Maoist Information Bulletin - 37

January - June 2018

BIRTH BICENTENARY OF SPECIAL ISSUE Editorial ..... 2 On the Birth Bicentenary of Karl Marx ..... 7 CC Message for Martyrs’ Week ..... 25 Obituary: Comrade Dev Kumar Singh (Arvind) ..... 38 On the Kasanur-Tumirgunda Encounter ..... 50 News from the Battlefield .....70 Voices against War on People ..... 78 People’s Struggles .....89 News from Behind the Bars .....100 News from the Counter-revolutionary Camp ..... 104 Statements of CPI(Maoist) ..... 111

Central Committee Communist Party of (Maoist) Birth Bicentenary of Karl Marx Editorial

Hold high the revolutionary proletarian legacy of Karl Marx

Marx’s name will endure through the ages, and so also will his work. – Frederick Engels in his speech at the grave of Karl Marx

This year, the world proletariat and other sections of the oppressed people across the world are celebrating the bicentenary of the birth of Karl Marx, the founder of scientific socialism and great teacher of the downtrodden masses. Born on 5 May 1818 at Trier in Rhine province of Prussia (later a part of unified Germany) in a middle class family of lawyers, Marx from his very youth displayed a profound and exceptional empathy for the dispossessed and the disinherited humanity, championing the cause of truth and justice at their service. From the beginning of his public life as the editor of the radical democratic newspaper Rheinische Zeitung in the early 1940s to his passing away in the capacity of the foremost leader of the international proletariat in London on 14 March 1883, Marx boldly and consistently lent his powerful voice to the cause of the oppressed, speaking up for the peasants persecuted under the draconian ‘wood theft’ laws up to that of the working class yoked to grinding wage- slavery of capitalism. In the process, Marx made epoch-making contributions in the field of scientific research – founding the method of historical and , unravelling the laws of motion of the capitalist society and particularly the theory of surplus value as the cornerstone of capitalist exploitation in his classic work Capital, identifying the dictatorship of the proletariat as the transitional form of state in the socialist society and outlining the path to – just to name a few. In fact, he along with his close comrade-in-arms Frederick

2 January - June 2018 MIB-37 Engels laid the foundations of Marxism, the initiation of this struggle, which was fought integrated world outlook and guiding ideology on a sound scientific basis since the late 1840s of the proletariat – the builders of the new was declared to the world by Marx and Engels society. It was Marx on whom history bestowed through their path-breaking Communist the task of synthesising the best of human Manifesto -– the programme that continues to knowledge developed over the millennia and guide the international communist movement using it for the struggle of liberation of the even to this today. Marx not only prepared the human race from class exploitation and theoretical basis of this struggle but led it from oppression, which is rooted in the historic the front through various working-class division of the society into classes resulting organisations he helped in founding – from the emergence of private property in the Communist League, International means of production and its concentration Workingmen’s Association, and so on. He into a few hands. Marx’s work thereby brought hailed the great revolutionary uprising of the about a great leap in the field of human French proletariat – the Paris Commune of knowledge of society and nature and in social 1871 – and guided the communist sections practice. within it, even while warning beforehand that Since his demise, the direction of the uprising was premature and doomed to historical development of society Marx failure. He fought a relentless and indicated has been substantiated in practice. uncompromising lifelong battle against all The necessity and inevitability of the forms of reactionary, petty-bourgeois and superseding of capitalism by socialism as a reformist ideologies within the working-class transitory stage towards the establishment of movement, exposed and defeated them one a classless society or communism has been after another and played the pioneering role demonstrated by the victorious revolutions of in establishing the predominance of scientific the twentieth century, particularly by the socialism. glorious October and Chinese revolutions and In the process of this bitter class struggle, by the advances made in socialist construction the theory of Marxism – the repository of the and the emergence of a world socialist teachings of Marx and Engels – developed in economy. History has proved the correctness the last century into the newer and higher stages of the conclusion arrived at through his of Leninism and , thereby enriching scientific studies by Marx about the transient the proletarian weapon of interpreting and nature of capitalism as a mode of production, changing the world. It is under the guiding which after reaching its highest stage of light of Marxism-Leninism-Maoism (MLM) development, must necessarily create that the genuine proletarian parties of a conditions for its own demise and the coming number of countries including the into being of a newer, higher and more rational CPI(Maoist) are presently conducting mode of production – communism. It is in communist movements and are holding high this society that the exploitation, oppression, the banner of revolutionary Marxism. Though discrimination and domination based on class, the international communist movement has nationality, religion, gender, caste, etc., will suffered a serious setback due to the great finally be brought to an end along with their reversals in the USSR and China, the instrument – the state machinery. consequent collapse of the socialist camp and Marx identified the leading and decisive the disintegration of the world socialist role of the proletariat in building this new economy, every development in the field of society from the rubbles of capitalism through economics and politics in the last five decades a life-and-death class struggle with its since then has vindicated the universal truth antagonist – the bourgeoisie – to be fought in and continued relevance of Marxism as the alliance with other oppressed classes. The credit only genuine guide for the final liberation of for identifying the revolutionary potential and humanity. Disproving the bootleggers of the historic necessity of combining socialism with bourgeoisie who proclaim the ‘end of history’, the working-class struggle goes to Marx. The the obsolescence of communism and the

MIB-37 January - June 2018 3 permanence of capitalism, every new passing through a difficult period - while the economic crisis is making even bourgeois capitalist economic and political system is economists run back to the works of Marx for heading for another of its severe cyclic crises, direction. the best way for us in India to commemorate Marx’s works are still being read by the birth bicentenary of Karl Marx is to more millions and continue to be in print in a variety thoroughly and conscientiously study his of languages all over the world. His life and teachings and learn more deeply from his works continue to be the inspiration for exemplary revolutionary practice with the aim generations of communist revolutionaries, of advancing the revolution. Let us take pledge national liberation fighters, democrats and all to uncompromisingly struggle against all forms sections of the oppressed people struggling for of bourgeois ideology and revisionism in the their emancipation. At a time like this when light of Marxism to defend the revolutionary the international communist movement is proletarian ideology and politics of the great going through a phase of revival and Karl Marx! Let us boldly beat back the enemy’s consolidation following the setbacks of the last counter-revolutionary offensives to march century - and particularly when the forward on the path to socialism and countrywide revolutionary movement is communism under the invincible red banner of Marxism-Leninism-Maoism!

4 January - June 2018 MIB-37 Birth Bicentenary of Karl Marx Special Article

This issue of MIB carries a special section on the occasion of the birth bicentenary of the great proletarian revolutionary leader and teacher Karl Marx. We are including in it the following article written by the Central Committee of CPI(Maoist) on the occasion and is reproduced from People’s War, No.13 where it was first published - MIB

Hold aloft the red flag of invincible Marxism! March forward daringly on the revolutionary path of the international proletariat!!

Celebrate the bicentenary of the birth of Karl Marx on 5 May 2018 all over the country with revolutionary enthusiasm!

