Volume 6, No. 6, June 2005

Mr. Shivraj Patil, the Home Minister of India, is playing two roles at a time, which will, no doubt, boomerang on him, whether he wishes it or not. He is coaxing the CMs on the one hand and on the other oiling the wheels of his own ministry and also the armed forces. In the first and second weeks of April two prominent decisions and two statements were published and telecast by the electronic media. They were to form a political body of the Naxalite-influenced states’ CMs as members, to deal with the problem politically and to be generous in sanctioning more money to modernize the armed forces and carry on reform projects in the 150 districts of the country to attend the core problems of backwardness. Apart from these two decisions, another two statements were made by the PM and the chief of the armed forces. The Prime Minister Mr. Manmohan Singh said that terrorism and left extremism should be dealt with separately; because the two have two different dimensions and that left extremism should be addressed politically too. Another first ever statement of its kind was delivered by the head of the Indian armed forces Mr. Jogander Singh, that the ongoing development, due to escalation of Maoist activities in some parts of the country, disturbs the armed forces, which will not be possible for them to watch silently sitting as spectators, when the Naxalites’ destructive acts were going at such a high pitch.

Why suddenly have all the heads at the Centre and state levels been singing the same whining song? Why are the PM, the HM, the DM (Defence Minister) and the army’s chief concentrating on Naxalism? The reason is that the ever-increasing political, economic, social and cultural crises is result in a deepening of the contradiction between the haves and the have nots, and within the ruling classes day in and day out. Due to this sharpening contradiction an atmosphere of dissatisfaction of the common people has increased and the impact of the Liberalisation, Privatisation and Globalisation (LPG) policies is affecting the common man of this country. Such people would naturally think of actively participating in the revolution being spearheaded by the Maoists. The ruling classes understand this clearly that the CPI (Maoist) are bound to emerge as a leader of the oppressed, and that this possibility of gaining acceptance among the people doubled after the merger of the erstwhile two Naxalite parties. So, as a class they have begun launching onslaughts on these movements to ensure safety to themselves and leave the oppressed masses leaderless in their upsurges, which will be inevitable due to the all-round crisis the system is facing.

The Central government generally calls army commanders’ and the CMs’ conferences to discuss internal security or internal defense where heads of military, civil and political administration put forward their opinions to evaluate strategy and steps to be followed. For the last 10 years the South and Central commands of the Indian armed forces and the concerned states’ officials have been placing their reports on Naxalism. In 1995-96 the DGP of AP reported in such a meeting that they had been working to yield results as to how successfully coverts would work from inside. These efforts were not successful, but some elements turned hostile to the revolutionary party and helped the enemy, which resulted in some losses to the revolutionary movement. The efforts from the enemy side continued in AP and Maharashtra. At the time of the so-called peace talks in 2004 too, the state government was engaged in preparing many more coverts and informers. This was checked, in many ways, by the revolutionary masses and the Maoists, even then some elements remained inside and have been causing loss to the movement. The states’ prescription was that such a policy of creating enemy’s spies from the ranks of the revolutionaries would break the underground structure and liquidate the main leadership.

This policy has been going on for the last one-decade and more. Some new decisions too have been taken by the government in the latest conferences conforming to the low-intensity-conflicts(LIC) principles laid down by US intelligence. Generally, the enemy too analyzes the developments of the movement and takes new decisions when it is felt that the level of the movement is reaching a certain higher phase.

According to the doctrine of LIC wars, the first phase lies in their preparations against rebellions/insurgencies. The 2nd phase will take into consideration the guerrilla warfare phase where small unit operations are used against guerrilla activities. The guerrillas usually operate with small units. Small units can cover more territory and with the advantage of rushing extra forces and if necessary helicopters can also be put into service to coordinate the supplies and to evacuate the wounded or the dead.

When the movement passes through the first to reach the second phase, the war against the movement too goes on to move on to the 2nd phase. So the government will fight vigorously to crush the movement at the 2nd phase. If it is not pushed back at this phase, the state’s military and political experts think, that the guerrilla forces will form large units and their activities will continue and expand to newer areas.

