Volume 7, No. 5, May-June, 2006

- Sharad

The unity of the MCCI and the PW and the formation of a united CPI(Maoist) party in India has primarily led to the ability of the new party to intensify the people’s war in the country in the face of a quantum leap in government counter-insurgency operations. This has been possible due to the unifying of the PLGA of the MCCI and the PGA of the PW and the formation of a single unified Command and Commission structure. It is not just the spectacular attacks of Madhuban (simultaneous raid on four targets), or the raid on the Girdhi Armoury, or the sensational Jehanabad jail break, or the recent take-over of a township in Gajipati in Orissa, or the seizure of 18 tonnes of explosives in DK, but the hundreds of minor and major actions by the guerrilla forces that have proved the resilience of the newly united Maoist party in India and its ability to strike back at the State forces of the state. It is this ability that has sent the moneybags into panic and is forcing them to have meeting after meeting under the auspices not only of the Home Minister but also of the very Prime Minister himself. In just the one-and-a-half months of March and April 2006 they have held five such top-level meetings culminating in the April 13th meeting of Chief Ministers chaired by the Prime Minister and with the Home Minister and other top officials present. It is only a matter of time before they call out the army, which is already indirectly involved in the training programmes in counter-insurgency.

But, whatever may be the preparation of these mercenary forces, there is no force that can crush the just struggle of the people as long as they stay on the revolutionary path. Today, under imperialist globalization, with conditions deteriorating beyond all limits, and the rulers not tolerating the smallest dissent, more and more people are seeing the necessity for armed struggle to achieve their rights and gain justice. The talk of Maoist violence is all humbug, state violence and the violence of this system is everywhere — dalits virtually breathe it every second; women face it through patriarchal brutality, the kind of which we do not see in any other country; slumdwellers in their thousands are being forcibly evicted; over 4 million tribals have been displaced and now an equal number face the same fate due to the huge mining concessions and other ‘development’ projects; in just the past 5 years some 40,000 farmers have been pushed to suicide, and millions are hovering on the brink; the smallest, even totally peaceful protest by workers are faced with police firing and lathi-charges; even the middle classes are not being spared with traders shops being forcibly broken down; the list could go on and on. The question is not of violence vs non-violence but whether it is just to take up arms against a most violent and brutal state or not. Whether the monopoly of violence should only be with the moneybags. This is the questions all should ask. The Maoists say it is just to take up arms as part os the overall process to change a brutal and violent system.

The Maoists fear no sacrifice; hundreds, nay thousands, have given their precious lives for the advancement of the revolution and the people’s cause, they fear neither death nor Statebullets nor the horror chambers of the Statedungeons. They fight not only for the liberation of the oppressed of the country but for the liberation of all mankind. They fight for a new communistic order. They learn from the errors caused by the setbacks in Russia and China and vow never to repeat those errors, in order that the idyllic society of the future can come into being.

A new dawn is breaking; a new light is rising over the horizon; with the gun in one hand and the pen in the other, the guerrilla marches forward amidst the vast ocean of humanity, towards the bright future of justice, equality and liberation.

Let us take a brief glimpse into some of the heroic actions of the guerrillas over these past 18 months since the unity.

The Maoists often take various military campaigns in order to counter the government’s armed forces. The most striking aspect of the Maoists TCOC (tactical counter-offensive campaign) during the last 18 months is the presence of People’s militia forces – the Maoists termed it as the basic forces of their PLGA – in big numbers, in almost all or their actions. As the reports indicate the members of the People’s Militia have displayed their mettle in both big medium and small operations of the Maoists, proving on the way that this force has come of age. Reports from various areas further indicate that this force, apart from participating in the actions undertaken by the main and secondary forces of the PLGA, has also planned and successfully executed many retaliatory actions of various types, not only against local reactionaries but also against Central Para military forces and state special armed police forces. Though these militia members are mainly armed with traditional weapons like bows and arrows, muzzle loaders, etc. they are causing sleepless nights to the police and para-military forces, through their non stop harassment actions. Not only that, they are slowly developing skills in the use of modern weapons. They have already acquired some mastery in the deployment of claymore mines and directional mines.

Here we give some reports, which clearly illustrate the death defying courage, creativity and dedication of the members of the People’s militia.