Central Committee, CPI(Maoist)

“The philosophers have only interpreted the world in various ways; the point, however, is to change it” - Karl Marx

The theoretician of the international birth bi-centenary on this day with proletarian revolution, the most respectable revolutionary enthusiasm. On this occasion, among the world proletariat and the toiling the Central Committee (CC), CPI (Maoist) masses, a great leader and teacher Comrade pays him its sincere red homage. It takes pledge Karl Marx was born in the city of Trier in to persist in revolutionary class struggle and Rhine province of Prussia (Germany) on 5th organizational efforts in all the social sectors of May, 1818. The bi-centenary of his birth, till the objective of establishing Communist May 5th is approaching. The Maoist Parties- society throughout the world under the Organisations, the enlightened workers and the guidance of the international proletarian masses of various oppressed classes, and social ideology – Marxism that he formulated with sections all over the world shall celebrate his this objective is fulfilled. Our CC calls upon

MIB-37 January - June 2018 5 the Party, PLGA, Workers’ Organisations, for a few decades, the workers and the toiling Mass Organisations, Revolutionary People’s masses in the leadership of the proletarian Committees and sympathisers to take parties achieved magnificent successes in those Marxism widely into the people in the rural societies in all spheres that were unprecedented and the urban areas of the four corners of the in human society, that the capitalist countries country, generate interest in Socialism- never achieved and especially that represented Communism and utilize it to enhance their the interests of the 90 per cent of the people in understanding. On this occasion, the CC calls the society and that took the society forward upon all of them to study Marxism to develop in great leaps towards Communism. At the a deep understanding of Marxism, same time, there were serious mistakes, and International Communist Movement and the shortcomings and big defeats too were suffered historic task of the proletariat with the aim of in the process of World Communist successfully accomplishing the ongoing New Movement. We especially forfeited many great Democratic Revolution in India as a part of victories that the International Communist the World Socialist Movement that were Revolution and the achieved since the Paris struggle for establishing a Commune up to the Communist society. Great Proletarian It would be 200 years of by this 5th May since Karl China. This made a Marx, the great teacher of serious negative impact international proletariat, on the international was born. It has been 170 proletariat, oppressed years since the beginning nationalities and of the International oppressed people in proletarian movement various forms. In view of with a class consciousness the aim of the World after Marx and Engels Socialist Revolution, its formulated the protracted character, its international complexity and the revolutionary proletarian inevitable ebbs and flows ideology Marxism. The in it, the victories we have heroic Paris Commune achieved are partial and was established nearly 150 limited; and the defeats years ago. The great we have faced are October Socialist Revolution took place one temporary. The imperialists, all kinds of hundred years ago and the great People’s reactionaries and traitors of the world point Democratic Revolution of China took place out these temporary defeats, our mistakes and nearly 69 years back. The International shortcomings and try to smear Marxism and Communist Movement has been instilling the Communist movement with muck even great confidence among the proletariat, the now. These enemies of the people have oppressed nationalities and the oppressed intensified the constant psychological war on people in Socialism and national liberation for the occasion of the bi-centenary of Marx’s the past 170 years; it inspired them with the birth by utilizing their powerful propaganda courage of defying death and shook the machinery to instil disappointment and imperialists and all the reactionaries with despair towards Marxism, Revolution, revolutionary storms; it achieved great victories Socialism-Communism and their future for Socialism and national democracy and among the world proletariat and the oppressed brought a great turn in the history of people and thus to create disbelief and humankind. Although the Socialist societies blindness towards their historic task. They are of the Soviet Union and China existed only making Goebbelsian propaganda that Marxism, Revolution, People’s Democracy,

6 January - June 2018 MIB-37 Socialism and Communism are wild dreams; unscientific policies of these enemies of the that revolutionary violence is against world people are forcing the humankind and democracy and is reactionary and terrorism; nature to disastrous repercussions. The that the Communist Party means an fundamental contradictions of the world have organization of dictators and that capitalism intensified more and more since the and bourgeois parliamentary democracy are introduction of the neo-liberal policies and better and ever-lasting. But on the contrary, the after the collapse of Soviet social-imperialism. spectre of Communism is still haunting the The conditions are more mature for proletarian imperialists and all kinds of reactionary forces revolutions and the destruction of the capitalist and is terrifying them. To be haunted by this system. All the enlightened people of the world spectre till their ultimate end is the fate decided despise and hate the imperialists and their for them by the law of social evolution. lackeys. In such revolutionary objective However weak the International conditions, it is the great task of the Communist Movement may be now, it has the international proletariat and its vanguard the most scientific, comprehensive, revolutionary, revolutionary communist parties- powerful and militant ideology of Marxism- organisations to mould the hatred and Leninism-Maoism. It has a protracted, rich vengeance of the world people as a great power and most valuable experience and a great and will to overthrow this rotten system and history. The international proletariat has the to establish a new, higher system without any rich experience of the Great Proletarian of these. The birth bi-centenary of Karl Marx Cultural Revolution of China that continued is an occasion to re-comprehend the theory the class struggle under the dictatorship of the (Marxism) that this great teacher of the proletariat in the Socialist society in China in international proletariat formulated and to order to eradicate the narrow-minded selfish apply the international proletarian thinking and ideology formed due to private revolutionary line to the concrete revolutionary ownership of the means of production that are conditions of our country. Let us concentrate the basis of exploitation and oppression, on the ideological tasks to revolutionise and injustice, inequalities and suppression passed strengthen the thinking and practice of our over from the class society which had Party and the people with Marxism on this thousands of years of history from the minds great historic occasion. of the people and enlighten them, with the aim of containing the danger of modern Marxist Theory revisionism and capitalist restoration and with the aim of consolidating Socialism to achieve Starting from the latter part of the 18th Communism. century up to the mid-19th century, capitalism developed in North-Western Europe and In the present capitalist-imperialist system North America in a dramatic and there is an unprecedented growth all over the revolutionary way. As a result, capitalism world in the gap between the rich countries and gained conclusive victory over the then the poor countries and between the rich and predominant feudal system. Marxism took the poor in every country. This is the negative shape in that period itself. It was a period outcome of the neo-liberal policies brought during which one of the greatest forward by the imperialists since the beginning transformations in world history had occurred of the 1990s. The proletariat, the oppressed – the establishment of the world domination nationalities and the oppressed people the of a few western capitalist governments, world over are facing horrible massacres, particularly the British. This domination led exploitation and oppression, injustice, to the revolutionary social, economic and atrocities, insults, misery, dependence and political transformation in the capitalist displacement by the greedy, selfish and blood- countries. thirsty imperialists and their lackeys. The imperialists are destroying the productive Two earth-shaking revolutions stood as forces in a large scale. The greedy, selfish and the core of these immense transformations.

MIB-37 January - June 2018 7 They are the Industrial Revolution centred in Marx and Engels lived at a time when the Britain and the French Revolution of 1789. capitalist class had come to power and Those revolutions led to numerous other capitalism was in its progressive stage. During bourgeois democratic revolutions. They that period capitalism was in the phase of free represented the triumphant advance of the trade. During the last phase of the lives of modern revolutionary bourgeoisie. Some Marx and Engels, the free trade phase of ground for those revolutions had been laid to capitalism started to develop into monopoly some extent in the numerous struggles waged capitalism. Marx and Engels saw the internal by the nascent capitalist class in the previous contradictions of capitalism and clearly stated centuries. The religious Reformation the inevitability of proletarian revolutions to Movement (which according to Engels, was solve these contradictions. They handed over “the first phase of bourgeois revolution in to the proletariat – the most revolutionary class Europe”) of the 16th century and the English in the society – the theoretical weapons that Revolution of the mid-17th century are had the tremendous power to liberate not only prominent among them. It showed that the itself but also all the oppressed people. social and economic forces and intellectual Pointing out the objective conditions that tools for the bourgeois transformation of this gave birth to the science of Marxism, Com. period had prepared and ripened for a long Mao stated, “For a very long period in history, time. men were necessarily confined to a one-sided However, the revolutions and understanding of history of society because, transformations of this period also for one thing, the bias of the exploiting classes simultaneously led to the emergence of the always distorted history and, for another, the forces destined to counter and defeat the small scale of production limited men’s bourgeoisie in the future. The triumphant new outlook. It was not until the modern proletariat system itself gave birth to the struggling emerged along with immense forces of proletariat. It was exactly during this stage, at production (large-scale industry) that man was least in Europe, that the forces and ideas able to acquire a comprehensive historical conceiving the death of capitalism were taking understanding of the development of society birth. The modern proletariat which was weak and turn this knowledge into a science, the at that time and its ideology – Marxism – were science of Marxism’’(‘On Practice’, Mao the products of that period of the greatest Selected Works, Vol. 1, page 206). revolutionary transformation of the And Com. Stalin succinctly sums up the bourgeoisie. Revolutionary socialist and essence of Marxism thus: “Marxism is the communist ideology was born as a reaction to science of the laws governing the development these two revolutions of this period. By 1848 of nature and society, the science of the it had been formulated scientifically in the revolution of the oppressed and exploited Communist Manifesto. masses, the science of the victory of socialism Karl Marx was a great intellectual and in all countries, the science of building a revolutionary who brought to maturity the communist society.” three main theoretical streams of the 19th Karl Marx, along with his close comrade- century – classical German Philosophy, in-arms Frederick Engels, developed the classical English Political Economy and philosophy of dialectical materialism as a French Socialism including French method and world outlook. They applied the revolutionary theories – the three countries dialectical method to discover the laws of where the human race had advanced more than motion of social development or the any other country till then. The excellent and materialist conception of history, that is, comprehensive ideas of Marx in its complete historical materialism; they developed the form – modern materialism, economic theory science of political economy which discovered and modern socialism – had taken shape as the laws of motion of capitalism with its the theory, programme and tactics of the world inherent class contradictions and the doctrine proletarian movement.

