Sunday, February 18, 2007

What Maoists Want

What Maoists Want

Maoist ambitions in India now extend to the farthest reaches of the country, and this is not just a fantasy or an aspiration, but a strategy, a projection, a plan and a programme under implementation ...


Ajai Sahni


"Revolutionary warfare is never confined within the bounds of military action. Because its purpose is to destroy an existing society and its institutions and to replace them with a completely new structure, any revolutionary war is a unity of which the constituent parts, in varying importance, are military, political, economic, social and psychological."

Mao Tse-Tung on ‘Guerilla Warfare'


The ‘Red Corridor’, extending from ‘Tirupati to Pashupati’ (Andhra Pradesh to Nepal), has long been passé in the Indian Maoists’ (Naxalites’) conception. Maoist ambitions in India now extend to the farthest reaches of the country, and this is not just a fantasy or an aspiration, but a strategy, a projection, a plan and a programme under implementation.

A multiplicity of Maoist documents testify to the meticulous detail in which the contours of the current and protracted conflict have been envisaged, in order to "Intensify the peoples’ war throughout the country". These documents reflect a comprehensive strategy, coordinating all the instrumentalities of revolution – military, political, economic, cultural and psychological – harnessed through the "three magic weapons Comrade Mao spoke about": the Party, the People’s Army, and the United Front.

After a great deal of dissembling and vacillation, India’s security establishment, both at the Centre and in the ‘affected’ States, appears to have conceded, finally, that the Maoist threat is, in Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s words, the country’s "single biggest internal security challenge." But the threat is still restrictively envisaged as afflicting only parts of those States where Naxalite violence is visible, and is assumed to follow the erratic trajectory of incidents and fatalities from year to year. However, as the Chhattisgarh Director General of Police, O.P. Rathor, recently observed at a Conference in Raipur, "Statistics of incidents never give a real picture of the ground. Whatever is visible is only the mere tip of the iceberg. Unless caution is exercised, volcanoes can erupt."

It is necessary to recognize, crucially, that the phase of violence, which is ordinarily the point at which the state takes cognizance of the problem, comes at the tail end of the process of mass mobilization, and at a stage where neutralizing the threat requires considerable, if not massive, use of force. Within this context it is, consequently, useful to notice not merely the current expanse of visible Maoist mobilisation and militancy, but the extent of their current intentions, ambitions and agenda.

Significantly, the CPI-Maoist has established Regional Bureaus across a mass of nearly two-thirds of the country’s territory (Map 1), and these regions are further sub-divided into state, special zonal and special area committee jurisdictions (Map 2), where the processes of mobilisation have been defined and allocated to local leaders. As these maps indicate, there are at least five regional bureaus, thirteen State committees, two Special Area Committees and three Special Zonal Committees in the country.

This structure of organisation substantially reflects current Maoist organisational consolidation, but does not exhaust their perspectives or ambitions. There is further evidence of preliminary activity for the extension of operations to new areas including Gujarat, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir and Meghalaya, beyond what is reflected in the scope of the regional, zonal and state committees. A ‘Leading team’ recently visited Jammu & Kashmir to assess the potential of creating a permanent Party structure in the form of a State Committee to take the Maoist agenda forward in the State.

Click on Images for larger picture

Map 1


Map 2



In 2004, moreover, the Maoists also articulated a new strategy to target urban centres in their "Urban Perspective Document", drawing up guidelines for "working in towns and cities", and for the revival of a mobilization targeting students and the urban unemployed. Two principal ‘industrial belts’ were also identified as targets for urban mobilisation: Bhilai - Ranchi - Dhanbad - Calcutta; and Mumbai - Pune - Surat - Ahmedabad.

Within this broad geographical spread, the Maoists include, in their inventory of "immediate tasks", among others, the following:

* "Coordinate the people’s war with the ongoing armed struggles of the various oppressed nationalities in Kashmir, Assam, Nagaland, Manipur and other parts of the Northeast.
* "Build a broad UF (United Front) of all secular forces and persecuted religious minorities such as Muslims, Christians and Sikhs…
* "Build a secret party apparatus which is impregnable to the enemy’s attacks…
* "Build open and secret mass organisations amongst the workers, peasants, youth, students, women and other sections of the people…
* "Build the people’s militia in all the villages in the guerrilla zones as the base force of the PGA (People’s Guerrilla Army). Also build armed self-defence units in other areas of class struggle as well as in the urban areas."

The Maoist strategy is clearly to fish in every troubled Indian water, and to opportunistically exploit every potential issue and grievance to generate a campaign of protests and agitations. The principal vehicles for these ‘partial struggles’ are ‘front’ or ‘cover’ organisations of the Maoists themselves, on the one hand, and a range of individuals and organisations best described, in a phrase often attributed to Lenin, as "useful idiots" – well intentioned and often gullible people who are unaware of the broader strategy and agenda they are unwittingly promoting through their support to specific and unquestionably admirable causes.

