The Naxal Movement: Rise, Leaders, Struggle, Government Response and Decline (ISC Class 12 History)
Updated 17 October 2026 · Fact-checked
The Naxal Movement began with the peasant uprising at Naxalbari in West Bengal in May 1967, led by Kanu Sanyal and others, and was shaped by Charu Majumdar's call for armed agrarian revolution. It spread to Andhra Pradesh, drew in students, was met by heavy police and army action, and declined in the 1970s after the arrest of its leaders and splits.
Notice how three causes and two leaders fed the Naxalbari spark of 1967, which then spread, was crushed by force, and declined in the 1970s.
Illustration drawn for QuestionBuddy.
Understand The Naxal Movement
What the syllabus asks. The syllabus lists the "factors of its rise; main leaders (Charu Majumdar and Kanu Sanyal); areas where they operated (West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh) and the struggle carried out by peasants and students; government measures against it; reasons for its decline in the 1970s and its impact". That is seven items, numbered 1 to 7 below (leaders and areas are separate sections); the syllabus limits the leaders and areas to those named.
1. Factors of its rise.
1. *Agrarian exploitation.* Land reforms and ceiling laws were not implemented; sharecroppers and landless labourers were evicted and exploited by jotedars (landlords) and moneylenders.
2. *Tribal grievances.* Tribal land was taken by outsiders and forests were closed to tribals; constitutional protections for scheduled areas were poorly enforced.
3. *A widening gap* between rich and poor and frustration with the slow pace of change after 1947.
4. *Ideology.* Radicals in the CPI(M), inspired by Mao Zedong and the Chinese revolution, rejected the parliamentary path. Charu Majumdar's writings, known as the "Historic Eight Documents", called for armed agrarian revolution.
5. *The spark.* In May 1967 at Naxalbari (Darjeeling district, West Bengal) peasants led by Kanu Sanyal and Jangal Santhal seized land and clashed with the police.
2. Main leaders. Charu Majumdar and Kanu Sanyal. The CPI (Marxist-Leninist) was formed in 1969.
3. Areas. West Bengal (Naxalbari, Debra-Gopiballavpur, Birbhum) and Andhra Pradesh (the Srikakulam tribal struggle, 1967-70).
4. The struggle of peasants and students. Peasants seized land, burnt land records and cancelled debts. The line of "annihilation of class enemies" led to killings of landlords and moneylenders. In 1970-71 students in Calcutta, including from leading colleges, joined and carried out "urban guerrilla" attacks on schools, statues and police.
5. Government measures. Large police and paramilitary operations, including a joint army-police operation (Operation Steeplechase, 1971) in West Bengal and neighbouring states; mass arrests under preventive detention laws; encounter killings; and some land-reform and development measures to address grievances.
6. Reasons for decline in the 1970s.
1. Severe repression and arrest of the leaders; Charu Majumdar died in police custody in 1972.
2. Splits within the CPI(ML) over the annihilation line and strategy; Kanu Sanyal himself criticised it.
3. Indiscriminate violence alienated ordinary people and the middle class.
4. Land reforms by later governments reduced some grievances.
7. Impact. It drew national attention to agrarian and tribal exploitation and pushed governments towards land reform. It left a legacy of Left-wing extremism, and later Maoist groups traced their roots to it. It also raised questions about human rights during counter-insurgency.
Balance. Write about violence and the state's response in a neutral tone: describe what each side did and the reasons each gave.
The Naxal Movement: key facts
- Leaders and places
- Charu Majumdar
- Kanu Sanyal
- Naxalbari, May 1967
- Srikakulam, Andhra Pradesh
- CPI(ML) formed 1969
- Names and places from the syllabus.
- Government response
- Police and paramilitary operations
- Operation Steeplechase 1971
- Preventive detention
- Some land reform
- Force plus limited reform.
- Reasons for decline
- Repression and arrests
- Majumdar died 1972
- Splits
- Violence alienated people
- Land reforms
- Four reasons (repression and arrests, splits, violence alienated people, land reforms); Majumdar's death in 1972 is part of the repression.
How to answer The Naxal Movement questions
The question is usually one of six types (leaders and areas are often asked together): factors of rise, leaders/areas, peasant-student struggle, government measures, decline, impact. For "factors" split into economic, tribal, social and ideological.
- 1Open with Naxalbari, 1967, and the leaders.
- 2Explain the factors in four or five points.
- 3Describe peasant and student action with one example each.
- 4Give the state's response and the reasons for decline.
- 5End with impact.
The Naxal Movement in real life
The idea, met in an everyday situation. Answer the question in your own words, then compare with the model answer. The one-line hook is what to remember.
Why unresolved grievances lead to unrest
Suppose farmers in a village are promised, year after year, that a canal will bring them water but it is never built, while a few large landowners get water from private pumps.
What may happen if the farmers lose hope in the process?
Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
- They see no benefit from asking.
- Some turn to more forceful methods.
- The authorities respond with force, which may harden the divide.