8 January - June 2018 MIB-37 of surplus value – the cornerstone of Marx’s relation encountered billions of times, viz. the economic theory – which uncovered the source exchange of commodities. In this very simple of exploitation; developed the theory of phenomenon (in this ‘cell’ of bourgeois scientific socialism based on the doctrine of society) analysis reveals all the contradictions class struggle and outlined the principles (or the germs of all the contradictions) of governing the strategy and tactics of the class modern society. The subsequent exposition struggle of the proletariat. shows us the development (both growth and Marx gave to philosophy the movement) of these contradictions and of this revolutionary task of changing the world. This society in the [summation] of its individual is expressed in the famous statement made by parts, from its beginning to its end.” (Mao Marx in his ‘Theses on Feuerbach’: “The Selected Works, Vol. 1) Philosophers have only interpreted the world Thus where the bourgeois economists saw in various ways; the point, however, is to a relation between things (the exchange of one change it.” commodity for another) Marx revealed a Marx and Engels defined matter as relation between people. The exchange of material reality existing objectively and that it commodities expresses the tie between gets reflected in human consciousness. Marxist individual producers through the market. philosophical materialism thus resolved the In his monumental work, Das Capital, he fundamental question in philosophy – that expounded the labour theory of value and concerning the relation of thinking and being showed how surplus value extracted from the – spirit and nature. worker is the specific form of exploitation They also proved most scientifically, the under capitalism, which takes the form of second aspect in the fundamental question in profit, the source of the wealth of the capitalist philosophy, viz., can human consciousness class. He showed that exploitation takes place properly reflect objective reality? Marxist theory in the capitalist mode of production behind of knowledge totally rejected agnosticism and the façade of free and equal exchange. Marx skepticism, asserting that nothing in the world refuted the erroneous views of the classical remains forever as a “thing-in-itself” or economists that exploitation arises from unknowable. Marxist theory of knowledge unequal exchange of labour for wage. Based asserted that social practice is the source of on this analysis and the law of contradiction knowledge. Completely rejecting rationalist Marx discovered the basic contradiction in and empiricist trends, it also stated that social capitalist society. As Com. Mao explained: practice is the measure of truth. “When Marx applied this law to the study Marx synthesized the knowledge gained of the economic structure of capitalist society, by humankind over the centuries and, basing he discovered that the basic contradiction of himself mainly on all that was rational – in this society is the contradiction between the German classical philosophy, English classical social character of production and the private political economy and French revolutionary character of ownership. This contradiction doctrine and socialist doctrines, Marx manifests itself in the contradiction between discovered the Dialectical Materialist the organized character of production in conception of history. He defined the human individual enterprises and the anarchic essence as the ensemble of social relations. character of production in society as a whole. In terms of class relations, it manifests itself In the field of political economy, Marx’s in the contradiction between the bourgeoisie greatest contribution is the analysis of Capital. and the proletariat.” (‘’, Mao As explained by Lenin and cited by Com. Selected Works, Vol. 1) Mao in his ‘On Contradiction’, “In his Capital, Marx explained capitalist crises also as Marx first analyses the simplest, most ordinary another manifestation of this fundamental and fundamental, most common and everyday contradiction of capitalism. relation of bourgeois (commodity) society, a

MIB-37 January - June 2018 9 Com. Lenin expounded the Marxist The birth of Marxism belongs to the understanding regarding the capitalist crisis period of one of the greatest transformations while refuting the Sismondian view that crisis in human history and the establishment of the manifests “precisely in the conditions of global domination of a few western capitalist production. To put it more briefly, the former regimes. This was the stormy period of (Sismondian) explains crises, by under- revolutions of the bourgeois-democratic epoch consumption, the latter (Marxist) by the and nascent proletarian-revolutionary anarchy of production” (Lenin, ‘The movements from 1848 to the Paris Commune Characterization of Economic of 1871 and a relatively peaceful period of Romanticism’). preparation of the proletarian revolutions after Explaining how the capitalists try to the fall of the Commune to the turn of the resolve the crisis, The Communist Manifesto puts century. Through the correct analysis of great it lucidly, “The conditions of bourgeois society events of the period like the Paris Commune, are too narrow to comprise the wealth created Marxism became established. Marx and by them. And how does the bourgeoisie get Engels played a major role in establishing and over these crises? On the one hand, by enforced guiding the Communist Parties and the First destruction of a mass of productive forces; on International and gave the workers of various the other, by the conquest of new markets, and nations an internationalist outlook and by the more thorough exploitation of the old camaraderie through their clarion call: ones. That is to say, by paving the way for “Workers of all countries, Unite!” extensive and more destructive crisis, and Marxism developed into an ideological thereby diminishing the means whereby crisis weapon in the hands of the proletariat by are prevented.” defeating the various petty-bourgeois trends Basing on the above understanding, Marx like the Anarchist trends of Proudhon, Bakunin and Engels recognised that the proletariat has and the like that rejected the need for the emerged as the most revolutionary social class political struggle of the working class, rejected and a motive force for social development; that the need for a Party of the proletariat and the proletariat, in the course of liberating itself rejected the dictatorship of the proletariat; the from wage slavery, will also liberate the entire Blanquist trend that relied exclusively on society from all class exploitation and conspiratorial methods; and the opportunist oppression and advance towards a classless trend of Lassalle, who proposed a system of society. They realized that, in order to liberate government-subsidised co-operatives, which itself by overthrowing capitalism the would gradually replace capitalism, and proletariat should develop its own class opposed even trade union struggles and strikes ideology, that it should transform from the by his infamous theory of the “iron law of position of class-in-itself to a class-for-itself, wages.” and that it should form its own advanced Marx criticized the opportunist Gotha organization – the Party of the proletariat. Programme that was adopted by the new Party They proved that the contradiction formed in Germany by the merger of the between productive forces and relations of revolutionary Left led by Liebknecht and Bebel production in class society manifests itself as with the opportunist Lassalle who believed in a class contradiction and it is this class struggle, the democratization of the state through which serves as the driving force of society. universal suffrage, or so-called state socialism Hence they described the history of class and collaborated with Bismarck. society as a history of a class struggle. The Marx developed the theory of the Communist Manifesto, an immortal work of dictatorship of the proletariat as a form of rule Marx and Engels which appeared over 150 of the proletariat and as a method of years ago, remains the international overthrowing the rule of capital by force. Marx proletariat’s guide even to this day. and Engels explained the birth, development and the withering away of the State in the

