Volume 1, No. 5, July 2000

In the first week of April, the meeting of gangsters — the Chief Ministers of 4 states, the Home minister and other officials from 5 states — took a decision to hold their co-ordination meeting of higher officials of these five states every fortnight. According to this decision, the DGPs of Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Orissa and Bihar met in Bhopal, in the last week of April. This time, they jointly proposed an action plan of Rs. 23,000 crores to spend in the ‘Naxalite infected’ areas of these five states.

While on the one hand, the Home Minister, Advani, and Chief Ministers Chandrababu Naidu and Digvijay Singh pretend to the media (and even in the assembly) for ‘talks with Naxalites’, on the other, they adopt methods that are exactly the opposite of their public statements.

Since the end of the 1980s and the early 1990s the AP government has been pursuing the Central government to initiate the direct coordination of the four state governments, to curb the CPI(ML)[PW]’s activities in their regions. A number of meetings were conducted in the last decade and numerous recommendations were also made by officials. In the course of time, the AP government achieved two gains. First, regular coordination of the Special Force Operations began. Second, the governments began regular exchange of experiences and information. Apart from this, the AP government — whether under the leadership of the Congress or the TDP — emerged as a leader and guide to the other states, in methods of suppression of the revolutionary movement.

In the course of time, these have developed into a uniform policy on all these battle fronts. Let us first look at one major form adopted in all states; and then turn to the uniformity in the general military methods of operation.

(a) Informers’ Mechanism : The preparation of an informers’ network and the use of covert operations has got more and more prominence in the enemy’s tactics.

Initially, some anti-people lumpens and local class enemies kept in touch with the police, and tried their best to pass on information of village activities and on the movements of the party organisers and the squads. When the class struggle intensified, setting new goals, the enemy tried their best to crush the movement through an offensive war. Though the state now deployed a large number of special armed forces, it failed to suppress the movement. At this juncture, they began to systematically buy/employ hostile elements from the locality into their intelligence network. But, the party was prompt in punishing these elements. So, once again the enemy changed its methods. They secretly picked up new elements, who were unexposed to the revolutionary masses, to provide them information on activities and on the guerrilla squads. In this, they were to some extent successful, leading to damage in some incidents.

The party and people did check and punish these unhealthy elements from time to time, but, in the on-going war, total control was not always possible. The enemy encouraged these elements, continuously enhancing their network, in order to collect information of the revolutionary camp. Ofcourse, this method of espionage, keeping track of dissidents amongst the people, is an established traditional form, ever since the state structure came into being. Only now it has achieved sophisticated forms with the five state governments, using this network to extract information, and to regularly upgrade and modernise its structure.

(i) Agents are paid regularly, (ii) Their whereabouts are kept secret (iii) To avoid exposure, contacts are maintained by the concerned person alone — no third person is involved. (iv) Modern communication equipment is provided to the main informers (v) Weapons are freely distributed to many informers (vi) A recent development has been that informers are being encouraged to kill mass organisation activists and also members of the PGF (People’s Guerrilla Forces). (vii) When open, unquestionable authority is given to these killers to control/threaten the area people (viii) Most exposed persons are generally recruited into the regular service of the police department. (ix) Direct staff of the armed forces also engage in information collection through various covers within the villages — taking the form of shopkeepers, employees, doctors etc. (x) In the name of ‘counseling’, government officials (mainly police) maintain regular contact with families of revolutionaries. They try and pick-up detailed information, and seek to win over some weak elements to play the role either of informer, or as a mediator to get the comrade from that family to surrender.

Such then are some of their techniques of information-gathering.

(b) Besides this, the enemy forces have been adopting a number of methods to counter the people’s guerrilla forces. The imperialists have developed techniques of anti-insurgency and anti-jungle warfare, based on their experiences in suppressing various guerrilla struggles in many countries. Due to the intensification of the class struggle in AP, the state government has initiated many of these methods, learnt from their imperialist masters. These are now being spread to all the five affected states.

The following table gives a picture of the growing uniformity in methods being adopted in all states :-

These are some of the methods, readied by the enemy forces, for a uniform mode of operations.

Under the leadership of the CPI(ML)[PW], people have been resisting these methods in their own way, defeating and exposing the nature of the state, and rousing the people to fight for their legitimate demands.

In 1990, when the Congress came to power, the CM, Chenna Reddy, temporarily stopped the offensive, in order to consolidate his position, after being out-of-power for seven years. The other reason, was due to the failure of the earlier four years of undeclared war on the PW by the then ruling party (TDP). But, within months, his successor, Congress CM, Janardhan Reddy, initiated a ruthless repression and banned the CPI (ML)(PW). In the media he was focussed as the man who will finish the PW. Today, another ruling party CM, Chandrababu Naidu, is being focussed as the tough man, who will finish off the PW.