Before the merger of the two erstwhile Naxalite parties each had planned to cross the second phase; and of course, the merger itself boosted the morale of the revolutionaries and the oppressed masses. This process could culminate to complete the 2nd phase and develop the movement towards the establishment of base areas and a regular army. So, the South and Central commands of the Indian armed forces and the CMs of the concerned states assessed it that there is a great threat to the internal security, which should be addressed immediately. Lt. Gen. Ram Subramanyam (Central Command), Lt. Gen. B.S.Takhar (Southern Command) and the chief of staff of central and southern command Lt. Gen. Ashok Vasudeva and Lt. Gen. Ashok Kapur presented papers in the said commanders’ conference.

According to the chief of army’s speech, already they were keeping close touch with the Home Ministry and giving advices from time to time on Naxalism. While the army is preparing its units for any assistance that the civil authorities may require in future, the Home Ministry is pursuing the idea to form Joint Operation Groups (JOG), where army top brass will lead and guide the JOG. To prepare army units and its commanders to fight against Naxalism, the central and the Southern Commands of the Indian army will introduce classes on Naxalism from now onwards.

The CMs’ conference too deliberated on Naxalism as its main and principal agenda, where it had took key decisions to intensify the onslaught of the state. The states of Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisghar, Bihar, Jharkhand, Maharashtra and four other states were identified as an immediate potential threat to the existing system from the Maoists. Actually the political objective of launching low intensity conflicts was figured out as a basic military decision at every level. So at this juncture the ruling classes opine to form a political body too to guide the military body, which was existing and functioning under the home department’s guidance. So in the history of the Maoist movement in India for the first time a political body with CMs was formed and the HM and the DM will coordinate the decisions and the operations for the first time. Till now the HM was coordinating all the Naxalte-related movements and chalking out political decisions. These are the main new developments in comparison to the CMs’ meet of last Sept 21 at Hyderabad. Irrespective of the political parities, the CMs belonging to the various states spoke in one voice to combat so-called left extremism.

The prime minister, the home minister, the defence minister spoke on the grand occasion of the said conference. They agreed to develop a uniform strategy and to institutionalize all the arrangements which would be necessary to combat left extremism. The UPA government continued its earlier stand on ‘peace talks’ arguing that the problems and demands of Naxalism are local in nature, so talks at the central level is not necessary and states should act firmly with effective and sustained police action and talks can only be initiated "wherever feasible’’. This policy was informed to the CMs at the Conference.

Irrespective of the parties they belong, all the CMs fell in the line and accepted the proposal of the Congress-led UPA government’s new policy on the Maoists. Earlier, during the BJP-led NDA government’s tenure too all the ruling classes had done the same. Those heads of states or parties too had been talking on Naxalism. Mrs. Sonia Gandhi is the chairperson of the UPA and president of the Congress Party, Mr. Sudharshan the head of the RSS, Mr. Susheel Kumar Shinde the Governor of Andhra Pradesh, Mr. Chandrashekar Rao, the president of the Telengana Rajya Samiti, Kesava Rao, President of the APCC, Sunil Dutt MP, the media owners and the editors, the central and state leadership of the CPI, the CPI(M), the CPI(ML)(Liberation) and other, revisionist so-called ML parties; in a word, from the main leadership of the ruling class parties and chiefs of administrative departments to the police and paramilitary commanders to the Indian army commanders all are now openly expressing the need to mobilize the forces for ruthless repression on the one hand, and on the other to concentrate on developmental activity in the affected areas.

The anti-communist brain, Mr. Narayanan, was selected as the National Security Adviser and Mr. E.S.Laxminara Simhan, an IB officer selected by him, is his assistant. These two intelligence officers are desperately co-coordinating the new onslaught policy of the Centre guided by the department of state of the US government. The FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation) is paddling behind the curtain to guide Indian internal security affairs. The US general policy was formulated to check insurgencies, revolutions in any country in the name of Foreign Internal Defence (FID) in Asia, Africa and Latin American countries. This can be visible in the latest statement of the American Ambassador or Condelleeza Rice’s statement or in the declaration of the American State dept. going beyond the limit of civility to include the CPI(Maoist) and the ULFA in its ‘terror’ list.

