The attacks on revolutionary peasants in Midnapore and
intellectuals in Calcutta bring back recollections of the horrors of the early
1970s. Only the players have changed. Instead of the Congress (I) we have the
CPI (M). Instead of Siddarth ShankarRay we have Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee. Though
the scale of the two attacks may, as yet be different, then too, the scale of
the movement is also different. Then, there was a massive upsurge, today, the
revolutionary movement is still in its inception. Yet, the CPI (M) attacked with
a ferociousness that would greatly please the moneybags of West Bengal, with
whom they enjoy a cozy relationship. For all their pretense at being progressive
the style of attack differs little from the despot Naidu or the fascist BJP at
the Centre.
On the one hand the CM says they will not act like the
Congress of the 1970s and will deal with the PW politically, and their
secretariat member, Binay Kongar, even goes so far to state that they are ready
for talks. Yet, Kongar accuses the PW of having no policy for land, for workers,
for women, etc, and nothing but an annihilation line. He also accuses, as to why
the PW does not utilise democratic means of protest, like public meetings,
dharnas, rallies etc. On the other hand Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee has been
continuously issuing threats of stepping up the repression, and have even issued
a mandate to their cadres that no dissent on this issue will be tolerated, as a
sizable section of the rank-and-file of the CPI (M) itself has openly opposed
the actions of its leadership.
The fact of the matter is that the PW has publicly stated
policies on all questions, whether it be on land, workers, peasants, dalits,
women, etc. Many of these were ratified at the 9
Congress of the Party held over a year back. These are public
documents for all to see. The leaders of the CPM are consciously creating
confusion with a view to dupe the masses and it’s rank-and-file.
As far as ‘democratic’ methods are concerned, the CPM’s Mafia
methods of smashing any opposition threat that grows at the local level is well
known to all. Not only has the PW been facing this onslaught, not only do the
parliamentary opposition face this, but also even their left-front partners have
had to face this bitter medicine. For 25 years they have ruled through these
means, bringing little benefit to the vast section of the oppressed masses. They
brook no opposition whatsoever
So, for example, when we entered the Midnapore area in 1995,
we had no arms. As we began mobilising the masses and holding public meeting in
the area, the local CPM hoodlums, as is their style, vigorously opposed. They
would go from village to village threatening the people with dire consequences
if they attended. Amidst the violent clashes between the CPM and the TMC in the
Garbetha region, while the CPM fled in face of the TMC offensive (backed by the
RSS), it was only our attacks on the TMC that restored peace in the area. This
is known to all including the local police officials. It is then that the CPM
returned, and by utilising the state machinery, they weaned away the TMC
hoodlums, and then once again launched a vicious attack on our supporters.
So, where is the ‘democracy’ of the CPM? Besides, in this
region it is well known that all the leaders of the CPM, TMC, RSS, are well
equipped with sophisticated arms. This is easily available to them due to their
respective links with the state at the State and Central level. These were
freely used in their own internecine battles; it has also been used against us.
If we did not arm ourselves we would not have lasted in this area even for a day
in the face of these terror methods.
And, as far as talks go, we are always willing but the
following minimum conditions must be met:
(i) The battle for winning the masses must be political
(ii) All CPM leaders, particularly in Midnapore, Bankura and
Purlia, must disband all their arms not only on their persons but also the
stockpiles in their offices.
(iii) Public meetings must be allowed in all villages
irrespective of whether it is a CPM stronghold or not.
(iv) We be allowed to prove in people’s courts the charges
against those who have been killed and against whom the PW has issued a charge
sheet. Thereby being given the chance to refute the propagation being carried
out, of following the ‘annihilation line’.
But the CPM is never serious about the truth being known. The
nature of their present attack, as also their earlier record, proves this. Well
before this attack they have brought to Midnapore two companies of CRPF, that
had gained experience in counter-insurgency in North Telengana. These have gone
on a rampage arresting, torturing and beating the masses, combined with regular
combing operations. Since last September over 200 have been arrested and all
have been refused bail. 26 of these, whom they considered as active comrades,
have been booked in far-away Siliguri, as a method of harassment; again similar
to that adopted by Siddarth Shankar Ray in the 1970s. Though the arrest and
torture of intellectuals has got extensive media publicity, the terror in
Midnapore is relatively less featured.
The present round of attacks began with the arrest of a state
committee member, com. Gautam and another on June 20. On the very next day they
arrested the four who had earlier parted ways with the PW, including the former
state secretary; and since July 4 it has been a mass-scale offensive. In these
past 10 days, 75 have been detained (press reports)and many more harassed and
threatened in midnight raids. Those arrested have been brutally beaten and
tortured, and even those not arrested are being continuously harassed. Though
none of these had any day-to-day links with the PW, and were mere broad
sympathisers of the revolutionary cause, they have been brutalised by Buddha’s
police. The torture and threats went to such an extent that one young central
excise officer, Abhijit Sinha, committed suicide by jumping off a train.
Inspite of a wide public opinion against this state terror,
the chief minister keeps harping on his determination to step up the repression.
A section of the media is also assisting the campaign, by propagating that
Maoism, armed struggle, etc are all out-dated in the present days of
globalisation. And that it is better to co-exist with this rotten system like
the CPM.
It is true that communism has faced a temporary set-back, but
what has globalisation given to the people of this country, except destitution
and poverty on a gigantic scale; and an economy that is getting deeper and
deeper into the quagmire of stagnation and depression. Even at an international
plane the massive frauds in the giant TNCs and the continuing downturn in the
international economy, have shaken people’s confidence in the system. The
massive anti-globalisation rallies in all parts of the world indicate the extent
of this discontent. These critics have no answers to the evils of
capitalism/imperialism, particularly in its present avtar of globalisation. The
only answer, still remains communism. And with state violence reaching new peaks
(whether of the US or the Indian type), there is no other method, but armed
struggle to achieve a just and equitable order. Gandhian passivity in the face
of state terror does not work.
Finally, what the media says is a fact, the Midnapore belt is
planned as a guerrilla zone. Our 9
