Red corridor
The influence zone of the Naxalites is called the red corridor. [7] [8] The armed wing of the Maoists is called the People's Liberation Guerrilla Army, [9] [10] which has conducted multiple attacks on the security forces and government workers in the corridor. [11]
Socio-economic conditions
Some of the states that form a major part of the red corridor such as Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, and Odisha have a low Human Development Index and a high poverty rate. [12] [13] The key characteristic of these regions is that these regions are overpopulated and solely dependent on the primary sector activities such as agriculture, with the majority of the population does not own lands. [14] [15] The Maoist movement began in the late 1960s as a conflict between the tribal peasants and the land owners, which was attributed to the lack of tribal autonomy with respect to natural resources on their lands, and land ownership. [16] [17] While the region has significant natural resources, [18] tribal communities participated in Naxalism probably as a means of push back against the state, including the usage of land for resource extraction. [19] [20] [21]
Impoverished areas with no electricity, running water, or poor healthcare provided by the state probably accepted social services from Naxalite groups, and gave their support to the Naxal cause in return. [22] The state's absence allowed the Naxalites to become the legitimate authority in these areas by performing state-like functions, including enacting policies of redistribution and building infrastructure for irrigation. [23] The Indian government states that the Naxalites prevent the common people from access to public services. [24] [25]
Affected districts
The insurgency reached its peak in the late 2000s with almost 180 affected districts and has been on the decline since then due to the counter-insurgency actions and development plans formulated by the Government. [26] As of April 2024, 38 districts across nine states are affected by Naxalist extremism. [27] The Minister of Home Affairs of India, Amit Shah in March 2025 further informed the parliament that the naxalism is now mostly limited to 18 districts only. [28] The corridor mostly encompasses districts from Central and East India. [29] [30] [31]
| State | No. of districts in the state | No. of districts affected | Districts affected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chhattisgarh | 28 | 7 | Bijapur, Dantewada, Gariyaband, Kanker, Mohla-Manpur-Ambagarh Chowki, Narayanpur, Sukma |
| Odisha | 30 | 4 | Kalahandi, Kandhamal, Malkangiri, Nuapada |
| Jharkhand | 24 | 1 | West Singhbhum |
| Madhya Pradesh | 55 | 2 | Balaghat, Mandla |
| Maharashtra | 36 | 1 | Gadchiroli |
| Telangana | 33 | 2 | Bhadradri Kothagudem, Mulugu |
| Andhra Pradesh | 26 | 1 | Alluri Sitarama Raju |
| Total | 232 | 18 |