It is to protect their joint interests that such steps are taken. As a press release of the CPI(Maoist) says: "In order to achieve undisputed Global hegemony and to plunder the resources of the Third World countries without any hindrance, the US imperialists have to first stamp out every type of armed resistance to its domination and oppression. And such armed resistance by the Maoist forces, national liberation forces, and other anti-imperialist democratic movements all over the world has been growing rapidly, shaking US imperialism. The heroic fighters in Iraq are not giving even breathing space to the US-British occupation forces who had captured Iraq with the evil designs of robbing its oil-wealth and suppressing defiance by the Saddam regime……. The proscription of a Party in India and declaring it as terrorist should be a matter of grave concern to all those who believe in national sovereignty, democracy and independence. Our Party, of course, has always been saying that there is no real independence, sovereignty and democracy in India and that the rulers of the country are spineless compradors shamelessly serving the imperialists and surrendering the country’s interests at the feet of their imperialist masters. And now it is once again proved by the silence of the ruling class parties when the US imperialists are interfering directly in the affairs of our country by declaring a revolutionary Party in India as ‘terrorist’." The Statement ends with a call to "all the democratic forces and anti-imperialist masses of our country to strongly condemn the declaration of our Party as ‘terrorist’ by the US imperialists led by the No. 1 terrorist, George W Bush, and to oppose its interference in the internal affairs of our country. We also call upon the people to expose and oppose the collusion of the traitorous UPA government at the Centre led by the Congress party with the US imperialists and their joint plans to suppress the revolutionary and democratic movements in India in rivers of blood."

No doubt contradictions among the ruling classes are increasing but to counter the Maoists at this juncture they are singing the same tune. Even on the question of the ‘Peace Talks’ in Andhra Pradesh and in the tall talks of the CMs of various states regarding Naxalism, the common thread that binds all hues of parliamentary political parties and personages is how to set into operation the tactics of low-intensity conflict. Arguments and counter arguments within the ruling classes to pull out from the talks in AP or to initiate talks with the Naxalites in other states or Shivraj’s statement on talks in the states (provinces) are nothing but vague chatterings. At the time of the AP ‘Peace-Talks’ the BJP chief Mr. Advani criticized the Congress arguing that the Centre should leave the talks to the states, there is no coordinated policy and so on. But when he was the Home Minister, under his ‘successful’ guidance, States themselves were asked to hold talks. The home department’s annul report for the year 2003-04 in point No. 3.148 clearly said that "states are free to engage Naxal outfits in peace dialogue within the framework of the Constitution and the Central Government will render the necessary help and assistance in this regard." Now at the aforesaid CMs’ Conference all parties’ representatives ratified the same policy of the NDA period.

To legitimate its act the state will always put different types of arguments. Whatever the arguments be it will push its armed forces into action in large numbers at every bend in the road. The ongoing people’s war waged by the Maoists is a war of liberation for the oppressed. Naturally a party, no matter which class it belongs to will always safeguard its class interest first then it will accept any thing else. Under certain circumstances both the war waging classes may come to the truce table, but if that breaks that need not indicate any major contradictions among the ruling classes to safeguarded their interests. One should not get misguided while studying the contradictions among the ruling classes. To misguide the masses by dangling some promise of gain, even if it may be temporary, the ruling class parties will take different stands in different states and at the Centre. No doubt, in a period of growing economic crisis, the contradictions among the ruling classes will further increase due to their battle for power and sharing the loot. It reflects the ongoing situation in our country.

The UP CM may have contradiction with the Centre and the other parties, but when the revolutionary movement extends to UP, as a latecomer in the battle against the Maoists, he has launched the most brutal attacks in Mirzapur districty and elsewhere and are doing aggressive preparations to suppress the revolutionary movement further. Ms Jayalalitha, the CM of Tamilnadu, though she is facing weak resistance or mass movements of the revolutionaries in TN she always acts extremely aggressively. Regarding the CPI(M) there is nothing new to say as it has always suppressed the revolutionary movement in West Bengal. The two main ruling parties the Congress and the BJP, whatever differences they may have, regarding the revolutionaries that is confined to the mere tenor of their language. In comparison to the NDA government and its boss Advani, the UPA’s Queen Maker, her loyal pet the PM, and her trusted Home and Defence Ministers are all playing their cards more systematically and in a planned way with a long-term perspective. The bureaucracy, which plays a crucial role in policy making, is busy preparing the plans for coordinated counter-insurgency actions.