Way back, Jalagam Vengal Rao, was praised by the media and ruling classes, as the iron man who opposed and fought the 1946/52 Telangana Peasant Rebellion and also the uprisings of the 1960s. At the time of Naxalbari, the then CM of West Bengal, S.S. Ray, was praised by his own class, as the man who crushed the movement that set Bengal afire.

Ofcourse, the RSS, BJP and other Sangh Parivar outfits are from birth, anti-communist. So, quite naturally their main leader, Advani, as also the young upstarts, like home minister of state, Vidyasagar Rao, as also the goonda BJP MLA from AP, Indrasena Reddy, and their like, will have as their chief aim to fight the revolutionary movement to the finish.

Yet the revolutionary movement from Telangana to Srikakulam; from Naxalbari to the current ongoing movements of AP, NT, DK and Bihar continue to develop and advance towards its goal, even in the midst of the state’s offensive war.

Now, with the BJP assuming power at the centre, under the leadership of Advani, they plan to make a final assault on the CPI (ML)[PW]. In this scheme he is getting much support from the AP, Maharashtra and Orissa governments. Particularly it is the AP government that is egging on the other states, and even the Centre. Quite naturally, Advani and Naidu have a common agenda. Now, a nation-wide offensive has been planned against the PW, as per proposals offered by the AP government, enthusiastically applauded by the RSS and Sangh Parivar, and initiated and led by Advani at the Centre. Not surprisingly, Karnataka recently recorded its first ever ‘encounter’ killing in its revolutionary history. Also, in Tamil Nadu, fake encounters have once again been started. In West Bengal the state is waiting, closely observing and getting ready to pounce.

At present, the Centre is taking steps tactfully, using intrigue and cunning in its moves. But, in the near future it will directly intervene to increase repression.

Now let us turn to some of the measures that it is talking about.

From end 1999 Advani has been telling the press, that he is ready to talk with the North East nationality and J&K leaders. To facilitate this process he recently began to release some J&K leaders, in the name of creating an atmosphere for talks. Later, he also said that his ministry is thinking of releasing some sikh leaders, who have been in jail for a long time. So also, before the gangsters conclave, he told the press that "the centre is considering asking Naxalite infested states to begin negotiations with the ultra-left outfits." At the end of the conclave, Advani added "the Central ban on Naxalite outfits was necessary, even though states will try and open a dialogue with them."

In this process a debate was begun in the AP Assembly on this issue, but it did not proceed far, due to the "fear of Naxalites". The Speaker said "those who are not afraid, can speak." Then, only the Hyderabad-based MLAs, of the BJP and Congress — Indrasena Reddy and Govardhan — spoke. Both these, are well known amongst the people of AP, for their goonda and criminal record since a young age. Apart from them, no one was willing to speak up. While the Assembly was in process, most local papers reported that the AP home minister, Devender Goud, was willing to resign as home minister, due to family pressures.

Clearly, these ruling class hoodlums fear to face the people. The CPI(ML)[PW] has also been keeping an eye on all these rulers, and the extent of their anti-people activities, and has been educating the masses to fight them. Hence their fear and demoralisation. The AP government unleashed its first offensive war on the PW in the 1985-89 period; its second offensive war was between 1990 and 1996; and from 1997 onwards the state government, under instructions from its imperialist masters, and under direct guidance from Naidu, has been implementing a new (3rd) round of offensive tactics.

After assuming power in 1989, the Congress government expressed its opinion to open a dialogue. At that time the AP state committee of the PW responded by saying they were willing if they stop offensive war. In Maharashtra the government has unleashed intensive repression since 1993 onwards. This was started by the Congress government, it continued under the BJP/Shiv Sena combine, and till today there is no relaxation under the new Congress-alliance government. In Madhya Pradesh, when the BJP was in power they unleashed severe repression, which continued under president’s rule. Later, there was some relaxation due to people’s pressure, but soon, the government again increased the repression, specifically in those pockets where the movement was weak. Prior to the elections the CM, Digvijay Singh repeated again and again, at Jagdalpur, Raipur, Bhopal, etc., that he was willing for talks. The DKSZC responded saying they were ready to talk. In Orissa, class struggle is weak, so the repression is less. Yet, way back in Biju Patnaik’s days, the CM expressed a view to talk with the PW. In Bihar too, Laloo has time and again expressed his willingness to hold talks with the Naxalites.

In AP, on the contrary, while talking of talks, the number of false encounter killings have increased. Specifically, this has been the case, after the February-March 2000 counter-offensive of the PW. Prior to this, from December ’99 onwards regular retaliatory attacks occurred in memory of the three CC martyrs. The entire state shook with fear. In the process, Madhav Reddy too was killed. At that time itself the DGP, Dora, told a TV interviewer, that they will kill more PW men, in order to finish them off.