An example was the militia scared Venkiah Naidu and burnt down, the helicopter he used. On January, 29th 2005 a helicopter carrying the Ultra-reactionary BJP leader Venkiah Naidu force landed due to fuel shortage in the forest area near Paraliya village of Gaya district in Bihar. The local people Militia unit which got that news from the people immediately set out for that spot. But by that time it could reach that spot, Venkiah Naidu ran away from that place. The milita then burnt down the helicopter with petrol bombs.

The B-J bandh in January 2006 against the growing atrocities of the State, seriously affected road and rail traffic in the two states. They blew up tracks, held railway staff hostage, damaged power and communication systems, attacked police stations, and hit at the police/para-military forces. Several important trains had to be diverted, particularly on the Howrah-Delhi route. A police out-post was blown up in Banka district and rifles seized. A Police Station and a DSP residence was attacked in Chatarpur in Palamau district. In Jharkhand one RPF personnel was killed in West Singhbum district. Rail lines were damaged in Jharkhand too at several points and the NH33 road was blockaded.

The people’s militia units in the Maad area of Dandakaranya, waged a continuous battle of harassment for three days against a batch of 60 paramilitary police personnel, who came on election duty to Beengonda village. The police set up their camp at a local school. The local militia members divided themselves in batches and conducted harassment firing on the camp day and night on batch after the other. The police forces were so terrified that they did not dare to venture out even to procure drinking water. They went on firing blindly in all directions, spending more than hundred mortar shell and thousands of rounds of ammunition. But the militia stood undeterred even amidst such a rain of bullets and shells and continued its firing. One policemen was injured in their firing and when a helicopter came to evacuate him, the militia hurled a grenade on the helicopter, but it missed the target.

The Kotram militia of South Bastar area initiated a ‘Bhoomkal Abhiyan’ to defeat the ‘Salva Judum’ goons. On June 20th, a 2000 strong mob of ‘Salva Judum’ goons raided Kotram Village Byramgarh area and retreated after destroying the house of local mass organization functionaries. Meanwhile the local militia of 40 members divided themselves into two batches and laid in wait for the retreating murderers. As soon as the goons reached the ambush spot, the militia members launched a surprise attack on them, with their bows and arrows and killed eight of those goons.

The Tumiri incident narrated below underlines the timely initiative, creativity and courage of the militia. A team of militia members set up a landmine on a road near Tumri village of Jedurgonda area, to ambush police patrol batch. They were anticipating that the police batch will march down the road, but that batch came from the forest area behind the spot where the militia was waiting. The alert militia members were able to see the police approaching from a distance without loosing courage they retreated to the other side after exploding the mine. The police batch taken by surprise fired for sometime and continued their march, this time taking the road towards Chintanar village. Meanwhile, another two members of the militia, who were at a distance hearing the sounds of the explosion and gunfire both of them decided to wait in ambush near the road hoping that the police will retreat toward Chintanar and all that they had were just two balti (bucket) Bombs. Within a short time their expectation was fulfilled, as they saw from a distance the police batch coming. Though they had only two balti bombs, they found out a way through their creativity to cause much harassment to the police. They gathered dry leaves from the road side and heaped them at one place; then they placed their bombs in that heap. They then again placed dry leaves from the heap to the end of the road to act as a fuse wire. When the police batch came about 50 yards near the leaves heap, the militia members set fire to their self created fuse wire of dry leaves and the bombs exploded, creating great confusion amongst the policemen. They immediately took prone positions on the road and resorted to blind firing. After some time they returned to their police station, putting a stop to their patrolling.

A militia commander dares death to recover a fuse wire and flash. This is the story of death defying courage shown by a commander of the people’s militia squad in the Jegurgonda area. This squad, during an ambush, exploded a mine on a police party, which was coming on foot. The mine exploded before the police reached the spot, so it did not cause any loss. The police immediately opened rapid fire on the militia positions. All the members of the militia retreated except the commander. He remained firmly at his core position trying hard to retrieve the fuse wire and flash used in the explosion. He started rounding up the wire even though bullets were wizzing over his head. The police started advancing towards his position as they were not getting any return fire. After coming about 40-50 yards near his position, the police started firing shells. One shrapnel from the shell wounded the big toe of the commander. But even then he did not loose his courage. He took another 4-5 minutes to recover the wire and the flash and then safely retreated during a lull in the police firing.

