Volume 6, No. 5, May 2005

The 7th Asian Security forum meet was held in Delhi in the end of January 2005, where the U.S. Foreign Secretary, Condolizza Rice, attended and expressed her government’s opinions on the political situation in Andhra Pradesh. It was the third time within a few months’ gap for the US government to intervene directly in our own country’s affairs. The ‘Honorable’ Defence Minister, Mr. Pranab Mukharjee, never dares to counter the American Secretary instead with a nervous sense he utters that the problem of Naxalites exists, but it is under control. The same Defence Minister on 4 Feb issued a statement at Hyderabad that through Talks should be continued in AP, the Naxal threat increased, becoming main danger to internal security. The Defence Minister never saw even in his dreams — about American government posing as the main danger and threat to the Indian masses and for world peace. People will not forgive the ‘honorable’ Defence Minister.

Under the chairmanship of Mr. Sivraj Patil regular meetings of DGPs, security affairs committees, joint operational commands, internal security meetings, Naxal ‘affected’ states CMs’ meetings and his personal visits to the North-East, J & K, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, Chhattisghar etc. are regularly taking place. In end March the Special Task Force specifically appointed by the Congress presented its report directly to Sonia Gandhi in a two hour meeting. The outcome of all the meetings was the same – a) Naxalite problem is the main threat to the internal security of the country, b) modernization of forces along with special training, c) construction of roads as part of reforms, d) further coordination between the states, e) deployment of central forces on a permanent basis, f) newer and newer draconian laws to curb all the nominal rights which have been publicly pronounced and g) the war of vicious propaganda against the Maoists by utilizing all the govt. resources, etc.

Meeting after meeting and the, co-ordination between the states forces with the Central forces are meant to crush the revolutionary mass movement. Company after company, battalion after battalion of central forces are being deployed. At the time of the NDA rule, in the name of an ‘Indian Reserve Force,’ a new para military organisation emerged in areas of higher level of class and nationality struggles. A number of new battalions have been added to the existing structure of the para-military forces. After, the 9 states Chief Ministers meet on 21 September, a new force comprising 50 Battalions — named as STF — is going to be formed exclusively against the revolutionaries, that too from the local youth. All other preparations are geared to ‘root out ‘terrorism’ with the blessings of American imperialism.

After assuming power the UPA at the Centre temporarily toned down the anti-Naxalite sloganeering, compared to the BJP-led NDA period. The May 2004 parliamentary elections changed the political atmosphere for a few months, merely in the expressions of opinions. There was no liberal approach in government policies. One alliance fell and anther took charge. The NDA was thrown out of power and the UPA assumed office. A change of Parties might have taken place, but the general policies continued at the same pace. One can see the change in presentation of the problems, as well as the tone of the Home Minister of India. Mr. Sivraj Patil replaced Mr. Advani. Home Secretaries too were changed, the bureaucracy in the PMO and the men in special cells too were transferred to appease the ‘new’ ministers, but the policies laid down by them are being implemented by the new bosses without any delay and interruption.

From the last quarter of 2003 till date, various states faced assembly elections and in April-May 2004 General elections were held. In this period propaganda and debate revolved mainly round the Naxal issues in nine states. When, in 2003, assembly elections took place in Chhattisghar and Madhya Pradesh, when the Andhra Pradesh assembly was dissolved prematurely and a debate was initiated by the TDP from October 2003 to May 2004, and even now in the latest phase of the Jharkhand and the Bihar assembly elections — the Naxal issue has occupied the center stage. When in power, the BJP as the leader of the NDA and now as the opposition parties has never paused to consistently launch an offensive vicious propaganda war against the leader of the Indian Maoists. When resistance broke out in new areas after the May 2004 elections like in West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, North Bihar, Uttarakhand, borders of Chhattisghar-Jharkhand, Bengal-Jharkhand and Orissa-Jharkhand, suddenly the Chief Ministers of the concerned states started a hullabaloo against the Maoists, which is spearheading the Indian revolution against all dark forces.

The ‘Marxists’ in Bengal deployed big contingents of para military in South Bengal and are now planning serious attacks in North Bengal too. Whereas in Jharkhand the deployment of forces and repression increased with a long-term perspective. After the formation of the new states of Jharkhand and Chhattisghar, the military equipment in their arsenals is soaring and new battalions with young recruits are being deployed in the battlefront. Mulayam in Uttar Pradesh too stepped up the police attacks in some parts of the state. Congress led state in the Uttarkhand is threatening the people and is trying to crush the CPI (Maoist) movement in its infant stage itself. When the movement gained momentum in North Bihar and borders of UP, the Laloo-Rabri govt. was over active in deploying extra forces. The STF of Bihar has been regularly attacking selected targets of the Maoists’ technical mechanism and on the leadership. The Orissa and the Madhya Pradesh governments too are planning various reform programmes and side-by-side sending new forces to the battlefront. Then Maharastra government too has been continuing the repression without any break.

Whereas in South India the Karnataka govt. deployed Special Forces in the Western Ghats and repression was let loose in 4 districts. In Tamilnadu the fascist Jayalalita has now engaged its STF against the Maoists. These forces were earlier engaged against Veerappan. A recent DGP’s meet at New Delhi discussed the deployment of the Indian Army in Dandakarnaya at a ‘right time’ to cordon off and attack the guerrilla bases there. Where as in AP the truce broke down and the govt. unilaterally started attacks on the Maoists.

In fact, on April 8th the newspapers announced that the first steps are being taken to bring in the Army against Naxalites. It was announced that the Army will soon start training state polices to fight Naxalites. To start with a school is being set up in Chhattisgarh to train the police. The Army Chief, J.J.Singh, said that "one of our best brigadiers is being sent as commandant to this school." This Chief further added "we’re analyzing the state of Left extremism and coordinating with the Home Ministry and the state police to ensure that the threat to internal security is effectively countered."

