The full form of LWE is Left Wing Extremism.

Left-wing extremism, also known by various other names such as Naxalism and Maoism, is a form of armed insurgency against the State motivated by leftist ideologies. Left-wing extremists are also known as Maoists globally and as Naxalites in India. 

• There are several left-wing extremist organisations in the country operating in many areas.
• They reject parliamentary democracy and are aiming at waging an armed revolution against the government.
• They follow extreme violence and also harm innocent civilians in many cases.
• Some groups also engage in parliamentary politics while at the same time, maintain underground cadres. Examples of such groups: Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation and the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Janashakti.
• Traditionally, during the early years of the movement, they handled weapons like bows and arrows, and country-made firearms, but now, they possess sophisticated weapons including rocket launchers and AK rifles.
• The common theme among all the groups is that they are anti-government, and desire a violent mass struggle.
• They try to get the support of the marginalised people in rural areas by espousing their cause and projecting their real and perceived grievances.
• The most important and dangerous among the groups is the Communist Party of India (Maoist)/CPI-M.
• The Maoists derive their ideology from Maoism, a form of communism espoused by Mao Zedong of China.