The Hindu Editorial Analysis
11 September 2025
To build roads is to build peace
(Source – The Hindu, International Edition – Page No. – 14)
Topic : GS 3: Infrastructure
Context
Roads reclaim the space of governance from non-state groups sustained by remoteness.
Introduction
In India’s tribal heartlands, particularly in Maoist-affected regions, roads signify far more than mere transport. They serve as symbols of the state, cutting through forests and hills while also piercing layers of neglect and marginalisation. In areas where formal institutions remain distant, the construction of a road often heralds the first tangible presence of governance.
Roads as Catalysts of Stability
- Research evidence shows that road development in conflict-affected areas has a stabilising effect.
- In Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, and Odisha — core States of the Red Corridor — rural roads are linked to better electricity access, jobs, and security.
- Roads help the state reclaim governance from non-state actors who exploit isolation.
- In the absence of the state, insurgent groups step in with slogans, parallel institutions, and systems.
- Classic examples, like Diego Gambetta’s study of the Sicilian Mafia, show how extralegal actors assume functions such as taxation and conflict resolution when governance retreats.
- In India, Maoist insurgents fill gaps through informal courts and by levying their own “taxes.”
Extralegal Governance: Filling Gaps, Seeking Legitimacy
- Governance gaps trigger opportunistic entrepreneurship, where insurgents provide selective services.
- Reports note that extralegal groups have even dispensed basic medical aid where clinics were absent — blurring the line between care and coercion.
- Alpa Shah (2018) and Human Rights Watch (2009) found that Maoists often run welfare and health services, backed by the threat of violence.
- As Zachariah Mampilly (2011) argued, such services are strategic, not charitable — aimed at legitimacy and control.
- However, legitimacy cannot rest on coercion. Extralegal justice is opaque, arbitrary, and punitive.
- Maoist jan adalats (kangaroo courts) have issued summary punishments, including executions without due process — more terror than tribunal.
Infrastructure as the Foundation of Lawful Authority
- Infrastructure enables governance: it is the physical precondition for lawful authority.
- Jain & Biswas (2023) show that road connectivity reduces crime and increases service access.
- Prieto-Curiel & Menezes (2020) demonstrate that poor connectivity correlates with higher violence worldwide.
- Roads are not just functional; they are political.
- Through roads, the state brings schools, clinics, police stations, and courts, introducing services within democratic frameworks.
- Formal institutions function under laws, accountability, and electoral oversight, unlike informal justice systems, which often mirror power hierarchies and patriarchal norms.
- Without formal courts, communities risk mob reprisals and collective punishments.
- The Indian state recognises this: in Chhattisgarh, B.V.R. Subrahmanyam’s strategy placed infrastructure first, followed by education, healthcare, and law enforcement.
- Each new road sends a clear message: the state has arrived, and it is here to stay.
Safeguards are needed too
- Without institutional safeguards — such as justice systems, health-care access, and community consultation — roads risk becoming symbols of control instead of inclusion.
- A road must not just cut through a village but be built with the village, as this is crucial for legitimacy.
- Informal social norms, even outside insurgent influence, can also be exclusionary.
- In parts of rural India, khap panchayats and caste councils function alongside or instead of formal institutions.
- These bodies often enforce rigid codes through shame or violence, offering quick resolution but lacking equityand legality.
- Development must aim not only to replace insurgent authority but to foster pluralistic, rights-based governance erooted in India’s constitutional values.
Conclusion
As India deepens its investments in tribal heartlands, particularly in southern Chhattisgarh, road development must be seen as part of a larger commitment to ensuring justice, dignity, and opportunity. The purpose of such infrastructure is not only to enable physical movement but also to foster a sense of belonging and inclusion. In this sense, building roads is ultimately about building peace.