10 January - June 2018 MIB-37 course of development of human society from truth from objective facts. He was absolutely the slave-owning society to communism. They against subjectivism and utopian ideas. That explained that “the executive of the modern is why he had enormous confidence in the state is but a committee for managing the leadership role of the proletariat and in the common affairs of the whole bourgeoisie” transformation of capitalist society into (The Communist Manifesto). Socialism-Communism through proletarian The most important principle derived revolution. His personality is a reflection of from the experience of the Commune, highest Communist values. according to Marx, is that ‘the working class In spite of reeling under poverty, Marx cannot simply lay hold of the ready-made state formulated the most revolutionary ideology machinery, and use it for its own purposes.’ and led the organisation of the international In other words, the proletariat should use proletarian vanguard for the liberation of revolutionary means to seize state power, international proletariat. He dedicated his life smash the military bureaucratic machine of the for the realization of proletarian revolutionary bourgeoisie and establish the dictatorship of goal. No matter how much repression and the proletariat to replace the dictatorship of sanctions the ruling classes of different the bourgeoisie. European countries unleashed on him during Dictatorship of the proletariat is a key his whole political life, no matter how much concept in Marxist political theory. Marx difficulty he experienced due to them, he faced proved that “the class struggle necessarily leads it courageously and lived an uncompromising to the dictatorship of the proletariat; that this life. He had profound affection towards every dictatorship itself constitutes the transition to member of his family and his comrades. His the abolition of all classes and to a classless Communist life will always remain an ideal society” (Letter to Wedemeyer, March, 1852). for proletarian simplicity. The friendship of Marx and Engels thus exposed and defeated Marx and Engels will be cherished forever as all petty bourgeois, utopian theories of an example of the international proletarian socialism that rejected class struggle and the revolutionary comradely relations. dictatorship of the proletariat and firmly While Marx was extremely despised by the established the principles of scientific exploiters and oppressors, he was very deeply socialism. (From MLM Document of UC-9th loved by the innumerable toiling people Congress, p.6) suffering from exploitation and oppression. Marx made new and revolutionary He is an ideal not only for the workers and theoretical propositions regarding the other toiling people or the organisations of the vanguard party of the proletariat (Communist workers and other toiling people, to the Party), nationalities-colonies, Eastern proletarian revolutionaries and Communist societies, worker-peasant alliance, family- parties, to the international revolutionary women-children, socialist education-culture organisations and to the Communist and environment. Internationals but also to the students, youth- When Marx was engaged in this great intellectuals and the progressive organisations. effort his health severely deteriorated and he The great additions of Engels to Marxism breathed his last (on the 14th of March 1883 are inseparable from Marxism. It was in close in London) at the age of 65. collaboration with Engels that Marx developed Marx was the tallest of the proletarian his theory. Engels assisted Marx and enriched revolutionaries of the 19th century. He was a the latter’s writings, simplifying and great visionary, and a relentless scholar who elaborating them where necessary. Engels also had an unending quest for knowledge and was made great contributions to philosophy, involved in study, writing texts and in the political economy and scientific socialism after activities of the proletarian movement until his the death of Marx. One of the important last breath constantly and tirelessly with a firm contributions of Engels lies in his pioneering will. He was a great scientist who explored the work Origin of the Family, Private Property and

MIB-37 January - June 2018 11 the State based on anthropological evidence in The theory he formulated inaugurated a new which he showed that women’s oppression era in the history of humankind. His began with the rise of surplus and the revolutionary work made the international emergence of classes and that it is inextricably proletariat and the toiling people go in follow linked with family, private property and the the direction of changing the whole world in state. This basic study is the basis for the a fundamental way. Thus, he laid strong Marxist understanding of the women’s foundations for a new and advanced society question. Engels’ great contributions include for the first time in human history through his his writings: ‘Socialism, Utopian and great theoretical works. Scientific’ and ‘Anti-Duhring’. He defended Even though Marx and Engels were Marxism and led the ideological struggle Germans who lived in the 19th century and against the opportunism in the Second conducted their revolutionary activities from International in the initial years of its existence. Europe, Marxism is not limited to Germany Thus the contributions of Engels are an and Europe. Marxism is the body of laws inseparable part of the theory of Marxism formulated from a scientific summary of social (From the MLM Document of UC-9th evolution. It is not only rooted in all the Congress, p.6). international developments but is also the In the pre-monopoly stage of capitalism, depiction of the new society of the future. Marxism was established as the first phase of Marxism is scientific, revolutionary, the development of the proletarian ideology comprehensive, lively and militant. Its spirit through the development of proletarian theory lies in dialectical, historical materialism. and tactics. This was possible through the Marxism is not dogmatism. It is a lively struggle of Marx against the various proletarian revolutionary theory that is a guide opportunist trends with a strong will in the to action to change the present society interests of the proletariat. Marxist method completely into a more advanced one, i.e., into had been accepted to understand and develop a classless society. almost all the sciences starting with the Since the time Marx and Engels wrote the ordinary sciences to the strategy-tactics of Communist Manifesto, the International revolution. (From MLM Document of UC- Communist Movement started recognizing the 9th Congress, Page 6) scientific socialist theory of Marxism and Marxism is the totality of the teachings gradually this recognition spread to all over the of Marx. The revolutionary standpoint, world along with the worker’s movement in political theory, the dialectical method and the the last decades of that century. It was later all-embracing worldview developed by Marx, accepted as the universal guiding theory of the i.e., the doctrine of Marx, came to be called international proletariat by the revolutionary Marxism. To explain Marxism is to explain communist parties and enlightened workers. the wealth of Marxist knowledge and its The theory of Marx developed into Leninism, distinctness. The international proletarian i.e., as Marxism-Leninism in new and different world outlook means the Marxist world historical conditions and guided the outlook. These things are entwined with the International Communist Movement. name of Marx and are contained in his texts. During the last years of Marx and Engels, It represents the first great milestone in the laissez-faire capitalism gradually began to development of the scientific ideology of the develop as monopoly capitalism. Starting proletariat. from the 1870s, by the initial years of the 20th Marx did inordinate service to the century capitalism developed into monopoly proletariat and all the toiling masses of the capitalism. The division of the world market world through his theoretical and practical between the capitalist countries was work. He represented the interests of the completed. Colonialism emerged. All the class international proletariat and the toiling people contradictions of capitalism intensified. Lenin as well as the whole progressive humankind. emerged as the leader of the world proletariat

