P. V. Ramana

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Archive data: Person was Research Fellow at IDSA from September 2007 to December 2018
P V Ramana was Research Fellow at IDSA. A student of South Asian studies, he works on the Naxalite-Maoist movement in India. He was awarded MPhil in 1996, and PhD in 1999 by Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. He is the editor of a book entitled The Naxal Challenge (2008), and author of the book Understanding India’s Maoists: Select Documents (2014). He has contributed papers in national and international journals and periodicals, chapters in edited books and articles in newspapers and popular websites. He has published a commissioned paper entitled “Red Storm Rising: India’s intractable Maoist insurgency” in the authoritative Jane’s Intelligence Review, London.
Dr. Ramana is on the guest faculty of ITBP Academy, Mussorrie, BSF Academy, Tekanpur, Internal Security Academy, Mount Abu, and CRPF Academy, Kadarpur. He has made presentations at Headquarters, Integrated Defence Staff, New Delhi, Army War College, Mhow, National Police Academy, Hyderabad, and Andhra Pradesh Police Academy, Hyderabad.
In June 2010 and March 2011, he designed and conducted an orientation programme for officers of the Delhi Police and NCR region at the invitation of the Police Commissioner, Delhi. In May 2010, he conducted a similar programme for IPS officers of the Gujarat cadre at the invitation of DGP, Gujarat. During 2012-13, he conducted orientation programmes for senior police officers of Karnataka, Punjab, Uttarakhand and Assam, at the request of the Ministry of Home Affairs. In 2005, he was consulted by the All India Congress Committee (AICC)-appointed “Task Force on Naxalite Violence” in the preparation of its report.
Research Fellow
E-mail: palepuramana[at]gmail[dot]com
Phone: +91 11 2671 7983 Extn, 7119

Publication

Maoists’ Abduction Tactic

Abduction is a Maoist tactic to arm-twist the government and secure the release of imprisoned comrades as well as make some tactical gains by placing demands that could be projected as pro-people.

A Critical Evaluation of the Union Government’s Response to the Maoist Challenge

The Union Government took notice of the current phase of the Naxalite challenge with concern, for the first time, in 1998. Since then, it has been playing a coordinating role among the various affected states to address the challenge. It has also been advising the affected states on ways to deal with the challenge. By 2003, the Union Government had put in place a two-pronged approach to address the Maoist challenge - that of a development response and a security response. However, all along, the Union Government's response has largely been security-centric.

Maoists’ Attacks on Infrastructure

Rebels of the Communist Party of India (Maoist) have been repeatedly targeting infrastructure, which are soft targets. The targets of their attacks include telecommunication towers, Railways and power transmission centres and lines, to name a few.

Railway a Soft Target for Maoists

A little before dawn on December 12, 2007, Naxalites of the Communist Party of India (Maoist) blew up railway track at two different places in Bihar – the first one near Bhalui halt station on Jhajha-Kiul section of East Central Railway, disrupting train services on the Patna-Howrah main line and the other on the single line between Kajra and Urain stations on Kiul-Jamalpur section of Eastern Railway.

Unabated Maoist Violence: Ignoring Is Not Bliss

The Maoists continue to advance their violent campaign to capture political power through armed revolution. In the current year, till October 31, 571 lives have been lost in Maoist violence. Another 12, including two civilians and 10 personnel of the Mizo Battalion, were killed in an ambush on November 29 near Konta in Chhattisgarh. Correspondingly, the state response has been inadequate in containing the Maoists’ campaign and their influence. Strikingly various authorities continue to hold a widely divergent perception of the spatial spread of the Maoist movement.