Armed Resistance, Economic (In)Security and the Household: A Case Study of the Maoist Insurgency in India

Abstract

The participation of men and women in all forms of anti-state armed resistance has deep impact on changing norms and practices within the household. However, the household is generally not considered to be an important unit of analysis in security thinking. Conversations between political economists and security studies scholars have not included an examination of the role and impact of the household in insurgent wars. There is clearly a need for such scholarly interactions given that governments are increasingly advocating a ‘security-development’ approach to prevent and reduce the impact of armed resistance and civil wars involving their citizens. The analysis presented in this chapter serves to illustrate how this emergent ‘security-development’ nexus becomes a strategic tool for insurgents seeking to increase their support base among marginalized households.