The above are but a few of the scores of incidents that are taking place in almost all the areas, where the Maoist peoples war is going on. These incidents amply illustrates the fact the Maoist were able to further mould their ‘Peoples Militia’ in to force that has to be reckoned on its own in these fifteen months after the formation of their unified CPI (Maoist) Party.

Apart from this direct state terror, the ruling classes unleashed an even more savage campaign of massacring the people in Maoist strongholds through such campaigns as ‘Salva Judum’ in Danda-karanya, ‘Janjagran Abhiyan’ in Orissa, ‘Sendrai’ in Jharkhand and ‘Gaon Bandhi’ in Maharastra by setting up vigilante gangs. Various States are conducting these campaigns, gathering lumpen and reactionary elements, forming them into vigilant groups with names such ‘Nagarik Suraksha Samiti’ (Jharkhand), ‘Gana Suraksha Samiti’ (W.B.), ‘Shanti Sena’ (Orissa) ‘Narsa Cobras’ / ‘Kakatiya Cobras’ in AP etc. equipping them with arms. In DK, these armed vigilant gangs have been on the rampage for the past year, raiding villages considered as Maoist strongholds, beheading the leaders and members of revolutionary and democratic mass organization, burning down entire villages, looting everything they can lay their hands on and committing atrocities on women. The savagery of these goons can be gauged from the fact that in just a four month period, they murdered more than 100 people including the women, children and the aged and burnt down about 70 villages. The aim of these campaigns is to terrify the revolutionary masses into submission as the state failed to wean away these masses from the revolutionary movement by its reform schemes.

The countering of these vigilante forces utilising the lumpens and feudal elements has been a major success of the militias who live in the villages and are part of the village life. It is they who are the most alert against these anti-people forces and know best how to deal with them. Together with the main forces and also independently they have bee able to hit telling blows at the vigilante elements and safeguard the people’s victories.

But, all these campaigns failed miserably in either containing the Maoists or in subjugating the revolutionary masses. On the other hand it was the Maoists, and revolutionary masses, who dealt stunning blow after blow though the counter offensive campaign, with a well coordinated and simultaneous military operations in various states. Through their operations they were successful in not only containing the state’s brutal onslaught but were also able to extend their People’s War to newer areas like UP and Uttaranchal (Uttarkhand). Thus they won a political victory too.

In Jharkhand, the PLGA forces of the Maoists dealt telling blows on the Central Para-military forces and states special armed police forces. During the past 15 months period they killed more than 40 men of the above forces and inflicted severe injuries on over 30 men, through such actions, raids, ambushes and attacks. Simultaneously they captured around 200 weapons and 26000 rounds of ammunition. Out of all these actions, the booby trap explosion at Diridag in Chatra district and the raid on Home guards training centre in Girdhi stand apart.

The Diridagal incident : The Maoists utilizing the police forces weakness for looting money, set a trap for them in Dirdagal village of Chatra district. First they arranged a booby trap explosive inside a steel locker. They then placed it inside an abandoned house of an ex-Jamindar in Diridagal village. Then they spread the word that Naxalites were using that building and have kept about one crore rupees in a steel locker. They made sure that the word reached the ear of the local informer. The informer dully rushed to the Seemarie police station. On the morning of 9th October a big contingent of the police (50 CRPF and 20 State Armed Policemen) descended on the village overjoyed at the prospect of looting such a big amount. They searched the house and found the locker on which a paper was pasted saying that it contains about one crore rupees. The police immediately tried to pry open the locker, and all their joy evaporated in seconds as the locker exploded killing 12 policemen including the commandant of the CRPF on the spot and seriously injuring 25 others.

On March 5th the PLGA killed about 8 jawans of the CISF near Bokharo and took large quantities of arms and ammunition.

Girdhi Raid : on November11, the PLGA guerrilla launched a daring surprising raid on the Home Guards training centre and managed to capture 185 weapons and 25000 rounds of ammunition after overpowering the armed personnel stationed there.