Answer: Unresolved grievances can push people towards radical methods; poor land reform and exploitation were seen by many as causes of the Naxal movement.
Memory hook: Delay breeds anger.
Violence and loss of public sympathy
Imagine a campaign for a cause that begins with wide support but later begins to attack people and property.
What may happen to its support?
Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
- Some supporters feel the methods are wrong.
- The middle class and neutrals draw back.
- Authorities find it easier to justify strong action.
Answer: Violence can reduce sympathy; indiscriminate violence by the Naxals alienated ordinary people and was one reason for the decline.
Memory hook: Means matter.
Tricks to remember The Naxal Movement
Short memory aids. Say each one aloud once, then use it on a question the same day.
A-T-G-I-S for causes
Agrarian exploitation, Tribal grievances, Gap between rich and poor, Ideology (Mao), Spark (Naxalbari).
Use it when: Five causes.
R-S-V-L for decline
Repression, Splits, Violence alienates, Land reform.
Use it when: Four reasons for decline.
The Naxal Movement: solved examples
Ordered from board level to HOTS. Try each one before you open the solution.
Example 1: Leaders and places · 2 marks · Very short answerBoard level
Name the two main leaders of the Naxal movement and the two states where it was strongest. [2]
Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
- Charu Majumdar and Kanu Sanyal (1 mark).
- West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh (1 mark).
Answer: The main leaders were Charu Majumdar and Kanu Sanyal; the movement was strongest in West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh.
Example 2: The Naxalbari spark · 3 marks · Short answerBoard level
What happened at Naxalbari in 1967, and why is it important? [3]
Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
- Peasants led by Kanu Sanyal seized land, clashed with police, May 1967 (1 mark).
- In Darjeeling district, West Bengal (1 mark).
- Gave its name to the movement (1 mark).
Answer: In May 1967 at Naxalbari in Darjeeling district, West Bengal, peasants led by Kanu Sanyal and Jangal Santhal seized land and clashed with the police. The uprising gave the movement its name and became the model for armed agrarian struggle.
Example 3: Factors of its rise · 6 marks · Long answerHarder board level
Explain the main factors that led to the rise of the Naxal movement in the late 1960s. [6]
Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
- Agrarian exploitation (2 marks).
- Tribal grievances (1 mark).
- Inequality and frustration (1 mark).
- Ideology and Charu Majumdar's documents (2 marks).
Answer: Land reform and ceiling laws were not implemented, so sharecroppers and landless labourers were evicted and exploited by jotedars and moneylenders. Tribal people had lost land to outsiders and forests were closed to them, while protections for scheduled areas were poorly enforced. There was a growing gap between rich and poor and frustration with the slow pace of change after independence. Radicals within the CPI(M), inspired by Mao Zedong and the Chinese revolution, rejected the parliamentary path, and Charu Majumdar's writings called for armed agrarian revolution. The Naxalbari uprising of May 1967 provided the spark.
Example 4: Why did it decline? · 6 marks · Long answerHarder board level
Examine the reasons for the decline of the Naxal movement in the 1970s. [6] (Analysis)
Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
- Repression and arrests, Majumdar's death (2 marks).
- Splits and Sanyal's criticism (2 marks).
- Loss of public support; land reforms (2 marks).
Answer: Heavy repression, including Operation Steeplechase in 1971, mass arrests and encounter killings, destroyed much of the organisation, and Charu Majumdar died in police custody in 1972. The CPI(ML) split over the policy of annihilation of class enemies and over strategy, and Kanu Sanyal himself criticised the line. Indiscriminate violence alienated ordinary people and the middle class, which cost the movement its sympathisers. Some land reforms by later governments also reduced the grievances that had fed it.
Example 5: Source-based: a leader's call · 6 marks · Source-basedHOTS / competency
Read the extract (written for this page) and answer.
A political leader wrote that the peasants of the countryside must rise in arms, seize land from the big landlords and destroy the old order, because the parliamentary road would never end their suffering. His followers formed a new party in 1969, and some students left college to work in villages.
(i) Identify the leader and the party. [1]
(ii) State one source of his ideas outside India. [1]
(iii) Why did some students join, and how did they act in Calcutta in 1970-71? [2]
(iv) Give one criticism made of this approach and the government's response. [2]
Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
- (i) Charu Majumdar; CPI (Marxist-Leninist) (1 mark).
- (ii) Mao Zedong and the Chinese revolution (1 mark).
- (iii) Idealism and anger at inequality; attacks on schools, statues and police (2 marks).
- (iv) Violence alienated people; police and army operations such as Operation Steeplechase (2 marks).
Answer: (i) Charu Majumdar; the CPI (Marxist-Leninist). (ii) The ideas of Mao Zedong and the Chinese revolution. (iii) Many students were moved by inequality and the failure of the parliamentary path; in Calcutta in 1970-71 they carried out "urban guerrilla" attacks on schools, statues and police. (iv) Critics said that indiscriminate violence alienated ordinary people; the government answered with large police and army operations, including Operation Steeplechase in 1971, and mass arrests.