Actually when the guerrilla war sustains and grows to new areas, the ruling classes come closer and closer in their acts, only their way of expression or the language in addressing the Naxalite problem may differ. The revolutionary movement is not a temporary outburst or spontaneous movement of the masses but always it will be an organized and conscious one. Any revolutionary Marxist party would intervene in all the people’s movements to consolidate and to extend their influence.

So, as a class they always support their class breathren, which can be seen by what India is now doing in Nepal and the US is doing in South Asia. So also the Pakistan rulers and their Indian counterparts are helping each other to suppress the nationality struggles, the Kashmiri people’s struggle or the struggles in the North-East or else where. The arch rivals in Andhra Pradesh, Chandrababu Naidu and Rajashekhar Reddy, are helping each other to safeguard even their personal interests and assets. The factional fight within the parliamentary parties is adjustable, fluid and non-antagonistic for each other. The revolutionary forces would have to be alert to the unfolding situation to prepare the masses and all its forces to wage a bitter struggle. For this a broader political education movement is needed to understand the enemy who is waiting at the gate to disarm, to liquidate and to give a big blow, as it will not give a chance to the people to breathe undisturbed. For this, certain policies were laid down at in the commanders’ and the CMs’ Conferences.

The social fascist CPI(M) always stands with the Congress. At this juncture the CPI(M) is the best asset in the hands of the government. Better kick-backs, promotions, allocations of resources are given primary importance by the PM, Sonia, Finance Minister and others to please the so-called left leaders. These bed-fellows are serving the system as faithful servants and yet the CPM poses among the public that they are the only real fighters. Apart from Bengal this Social Fascism has achieved nothing since Buddha took the reins from Jyoti Basu with their boosted spirit claiming to be the competent person in serving the Indian bourgeoisie and imperialism. This B-team of the Congress too needs to be thoroughly exposed tearing off its ‘dissident’ veil.

In an attempt to use locals to kill locals — locals to kill their own relatives and people — the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS)decided, on Jan.4th 2005, to increase the recruitment in the para-military forces of locals in the militant and border areas from 10% to 40%. No doubt this 40% will comprise the worst and most lumpen elements of the area, as it is only such a force that will be able to shoot down their own brethren. It is they who will also be widely used to set up a vast intelligence network amongst locals due to their familiarity with them. It is they who will also know more details of every individual in the villages and also the terrain. Of course such an attempt can also back-fire as recruitment, when done on such a large scale of locals, could result in many having sympathies with the revolutionaries. Besides these recruits will soon find that they are being used as cannon fodder, as the bulk of the officer force will be from outsiders, lording it over the local recruits.

On Feb.5th 2005 the CCS decided the setting up of a Unified Command in each of the nine Naxalite-affected States on the lines of what has been set up in J & K and Assam. The Home Minister, Shivraj Patil, said that the Unified Command would be headed by the Chief Minister of the State and would have senior officials of the Central para-military forces and the State police in it. The States earmarked for such a de-facto military rule were UP, Bihar, MP, Chhathisgarh, Orissa, Maharashtra, Jharkhand, AP and West Bengal. Later this structure was decided to be called the Joint Operation Group whose task would be "not only to control Naxalite violence, but also to enter and smash Naxalite strongholds".

The ruling Congress party also set up a specific Task Force to investigate the Naxalite movement in the various States. In mid-February this Task Force presented in person its findings to the Congress President, Sonia Gandhi at a lengthy three hour sitting.

