A Chance for Peace?: Hurdles on the path to a peaceful solution of India’s Maoist Insurgency

Annay Chatterjee
Affiliation: Symbiosis School for Liberal Arts, Pune
Symbiosis International (Deemed University)
Correspondence: annaychatterjee01@gmail.com

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Chatterjee, A. (2025). A chance for peace?: Hurdles on the path to a peaceful solution of India’s Maoist insurgency. Confluence: Journal for Interdisciplinary Studies, Volume IX, 1-24.

Abstract

 Despite nominal engagement in peace efforts, both the state and Maoist leadership treated negotiations as strategic opportunities rather than sincere efforts toward resolution (Fazal, 2015). This dynamic aligns with Walter’s theory of the “credible commitment problem,” where parties involved in conflict hesitate to uphold agreements, fearing that doing so may weaken their strategic position  (Walter, 1997, pg. 340). Ultimately, these negotiations collapsed because neither party was willing to compromise, as the perceived incentives for meaningful peace talks were deemed unviable, making a peaceful resolution to this insurgency elusive (Braithwaite & Butcher, 2023).

Peace negotiations are inherently complex and prolonged, particularly when they are embedded in deep-seated political and ideological conflicts (Fortna, 2004). The Indian government’s approach to the Naxalite-Maoist insurgency primarily relies on standardized counter-insurgency measures, emphasizing military suppression over dialogue (Bhambhri, 2015). This paper argues that a long-term peace process has yet to materialize due to vested political interests and a pervasive sense of insecurity on both sides, that is, the Indian bureaucratic and military agencies and the Maoists (Haragopal, 2017). The root of this mistrust lies in the fact that the Communist Party of India (Maoist) perceives Indian democracy as serving bourgeois elites, and is engaging in an armed struggle to establish a “New Democracy” (Singh, 2006, pg.26). Conversely, the state, viewing the Maoists through a predominantly security-centric lens, treats it as a strictly “law and order” issue rather than pursuing reconciliation and addressing their socio-economic demands (Kujur, 2013, p. 4).

Keywords: Peace Process, Naxalite-Maoist Insurgency, Peace Negotiations, Peace Agreement, Conflict Resolution

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