Naxalism started as a social justice movement, 50 years ago, in a half village-half town in Darjeeling district of West Bengal where some poor peasants forcefully took away land from landlords. The police were called in on 24 May, 1967 and police officer Sonam Wangdi was killed by arrows shot by tribal peasant leader Jangal Santhal and others. The next day, a large armed police contingent arrived at Naxalbari and they fired at the peasants, killing nine women and two children. In a young independent India, where social disparity and feudal oppression was the order of the day, this tragedy
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