And then on April 15th 2005 the highest ever meeting on internal security was held which specifically focused on the Naxalite movement, which is now being put as the number one threat to so-called internal security. This was a Conference of the Chief Ministers of primarily the Naxalite-affected states, hosted by the Central Home Minister. Such importance was given to this meeting that the Prime Minister who was only to inaugurate it, sat through the entire day –long meeting. Significantly the Conference was also attended by the Defence Minister indicating that the army would be further involved in counter-insurgency and suppressing discontent. The Conference decided to set up a Committee of Chief Minister of Naxal-affected States "to initiate and pursue a coordinated approach to tackling the extremist violence and activities. The Committee will be headed by the Union Home Minister and will have nine Chief Ministers". Patil further stated that "the committee will periodically meet and decide upon the steps to check Naxal activity. It will take inputs from the coordination centre, headed by the Union Home Secretary and also take into account socio-economic, developments, and political factors behind the spread of Naxal violence". The Conference further resolved that "for better coordination to fight the menace of Naxalism it was suggested that an integrated monitoring cell be created in the PMO to keep constant watch over the situation".

The Conference also resolved to further build the India Reserve Battalion by providing employment to youth from the affected areas and that greater central assistance will be given for this purpose. It further resolved that all Central funds for the Police Modernisation Scheme will be fully utilized and that the State government will contribute an equivalent amount. It said "therefore, the States will devise ways and means and set up a monitoring mechanism, at the Chief Minister and Chief secretary levels, to ensure that funds released by the Central Government for upgradation of the security and intelligence apparatus at the State level are promptly and fully utilized and the desired output achieved".

So, such are the massive long-term and immediate preparations going on by the Central rulers to curb all discontent particularly that which is most organised and most effective. But this is not all. Equal amounts of preparations are being undertaken at the State level to beef up the police force, equip and train them for more effective counter-insurgency operations and heighten their intelligence network. This can be seen in all the states where the Maoists have a presence. In this the AP police force and their Greyhounds, which have the maximum notoriety, are used as the model and the chief training outpost. The beefing up of the police forces can be seen in all the States of Maoist activity.

Combining able persons from all the forces like the Civil police, Special state forces, Special elite forces, Paramilitary forces, as a main combatant group is the main form of state upgrading at this juncture in AP, Chhattisghar, Bihar, Jharkhand, Maharastra, Orissa, West Bengal, Karnataka, UP, etc. Allotment of funds to modernize these forces is another important aspect, which the Centre and State governments are adopting. Let us take a look at some events.

AP has been the focus for building the most cruel, sophisticated and deadly genocidal forces in the whole country. From the recruitment of men, funds, training, combat, modernization, to the terroristic greyhound forces, the AP rulers have mastered counter-insurgency techniques with the aid of the Israeli and US mafia. Now the force is being used to train elite commandos of, not only other states, but also Nepal. Whatever may be the tactical strong points of the elite forces, its main week point is that they will not station themselves in local areas where their operations are continuous. So, the government is now preparing 4 new battalions of an Indian Reserve Police Force, and has allocated Rs. 350 crore for modernization (in the last two decades more than Rs. 3,000 crore was spent on this force) and 5 to 7 battalions of paramilitary have been requisitioned by the state government of AP to face the Maoists. Apart from this 7 new battalions of APSP (Andhra Pradesh Special Forces, which are primarily engaged against the revolutionaries) have been formed exclusively with Adivasi youth. As revolutionaries have a strong base amongst Adivasis, they plan to use Adivasis to kill Adivasis.

Whereas in Chhattisgarh 6 battalions of paramilitary force are stationed and a new special force of 5 battalions have been formed after the formation of the new Chhattisgarh state and some more battalions of para-military forces, a huge amount of money to the tune of Rs. 500 crore for modernization and Rs.2,000 crore for new projects in Naxalites areas were requisitioned by the Chhattisgarh Government from the Centre. To train up the forces the central government has newly opened a training school at Kanker (Chhattisgarh State) to train the personnel in jungle warfare and anti-insurgency as a part of long-term war preparations to face the peasant upsurges. The Centeral Govt. has recently planned to send to Chhatisgarh counter insurgency forces operating in Nagaland due to their expertise in jungle war-fare.