On March 15th PLGA forces seized the Barkakana-Dehri-Mugalsarai passenger with about 100 on board. They held the train the whole night and the police forces did not dare to come. They seized the train at 7.30 pm and left the next morning with the walki-talkies of the guard and the driver. This was a part of a retaliatory action against the killing of their commander, Jagannath Koiri, in Palamu on March 3rd.

In Bihar the Maoists went on spectacular offensive smashing the state’s suppression campaign, wiping out around 50 policemen including the SP of Monghyr district and capturing a large quantity of arms and ammunition. In addition they burnt down one helicopter. All this amidst the intensive combing operations being conducted by thousands of para-military and state’s armed police forces, specially deployed for months together to contain the Maoists, in the name of ensuring free and fair elections for the Bihar Assembly (Bihar went to polls twice in 2005). The Maoists, moreover took the battle to the state’s strongholds, towns, by successfully laying seize on Madhuban and Jehanabad and launching simultaneous attacks on several political, economic and military targets, through their operations code named ‘operation Dhamaka’ (Madhuban) and "Operation Jail Break’ (Jehanabad).

Operation Dhamaka – Seize of Madhuban : On June 23rd around 150 members of the Maoist PLGA forces, carried out a daring raid on Madhuban town of Champaran district in North Bihar, they launched simultaneous attacks on a half a dozen targets, dealing lightning blows and within minutes captured almost the whole town. They attacked a police station killing two policemen and seized all the weapons and ammunition stored there. Another formation of the guerrillas surrounded the Banks and seized about 12 lakhs in cash. One formation struck against the local circle inspector’s office and snatched four weapons. Yet another formation of the Maoists attacked the house of a notorious landlord, a mafia gang leaders and an MP of the RJD. As he was away at that time, they destroyed his house and a petrol pump nearby owned by him.

‘Operation Jail Break – The Seize of Jehanabad’ : on November 13th, a strong column of the PLGA forces, comprising of around 1000 members laid seize on Jehanabad town (a district headquarters) from all sides on November 13th, taking the town into their hands for almost three hours. Dividing themselves into formations they launched well coordinated simultaneous attacks on the police lines, police stations, Government offices and on the jail. In this path-breaking historic seizure they captured some weapons and freed over hundred of their fellow comrades incarcerated in that Jail. Moreover, they killed ring-leaders of the notorious Ranvir Sena, one of them being the mastermind behind the massacre of dalits in Lakshmanpur Bathe.

As we go to the press reports have just come in of a senior police officer of the rank of DSP having been killed on April 3rd at Majhara village of Rohtas district by Maoist guerrillas.

The state’s suppression campaign was more ferocious and focused in Dandakaranya Zone than other places. The central Govt. in an unprecedented move rushed one Naga Para-military Battalion to Dandakarnya, in addition to other CRPF battalions. Here the state’s campaign was not only aimed at the extermination of the Maoists but also of terrorizing the fighting revolutionary masses into submission through murder and mayhem. Towards this end the state govt. launched a savage ‘Salva Judum’ campaign, wherein marauding vigilante armed gangs raid villages, killing people, looting everything and burning down whole villages. This murder campaign has been going on for the past four months, and more than hundred people have been murdered so far.

A report of a fact finding team of civil liberties organizations has confirmed that the ‘Salva Judum’, touted as a spontaneous uprising of the people against the Maoists in Dantewara district was actually a state managed vigilante enterprise and that its raids has led to many deaths and displacements of the people in the Bhairamgarh, Geedam and Bijapur areas of Dandakarnya. It also confirmed that around 45,000 people from 420 villages were now living as refugees in temporary camps as repeated raids by ‘Salva Judum’ forces, State security forces and para military Naga Battalion stationed in Datewara, on villages that refused to participate in the ‘Salva Judum’ campaign. The State forces resettled entire villages after destroying everything forcing people to move to ‘camps’.

But the Maoist PLGA forces and the revolutionary masses of Dandakaranya courageously repulsed these campaigns, inflicting heavy losses on the state’s armed police forces and central para-military forces, through a series of raids, ambushes etc. Not only that, they inflicted such heavy losses on the ‘Salva Judum’ vigilant goons. The local people’s Militia played an exemplary role in all these actions in particular; it not only protected the villages from ‘Salva Judum’ goons, but also inflicted severe losses on them.

