Article 244 of the Indian Constitution relates to administration of scheduled areas and tribal areas.…

Question

Article 244 of the Indian Constitution relates to administration of scheduled areas and tribal areas. Analyse the impact of non-implementation of the provisions of the Fifth schedule on the growth of Left Wing extremism.

Ghissu Editorial · Accepted Answer

Non-implementation of the Fifth Schedule left tribal land, forest and self-rule safeguards on paper, turning grievance and a governance vacuum into the base on which Left Wing Extremism grew. Despite Samatha (1997) voiding mining leases of tribal land, alienation continued and Maoists ran parallel Janatana Sarkars in Abujhmarh.

**Introduction**

Article 244(1) and the Fifth Schedule promised tribal regions protection through the Governor's special powers and Tribes Advisory Councils. Yet the Red Corridor's core, from Bastar to Gadchiroli, lies in these very Scheduled Areas.

**Fifth Schedule Safeguards Left on Paper**

1. **Dormant Governor powers**: Paragraph 5 powers to modify laws and regulate land and money-lending have rarely been used, and annual reports to the President became formalities.
2. **Weak councils, breached land laws**: Tribes Advisory Councils only advise, and despite Samatha (1997) voiding mining leases of tribal land, the Mungekar Committee (2009) still sought drives to restore alienated land.
3. **Areas never scheduled**: West Bengal has no Scheduled Area, and its Jangalmahal saw the Lalgarh uprising of 2008.

**Impact on the Growth of Left Wing Extremism**

SKETCH: flow | From Neglect to Insurgency
- Safeguards unenforced
- Land and forest alienation
- Displacement and debt
- Governance vacuum
- Maoist "Janatana Sarkar"

1. **Grievance as recruiting ground**: Displacement by mines and dams without consent gave Maoists a ready narrative of a state that takes land and gives nothing back.
2. **Parallel rule**: With PESA (1996) gram sabhas starved of rules and funds, Maoists ran "Janatana Sarkars" in unsurveyed Abujhmarh.
3. **Forest exploitation and trust deficit**: Pre-2006 forest harassment let Maoists win support by forcing up tendu leaf rates, and Salwa Judum, disbanded in Nandini Sundar (2011), deepened distrust.

**Conclusion**

Non-implementation of the Fifth Schedule did not create Maoism, but it turned tribal grievance into the movement's strongest base. As the LWE map shrinks to 11 districts by 2025 (PIB), honouring the Schedule's promise of self-rule and land security will keep it from returning.

Article 244 of the Indian Constitution relates to administration of scheduled areas and tribal areas. Analyse the impact of non-implementation of the provisions of the Fifth schedule on the growth of Left Wing extremism.

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