As the Political and Organisational Review of the erstwhile Communist Party of India, Marxist-Leninist – Peoples War (CPI-ML-PW, also known as the Peoples War Group, which merged in September 2004 with the Maoist Communist Centre to create the Communist Party of India – Maoist) noted,

Cover organisations are indispensable in areas where our mass organisations are not allowed to functions openly…There are two types of cover organisations: one, those which are formed on a broad basis by ourselves; and two, those organisations led by other forces which we utilize by working from within without getting exposed.

This strategy has already contributed to the ‘eruption’ of a few unexpected ‘volcanoes’ in the recent past, with the role of Maoist provocateurs often discovered much after the event. Two of the most recent and impeccable causes that have been embraced in this cynical strategy include the caste conflict in Khairlanji and the escalating tensions and violence over the displacement and Special Economic Zones (SEZ) issues, including Singur and Kalinga Nagar.Sources indicate that current Maoist debates and documents condemn the "second wave of economic reforms" as a "violent assault on the right to life and livelihood of the masses", and call for "an uncompromising opposition to the present model and all the policies that are coming up." Internal debates on the issue have further underlined the "need to build a huge movement against displacement and the very model of development itself", and to unite all "genuine democratic and anti-imperialist forces… to create a tornado of dissent that forces the rulers to stop this juggernaut".

The issues at stake envisaged for potential mobilisation comprehend "development driven through big dams, super highways and other infrastructural projects… gigantic mining projects, Special Economic Zones (SEZs), urban renewal and beautification".

Within the same pattern, United Fronts and Joint Action Committees have focused on "burning issues of the peasantry such as for water, power, remunerative prices for agricultural produce, against exploitation by traders, against suicides by the peasantry, against the WTO, and on worker, student, women, Adivasi and Dalit issues." Thus, "Issue-based joint activity with other forces has been the general form of UF (United Front) undertaken by our Party at various levels…" Suitable ‘issues’ are not picked up randomly or opportunistically, but are based on extensive ‘investigations’ into ‘social conditions and tactics’, and are meticulously reconciled with the broader Maoist strategy and agenda.

These various causes, as already noted, are impeccable, and no one can be faulted for extending support to demands for greater equity, justice and access in these various spheres. For the Maoists, however, these various causes, whether they relate to ‘oppressed nationalities’, minorities, caste excesses, or other social and economic issues, are an integral component of their strategy of political consolidation, leading to military mobilisation.

In Maoist doctrine, these ‘partial struggles’ are no more than a tactical element in the protracted war, and they have no intrinsic value of their own. These ‘struggles’ create the networks and recruitment base for the Maoist militia and armed cadres. Where partial struggles thrive, an army is being raised. These ‘peaceful’ or sporadically violent movements are eventually and inevitably intended to yield to armed warfare and terrorism.

Their objective is to "isolate the enemy by organising the people into various cover organisations and build joint fronts in order to mobilise the masses into struggles to defeat the enemy offensive." Army formation, the Maoists insist, "is the precondition for the new political power", and "all this activity should serve to intensify and extend our armed struggle. Any joint activity or tactical alliances which do not serve the cause of the peoples’ war will be a futile exercise." Moreover, the integrity of the ‘partial struggles’ and the overall aims of the protracted peoples war is underlined by the fact that cadres of the Peoples Guerrilla Army (PGA) are required to engage in these agitational programmes as well. As the PGA’s "Programme and Constitution" notes:

The PGA will participate in the propaganda and agitations programmes as directed by Party Committees. It will organize the people. The PGA will extensively employ people’s art forms in its propaganda. It will try to enhance the consciousness of the people.

The Maoists’ Urban Perspective Document, moreover, envisages the formation of ‘Open Self Defence Teams’ and armed ‘Secret Self Defence Squads’ in urban areas. The document notes, moreover, that for the Secret Self Defence Squads,

One significant form of activity is to participate along with the masses and give them the confidence to undertake militant mass action.Other tasks are to secretly hit particular targets who are obstacles in the advance of the mass movement.

It is useful to recall, in this context, that when talk of the ‘Red Corridor’ was first heard at the turn of the Millennium, most security, intelligence and political analysts simply scoffed, dismissing the very idea as a pipe dream and a propaganda ploy. Since then, however, the Maoist consolidation has occurred precisely along the axis of the then-projected ‘Red Corridor’.