Besides this in the midst of the Salwa Judum terror the PLGA had a number of sensational action hitting at the life-line of the Bailadilla mines of India’s comprador bourgeoisie. On Feb. 9 2006 8 CISF jawans were killed in an attack on an explosive depot in Hiroli, Dantewada. About 18 tonnes of explosives were carried away and also 14 SLRs. On March 5th the Bansi station was blasted and the railway staff taken hostage, disrupting the life-line to the port which exports all our iron ore to Japan. On March 8th a conveyor belt in the Akshnagar mines was burnt down. On March 20th there was a blast in a pump-house in Bacheli. On Mach 21st seven huge explosions destroyed crushers in a private quarry. Later in a similar action the decamped with large amounts of detonators. They also ambushed the most ruthless Naga forces, killing nine and injuring many. This Bailadilla mine made a massive profit last year sucking the blood of the poor of the region and destroying the ecology of Rs.2,100 crores. No wonder the top officials went running to the meet the Chief Minister. This mine produces 15.75 million tomes of iron ore annually, all of which are exported to Japan. On March 24th 06, in a landmine blast the Maoist killing 14 traders and seriously wounding 3 in the Kanker region of Bastar.. They were said to have been returning from a Salwa Judum meeting.

During the last 18 months, the Maoists guerrillas of Bastar wiped out about 100 policemen and injured more than 50 inclusive of para-military forces, Special state commando forces of Chhathisgarh and Maharashtra. Of all the actions of the Maoists, the Tadoki innovative landmine blast and the blasting of a mine proof vehicle of the CRPF at Padeda village need particular mention.

The Tadoki incident: The PLGA guerillas of North Bastar area killed two CRPF constables and injured another in an innovative way on 5th May, at Tadoki village. Tadoki is a small village in North Bastar area. On May 5th, a weekend shandey (marketplace) was being held in that village. Anticipating that the police personnel will certainly visit that place as a part of their patrolling, a team of the local PLGA arranged a landmine under the shade of a tree. Soon a police patrol party arrived there, when three among them came under the tree for shade, the guerrillas exploded the mine killing two and injuring the third.

Blasting of a ‘Mine-proof’ Vehicle: The PLGA guerrillas of South Bastar Proved that the so-called Mine-proof vehicle is not such a mighty secure vehicle and that it is as vulnerable and fragile as any other weapon in the hands of the reactionary state, once it has to face the might of the revolutionaries innovative methods. On September 3rd, a team of the PLGA exploded a landmine under a mine-proof vehicle in which personnel of the 87th CRPF battalion were traveling at Padded village in Dantewada district. The vehicle was completely destroyed due to the effect of the blast and 24 CRPF men including one special security officer died on the spot. This incident really sent shockwaves among the security forces, as they were astounded that the much touted mine-proof vehicle was blown up with ordinary explosives.

In AP, the state government launched a multi-pronged offensive against the revolutionary and democratic movements from January 2005 onwards. On one hand it unleashed an intensive massive combing operation, targeting not only the top leaders of the Maoist party but also other revolutionary organizations like the CPI (ML)[Janashati] on the other hand it let loose murderous vigilant lumpen gangs like ‘Kakatiya Cobras’, Narsa Cobras’ etc. to finish off leaders of revolutionary and democratic mass organizations.

Undeterred by such a massive campaign of suppression, the Maoists retaliated with their own TCOC. They launched such actions, raids, and harassment attacks on police stations, ambushing the combing police forces, punishing informers, annihilating the notorious leaders of the Congress(I) and large scale destruction of the properties of the Central and State Govt. and of ruling class exploiters and their agents. The Maoist attacked 10 police stations during this period, out of which 8 were harassment actions. They killed more than 20 policemen seized around 20 weapons. On April 27th, a special action team of the PLGA made a daring attack on the Prakasam district SP, Laddha, with a directional mine in the heart of the district headquarter town, Ongole. The S.P. survived as his bullet proof vehicle was hit at the front. A special action team of PLGA attacked and killed a notorious liquor baron and Congress (I) MLA Narsi Reddy in Mahboobnagar district on 15th August.