Actually, during this 3rd round of attack, false encounters, encircling of squads/organisers in their shelters, on the basis of a tip offs from informers; showering bullets with automatic weapons; or throwing grenades with launchers or mortar fire — has become a routine affair by the AP’s elite dog force, the greyhounds. Yet, the guerrilla forces are effectively resisting them, in their own way, with much less fire-power — often using only country-made guns. In 90% of the real encounter incidents none are injured on both sides, with the guerrillas effectively retreating. Such pitched battles have been going on since many years. But, on certain occasions, the number of PW guerrillas martyred have been as high as 13. Once, in Medak district, one after another, four squads were eliminated by the enemy troops. Though this was a major loss to the Medak movement, in practice these losses are overcome, with the people and party boldly facing up to such losses.

In the month of April, the PW lost 26 comrades in three major incidents and a number of minor ones. Yet, the AP state committee as also the NTSZC of the CPI(ML)[PW] together with the mass organisations and masses under their influence are able to sustain their positions, and advance amidst these losses. It does not demoralise them. Though the soil is red with the blood of revolutionaries, the sons and daughters arise again and again from the red earth in large numbers, to avenge the killings of their comrades.

But every revolutionary war has its laws. It is only by applying these laws properly, that we can advance and retreat. As Com. Mao said, "War is a contest of strength, but the original state of strength changes in the course of war. Here the efforts made to score more victories and commit fewer errors are the decisive factor. Objective factors make the change possible, but it requires correct directives and efforts on the subjective side to turn this possibility into actuality. At that time such efforts become decisive." (Mao Collected Works, Vol. II, On Protracted People’s War)

He also added that, "It is only when there is a wide disparity between the enemy’s strength and ours, that, acting on the principle of conserving our strength and biding our time to defeat the enemy we advocate retreating to base area and luring in deep, for only by so doing can we create or find conditions favourable for our counter-offensive." (Strategy in China’s Revolutionary War, Mao Collected Works, Vol.I, page 219)

In the course of struggle, the PW is adopting tactics according to the concrete situation, and while conserving its strength it seeks to advance to a higher stage with renewed strength. So, at this juncture, depending on the concrete situation, if the enemy, is ready for talks, the party can talk. For these talks, the enemy will put its own conditions, the PW will put theirs. While the people will judge both; there will always remain vacillators to jump to the proposals of dialogue but it is up to the leadership steeled in the flame of struggles to decide terms and conditions to extract maximum leverage out of such talks, if any.

Actually, in NT and the guerrilla zone areas of Maharashtra and MP, the government has not allowed any open legal programme since 1984. In Bihar, open programmes are permitted to some extent, but the MKSS, an open peasant organisation, was banned way back in 1986. In AP, from 1992 onwards the party and mass organisations have been banned.

In NT and DK, after deepening the mass base of the party, since 1995 a number of mass secret programmes could be organised. Upto 15,000 people have participated in these programmes/meetings without knowledge of the enemy. At the initiative of a single guerrilla squad, meetings from 1000 to 5000 people have been successfully held, addressed by SAC, and upto CC members. In future, as the movement advances towards the higher stage of Guerrilla Zone, even more people will rally under direct party leadership, in such mass open/secret programmes.

The party from the very beginning itself has prepared the people, mass organisations, party members and PGFs for underground life and to build open/secret mass movements to counter the enemy’s onslaught. So, basically the clamping of a ban will have little affect on the movement — except, of course, on the open magazines. The party has no illusions on the so-called ‘democracy’ of the existing system. If the struggle advances to a higher phase, irrespective of a ban, the state will behave with cruelty. In fact, in the history of the AP movement, a number of civil rights leaders were killed when there was no ban. In the history of the world proletarian movements, the ruling classes have always suppressed the rights of the downtrodden. People in our country, for example, are well aware how, during Indira Gandhi’s rule, ‘democracy’ was implemented through the Emergency in the mid 1970s.

Even today, the Sangh Parivar attacks minorities in different parts of the country with impunity. What role are the so-called democratic institutions playing to counter it ? After assuming power in the states and at the Centre, the BJP directly attacks its opponents. So, irrespective of the party in power at the states or at the Centre, they will play a similar role to suppress the revolutionary, democratic, nationality movements, and to suppress the backward castes, the minorities and women.

Some may argue that a ban will give more powers to the state machinery. These friends are unable to understand the real character of the ruling class and the role of the state. If one nurses illusions on the role of the state, this will soon get shattered if they merely observe the history of mankind.