So, also in Karnataka the effort is to nip the movement in the bud itself. The anti-Veerapan forces of the STF are now being used against the Maoists. And in February the Karnataka CM announced the constitution of two special police squads to comb the hill ranges and plains, led by officers of the rank of Deputy Inspector General of Police. And in the forests where the Maoists are operating it decided to spend huge amounts to re-settle the 1,300 families in the Kudremukh National Park at the rate of Rs.11 lakhs per family. Of the Rs.23 crores to be spent in the first phase the Centre has already given Rs.18 crores. The State government also sanctioned Rs.3 crores for tribals in the districts of Chickmangalur and Udipi.

In neighbouring Tamilnadu the fascist CM, Jayalalitha, is spending huge amounts for the upgradation of the police forces and their welfare. She announce in mid-March of this year the formation of two new battalions at a cost of Rs.12 crores. For huge benifits to the police she has allocated a huge Rs1,340 crores to the police in the current State budget. An additional 4,000 quarters will be built for the police, a special ‘school of excellence’ will be set up for police children, and there will be upgradation of 242 posts of sub-inspector to inspector, the upgradation of 629 posts of head Constable to Special sub-inspector, etc, etc.

The modernization of the state and the central forces as considered through the successive two budget allotments of the Congress government itself is meant for suppressing the rapidly growing mass upsurges coming up as an inevitable reaction to the regressive economic polices of the ruling classes.

In the year 1988-89 actual expenditure for this purpose was Rs. 1,193 crore and in 2003-04 it soared to as high as Rs. 7,799 crore under the NDA’s rule. The Congress, the CPM and the RJD together, the main forces in the UPA-led Congress government, have allocated Rs. 10,757 crore in 2004-05 budget and Rs. 12,552 crore was allocated in the 2005-06 budget. The earlier NDA government, and now the UPA government are both implementing World Bank, imperialist diktats, whereby the upgrading of the armed/police forces is increasing simultaneously to the withdrawal of subsidies in agriculture, health, education, family welfare and such other departmental work which are related to public welfare.

In the current phase of repression as a part of Combat Support (C.S), the state and Special Forces are getting the help of helicopters. In the last assembly and parliamentary elections this practice turned out to be a regular feature. Arial surveys are taking place to send Indian Armed forces directly to those struggling areas. This was the agenda in the recently held army commanders’ conference. Mobilization of forces is going on in all the 9 states since last January and February, which increased in 5 to 6 states in April. This summer the offensive war of the government is going on in full swing in all the areas with an added new feature that the para military camps will stay permanently in all the strategic areas.

Social fascism and communal (Hindu) fascism have both married the devil, targeting the revolutionary movement without any major difference. At this juncture the UPA government has initiated a new offensive and as a consequence things have assumed new dimensions. The communal fascist BJP-led Gujarat government has formally taken a decision on 4th May that it will send its state armed forces to assist the Chhattisghar police to fight the Naxalites. The decision has two important aspects, which need to be counted as a serious one by all the progressive forces of this country. The infamous Gujarat police were known for their cruelty and open loyalty to the RSS, VHP and Bajrang Dal. They will assist a BJP-led government by the cruelty increasing on the people of Chhattisghar.

The home ministry convinced the planning commission to allot more funds to the Naxalite areas as a part of the ongoing reforms, which had been being implemented as a part of the ‘carrot and stick’ policy. The planning commission includes 55 ‘most affected’ districts of Naxalism under the Backward Districts Initiative (BDI) scheme through which they allocated Rs. 2,475 crore for 3 years. The ministry of rural development as a part of the PMGSY (Prime Minister Gram Sadak Yojana) sanctioned Rs. 37.5 crore as additional allocation to construct roads, where by the state Special Forces can move more easily. The World Bank allotted Rs. 300 crore for each district in 1999 for the construction of roads in the ‘Naxalites affected areas’. Construction of roads is going on at a frenzied pace. In some zones, since the last 8 years, the BRO (Border Roads Organizations), an Indian Army’s’ construction department, is engaged in completing the roads in areas of intense revolutionary activites.