12 January - June 2018 MIB-37 at a time of relative peace when the After Lenin, Comrade Mao solved the international proletariat was preparing for problems of the proletarian revolution in the revolutions and led not only the Russian new historic conditions regarding the colonial Revolution but also the World Communist policy, neo-colonial policy and social- Movement. imperialism and added new innovations to Under the historic conditions of the epoch Marxism-Leninism. Mao creatively applied of imperialism and in the midst of the flames the universal truth of Marxism-Leninism to of socialist revolution, Lenin inherited and the revolutionary practice of China and the resolutely defended the revolutionary teachings international proletariat. He inherited, of Marx and Engels. He creatively applied protected and developed Marxism-Leninism. them in practice to the Russian Revolution and He developed the three components of the world proletarian revolutions and Marxism – Marxist philosophy, political developed them. Comrade Stalin briefly economy, scientific socialism and Marxism- summarized Leninism in this way: Leninism Leninism to a new and higher stage. Mao is “Marxism of the era of imperialism and further developed the Marxist-Leninist proletarian revolutions”. “Leninism is strategy and tactics. He developed the concepts proletarian theory and tactics in general and of Protracted People’s War and New the theory and tactics of the proletarian Democratic Revolution in the course of 28 dictatorship in particular.” years of revolutionary struggle in colonial, semi-colonial and semi-feudal China in a Comrade Lenin made great contribution situation totally different from capitalist to enrich the three components of Marxism – Europe. These theories formulated by him are Marxist philosophy, political economy and unique contribution to the arsenal of scientific socialism in the new historic Marxism-Leninism. conditions. The science of Marxism took a qualitative leap into its second and higher stage Chinese Revolution was successfully of Marxism-Leninism. This qualitative leap completed in 1949. After that, he made some called Marxism-Leninism occurred from the most brilliant contributions in the process of struggle against the opportunists of the Second ideological struggles against various revisionist International and from the process of tendencies that arose in the Communist Party proletarian revolution in the imperialist phase of China and through the process of leading a of capitalism. worldwide struggle against Khrushchev revisionism and modern revisionism. That The teachings of Lenin regarding the struggle is popularly known as the Great proletarian party, imperialism, revisionism, Debate in the history of the International theoretical struggle, proletarian revolution, Communist Movement. He made great proletarian dictatorship, war and peace, class contribution to the Marxist understanding of struggle in socialist society, the state, the neo-colonialism, social-imperialism, war and national and colonial question, peasant revolution, socialist construction and the question, women’s question, socialism and constant class struggle in socialist society. He communism are lively and exemplary even initiated and led the earth-shaking GPCR now. which marked a historical turning point in the Comrade Stalin, the close associate of history of International Communist Lenin creatively applied, protected and Movement. During this period he developed developed Marxism-Leninism in certain the theory of continuing the revolution under spheres. The additions of Stalin are an integral the dictatorship of the proletariat to prevent part of Leninism. Basing on the theoretical the restoration of capitalism, thereby foundations of Comrade Lenin, he played the consolidating and strengthening the socialist great leadership role in building socialism in system and the dictatorship of the proletariat the first socialist country in the world, the with the purpose of advancing it towards USSR, and in the International Communist communism on a world scale. In addition, he Movement. made great contribution to Marxism-Leninism

MIB-37 January - June 2018 13 regarding art, literature, the women’s question consolidate socialism, mistakes in the and other fields. On the whole, Comrade Mao theoretical and political efforts to defeat the developed the science of Marxism-Leninism modern revisionist section that was capitalist- to its third, newer and qualitatively higher stage roaders who became hurdles in the way of – Maoism. socialism, mistakes in the efforts to mobilise Marxism-Leninism-Maoism is an the vast toiling people in socialist construction integrated theory today. It is the most consciously, due to the impact of the capitalist advanced scientific ideology of the world system that was a predominant system in the proletariat. This is as a whole the science of world on the people of the socialist countries all the sciences. It is a comprehensive and due to the innumerable caonspiracies philosophical system and incorporates continuously hatched by the imperialists to political economy, scientific socialism and the destroy the socialist system, the world strategy-tactics of the proletariat that revolution suffered serious losses. understands and transforms the world through Therefore, we have to learn from the revolution. MLM is the most powerful and failures of the World Socialist Revolution, wonderful theoretical weapon in the hands of adopt the correct general line and policies to the proletariat. We can combat and defeat successfully accomplish the process of socialist bourgeois ideology and all brands of construction in the socialist society under the revisionism with this. dictatorship of the proletariat and also Today the Communist Party that accepts mobilise the proletarian and other broad toiling Marxism-Leninism-Maoism as its universal masses in all the fields in a conscious manner guiding theory and is in revolutionary practice with the aim of establishing Communism. is the genuine Marxist Party or the genuine Depending on the victories in the cultural Marxist-Leninist-Maoist Party. revolutions to defeat the counter-revolutionary effort of the retrogressive (that represent the After the demise of Mao, modern outdated reactionary exploitive classes of the revisionist Hua-Deng traitorous clique seized old societies in new forms) forces that come in power through reactionary conspiracy, with the way of revolutionary transformation that which the world proletariat lost its last goes on for a long time with the aim of revolutionary base. All over the world the achieving Communism under the dictatorship counter-revolution and the bourgeoisie of the proletariat in the Socialist society and respectively overpowered the revolution and for the total emancipation of the people from the proletariat temporarily. There was the ideology and culture of the earlier class confusion once again in the world communist societies; depending on defeating the movement. The genuine Communist Parties intervention and offensive of the capitalist- in many countries that were firmly committed imperialist countries from outside; depending to revolutionary Marxism (MLM) and worked on the efficient leadership role of the independently basing on their subjective Communist Party so that the proletariat and strength and the people, rejected the modern broad masses of the socialist society fight back revisionism of counter-revolutionary Deng. the effect of the capitalist-imperialist societies On the contrary, the Communist Parties which that exist on the basis of class exploitation and talked Marxism-Leninism-Mao Thought in social oppression and on the basis of selfish words and followed the Deng revisionist line ideology; depending on the success of the in practice, became very weak or have totally revolutions of the proletariat-broad masses in vanished. The organized world communist various countries to overthrow the capitalist movement became very weak. When Socialist rule and establish socialism; depending on the countries were existing, in addition to the efforts for new experiments of all the societies betrayal of the revisionist leadership in the of the world and by mutually and constantly communist parties of the respective countries, receiving all that is advanced and by applying due to the mistakes in the efforts of the it creatively; and depending on the facing of revolutionary section of these parties to new challenges that come forth in various

14 January - June 2018 MIB-37 sectors, finally a society without any class-social The class conflict between the proletariat and disparities, i.e., classless society-Communism the bourgeoisie reflected as the struggle between shall come into existence. the Marxists and the revisionists in the ideological Just like in the past when the International sphere. Revolutionary Marxism developed only Communist Movement faced revisionist through a non-compromising ideological betrayal and losses, revolutionary Marxism struggle with revisionism as a part of the world (MLM) refused to surrender and is continuing revolutionary communist movement. resistance. Genuine Communist Parties that In its struggle with capital, the great world are continuing People’s War in several semi- socialist revolution is changing its war centres colonial and semi-feudal countries and that are and is advancing. In such a situation, as a fulfilling revolutionary tasks in many vanguard organization of the revolutionary imperialist countries are inspiring the proletariat in India, CPI(Maoist) has realized the International Communist Revolutionary importance of its role in the world socialist camp. The proletariat, oppressed nationalities revolution and is making efforts to work and the oppressed people of the world are accordingly. Revolutionary proletarian parties struggling against imperialism, modern and organisations in many countries all over the revisionism and reaction in a spontaneous as world are preparing for building revolutionary well as planned manner widely than ever movements or are leading the movements in their before. The context and forms of struggle are countries with this understanding. different but the struggles have not stopped. Enlightened by the guidance of invincible Marxism-Leninism-Maoism, workers and Path of the International proletarian revolutionary Communist Parties with revolution and the Indian Communist abundant experience unprecedented in the Movement history of the international working class movement are re-consolidating to wipe out imperialism and modern revisionism and “Our, that is, my and my famous friend’s teaching establish people’s democracy and Socialism- is not a dogma, it is a guide to action.” Communism. The victory of the imperialists – Engels and counter-revolutionaries shall not last long. There were many unique, surprising and “[We] must never violate the fundamental principles magnificent revolutionary changes all over the of Marxism. If we do so there shall be mistakes. world even in the fields of class struggle, Viewing Marxism with a metaphysical outlook and struggle for production and scientific considering it as that without development is experiments in the past 170 years. As a result, nothing but dogmatism. It is nothing but revisionism new challenges and new opportunities came to reject the fundamental principles of Marxism and forth for social revolutions. It is the great task to reject its universal truth.” before the revolutionary parties and democratic organisations to courageously face – Mao these challenges and utilize the opportunities and efficiently lead social revolutions. The contradiction between imperialism For the past 170 years the international and the oppressed nations and oppressed revolutionary proletariat could develop the people is the principal contradiction in the communist movement from one phase to another present-day world. The countries of Asia, only through carrying out intense class struggles Africa and Latin America are the main centres against the capitalist system and through fierce of the national democratic revolutions and class wars. The main reason for the great victories national liberation movements to bring down attained by the world proletariat is the the imperialists and reactionaries from power revolutionary class wars it waged against and achieve national independence and capitalism and reaction in all spheres. democracy. The end of direct colonial rule in

