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How serious the
CPI(ML)(PW) is on building up a new social system, can also be seen by the
efforts being put in, into basic education. A large section of those entering
the Party are illiterate. Being from the poorest section of the masses, very few
have had the opportunity of taking basic education. From the earliest days the
squads have put in, and continue to put in daily efforts to give all its members
basic education — the ability to read and write.
Now in all the
guerrilla zone areas of DK, AP and NT, efforts are being made to raise the basic
educational level of leading members at the local level. To raise their
knowledge of science, mathematics, history, geography, civics and the languages.
This basic education is in addition to the political education in
Marxism-Leninism-Maoism. To give it importance, these basic classes are now
being organised independently of the latter. Political classes have, of course,
been a continuing effort from the Party’s inception. But these basic classes are
a later phenomena, and written courses have been devised only late last year.
Depending on the scale of repression, there are different methods of conducting
these schools.
In Dandakaranya,
Shyam explained, they have the MAS and the MOPOS. MAS stands for Mobile Academic
School, while MOPOS is the Mobile Political School. Shyam spoke about MAS,
having conducted the first school there, which was held in Sept.2000.
He said that the
students who attended the school were mostly comrades from the Area Committee
(Party) level and some commanders. The school was for one month and functioned
like a proper school, with 8 periods of one hour each from 7.30 in the morning
to 5 in the evening with a one-hour gap for lunch. In the evenings there were
cultural activities and games, which included volleyball, shuttle, kabaddi, kho
kho, chess, carom, checkers, etc. From 7 to 7.30 pm 12 students were given a
half-hour teachers training course. From 7.30 to 9 pm all students were involved
in either a quiz, riddles, group discussion on a topic, or a memory test
programme. Most of the students had already gained some literacy in the squads.
The school was run by three teachers and two assistants. It began with a message
from the party SZC.
There were basically
four subjects that were taught at the school: mathematics, language, Evolution
of man, and the Sate and State Machinery.
In mathematics the
students were taught addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. Other
topics, like geometry, measuring areas, time & distance, decimal system, etc.
were on the syllabus but were not taken. The students found division
particularly difficult and were initially unable to grasp it. So the school was
broken into groups, with a teacher attending each group. After two days of
effort in these groups most were finally able to grasp it.
Two languages were
taught, Telugu and Hindi. The bulk of the students had taken the latter. Here
they were taught how to write reports, letters, short stories and some grammar.
Most could not understand the grammar. Also there was dictation and oral reading
sessions. Through all these attempts were made to build up the vocabulary of the
students.
On the subject ‘Evolution
of Man’, it started with a session of studying a map……… pointing out roughly
the location of the place of the nearest village to where the school was being
held; then pointing out the state to which it belonged…… then India, and finally
the world. The evolution of man was taught as he/she evolved from
primitive communism, through the various stages to capitalism and socialism. The
Russian and Chinese revolution was a part of this section. Indian history was
taught, including the nature of the transfer of power in 1947. Also M-L history
was taught. Also the contemporary situation was discussed……… the bourgeois
parties, the revolutionary parties, and also the questions of the minorities,
the nationalities, castes, women’s question. Later, on review, it was felt that
this subject was too heavy, and it should be restricted to topics related to
science, while the social aspects should be taken in the political class.
Instead, in this section should be added some knowledge on subjects like the
wind, sea, universe, etc.
On the subject of the
State, it was divided into a number of sections: (a) the development of the
state machinery from the start of society; (b) the nature of the Indian State;
(c) the State in different countries and the difference between capitalist and
semi-feudal countries; (d) the structure of the State in India….. its three
wings in the judiciary, executive and the military….. .. and also its structure
at all levels, i.e. the gram panchayats, the district and state levels. Also the
new State power, the GRCs (Gram Rajya Commitees) were discussed.
During the school,
questions were asked on the subject matter taught and oral discussions were
conducted. Also written tests were given. The oral discussions were a good
success, and boosted their confidence. The written tests were not so successful.
Two reviews were done
of the course — one after 15 days, another at the end of the course. In the
15-day review it was felt that the daily schedule was too heavy, so the school
period was cut by an hour each day. After the final review it was decided that
the teachers should reduce their teaching speed, and that students should be
given more practice to write on the boards. On being asked about the affectivity
of the school, Shyam felt that about 50% of what was taught would have been
absorbed by the students. He also said that it has been decided to keep the
discussions going in the squads, on the subjects taught, or else they may forget
what has been taught. He also felt it was necessary to repeat these schools
regularly so that the students can deepen their knowledge. He said that during
the class all the students made lots of effort to gain the maximum from it…..
they would even spend their spare time trying out sums. As all the four subjects
taught have been printed in book form, the students could use these for further
study.
Besides these four
books printed in DK another on the basic Alphabets, called "Struggle with
Letters" has been written by martyred comrade Vikram. Com. Vikram was
martyred during a police raid.
Com. Lata elaborated
on the efforts being made in AP. She said that in 1998 a ‘Vidya Commission’
had been set up to develop the courses, taking the help of teachers. Finally the
courses were ready in 2000 and seven books were printed. The subjects covered
were: history, geography, civics, physics, physiology, mathematics and
chemistry. Independently the NT comrades have produced two textbooks on: the
Natural Sciences and on Mathematics. The books have been compiled in such a way
that they are easy to understand.
