Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) in the context of Naxalite–Maoist insurgency

Naxalism is the communist ideology of the Naxalites or Naxals, a grouping of political and insurgent groups from India. It is influenced by Maoist political sentiment and ideology.

Inspired by Maoism, Charu Majumdar wrote the Historic Eight Documents, which became the basis of Naxalism. Majumdar, Kanu Sanyal, and Jangal Santhal formed a faction of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) that called for a protracted people's war. The Naxalite–Maoist insurgency started after a 1967 uprising in the village of Naxalbari, West Bengal. The ideology takes its name from the village. After the uprising, Sanyal established the Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist). Majumdar's writings became popular in urban areas. As students in Kolkata began to join the Naxalite movement, Majumdar shifted the ideology's focus beyond rural areas. The Naxalites splintered into various groups supportive of Maoist ideology. Under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act of India (1967), some Naxalite organisations are designated as terrorist groups.

The Naxalite–Maoist insurgency, a conflict waged by left-wing extremist (LWE) groups following a Maoist political ideology and claim to be fighting a rural people's war against the Indian government, began with the 1967 Naxalbari uprising and the subsequent split from the Communist Party of India (Marxist), leading to the formation of a Marxist–Leninist faction that later splintered into smaller groups. Declared terrorist organisations under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act of India (1967), the Naxalites' armed wing, the People's Liberation Guerrilla Army, has been responsible for the deaths of over 4,000 civilians and 2,500 security personnel since the 2000s.

Because of the government's people-oriented infrastructure development and counter-insurgency efforts, the Naxals' influence zone – the red corridor in Central and East India – has shrunk dramatically from a peak of nearly 180 districts in the late 2000s to just 12 districts by 2025, with over 10,000 insurgents surrendering between 2015 and 2025.

The Naxalbari uprising was an armed peasant revolt in 1967 in the Naxalbari block of Siliguri subdivision in Darjeeling district, West Bengal, India. It was mainly led by tribals and the radical communist leaders of Bengal and further developed into the Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) in 1969. The armed struggle led to the birth of Naxalism and the beginning of the Naxalite–Maoist insurgency, which rapidly spread from West Bengal to other states of India, and continues to this day.

India has many Naxalite and Maoist groups, many of which descend from the Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist).