IIM-A students study to tackle Naxalism

Updated on: Monday, October 04, 2010

Naxalism, which has wreaked havoc in various parts of the country in the recent times, may soon get a management perspective solution.

A team of five students of the post graduate programme for executives ( PGPX) at the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (IIM-A) have taken the initiative to find out the root cause for the disturbance. Now, they will come up with a way to tackle it.

The five students - Tanushree Datta, Jyoti Agrawal, Gautam Bhuyan, Vinayak Bhat and Gautam Cormoli - recently visited the Naxal-affected villages in Chhattisgarh. They spoke to villagers in Raipur, Jagdalpur, Dantewada and Bijapur to get an understanding of the issues people face and from where the Naxals source their funds. But the reality, as they learnt over the course of their stay, was more disturbing than what has been projected.

The team found out that there was hardly any social development in these villages; civic amenities and infrastructure were also limited.

The Naxals force children in these villages to join their movement. They beat them and even go to the extent of killing them if they disagree. The police on the other hand tortures them, alleging that they are sympathizing with the underground movement, the team found.

Based on their first-hand experience and understanding of the situation, the students plan to come up with a solution that will help check problems created by Naxals. They will propose the same to former president APJ Abdul Kalam as part of the GRIT (Globalising and Resurgent India through Initiative Transformation) course at IIM-A.

Although many villagers in Chhattisgarh are helplessly stuck between the police and the Naxals, none seemed to know the reason for the Naxal movement.

"What we saw and understood was very different from what is commonly believed about Naxals - that the cause of their agitation is lack of facilities and development," Bhat said. "The villagers' understanding of hygiene and amenities is very different. They lead a self-sufficient and peaceful life, if not for the disturbances brought about by the Naxals and the police," he added.

When the students asked villagers what facilities they needed, they made very simple demands, like of a hand pump or an additional schoolteacher. "They didn't seem to want much. In fact, what actually they need is peace," said Datta.

The students are yet to complete their project, but they intend to come up with suggestions that will help deal with Naxal-related issues. "We will suggest some better ways of implementing government policies in these areas so that it meets the real interest of the villagers," added Datta.

IIM-A students study to tackle Naxalism

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