If the state is to prevent a further consolidation of Maoist subversion and violence across the country, it is crucial that the futile debate on, and disputable enumeration of, ‘affected’ States, Districts and Police Stations, be abandoned, and the scope of the state’s defences be extended to cover the contours of the Maoist projections. The Maoists are – and have long been – working to a plan, and have explicitly rejected the ‘Left Opportunism’ which they believe led to the failure of the original Naxalite movement (1967-73).

This gives the movement great strength – but to the extent that this design is well know – makes it enormously vulnerable. Regrettably, while there is a handful of officers in the security and intelligence establishment who are aware of the details of this design, the general grasp in the security and political leadership in the affected and targeted states (the latter category now comprehends the entire country) and at the Centre is, at best, poor. There is, moreover, the added constraint that the Maoist strategy exploits the vulnerabilities of constitutional governance and its freedoms to the hilt, and the security apparatus has only limited instrumentalities of containment available in the initial stages of subversion and mass mobilisation.

The Maoists believe that there is, at present, an "excellent revolutionary situation in India", and have clearly declared that "the seizure of state power should be the goal of all our activity". Building bulwarks against their complex strategy is a challenge, it would appear, that is yet to be imagined by the national security establishment. The fire-fighting responses of the past, the ‘battalion approach’ of deployment of Central Paramilitary Forces (CPMFs) from one theatre to another, and the preferential allocation of financial resources to ‘disturbed’ States and areas, may help fitfully contain the violence of Maoist armed cadres. However, if the nation-wide campaigns of subversion are not addressed, and if prevention, rather than containment, does not become the sheet-anchor of national policy, there will be a tipping-point beyond which national capacities for emergency management will begin to fall disastrously short. That is the Maoist dream; it could become the country’s nightmare.

Ajai Sahni is Editor, SAIR; Executive Director, Institute for Conflict Management. Courtesy, the South Asia Intelligence Review of the South Asia Terrorism Portal


Link

6 comments:

  1. All the natural resources are either creation of nature or god. Landed properties are one of them. Every individual has got right to live equally at par with other human society. But what is happening in the day to day life. Only right is might in the law of the jungle prevails. The rich people acquire land more and more,where as other do not get a piece of land to live and passing their life in nomadic condition. Why this is happening? Because of irregular laws and regulations. The origin of leadership is to maintain equality and discipline in the human society. We have made leaders for disciple way of life. But what the leaders are doing? Why they fail to provide free water,free light,free shelter,free food,free education against their labor? Because of selfishness,there is no equality among human society. Who are responsible for it? what are the alternatives?
    Yes, there are so many alternatives. Government has to think over it. But government fail to think over it, because all the leaders of government are corrupted and selfish except few leaders. They need power and money. They do not think about equality among all.The true leaders are unable to make them understand in a right way. To bring a change and to control terrorism, all the landed properties should be owned by government. All the existing national and international polices need reformation in a right way. It will be the duty of government to provide free education,free water,free light,free shelter, free food,free medical treatment against the labour of human society. It is quite possible subject to proper planning and its implementation. Unless and until it is done and implemented,terrorism will continue, and there will be a great revolution in future. No government can control it. It is 100% sure. Only wait and see. Time will prove it. Because, now a days egoism,greediness,illegality,unethical activities and many other negative aspects are the concepts of leaders. Hence,they are not true leader. A true leader is he, who can maintain equality among all.

    ReplyDelete
  2. you people are nothing but a useless group of deviated minds. if you were denied justice or harmed in any way, as you say, why did you choose this path. you have no right to spoil others life or prospects of development just for shake of your own self-centred ambitions.
    anyways i dont't know your ambitions . i even don't care because i know, everybody knows they will be never fulfilled.
    you msut read about vivekanand , he was also moved by utter poverty of the country but his style of addressing it was far more justified and effective. read about kabirbdas or narayaran guru or any great soul of this soil. they have never told about such nonsense things like war or violence in any form. WAR ONLY KILLS. IT NEVER BRINGS PEACE. IF YOU GUYS WANT HAPPYNESS, SHUN ALL THESE THINGS AND COME AND SEE THE REAL INDIA. YOU CANNOT DEY THIS FACT THAT YOU ARE TIRED. SO IS THE NATION.ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. NO MORE BLOOD.LET HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF FACES SMILE. LET US RUN FOR TRUE HAPPYNESS.

    ReplyDelete
  3. INDIA IS JUST BORN, WE HAVE TO BEAR THE INITIAL PROBLEMS. AFTER ALL OUR COMING WILL BE HAPPY IN DEMOCRACY.

