COMBATING 'TERROR OF THE RED BRIGADE' IN INDIA---PART ONE

Indian ‘Red Brigade’ is the Indian brand of ‘Taliban’. Its many factions go by different aliases and synonymous words, but the current favorite name is Maoists/Naxalites. In the modern context, they stand for ‘Insurgency, Violence, Terror and War’. In fact, they are worst than Pakistan’s Taliban because of the multi-fold threat they pose to Indian Nationhood. Indian Taliban has, lately, handed over its remote control into foreign hands. The latest upsurge in their activity is a clear cut indication of a foreign country’s desire to break up India into ‘20-30 states’. Maoists/Naxalites of India are the ‘Proxy’ soldiers of our Northern neighbor, undoubtedly.

It is truism that initial concern for the peasants, poor, down-trodden and the tribal of all revolutionaries later becomes a façade to attain personal glory and gains. Sympathy for the poor people is the mask that hides the ugly face of SATANIC AMBITIONS. The revolutionaries and their leaders as much exploit the masses as do the people they do accuse of. From Hitler to Stalin to Marshal Tito to Fidel Castro to Mao-Ze-dong to Dr Sukarno to General Suharto the script is the same and it is enacted with same gusto and spirit. This is also going to be true of all these 'Kishanjis', 'Kapeshwar Gandhis' and 'Ganpathis' who masquerade as revolutionary leaders of the Maoists/Naxalites.

History of Maoist movement is long and winding. As the name suggests ‘Maoists’ draw inspiration from late Chairman Mao-Ze-Dong of China, who believed in a ‘Violent Revolution’ to bring socio-politico change in his country. They go by the brand name of Communist party of India (Maoists), which came into existence in 2004, with the amalgamation of Maoist Coordination Centre (MCC) of Kishanji and People’s War group (PWG) of Ganpathi, the outfits functioning in Andhra Pradesh since 1975 and 1980 respectively. They had come out of Communist Party of India (Marxists-Leninists) formed in 1969.

Naxalites movement began in 1967 as a peasant movement in a small West Bengal village of Naxalbari, as a revolt against the high handedness of land lords. The revolt was led by two leaders of Communist Party of India–Marxists or CPI-(M), namely Charu Mazumdar and Kanu Sanyal. It later broke away from CPI (M) to form All India Communist Committee of Communist Revolutionaries (AICCCR) which, in 1969, turned into Communist Party of India (Marxists-Leninists) or CPI (M-L). This is the Bengal chapter of their history.

Most of the splinter groups of Naxalites/ Maoists ideologies owe their origin to CPI (M-L). In the South, we had a 'Dakshin Desh' group in the fifties of the last Century, which became Maoists Coordination Centre (MCC). As stated earlier, it later merged with the People’s War Group (PWG) to form Communist Party of India-‘Maoists’ or CPI (Maoists) on September 21, 2004. In July 2001, Maoists groups all over South Asia formed a Coordination Committee of Maoists Parties and Organizations in South Asia (CCMPOSA). The history of all these groups is well documented; I need not elaborate upon this here.

What is more important for us to know is the latest upsurge in the Maoists/Naxalites activities and their threat to Indian Nationhood. Over the last three years, since 2006, Naxalites/Maoists have killed some 2600 people including police and paramilitary force personnel in some 5800 incidents. The highest numbers of incidents of violence have taken place in the four states of Chhatisgarh, Bihar, Jharkhand and Orissa. Some 222 people had been killed in these four states between January 2006 to August 2009, as per the sources in the home ministry and as quoted in a news report on November 02, 2009 in ‘The Tribune’, published from Chandigarh.

The hijacking of trains, first a passenger train in Jharkhand and then more prestigious Rajdhani Express in West Bengal; beheading of a Jharkhand police officer; forcing of the West Bengal government to swap 22 Maoists for a kidnapped police officer; blowing up of a police station in Bihar; ambushing a police party in Chhatisgarh; firing on the Indian Air Force helicopter in Chhatisgarh during election duty of the Parliamentary elections in 2009 and numerous other incidents of violence which have taken place in various states in the Eastern and Central Regions of India, do give us an indication of the coming deluge of violence, chaos and disorder in the RED CORRIDOR in particular and the country as a whole. (See the map below). No doubts, Indian Prime Minister, Mr. Man Mohan Singh, rightly warned the nation that the biggest threat to Indian security emanated from Maoists and Naxalites.