In Jammu and Kashmir and North-East the attacks of Indian Para military forces and army goes on without any lull or gap in the degree of the offensive. At this juncture stiff resistance too has been going on from the side of revolutionaries and nationalist forces. Actually after the Parliamentary elections a song on talks was sung by various state govts. In this background statement after statement from various state governments, regarding talks were released. In the later period, the opposition parties set out to voice in chorus for a central policy on Naxalites. A full-scale debate started among the ruling classes, irrespective of their party background, with the core argument that what happened, happened — but there should not be further consideration on the Naxal issue, like allowing them for talks or open activity, when they are carrying arms. Laying down of arms became a central point from Nov. 2004 onwards. The RSS supremo, Shiv Sena Supremo, Jaya, Chandrababu Naidu, Navin Patnaik, Fernadez or Buddha, Munda, Ramon or Sonia, Monmohan, YSR, Jana are all now singing the same song without any major difference. So we have to understand that the Centre and states government, led by various ruling class parties; approach to policies are in essence the same.

When the enemy forces are continuously adopting the method of encirclement and suppression, new forms of repression, new tactics, advanced technology, superior equipment, training additional forces and a well oiled mechanism will give temporary advantages to it in some battles. But the sharpening contradictions among the ruling classes will weaken these advantages of its offensive war. However the Maoist who are waging a strategical defence war will try to counter resist and improve their strength day by day. Mao said that, "In any war, the opponents contend for the initiative, whether on a battle-field, in a battle area, in a war zone or in the whole war, for the initiative means freedom of action for an army. Any army which loses the initiative, is forced into a passive position and ceases to have freedom of action, faces the danger of defeat or extermination." (Selected Articles of Mao Tse-Tung; New Vistas Publication, December 200; p.220)

The path of revolution is protracted and the sustained guerrilla war is advancing in the guerrilla zones. And in all these zones the war has sustained for a long period, but later faced an ebb particularly in North Telangana from 1999-onwards. In Maharastra particularly Gadchiroli, Bhandara, Gondia areas the movement is also facing continuous serious repression without any relaxation. In these areas guerrilla war has traversed a long distance and advanced with serious losses. In any guerrilla zone of India, under the leadership of the Maoists, the war of defence will obviously develop through difficult circumstances, without a sufficient rear area in the country till date or in the border countries and as the weak forces are facing the enemy’s strong forces. So in this adverse situation the initiative in some pockets went into the hands of the enemy forces. In those areas initiative can be regained by fighting with the enemy forces and engaging them daily whenever the state forces enters the guerrilla zones. Generally, the political initiative will be retained in the hands of the Maoists because they are waging a just war against the system. To overthrow this existing rule and establish the alternative, hundreds of battles would have to be fought to capture power through the final battles. All these battle rehearsals would have to be waged keeping the initiative, flexibility and planning in the hands of guerrilla forces and their leader the Maoists.

In this type of zigzag war of guerrilla resistance for a temporary period in some areas the enemy forces will get the upper hand. In such places along with resistance people need to be consolidated in secret form of mobilization but the main form will be resistance itself with active participation of the people and then the resistance will transform into a regular one.

Now in DK, since the last one year, particularly since the Chhattisghar Assembly elections, an active harassment and misleading of the enemy forces continue with the participation of large number of base forces. This model needs intensification with a need to adopt such a process in the NT, Gadchirroli, Balaghat type Guerrilla zones, in order to regain the initiatives in the process.

The ruling classes are trying to focus the debate on AP talks on the one hand and on the other they are gearing up fully, to launch attacks in all the areas simultaneously. On September 21 when the two major parties, which were sphereheading the Indian revolution merged into a single party the ruling classes of India took it as a serious threat to the existing system. The World Bank and US foreign departments have since been pursuing the Indian government to follow the hard-line to tackle the problem. So Home Ministers, the Defence Minister, the PM and leaders and officials at state levels came to an understanding that it is high time to suppress the movement. So the guns of the state armed forces, para military forces started booming in AP and other areas. At the time in some states on this or that pretext the trigger-happy state continues its fire without break.

The situation in Nepal too broke the daydreams of the Indian state. On the one hand it was forced to condemn the emergency but simultaneously it is gearing up its army to extend all logistical support to the king to crush the liberation movement of Nepal under the leadership of the Maoists. It is further trying to cut the relationship between the CPN (Maoist) and CPI (Maoist) and to minimize the impact of the war of liberation of Nepal on the Indian people. It has planned to double its forces on the Nepal border, by a massive recruitment of youth from the area.

Whatever be the tall claims of the UPA, within a very short span of time, it is nakedly exposed before the Indian toiling masses that in the final analysis it serves the interests of imperialism particularly US imperialism. Whatever mask it wears it will be temporary. However temporary it will be, the vanguard party of the proletariat needs all the weapons to fight against the state, to mobilize the people against the state and to consolidate the gains of the movement achieved. So far, to reorganize its forces for the new battles, to propagate revolutionary politics in a larger way is needed to intensify the war of resistance. This is Mao’s line.

Different tactics will be adopted in different circumstances and in the given specific conditions. But the aim of all these tactics is the same i.e. to advance the war, strengthen the three magic weapons, to establish bases and to extend the war to newer areas.

The past developments show this, but the Indian Maoists need train their leadership from top to bottom to understand the basic line of for revolution and stick to that line in order to face the enemy forces. The formation of the new party has had a positive impact on the revolutionary masses, which needs to be consolidated further without delay.

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