    ReplyDelete
  4. The whole CPI (M) concept is nonsense. Pelase come out and see the real world. I have been born and baught up in village, from poor family from karnataka. I don't see any unequal distrubution of land, wealth, e.t.c. Space is open for all, and best compitator with hard working and right principals/ideology wins the race. You can never change the society by killing the innocent police and security persons. we have also seen your cold blodded act of killing civilians. what right's do you have to do this. Your movemnet can only influence the uneducated, and immature minds. Policies and laws are meant to large human society, not for a small radical groups like naxals who are dreaming to change the country and take control of 1.2 billion population and $4 trillion economy driving the globe. You are unfit to be indian citizens, if you are not working for the welfare of indian society, strong, and stable country. If you belive your radical ideas can influence people, come join your hands in democratic exam, pass the elections and get into power. you will never. look at the fate of other communist parties. You can draw media attention only by violence, not by your work. Shame on you to join hands with anti India terrorists. You are all nothing but nuts, can be wiped off anytime with strong political will.
    Very soon we will face the wind.

    Jai Hind.
    Shiva.

    ReplyDelete
  5. to my fellow countrymen.......

    Just look around. You guys are here since 1960s. What have you achieved? And look at the democracy that India is learning and implementing. Our great nation has ended the rule of kings and zamindars.More people have access to hospitals,schools,jobs and justice. Democracy is the best form of governance that world has invented.It may be slow. It may be stupid but it is effective and brings change to maximum number of people.Look at the world map. How many countries are communist today. USSR has gone, Yugoslavia has gone and PRC China will soon embrace democracy. Name doest not matter. Be it communism, fascism or democracy, all will prove failure if they fail to bring happiness.You guys have left your home, your parents, your sisters, your beloved and your dreams. Most of your are old now. You need rest you need good food you need a day without fear of being caught. Just one bullet will snatch your life. Your are dying for countrymen (you say so) and our countrymen are busy in their own business. The colour of the flag does not matter, if it gives you food. INDIA DOES NOT WANT YOUR COMMUNISM.
    You are need to give up and join the mainstream. See our country is developing so fast. Of course problems are in plenty but gun is not a solution. Pen is mightier.

    Atlast I will just give up arms and use your two arms and live happy life.

    HANDS, HEAD AND HEART ARE IMPORTANT BUT ARE USELESS IF USED WITHOUT EACH OTHER.

    JAI HIND

    Mr. India

    ReplyDelete
  6. i think sharing following will help you desperate guys
    > all that you see is nothing but maya (illusion). everything is made of one single unit of a matter. but this matter has evolved itself in such a manner the whole universe got its existence. and that matter is nothing but a zero (nothingness). it has manipulated itself to look large to look different and complex. it is constantly changing its form. things start from zero, travel to fool each other and end into zero.
    YOU WERE BORN FROM NOTHINGNESS, YOU ARE STAYING ON THIS EARTH AND AFTER SOME TIME YOU WILL END INTO NOTHINGNESS. THEN WHY ARE YOU DOING THESE THINGS? WHY ARE YOU WORRYING FOR SOMEONE WHO ARE NOT YOURS? INFACT YOU YOURSELF ARE NOT YOUR OWN. YOU WILL STAY HERE AS LONG AS THE BRAHM(THE ETERNAL SUPREME) RESTS IN YOUR BODY.
    LEAVE THESE WORLDY AFFAIRS.WHY ARE YOU KILLING OTHERS.(INFACT YOU CAN TO END ANYTHING, YOU ARE JUST BEFOOLING YOURSELF)

    JUST LOOK AT HISTORY OR MYTHOLGY. KRISHNA SAVED THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE. HE DIED AND THOSE WHO WERE SAVED ALSO DIED AFTER SOME TIME. HE JUST PLAYED HIS PART OF ROLE OF THE DRAMA. WHAT IS TO HAPPEN WILL HAPPEN. NOBODY GOVERNS ANYBODY. EVERYTHING ID CONTROLLED BY A CHAIN REACTION.

    IT IS BETTER TO SWIM WITH THE CURRENT THAN TO OPPOSE IT. IF YOU WISH TO BE HAPPY YOU HAVE TO ACT TO BE HAPPY. BUT YOU CAN NOT BE HAPPY IF KILL, STEAL, CHEAT OR MAKE OTHERS UNHAPPY.
    YES OFFCOURSE UNDERSTANDING SPIRITUALITY IS THE MOST DIFFICULT THING. IF ANYBODY UNDERSTANDS IT HE BECOMES A SUPERMAN.

    IT MAY READ BORING, BUT IT IS THE REALITY AND REALITY IS BORING.

    THIS MY LAST COMMENT.

    JAI HIND

    Mr. India

    ReplyDelete

NOTE : The Comments section is provided in the interests of free speech only. It is mostly unmoderated, but comments that are off topic, offensive, slanderous, or otherwise annoying stand a chance of being deleted. The fact that any comment remains on the site IN NO WAY constitutes an endorsement by Naxal revolution, of any view expressed, fact alleged, or link provided in that comment.