In order to push for the ban, the imperialist lap-dog, Naidu, told the CMs’ meet, that his intelligence machinery has identified certain clues which shows that the PW is maintaining relations with some radical organisations abroad like in Peru, the Philippines, Belgium, Norway, Germany, Turkey, Nepal, Bangladesh, etc. And that, internally it is maintaining relations with the nationality movements. Some newspapers reported that Naidu dropped this bombshell at the CMs’ meet.

Alas ! Who are these gangsters fooling ? The entire world revolutionary camp knows of the PW’s achievements in India. The PW and the above mentioned countries’ communist parties, have jointly conducted and/ or participated in a number of programmes in India and abroad. This has been openly proclaimed. It is the duty of the world proletariat to help and participate in the struggles of the proletariat in different countries, wherever and whenever it is possible. Naidu, open your lap-top and observe the web pages of the revolutionary movements, to know how the unity of the world-wide working class is forging ahead. This century will witness more and more victories of the international proletariat.

Advani told some reporters that he is not going to crush the movement as S.S.Ray did in West Bengal in the late ’60s and early ’70s. Does that display a democratic face of Advani ? Certainly not ! Advani knows very well, that the present movement cannot be so easily crushed as that of the 1970s. In those days, as the party committed left-adventurist mistakes, it was crushed within a span of two to three years. But, from this setback in the movement the party has learned lessons. So what Ray, Vengal Rao, etc., and the Centre was able to achieve then, in the last two decades, though all have tried to crush the movement, none have succeeded. Because, in the on-going movement, people have stood firmly with the party, and the party has rectified its left and right deviations.

But, over these past 30 years, the ruling classes have also taken some lessons. Their main lesson learnt is to adopt a long-term strategy against the Indian revolutionary movement. So, the ruling classes, at both the state and the Centre, consistently adopt this approach. Though parties criticise one another, blaming earlier governments for not adopting a firm policy towards the PW, this is mere pretense — the policies have been fairly consistent. So, not only in those areas where the struggle has reached a higher level, like in AP, NT, DK and Bihar, but also in those areas where the revolutionary movement is still in a preparatory or embryonic form, the enemy has a strategic understanding on how to face it. Besides, they also get timely advice from the imperialists, who continuously assess the trends of the ongoing world’s people’s movements of Asia, Africa and Latin America, and send suggestions to their governments.

The Indian government, irrespective of the party in power, is selling out the country to the multinationals, the World Bank, the IMF, etc. All PSUs are in the process of being sold to the Indian big bourgeois houses and the TNCs. Major subsidies have been cut under instructions from the World Bank and IMF. Whatever can be sold, is up for sale by both the Central and state governments. Therefore, it is time now for all democrats and the people to display patriotism and fight against the policies of the ruling classes that are selling our country’s wealth to the imperialists at throw-away prices. The ruling class traitors pose as patriots. So there is urgency for all the masses and democrats to come out openly and resist these policies, and organise resistance struggles wherever possible.

In this situation it s also the duty of all Maoist forces to unite together to resist the enemy. Recently the MCC, through an open leaflet has declared a stop to the physical attacks on the PW. In response, the PW also immediately called a halt to its counter-attacks on the MCC. In this positive environment the two need to come together to unitedly fight the enemy. Whatever deviations both have in their practices needs to be identified and rectification campaigns undertaken. Then, a strong, combined mass movement can be built by both parties, that could teach a good lesson to the enemy. Meanwhile, the parties that are facing the enemy onslaught, would have to mobilise the broad masses to fight the enemy on its own strength, and allow problems to be amicably solved in the course of the advancing movement.

In AP, the state government has also been attacking the other ML groups. These groups, though they preach the parliamentary line, have also been facing some repression. It is time for these groups to review their line, learn from the lessons of the Indian revolutionary movement and rectify their deviations. The last three decades experience of the Indian revolutionary movement has showed the necessity of discarding the parliamentary line and the need to fight the right opportunistic line; and the need to strengthen the armed resistance by choosing armed formations as the main form, in order to advance the struggles to Guerrilla Zones, Guerrilla Bases and to Base Areas. For this, strong PGFs, and the building of a strong secret party, which gives confidence to the masses through its political line and practice, is the need of the hour.

We hope that positive criticism will help rectification, or at least an approach develops to unitedly fight the enemy courageously, and defeat the state’s offensive war.

We can hope that the coming months and years will give more news of greater and greater resistance of the masses to defeat this first offensive war against the revolutionaries, by the Central government, led by the BJP fascist forces. Already the masses of AP, NT, and DK have the experience of defeating the first and second undeclared offensive war of the state governments, and resolutely fighting in order to defeat the 3rd offensive war of the states, and now of the Centre. One hopes of greater and greater victories of the masses, who are making history.

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