MIB-37 January - June 2018 15 the aftermath of the Second World War due Empire. Since the formation of the CPI to the to the considerable weakening of imperialism historic Naxalbari peasant rebellion, a number and the growing national liberation struggles of militant movements-outbreaks of workers, worldwide had compelled the imperialists to peasants, , Dalits, students and other switch over to a new method of exploitation, sections against imperialism and great control and rule of the former colonies, i.e., revolutionary opportunities arose before 1947. neo-colonialism. In this respect, they depend Later a most favourable revolutionary on their compradors of these countries which condition emerged for the building of an are selected and trained by them. This neo- armed agrarian revolutionary movement colonialism is the more sinister, crueller and against imperialism and its compradors. But more pernicious form of colonialism and has the CPI leadership not only utterly failed to extended its Octopus-like tentacles over the utilize these but also betrayed the heroic countries of entire Asia, Africa and Latin Telangana armed peasant struggle and America. The oppressed nationalities and the degenerated as a bourgeois parliamentary oppressed people are fighting against neo- party. Since then this revisionist leadership colonialism just like they fought against behaved like a reliable agent to the ruling colonialism. In the later period too due to the classes. The revisionist leadership of the two fundamental contradictions in the world there parties [CPI & CPI(M)] acted as advocates to are very rapid changes in social, economic, the betrayer of revolution, the modern political, military, cultural, technical and revisionist Khrushchev. CPI(M) as a social- environmental sectors in the imperialist fascist party and the CPI totally opposed the countries and colonial, semi-colonial countries heroic Naxalbari rebellion. These parties talk that made a considerable impact on the Marxism but practice revisionism. Thus, since workers’ movements. We must see these its formation up to 1951 the CPI leadership changes as a part of the neo-colonial policy mainly followed a right-opportunist path and followed by the imperialists and the social on a few occasions a left-opportunist path. This imperialists in the new conditions. The leadership by making right and left ideological- revolutionary proletarian parties can develop political mistakes and by taking a destructive correct tactics through comprehensively opportunist path inflicted serious damage to understanding them with a dialectical and the Indian Revolution. historical materialist perspective. Thus, the The origin of this lies in this leadership’s proletarian parties can successfully advance the wrong understanding of Marxist world revolutionary movements with new tactics in outlook, the revolutionary character of the new conditions. We have the history of the Marxism and the path of international advancement of the world workers’ movement proletarian revolution. They held an idealist and the great history of the great victories it world outlook and Left-wing bourgeois achieved through the revolutionary effort of nationalism. Therefore, the leadership of CPI- the proletarian parties in such scientific CPM never sincerely accepted the fundamental methods, since Marx and Engels wrote the principles of Marxism-Leninism that were Communist Manifesto. These are the important accepted by the international revolutionary aspects to be considered when we analyse the proletariat and their parties. This proved to social situation in these countries. be the case even at the time of the formation Marxist-Leninist theory became popular of CPI itself and thus they ignored the valuable in our country after the great October Socialist lessons given by the history of international Revolution of Russia in the leadership of workers’ movement, especially the heroic Paris Comrade Lenin became successful. Commune, the success of the great October Communist Party of India (CPI) was formed Socialist Revolution, the success of the great in 1925 with the influence of the October New Democratic Revolution of China and the Socialist Revolution, with the influence of path of Protracted People’s War. To put it in Marxism-Leninism and due to the heroic one word, they acted totally against the struggles of the proletariat against the British fundamental principles of Marxism- Leninism-Maoism. So this revisionist 16 January - June 2018 MIB-37 leadership did not realize the importance of condemned the programme of the 7th the ideological, political path to be followed Congress of the CPI(M) as revisionist and the by a genuine revolutionary Marxist Party. leadership as a modern revisionist clique. Thus, Regarding this matter Comrade Mao said, along with the most outstanding and front- “The correctness and incorrectness of the ranking leaders like comrades Charu ideological and political line decides Mazumdar and Kanhai Chatterjee, a large everything”. number of Maoist forces emerged on the However, the heroic cadres of the CPI revolutionary political scene. Comrade Charu joined hands with the struggling people and Mazumdar wrote and released the historic led many revolutionary struggles. Many laid Eight Documents, solving the fundamental down their valuable lives to achieve the high problems of the Indian New Democratic ideal of accomplishing the Indian Democratic Revolution and made preparations for armed Revolution. Many genuine revolutionary agrarian revolution among the peasantry in cadres representing the revolutionary ranks Darjeeling area; Chinta-Dakshindesh in the joined with the people and stood in the leadership of Com. Kanhai Chatterjee began forefront of their struggles. They continued ideological, political and organizational work their ideological and political struggle against for Indian New Democratic Revolution, the the opportunistic, erroneous and the revisionist great Naxalbari armed uprising led by Com. lines and treacheries of the leadership Charu Mazumdar in May 1967 became a dominating the CPI, and thereafter the clarion call of “Spring thunder over India”. CPI(M). Such cadres faced the anger of the Thereafter, the history of the country’s leadership constantly. Although the ideological communist movement took a qualitatively new and political struggle of these revolutionary turn. The Naxalbari rebellion not only helped cadres was scattered at the beginning, gradually the revolutionary forces to greatly expose they gained experience and began to revisionism and by breaking with it to form consolidate. With this, gradually the new revolutionary communist organizations, opportunist leadership was more and more it marked the first conscious application of exposed before the party ranks. But during the MLM and the shining path of seizure of late 1950s and in 1960s this struggle assumed a political power through the protracted people’s totally new dimension. The Great Debate war in the Indian sub-continent which was conducted by the CPC led by Comrade Mao already formulated and illuminated by Tse-tung against modern revisionism put Comrade Mao. forward by Khrushchev gang marked this new To say in one word, the main reason for beginning. Just as this Great Debate continued the Naxalbari rebellion, for the formation of to intensify further and further and finally CPI(M-L) (on the 22nd of April, 1969) and culminated in the earthshaking GPCR, in the MCC (on the 20th of October 1969) as the same way the ideological and political struggle vanguard party of the proletarian revolution of the revolutionary cadres against the or for starting of Indian New Democratic leadership of the Communist Party also Revolution-Protracted People’s War is the continued to intensify further and further. This correct understanding of Marxism and the led to a decisive break with the revisionist international proletarian path by the genuine leadership and the revisionist line they revolutionary forces in the Indian Communist followed. The beginning of the GPCR proved movement and plunging into practice in a to be a turning point in this process. Under daring manner to make it successful. the direct impact of this process, the forces The revolutionary movement all over the representing the struggle against revisionism country temporarily suffered setback within of the then leadership of the CPI, and then five years due to the counter-revolutionary CPI(M), began to uphold and assimilate offensive, the subjective mistakes, the lack of Marxism-Leninism-Mao Tse-tung Thought, experience of the revolutionary forces and the both in theory and more particularly in their disruptive actions of the right and left revolutionary practice. With this, these forces opportunist forces that arose among the