Lata further
explained that two teachers training classes, of 10 days each had been held,
with two teachers from each district attending. Due to the intensity of
repression in AP, no separate schools have been held, but about 500 copies of
the course-books have been supplied to all the squads, and the teachers rotate
amongst the squads. Also camps organised for state commmittee or district
committee meetings are utilised for holding such educational schools along the
sidelines following the example of the model camp of the state committee meeting
of 2000.
Both comrades Lata
and Shyam asserted that what is taking place in the sphere of education within
the guerrilla zones are only a beginning. It is only after gaining experience,
and through trial and error, that the basic education schools can be improved
within the Party. They appealed to progressive intellectuals in the urban areas
to come and asist process.
Discussion with Com. Padma
Alternative member of the NT
SZC and Secretary of the Nizamabad/West Karimnagar D C
The young,
ever-smiling and jovial Padma, turns very serious while discussing political and
party matters. With strong views on all issues ranging from political to
military matters, here she outlines the participation and growth of women in the
North Telengana revolutionary movement.
She said that the
percentage of women in NT squads today was 35% and expects the number to go up
to 50% soon. Women’s participation in the movement has increased sharply in the
last decade. But this was not always the situation. Before 1989 participation of
women was insignificant. It was only in the 1990’s that the numbers began to
increase; particularly after 1995, recruitment has been high into the squads and
the Party.
When asked about the
reasons for the change that has occured, Padma explained at length the
evolvement of the Party’s understanding to women’s issues and its impact on
drawing women to the revolutionary movement. She elaborated; "In the pre-1985
period there was an understanding not to make seperate women’s organisations.
Though in 1985 a decision was taken to form women’s organisations, this stayed
with the SC and did not filter down. In that earlier period some womens’
organisations got formed where women themselves took the initiative. It was only
from 1989 that conscious efforts were made. In the 1990 upsurge, women also
participated in large numbers."
Tracing the history
she further added that "in the early 1980’s, most women comrades were given
legal work or den-keeping activities. Even the few that came into the forest
squads were given duties like cooking, bringing water, etc. Though there was
also an objective problem of one woman comrade accompanied by 5 to 6 male squad
members, neither did the women take on important task, nor were they given any
by the squad commander. In addition there would be an over-protective attitude
of some male comrades, resulting again in not giving responsibilities. So, up to
1985 there were very few women, even in the peasant organisation (RCS). It was
in 1989 that women’s organisations began to be formed and the first women (4)
were recruited into the NT squads. I was one of them."
Since then a large
number of women have come and fought heroically in the revolutionary movement.
Notable among these were; Lata from Metapally taluka of West Karimnagar, who
left a child and joined the movement in 1993. She was martyred in the Nov. 25
firing, when she was an LGS commander. Also Aruna, who hailed from the same
village and joined in the same year, went on to become an AC (Area Committee)
member. She was martyred in Aug’98 after a 6-hour gun battle. She gave cover
firing from sugarcane fields in W.Karimnagar. She was one of the six killed in
the battle. Yet another was the Chityalla LGS Commander, Lata who joined a
Mahila team in Warangal district in 1991. She was very militant, chasing away
goondas. She always carried chillipowder with her. After joining the squad she
was martyred in early 1996. During the encounter, she was in the forefront in
the battle against the police, allowing the intire squad to excape. She was
alone killed. Then there was a Com. Padma who was martyred last year while
participating in a raid. She had been married just 15 days earlier. Today the
Party is giving a lot of attention to building womens’ organisations and
encouraging women in the Party to grow politically and militarily. Now, no
longer do women comrades feel inferior to their male counterparts. Most are
confident of shouldering any task of the Party.
Padma said that she
herself has gone through at least 10 firing incidents. In 1991 she escaped when
her shelter in Hazurabad got surrounded by the police. But, in 1996, she was
severly injured in a police encounter. The wounds were very visible on her arms.
They had just completed a meeting in a village and the squad has moving on. The
police had prior information and laid 8 ambushes along three routes. They dug
bunkers and watched the squad approach. They allowed the pilots to pass, with
the aim of destroying the main squad. In the firing two were injured and one
martyred. Padma too was injured. She lay there bleeding for a whole day. No
villagers were around. Finally the commander and others returned and she was
taken away. Though the arm-injury was severe no treatment was possible for 1 ˝
months as the police had raided or arrested all doctors in the region. Meanwhile
the wound got sceptic. It took six months for the pus to be removed and 1˝ years
for the arm to partially recover. Yet, while speaking to her, there was no
indication at all, of what she had gone through — except, ofcourse, for the
visible wound on her arm.
While speaking, Padma
was suddenly called away for a meeting. But before ending the interview she
explained that over 150 women’s organisations had been formed in NT villages;
every district had a seperate Mahila squad to organise women, and there were
also some civil women’s teams; a number of women comrades were District
Committee members and even platoon section commanders; a large number of women
were members of the Party ACs — i.e. all ACs had one to two women comrades out
of the 3 to 5 members; and there even existed a few seperate women party cells.
She added that the number of women professional revolutionaries in NT had more
than doubled since 1995.
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