Investigating the Consequences of Forceful Counterterrorism Actions in India

• In Event: Terrorism and/as State Crime

Abstract

We investigate whether forceful, government counter-terrorism efforts directed at the CPI-Maoists (Naxalites) in India produced backlash effects by increasing terrorist violence. This study is built upon previous empirical findings that harsh counter-terrorism strategies may create backlash effects that increase terrorism. By using the Global Terrorism Database (GTD), we look for possible consequences of counter-terrorism that affect the ensuing terrorism landscape in India. In the wake of recent actions of the Indian government against intellectuals seen as sympathetic to the Naxalites (N. Masih, Washington Post, February 21, 2019) and the Indian government's identification of Naxalites as India’s number one security threat, our findings have important implications for terrorism policy and practices.

Authors

• Henda Yao Hsu, University of Houston-Clear Lake

• John H. Weigel, Texas State University