MIB-37 January - June 2018 17 revolutionary forces. Nevertheless, efforts were of it, we formed organs of new democratic made to build the revolutionary movement political power – Revolutionary People’s amidst many difficulties in the light of MLM Committees. We consolidated them from the in the leadership that represented the genuine village level to the Divisional level. In several revolutionary forces in CPI(ML) and the areas of the country we mobilized the people leadership of MCC, taking lessons from the in the anti-feudal, anti-imperialist struggles past practice and rectifying the mistakes and expanded and intensified the guerrilla war. unified the party ranks. The leadership of these We fought against the modern revisionist line two parties adopting appropriate tactics of Prachanda-Bhattarai; we opposed modern according to the social conditions worked to revisionism put forward by Avakian. As a build the revolutionary movement. With this, detachment of the vanguard of international by the end of 1970s another new upsurge began proletariat, we are continuing Protracted in the Indian Revolutionary Movement. Both People’s War in the light of MLM for the these two Maoist revolutionary streams basing success of New Democratic Revolution in on correct revolutionary line put up ideological India. Thus, we held aloft the international red struggle against various kinds of revisionism flag of the proletariat. We further strengthened and the right and left opportunist trends. They the party line and enhanced the unity of the rectified their mistakes with a self-critical Party by waging ideological struggle and attitude basing on the genuine revolutionary defeating the right and left opportunist trends. line. They defeated the right and left We conducted education-rectification opportunist trends that emerged in the Party campaign and Bolshevization campaign to internally. They continued the legacy of all the train up the Party, PLGA and the mass revolutionary aspects in the Indian communist organisations ideologically, politically and movement. In this process, they merged the organizationally and to rectify the wrong genuine revolutionary forces with them. As a trends in the Party. We could create a more result of this, on the 21st September 2004 these favourable condition for the political two streams merged and the CPI(Maoist) mobilization of the revolutionary and emerged. The formation of CPI(Maoist) is the democratic forces amidst the severe repression result of the creative application of of the ruling classes on the revolutionary international proletarian path to the concrete movement all over the country. Although the conditions of our country and the enrichment revolutionary movement and our Party is of it. This is another great step forward in the facing a difficult situation in the country, the history of the Indian communist movement. Party is strengthening its Bolshevik spirit that After the formation of our party can fight and advance with the rich lessons CPI(Maoist), the People’s Liberation Guerrilla gained from practice. Army (PLGA) and the people under the However, our movement is facing a leadership of our Party daringly fought back difficult situation due to the shortcomings in the counter-revolutionary repressive the ideological, political and organizational campaigns that the Indian ruling classes efforts to develop the Party, PLGA and the unleashed with the support of the imperialists, mass base quantitatively and qualitatively as especially the US imperialists in an per the level and extent of the People’s War, unprecedented and intensified manner. In this the counter-revolutionary offensive, the process, we achieved many unprecedented changes in the economic, political and cultural victories with the sacrifices of thousands of conditions and our tasks to achieve the specific martyrs. As a result of the creative application objectives. We can protect and develop our of the general line of New Democratic subjective force by rectifying these Revolution following the path of Protracted shortcomings and mistakes. In this process, we People’s War having agrarian revolution as its can consolidate ourselves and develop our axis, we formed Guerrilla Bases in some subjective strength and mass base quantitatively Guerrilla Zones of the country as a concrete and qualitatively. In this way, our Party shall form of establishing Liberated Areas. As part develop into a much stronger Party in the

18 January - June 2018 MIB-37 country, can mobilise the people widely into but also takes the struggle of the people of the the sphere of politics and expand and intensify whole world for independence, democracy, guerrilla war. Thus, it can create another socialism and peace to a new stage. The success upsurge in the Indian revolutionary of Indian New Democratic Revolution and the movement. establishment of People’s Democratic Our Party, as the consolidated vanguard government in India will play an important of the Indian proletariat, will lead the New role in speeding up the World Socialist Democratic Revolution in India to victory in Revolution. It will stand up as a sign for the the path of international proletarian revolution important and historical advancement in the established by the great Marxist teachers Marx effort to establish a new world which is and Engels and developed by Lenin, Stalin and liberated from imperialism, capitalism and the Mao. It will go ahead staunchly in the same exploitation of man by man. direction until the establishment of Socialism and Communism on a world scale. Our Party Tasks the CPI(Maoist) as the vanguard of the Indian proletariat adheres to proletarian Let us comprehensively understand internationalism. In addition to uniting with Marxism by studying it deeply and all the genuine revolutionary Communist extensively; let us deepen our world outlook. parties-organisations-forces of the world with The great Marxist teachers Marx, Engels, the aim of making successful the Protracted Lenin, Stalin and Mao laid down their lives People’s War in India and the World Socialist to formulate and develop Marxist theory. Revolution on the international scale, it shall Their valuable writings are a repository of this unite with the worldwide proletariat, the theory. We must consider them as a body of oppressed nationalities and the oppressed very important historic revolutionary people; it shall learn from the past and the literature. We must take their great efforts as present working class movements and class an ideal for us and the whole Party – from the struggles of the country and the world; it shall Central Committee members up to the wage ideological struggle against modern primary members must study Marxism with revisionism that constantly stands as a hurdle patience, will, attention and in depth; to before the working class movement and class particularly we must study the important struggle of the world and against the left and writings among them. We have to understand right opportunist trends that arise in various all the valuable lessons in them. We have to forms; it stands in support to the working class creatively apply them to the present concrete movements, to the movements of the revolutionary practice. Only thus can we oppressed nationalities and the movements of continue our practice in the light of theory and the oppressed people against the imperialists change the country and the world according and reactionaries of the world to the best of to the laws of social development; we can its strength for the coordination and further develop the theory in the process of consolidation of the same. For this purpose, it practice. There are two methods for our study: strives to play its part for the formation of an One – the correct method, i.e., the Marxist international centre of revolutionary method; Second – the incorrect method, i.e., communist parties as the appropriate form of the dogmatic method. Marxism is totally organization in the present conditions. opposed to the dogmatic method. India is one of the very strong centres of Along with the study of Marxism, we have imperialism and world reaction. So the to pay attention to the study of the present advancement and success of the New domestic and international situation and the Democratic Revolution in India aimed at history of our country, the revolutionary imperialism, comprador bureaucratic movement and the counter-revolution along capitalism and feudalism shall not only liberate with the movements of various socio-political the people of India from the merciless streams, various philosophical trends – the exploitation and oppression of imperialism conflicts that took place and are taking place

