Naxalbari uprising in the context of Darjeeling

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.

Charu Majumdar (15 May 1918 – 28 July 1972) was an Indian communist leader, and founder and General Secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist). Born into a progressive landlord family in Siliguri in 1918, he became a Communist during the Indian independence movement, and later formed Naxalism. During this period, he authored the historic accounts of the 1967 Naxalbari uprising. His writings, particularly the Historic Eight Documents, have become part of the ideology of a number of Communism-aligned political parties in India.

Kanu Sanyal (1932 – 23 March 2010) was an Indian communist politician. In 1967, he was one of the main leaders of the Naxalbari uprising and in 1969 he was one of the founding leaders of Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) (CPI (ML)). Sanyal died by suicide on 23 March 2010.

The Naxalite–Maoist insurgency is an ongoing conflict between the Indian government and left-wing extremist groups. The Naxalites are a group of communist groups following Maoist political sentiment and ideology, and claim to fight a rural rebellion and people's war against the government.

The insurgency started after the 1967 Naxalbari uprising and the subsequent split of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) leading to the creation of a Marxist–Leninist faction. The faction later splintered into various 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.

Naxalbari (Bengali: Nôkśālbāṛi, IPA: [nɔkʃalbaɽi]; also spelled Naksalbari) is a village in the Naxalbari Community Development Block in the Siliguri subdivision of Darjeeling district, in the Indian state of West Bengal. Located in the Terai region near the border with Nepal, it is known as the site of a 1967 peasant uprising that inspired the Naxalite movement in India. The surrounding area is predominantly agricultural, with tea estates, forests and small villages.