Dr Manas Ranjan Nanda
Affiliation: Department of Sociology, Ekamra College, Bhubaneswar, India
Email: [email protected]
Abstract: The current article critically analyzes the origin and course of the Naxalite Movement in the context of social movement theories. It endeavors to question whether the Naxalite phenomenon can be considered a social movement in the sociological context, and how far prevailing theoretical models can adequately explain its development. Basing itself largely on the classical Marxian analysis—specifically its focus on class struggle and structural inequality—the article uses this theoretical framework as an analytical tool to understand the socio-economic realities that bred and nourished the movement in the long term. Methodologically, it is founded on a triangulated method using both primary (via field observations and interviews) and secondary (such as archival documents, scholarly texts, and government reports) sources of information to get an in-depth as well as holistic view of the movement’s dynamics and significance.
Keywords: Paradigm; Naxal; Institutionalization; Mobilization; Identity; Social Movement.