Various State governments and the Central government have sanctioned some other packages as well. Of course, a major portion of the money, which was pumped in the name of reforms, goes to fill the coffers of the ruling class parties, police, the civil administration and the local brokers. The Police will compel the villagers to accept the reform projects sanctioned by the state. In guerrilla zone areas health, schools and family welfare programmes were allowed by the Maoists. But in those areas where Base Areas are being formed all the government machinery with its programmes, projects have been facing a boycott from the masses. In Chhattisgarh, in the name of constructing primary schools in the midst of the thick forest-covered villages the government planned to build well fortified buildings, which can be served as a part of permanent war preparation. The existing special police and para-military camps are utilizing mainly school buildings. So when the camps are in school, classes for students can never be taken and the civil authorities too start saying "camps can not be vacated". So the Maoists decided to stop all the projects with the help and participation of the masses. All the guesthouses, forest rest houses, etc. are in the occupation of the police at the time of combing and patroling. So naturally the people’s militia have been targeting and demolishing them.

Since the last few years, in all the struggling zones, the main trend of the governments has been to fill the administrative vacuum through the police force. So they get more power, all civil activities are now mediated by the police. And in such areas we find that even bourgeois leaders seldom have any right or voice.

As a part of their welfare activities police and paramilitary forces are organizing health camps, clubs, cultural performances, sports, and such regular campaigns in villages to safeguard the state and to hunt down the Naxalites. But the thing is that in many a State with growing revolutionary influence, Naxalites means not only the professional revolutionaries but even the village militia, the revolutionary mass organizations, etc. which have become targets of the state. To counter the revolutionary movement the police are depending on defectors by organizing them in rehabilitation camps and using them in all the operations. Loose recruits, vacillators in the movement were purchased by adopting many forms and utilizing them as coverts and informers. So the coverts and informers are becoming targets of the people, whom they try in ‘Janadalats’ (people’s courts) and the verdict is implemented by the militia or the regular PLGA units.

Another major form is psychological warfare. In Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra the state governments, sometimes the police department also, are giving full page advertisements in the newspaper, focusing on the Naxalites as man eaters, criminals and anti-social elements. Tens of crores of rupees was spent on this propaganda war, through which they want to win the sympathy of a section of the middle class. White terror is prevailing in all the states where repression is the main form. Even then the movements are facing all this bravely and putting up resistance consistently, sometimes getting the upper hand on the state. In Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Bihar, Orissa such movements are able to retain the initiative and flexibility in its hands.

Not only this the ruler uses the pliable media to whip up hysterical campaigns against the Maoists, portraying them as ‘terrorists’. They seek to create a public opinion in favour of their policies of brutality. In this they gain the assistance of revisionist forces from the M-L camp, like that of the Liberation and the newly formed ‘CPI(ML)’. These parties that have betrayed the revolution shout even more loudly than the police and state that the Maoists are terrorists, anarchists, etc. These outfits never even raise the question of police brutality when Maoists are mowed down in false encounters or human rights activists killed by the black gangs. Even humanitarian, civil rights activists and other such at least have the sensitivity to oppose such horrors, but not these revisionists; not to mention the CPI/CPM type ruling class parties.

The high-pitched anti-Maoist propaganda has particularly picked up after the unity of the MCCI and PW and the formation of the CPI (Maoist). While the rulers have taken the unity with extreme caution calling the Maoists as the number one danger to internal security, the Liberation-type revisionists are writing article after article in the bourgeois media doing the effective work of the government, by throwing all sorts of slander against the Maoists. They appear to be working in tandem. Of course part of their fear is that with this unity they may loose their relevance and the genuine cadre may flock to the real Maoist camp. Their very existence calls for a policy that is similar to that of the state!! Is there any real difference from what the two CPI(ML) parties (old and new) say and that of the government?

Whatever decision may be taken by the Indian army commanders’ and the CMs’ conference the war will not stop. Both the classes, the oppressed and the oppressor are preparing themselves to gain the initiative in the battles. Losing initiative in the battle means it will lead to defeat. Due to the strategical defence position on the side of the Maoists they have less preparation and less combat capacity in comparison with that of the state at this juncture. But in many parts of the country they are enjoying a huge mass base even in the midst of the war. The oppressive state is losing ground, so, out of desperation, it is struggling bitterly.

