BharatNotes Naxalism
nounUsage in a UPSC answer
Successive governments have recognised that Naxalism cannot be subdued by paramilitary force alone, for the insurgency draws its lifeblood from the developmental deficits — land alienation, displacement and the denial of forest rights — that fester across the tribal heartland of the Red Corridor.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Word Family
Naxal (n./adj.), Naxalite (n./adj.), Naxalism (n.), Naxalites (n. pl.)
Root
Coined: place name Naxalbari (village, Darjeeling district, West Bengal) + English suffix -ism
Etymology
Named after Naxalbari, a village in Darjeeling district, West Bengal, where a peasant uprising in 1967 led by Charu Majumdar and Kanu Sanyal gave birth to the movement; formed from the place name Naxalbari + the English suffix -ism.
Memory Hook
"Naxal" = NAXALbari, the West Bengal village where the 1967 peasant revolt ignited — picture a village uprising that lent its name to an "-ism."
Seen in UPSC Question Papers
- Mains 2022 · GS3 · 15 marks — Internal Security
Real UPSC previous-year questions whose text uses “Naxalism” — proof this word earns its place on your list.
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