MAP OF RED CORRIDOR

It has begun to expand West and Northwards. States like J&K, Haryana, Punjab, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Rajasthan are also getting infected. Thus, virtually whole of India is in its grip.

The map would show you that entire Eastern Coast Region along the Bay of Bengal is galvanized by it. It therefore poses a serious threat to integrity and unity of India. Initially, Maoists/Naxalites movement was confined to some 5-6 states only. Till about 2007, it was supposed to have affected some 190, out of 604 districts of just about 10 states in India. But according to Mr. P Chidambaram, Home Minister of India, the menace has spread to more than 2000 police stations in 233 districts of 20 states as quoted by the news item in the above-mentioned News Paper, The Tribune, of November 2, 2009. The Naxalites menace has now contaminated some 40,000 square kilometers across the country and it is estimated some 25 Lakh people live in these areas where Maoists/Naxalites have a free run.

It is a must to understand that poverty, underdevelopment, economic exploitation and social discrimination, are some of the legitimate causes which have been the breeding grounds for this menace. Add to it the callous neglect of the administration and Governmental machinery to address the genuine problems of the people. In the news item of The Tribune, quoted above, Mr. P Chidambaram, Home Minister of India, has been quoted to say that centre and state governments had not paid attention to this issue for the last 10-13 years. Therefore, it is must to address the genuine problems of the people before we think of any solution to this menace.

Mr. Ashok Sahu, a retired IPS officer of Andhra Cadre with extensive experience in handling PWG groups, has brought out the real causes of the rise of Maoists and Naxalites, in his article “MAOIST MENACE; NAXALITE OFFENSIVE”, in South Asia Intelligence Review of October 2009. He lists the root causes as poor governance, want of social justice, lack of electoral reforms, corruption in the judiciary and bureaucracy, poor state of rural roads, absence of primary health care, education and employment opportunities. He warns that so long as the basic causes persist, the Maoists cannot be stopped from expansion in the rural areas and then forming front organizations in urban areas. The front organizations are the recruitment points for selection of their future leaders. At present, the district level guerrilla commandos and party leaders get handsome remuneration and are technologically well equipped. In their perspective plan for urban expansion, technological up-gradation and access to the mining belt and industrial towns in Orissa, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka are given top priority. We need to lay stress upon these issues and apply the balm concurrently when we formulate our strategy to combat this menace.

Before we talk of a strategy, let us first understand the philosophy of Maoists/Naxalites and their stated strategy. It is a must to dispel many a wrong notions by some of our peaceniks. Let me draw your attention to Maoist leader KISHAN JI, who addressed the media the day he released Mr. Dutta, a kidnapped police officer of West Bengal. He called him a ‘PRISONER OF WAR.’ Therefore, let us be clear that Maoists think it was WAR they were fighting against the UNION of INDIA.

The constitution of India is very clear-----anyone who picks up the arms against the Indian Union----is to be treated as ENEMY. Therefore, purely in military terms, we must shed this thought of “OUR MISGUIDED INNOCENT BOYS”. They were neither innocent nor were they misguided when they raided a police station in Naugachhia in Bihar or ambushed a CRPF patrol in Chhatisgarh or even when they beheaded Jharkhand police officer. They knew what they were doing to achieve their stated aim. And one of their stated objectives is to spread terror in the areas they control by DELIBERATE ACTS of VIOLENCE.

According to Mr. Ashok Sahu, the Maoist movement did not believe in democracy. It does not accept the constitutional system and intends to establish ‘Peoples’ Republic’ through the use of extreme terror. Mr. Ashok Sahu further states that the organization believed in the ideology of ‘annihilation of class enemy”. The organization advocates a ‘Protracted People’s war’ to seize power. In a press statement on October 14, 2004, the leaders of newly formed CPI (Maoists), made it clear as to how this war is to be conducted. Mr. Ashok Sahu observes that the protracted people’s war of Maoists aims at armed seizure of power, as its central and principal task, encircling the cities from the countryside and thereby finally capturing them. Hence, the countryside as well as the Protracted People’s War will remain as the "Center of Gravity" of the party’s work, while urban work will be complimentary to it.