In Andhra Pradesh when the so-called peace talk conditions were broken by the state from Jan. 6 onwards till the end of April as many as roughly 100 revolutionary fighters died in the encounters. Apart from the Maoists some other parliamentary MLs too are facing attacks. They are not giving any active resistance but the state will not allow even them too to function. This is the fundamental character of the state. One needs to understand that in any class war one cannot expect any major compromises from the enemy in these battles or in the entire war. So, Marxism teaches, and the history of earlier revolutionary experiences shows, that revolutionaries need to mobilise the masses more firmly in their war against the state. Those struggling forms need to be selected as per the concrete situation, a thousand and one changes in the forms and methods are necessary to mobilise and consolidate the masses; but all these need to focus on advancing the people’s war. Sometimes revolution can and do face a critical situation like what currently exists in Telangana, where, in its retaliation against the state forces, the revolutionaries have had to take a step back; but this too can be overcome by mobilizing the people to face the most adverse situations. The methods, plan, implementation of operations of the government need to be studied. Alternative moves need be prepared at every step. Preservation of the revolutionary strength also depends on the active counter tactical offensive. Where there is resistance and protest, there revolutionaries shall get scope to express their opinion, to fight, to sustain, to further the struggle in many active forms and all this will help push the revolution further. Some wrong trends, practices may crop up, which need to be fought resolutely. This is the time to organize the masses in many a battle, political and military, to counter the political, military, tactics of the rulers.

A countrywide organized offensive of the enemy cannot be defeated only with propaganda or para defence tactics. The people’s armed forces, Com. Mao shows, always need to be strengthened and regular harassment of the enemy, even small attacks, are a necessary pre-requisite for advance. Otherwise the embryonic form of people’s political power cannot survive, sustain and expand continuously. All the sectional demands and partial demands of the masses need to be addressed in a revolutionary way. In all the areas in one or other form masses need to be contacted, organized and consolidated depending on the situation.

The enemy considers the ongoing people’s war as its main agenda in India and Nepal. Unlike Nepal, in India the ongoing people’s war agenda has not yet become the main agenda of the majority masses. In a few pockets only it is the agenda of the Masses. Maoists need to develop the situation where people actively participate and peoples’ war becomes their main agenda.

The Indian government is moving in close coordination with American imperialism to suppress the ongoing people’s war in Nepal and India. When king Gynanendra proclaimed an emergency to save ‘democracy’ Manmohan Singh announced a temporary stop in arms supply to the RNA. Yet in the Nepalganj operation against the Maoists, Indian troops were directly involved. When the Indian PM and the king met at the Bandung Conference India advised to lift the emergency which would damage the image of the king and Indian rulers who very much like to continue the arms supply. Meanwhile the so-called left B-team leadership issued a statement objecting to arms supply to Nepal during the continuation of emergency there. One should notice that the pack of so-called left leaders do have no hesitation in arming the Nepal army fighting against the Maoists. All the actors in the drama have performed well. One after another the scenes of the unfolding drama are coming to the forefront…. Finally India is now sending, arms. (troops will go like the operation organized in Bhutan against the ULFA) after the king made a show of withdrawing the emergency. Ironically, after the declaration, the king arrested the once PM of Nepal who was loyal to him and released the UML leaders. The UML of Nepal and the CPM-led B-team in India appear to be important instruments to safeguard the respective systems.

The Indian and Nepalese governments are waging a synchronized war on the Maoists of both the countries. So now, there is need for the Maoists to initiate a wider political propaganda campaign covering India, Nepal, and the other countries of South Asia. This is the time to coordinate the propaganda campaign in a superior way in comparison to what was done in the earlier period when Maoists proved too weak to build a coordinated and effectively organized political campaign to rouse the broader masses in support of the guerrilla zones, and the emerging base areas in India, and those that exist in Nepal. The 21-century is witnessing a fresh round of confidence in revolutionary Marxism, i.e. Maoism, which is, to some extent, focused in South Asia. A new dawn is breaking and the rising sun is beginning to illuminate the entire sub-continent.

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