Where students lose marks in The Naxal Movement
The slips examiners see most often, and what to write instead.
Mistake: Naming leaders or areas outside the syllabus
Adding other leaders and states.
Wrong working
A list of many leaders and areas across India.
Right working
Charu Majumdar and Kanu Sanyal; West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh.
Do this: Stay with the syllabus names.
Usually costs: 1 mark of time.
Mistake: Confusing Naxalites with the CPI(M)
They emerged from it.
Wrong working
The Naxal movement was the CPI(M)'s armed wing.
Right working
Radicals broke away from the CPI(M); they formed the CPI(ML) in 1969.
Do this: CPI(M) = parliament; CPI(ML) = armed revolution.
Usually costs: 2 marks.
Mistake: Giving only the government's force as the answer to decline
Ignoring splits.
Wrong working
Repression ended it.
Right working
Add the splits, the loss of public support and the death of Majumdar.
Do this: External plus internal.
Usually costs: 2 marks.
Mistake: One-sided language
Taking a side in a violent conflict.
Wrong working
The Naxals were simply criminals / The state was simply a murderer.
Right working
Describe grievances, methods and the state's response in neutral terms.
Do this: Give reasons for each side.
Usually costs: 1 mark (tone).
Exam tips
- Use the syllabus names exactly: Charu Majumdar, Kanu Sanyal, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh.
- Divide "factors" into economic, tribal, social and ideological points.
- Give a balanced impact answer: attention to grievances plus the cost of violence.
Practice questions on The Naxal Movement
Write each answer on paper first. Open the hint only if you are stuck, and the answer only when you have finished.
Q1 · 2 marks · Very short answerBoard level
What were the "Historic Eight Documents"? Who wrote them? [2]
Hint
Charu Majumdar's writings.
Answer
They were writings by Charu Majumdar that called for armed agrarian revolution and rejected the parliamentary path.
Q2 · 3 marks · Short answerBoard level
Name two measures taken by the government against the Naxals. [3]
Hint
Police operations and detention.
Answer
The government used large police and paramilitary operations, including the joint army-police Operation Steeplechase of 1971, and mass arrests under preventive detention laws. It also took some land-reform and development measures.
Q3 · 4 marks · Short answerHarder board level
Describe the part played by peasants and by students in the Naxal struggle. [4]
Hint
Land seizure; urban guerrilla action.
Answer
Peasants seized land, burnt land records and cancelled debts, and under the line of "annihilation of class enemies" some landlords and moneylenders were killed. In 1970-71 students in Calcutta joined, attacking schools, statues and police in "urban guerrilla" actions, which brought the movement into towns and also brought stronger police action.
Q4 · 5 marks · Short answerHarder board level
Explain the impact of the Naxal movement on Indian politics and society. [5]
Hint
Attention, reforms, legacy, human rights.
Answer
The movement drew national attention to agrarian and tribal exploitation and encouraged governments to take up land reform. It left a legacy of Left-wing extremism, since later Maoist groups traced their origin to it. Its suppression also raised questions about human rights during counter-insurgency.
Q5 · 6 marks · Long answerHOTS / competency
"The Naxal movement failed because it was suppressed." Evaluate this statement. [6] (Evaluation)
Hint
Compare suppression, internal splits and loss of support.
Answer
Suppression was an important cause: Operation Steeplechase, arrests and the death of Charu Majumdar in 1972 broke the organisation. But internal causes mattered too: splits over the annihilation line, Kanu Sanyal's criticism of it and the loss of public sympathy through violence. Some grievances were also addressed through land reforms. The movement also had a lasting effect by drawing attention to agrarian and tribal exploitation, so describing it simply as a failure caused only by suppression is incomplete.
Test your recall
Answer in your head or on paper first, then open the card. Pulling an answer out of memory makes it stick far better than re-reading.
1.Where and when did the Naxal movement begin?Show answer
Naxalbari, Darjeeling district, West Bengal, May 1967.
2.When was the CPI (Marxist-Leninist) formed?Show answer
1969.
3.What was Operation Steeplechase?Show answer
A joint army-police operation in 1971 against the Naxals.
4.When did Charu Majumdar die?Show answer
1972, in police custody.
5.Where in Andhra Pradesh was there a tribal Naxal struggle?Show answer
Srikakulam (1967-70).
6.Whose ideas inspired the Naxal leaders?Show answer
Mao Zedong and the Chinese revolution.
The Naxal Movement: frequently asked questions
Why did the Naxal movement arise?
Because of agrarian exploitation, tribal grievances, inequality and frustration with the parliamentary path, together with the influence of Mao's ideas and the Naxalbari uprising.
Who were the leaders of the Naxal movement?
Charu Majumdar and Kanu Sanyal.
How did the government deal with the Naxals?
By police and army operations, mass arrests and some land-reform and development measures.
Why did the movement decline?
Because of repression, the arrest of leaders, splits, alienation of public opinion through violence and some land reforms.