Nemesis of Left Extremism

Sangit Kumar Ragi

ISBN 10: 9004765042 / ISBN 13: 9789004765047

Published by Brill, NL, 2026

About this Item

This book examines the ideology of Naxalism in India with a focus on the factors, forces and dynamics which gave birth to it and sustained it for decades before rapidly moving towards extinction after 2014. It explains how the ideology of egalitarianism and the quest for realization of an exploitation-free society attracted both the educated elites in urban settings and the illiterate and the poor in remote rural India. The agrarian crisis in India and ideological divides within the global communist movement had an impact on the communist movement in India as well. The political parties and the Indian state also kept on wavering on their position, blowing hot and cold as per political convenience, which allowed the Naxal movement to sustain. The growth and success of the market economy eventually dented the ideological moorings, and the Indian state combined welfarism, development and clear military intent to finally prevail over the Naxalites.

Seller Inventory # LU-9789004765047

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Nemesis of Left Extremism
• Publisher: Brill, NL
• Publication Date: 2026
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 9004765042
• ISBN 13: 9789004765047
• Binding: Hardback
• Condition: New
• Weight: 643 grams

About this title

Synopsis

This book examines the ideology of Naxalism in India with a focus on the factors, forces and dynamics which gave birth to it and sustained it for decades before rapidly moving towards extinction after 2014. It explains how the ideology of egalitarianism and the quest for realization of an exploitation-free society attracted both the educated elites in urban settings and the illiterate and the poor in remote rural India. The agrarian crisis in India and ideological divides within the global communist movement had an impact on the communist movement in India as well. The political parties and the Indian state also kept on wavering on their position, blowing hot and cold as per political convenience, which allowed the Naxal movement to sustain. The growth and success of the market economy eventually dented the ideological moorings, and the Indian state combined welfarism, development and clear military intent to finally prevail over the Naxalites.

About the Author

Sangit Kumar Ragi is a professor and the former Head of the Department of Political Science at the University of Delhi, India. He has authored over two dozen research articles and books, including the RSS and Gandhi: The Idea of India (2025) by Routledge, New York.