Frankly speaking, the Naxalites consider the state power as a weapon in the hands of the rich and the ruling classes which are against their movement. So their prime target is to destroy the state power in all its forms and create a new one of their choice and act merrily in the domain they have established for themselves. As the state power is based on the might of its armed forces their sole aim is to paralyze the police and the paramilitary forces. The second target is the people’s representative of the state assembly and the parliament. They attack and kill democratically elected leaders and also the common people to create fear and panic among the public so that it remain docile to their rule. In order to let the people remain cut off from the police and the administration from fear of being brought to justice, they involve maximum people in committing heinous crimes like murder and rape.

Furthermore, their naked dictatorship does not have any concern for the public opinion or their well-being. Coteries of ideological fanatics are dictating the people and it is abject slavery for the people under the Naxalites rule. With the tribal living below poverty line (BPL), the added rule of Naxalites is a cause of more miseries as the people have to go on leaving their home and hearth off and on.

Therefore, VIOLENCE and TERROR is their primary ideology. They have launched a war on India. They very well know what they are doing. To call them ‘misguided’ is to wish away the evil and prolong India’s ordeal and perhaps endanger its integrity. There is nothing misguided about them; they are focused and determined to achieve their objectives.

In so doing, they have established links with foreign militant groups. On October 02, 2009, one of Maoist commanders, called Srinivasan, spoke to the anchor of LEMON TV Channel live and admitted in public that Chinese and Nepalese trainers have been coming to India to impart training to their cadres. Similarly, in the last week of October 2009, Deputy Prime Minister of Nepal revealed that Maoists of Nepal were the link for providing arms to Indian Maoists.

On November 02, 2009, a news item appeared in The Tribune, a daily News paper published from Chandigarh, which claimed that Nepalese Maoists were in touch with Indian Maoists. This news was forwarded by Bishnu Budhathoki from Katmandu, who gave reference to a news item in Nepalese news paper ‘Rajdhani Daily’ which had disclosed that the meeting of the two parties had taken place in central India on October 08, 2009.

In the same edition of The Tribune, another news item from a Tribune Correspondent, Mr. Suresh Dharur that Tamil Tigers and their remnants have been providing training to Naxalites of India in the forests of central India. The news item had given reference to this disclosure by Andhra Pradesh director general of police Mr. R R Girish Kumar.

The Maoists/Naxalites of India have chosen a well charted course to demolish the Indian Union. Any soft corner approach will spell disaster for the unity and integrity of India. Eminent political commentator Mr. Harsh V Pant, in his article, “The war within”, published in ‘The Tribune on November 02, 2009, advises political leadership that it was time for India to assert itself as well as expose the intellectual vacuity of the Maoist ideology. He concludes that the Maoist insurgency was a blatantly illegal and a no-hold-barred war against the country, against the idea and existence of Indian democracy, and that includes the poor tribal and farmers in whose cause the Maoists claim to fight. He cautions that it was not only ignorant but also extremely dangerous to romanticize the Naxalites cause. This must be understood by some of our politicians who take the help of these organizations for their short term political gains—whether it was Lalgarh in West Bengal or Abujmad in the Dandakaranya forests of Chhatisgarh.

While one does sympathize with their genuine problems but one does not approve of their methods to achieve their objectives. We all know a diamond cuts diamond. Therefore we ought to use legitimate force to bring them around and understand that Violence begets violence and more violence gets bigger violence. But, if they do abjure violence, they snuff out the very life out of their movement. Violence and MAOISM are as inseparable as oxygen from life. This must be realized by those who think that peace can be heralded through talks and negotiations alone. We need a two pronged policy of carrot and stick to deal with this menace.

Now I come to the real issue of how to combat/tackle this menace. Firstly, we must know that it was not going to be a matter of months and days. It is going to be a long drawn battle on the socio-economic and military platforms. Two-pronged pincer would be required to not only contain and neutralize the Maoists but also to assuage the hurt feelings due to constant neglect, injustice and exploitation. We would need a coherent long term strategy with full focus on it. As we go along, the strategy could be reviewed