2005  to April 2014) indicates a significant improvement in the LWE scenario in the country.  The  incidents  of  LWE  related  violence  reduced  by  52%  from 14,862 to 7130 and the total number of deaths reduced by 69% from 6035 to 1868 in the said period.

The  figures  are  a  reflection  of  the  efficacy  of  operations  being conducted  by  the  Security  Forces  and  the  capacity  building  measures undertaken  by  the  Ministry  of  Home  Affairs.  At  the  same  time,  the developmental outreach by Government of India has seen an increasingly large number of LWE cadres shunning the path of violence and returning to the mainstream.

LWE Related Incidents and Deaths From 2004 To 2023 (Till 15 June 23)

| Year/Parameter         | Incidents   |   Deaths |
|------------------------|-------------|----------|
| 2004                   | 1533        |      566 |
| 2005                   | 1608        |      677 |
| 2006                   | 1509        |      678 |
| 2007                   | 1565        |      696 |
| 2008                   | 1591        |      721 |
| 2009                   | 2258        |      908 |
| 2010                   | 2213        |     1005 |
| 2011                   | 1760        |      611 |
| 2012                   | 1415        |      415 |
| 2013                   | 1136        |      397 |
| 2014                   | 1091        |      310 |
| 2015                   | 1089        |      230 |
| 2016                   | 1048        |      278 |
| 2017                   | 908         |      263 |
| 2018                   | 833         |      240 |
| 2019                   | 670         |      202 |
| 2020                   | 665         |      183 |
| 2021                   | 509         |      147 |
| 2022                   | 413* 118**  |       98 |
| 2023 (till 15 June 23) | 250* 55**   |       69 |

From 2022, data is maintained separately for number of incidents perpetrated by Left Wing Extremists and incidents initiated by Security Forces.

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