Over 400 Maoists — 200 PLGA and 200 villagers — stormed the town of K.Udayagiri on March 24th 06 of Gajipati district with simultaneous attacks on the State Armed Police camp, the jail, the Police Station, the treasury, the tehsil office and blasted a telecom tower. The raid began a 5 am. and ended by 1.30 pm. they released the 40prisoners in the sub-jail, killed five policemen and seized a large cache of arms (official figures say 25 SLRs, a pistol, an LMG, and one AK-47) and took hostage the Officer-in-charge of the police station and the jailor. The two officials were released after 11 days on humanitarian grounds, even though the five demands put forward by the Maoists had not been met. Being low level official the authorities did not even consider it necessary to negotiate. The officials came out with lots of praise for the Maoists at the type of treatment that were given; but, they were then immediately whisked away by the police.

On February 27th 05 a 15-20 member team of PLGA guerrillas launched a successful surprise attack on Butgaon Police Chowk, which lies at a distance of 40 km. from the district headquarter of Sarguja. They seized 3 SLRs, 4 .303 Rifles, 350 rounds of ammunition and some cash. On January 8th, the PLGA guerrillas laid an ambush on the Ramanajganj-Chandralonagar Road and exploded a landmine under a police vehicle going towards Indrapuri Khori. One Thanedar (in charge of PS)and two havaldars (policemen) died on the spot. The guerrillas seized 2 SLRs and some ammunition. A thanedar was killed during a fierce encounter between the guerrillas and police on May 23rd at Manipat, in Ambikapur district.

On Feb.26 06 inspite of the intense repression brought by the West Bengal CPM government on the Maoists and the arrests of hundreds, including top leaders, the Maoists hit back. Contingents of the PLGA ambushed a caravan of combing the Bhelpari area of Midnapur district killing four and severely injuring another seven in a mine blast. Inspite f its big network of police informers and agents built through its party network they have no clew as to the PLGA forces. There have also been a number of attacks in Puglia district and killing of police informers (CPM activists) in many parts of the State.

It is quite evident from the above reports that the Maoists succeeded in containing the first ever, well coordinated countrywide encirclement and suppression campaign against them, and inflicted heavy blows on the states forces during the course of their tactical counter offensive campaign. Moreover they threw in a challenge by taking the battle to the ruing class strongholds, the towns. Thus gaining a political victory, one can also observe from their series of military actions that they have vastly improved their military capabilities after the formation of the unified CPI (Maoist). One can see from the ease with which they could successfully carry out such big campaigns like ‘Operation Dhamaka’ ‘Girdhi Raid’ and ‘Operation Jail Break’, in which hundreds of their forces participated, even a thousand in the Jehandabd operation, the Udaigiri action in Orissa involving 400, the numerous actions in Chhathisgarh in spite of the terror of the Salwa Judum, etc – that they trained their forces well, and that the leadership has enhanced its capabilities in maneuvering and coordinating in carrying out such massive operations.

Most important of all the participation of the members of the people’s militia, in hundreds in all their big operations is an indicator that the Maoists have vastly extended and strengthened their base among the oppressed masses of the country. The courage, dedication and strict discipline shown by the people’s militia members, in all big and small actions, the numerous actions the militia members conducted on their own initiative, amply demonstrates that this wing of the PLGA of the Maoists has come of age. This augers well for the future of the India’s New Democratic Revolution in India.

Now, it is precisely these actions that are creating terror in the hearts of the ruling classes so much so that they are now crying for blood, demanding the govt. go all hog to permanently exterminate the ‘naxalite menace’. The reactionary news media, which, until a month back, was running story after story about the ‘great People’s revolt in Chhathisgarh’ against the Naxalites in the Maoist area, and about their impending doom is now full of articles urging the government to speed up its act for the annihilation of the Naxalites.

All this is an ample indication that the Maoists were able to deal telling blows on the rulers with militarily and politically. A fine development in the course of the country’s march towards a New Democracy. And as the excruciating poverty of the masses intensifies and as more and more sections come under government fire, more and more people will realize the necessity and the justness of the armed struggle. The hypocrisy of the slogan of non-violence will be seen by all to clearly mean "keep the monopoly of violence in the hands of the moneybags and rulers".

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