MIB-37 January - June 2018 19 between them and particularly the impact they penetrated widely throughout society. have made and are making on the society. Regarding imperialist culture, idealisation of Thus, by paying attention on study alone can the imperialist countries and promotion of we correctly synthesise and apply creatively in the elitist consumerist culture basically the concrete objective conditions with a destroys patriotic values. Feudal culture is Marxist world outlook. By following this primarily the Brahmanical caste-based culture method alone can we develop our tactics of ingrained superiority. This Brahmanical according to the conditions of the society and culture puts its stamp on nearly all aspects of the class struggle that are in constant motion social interaction and thinking, from and mobilise the vast masses politically in class approach to labour, women, oppressed castes struggle. If there are mistakes in following this and other oppressed communities, marriage method due to subjectivism we not only cannot norms, birth, death, language, etc., and even avoid mistakes in practice but will also fail in has numerous caste symbols. Ironically, the providing efficient leadership. Therefore we so-called modern imperialist culture easily must follow this method. adjusts with the archaic and retrogressive We must concentrate on theoretical Brahmanical culture. Both imperialist and education to unite the whole Party. feudal culture has to be continuously opposed Theoretical education is one of the most and replaced by democratic and socialist important tasks among all the Party’s culture. The task at the present stage of the activities. While studying the science of revolution in the cultural front is the Marxism and applying its principles is one establishment of new democratic culture, i.e., aspect, participating directly in class struggle a scientific, democratic and mass culture by and learning from the masses is the other. uprooting the semi-colonial, semi-feudal Based on the knowledge obtained in the above culture along with the modern revisionist process, the Party’s policies should be further ideology. The people’s democratic culture is enriched and the Party ranks should be an anti-imperialist, anti-feudal culture. It is developed theoretically. Therefore, uniform an heir to all the secular, genuinely education is essential to unify the entire Party democratic, and scientific aspects of the rich based on study and concrete application of cultural heritage of the oppressed masses that theory. Mao explained the importance of are passed on by history. theory in one sentence in this way: “Theoretical It is impossible to arm the people education is the key to unify the entire Party. ideologically, make them conscious and Without this, the Party cannot achieve a single organise them for the people’s war without political task” (quoted in Strategy and Tactics the widest propaganda of people’s democratic of Indian Revolution). We have to conform to culture based on Maoism. As Mao said, “In this teaching in order to achieve this unity. The overthrowing a political power the first and central committee and the state committees regular task is to work in the ideological front must concentrate on conducting political and to create public opinion.” To overthrow classes in our Party from the central level to the exploiting classes and their state the primary level in the light of Marxist theory machinery, the first and foremost task in a more regular and efficient manner so that throughout the course of the new democratic they contribute to understand the concrete revolution is to wage ideological struggle and problems of our revolution, solve them create public opinion in favour of agrarian properly and advance the movement. revolutionary war and the protracted people’s We must continue the revolution war. uninterruptedly in the cultural sphere. In Mao said that revisionism is the main India, what predominates is primarily danger. Modern revisionism is one of the imperialist and feudal culture and ideas. It is chief enemies of MLM and the people’s basically this imperialist and feudal culture democratic ideology and revolution. The anti- that is being widely propagated by the ruling imperialist anti-feudal revolutionary culture classes, and it is these ideas that have of the people cannot be established without

20 January - June 2018 MIB-37 fighting against modern revisionism. In this and must aim our ideological offensive mainly respect MLM is the strongest weapon in the at the Brahmanical ideology, modern fight against modern revisionism. revisionism and postmodernism to establish Besides, in India, feudal thinking is deep- our Party into a powerful, effective leadership rooted and is manifested in many ways, organization and to develop the active role particularly in casteism, biases against of people in the people’s war. We must form religious minorities, religious narrow- appropriate organisations to take up mindedness, communalism, untouchability, theoretical and political propaganda among patriarchy, and numerous other forms. The the people in an efficient manner. Party must educate the masses against all such The Party must relentlessly strive to anti-democratic values and culture and declass itself. The revolutionary proletarian replace them with those based on equality, party must deepen its world outlook, self-respect, , dignity of labour and proletarian character and proletarian line to values, culture based on a proletarian class complete the historic mission of the outlook. establishment of Socialism-Communism by For the success of the Indian revolution rectifying-improving workstyle and lifestyle, the anti-imperialist and anti-feudal front has taking up internal struggle as a part of class to be organised and constantly strengthened. struggle to help this and remould itself The people’s democratic culture will be an ideologically (to declass). The Communist inseparable part of the general anti- Party collectively and the members imperialist, anti-feudal revolutionary people’s individually and consciously must strive democratic front. One of the tasks of this relentlessly not only now, not only after the cultural front is to educate the workers, New Democratic Revolution but as long as the peasants and the toiling masses about the anti- society needs the Communist Party and until imperialist and anti-feudal agrarian the victory of Communism. Only thus, the revolutionary struggle and the protracted majority of the society will be influenced by our correct ideology, politics, class struggle and people’s war (from Strategy and Tactics of practice and a situation will be created where Indian Revolution). the difference between the Communist Party We must deeply criticize the outdated, and the people shall disappear step by step. For reactionary theories. It is our ideological task this purpose, we have to play an effective role to remove the non-proletarian ideology and in constantly studying MLM, combining its influence from the minds of the people, theory with practice, participating in class revolutionise them and mould them into a struggle, firmly integrating with the people, revolutionary materialist force. Without being sincere in criticism and self-criticism, fighting to root out the chauvinisms of caste, learning from practice, actively participating religion and nationalism of the irrational, in the rectification campaigns, standing on the outdated Brahmanical ideology that is side of the correct line in the ideological and aggressively being introduced in the recent political struggle between two lines, and so on. decades and had been going on for a long time We must not take them up in a superficial, to tie the people of the society to ideological partial, formal and casual manner. slavery and all such reactionary anti- progressive ideology and theories from the Today our movement and the Party have society, we cannot establish new, scientific, reached fifty years and most of the comrades progressive, democratic and socialist belong to the third generation in the Party. ideology. We need to constantly fight in the Majority of them belong to the peasantry and ideological sphere not only in the Party but various sections of the petty bourgeoisie. It in all the social spheres. It is necessary for our is our immediate task to declass their world Party to play an effective role in this sphere outlook, work style, life style and all the above- not only internally but also in the society. We mentioned aspects in a much deeper manner. have to develop ideological unity in our Party Most of the others are old comrades but they

MIB-37 January - June 2018 21 too need to seriously and constantly declass The day when the workers, peasants, the themselves due to their social background or middle classes, national bourgeoisie, various the influences of the present society. They will oppressed social sections – the Dalit, , have to make conscious efforts for this. Women, Religious minority – the people of Therefore, in view of the immediate the oppressed nationalities unite in the light objective to be achieved and the character of of Marxism, in the leadership of CPI(Maoist), the Protracted People’s War to achieve that the day when the flames of the People’s War aim, our Party must make constant, conscious will spread all over the country, that day the and planned efforts to develop itself imperialists, comprador bureaucratic ideologically, politically and organizationally capitalists, landlords and their cruel state as a united, strong-willed, sturdy and efficient machinery shall go to ashes and the Federation proletarian vanguard. Only if we do so can of free People’s Democratic Republics with we efficiently advance the People’s War. We the aim of building great Socialism- can utilize all the present effort as a Communism shall emerge. No force on the foundation for the construction of Socialist face of the earth can stop this. Then the Indian society after the victory of the New New Democratic Revolution shall fulfil the Democratic Revolution. It means that we can historic task on behalf of the international continue the whole effort for achieving the proletariat by acting as the main link for the immediate objective with a view of the future humankind to bring down permanently the (with the aim of establishing Socialism- dark era of the imperialists and reactionaries. Communism). The revolutionary proletariat and its Conclusion vanguard the Communist revolutionaries who took up the weapon of the great scientific Proletariat of the world, all the oppressed theory of Marxism shall stand as the symbol nationalities, all the oppressed people, hold of commitment to theory and principles, high the Red Flag of Marxism to overthrow proletarian integrity, proletarian imperialism and all the reactionaries! Integrate internationalism, criticality, selflessness, strongly! Fight courageously! The people shall fearlessness and sacrifice. They know that they win ultimate victory! Beware of the character are conducting an extremely difficult, cruel of the imperialists, all kinds of reactionaries, world socialist revolution that has many ups revisionists, social democrats, the exploitative and downs and twists and turns and has a and oppressive class, their liquidationist protracted character. In spite of any number policies and their deceptive tricks! Though the of forfeiture of the great victories and any imperialists, all the reactionaries and their number of defeats in the process of revolution, lackeys appear to be real tigers tactically in the in the light of the invincible revolutionary immediate struggle, from a protracted view, theory formulated by summarizing the utmost grasp that they are strategically paper tigers, valuable experiences they gained in this fight against them daringly and seize victory! process, they shall fight again and again until Break to pieces not only the capitalist chains they achieve final victory. No reactionary on but all the chains of class, caste, nationality, this earth has the strength to divert them from gender, religion, etc. and march forward to the struggle they are making to achieve this sing the song of liberation of the humankind! objective. The defeats of the oppressed people The victories achieved by the proletariat and are temporary; the victories of the enemies of the oppressed people in the light of Marxism the people too are temporary. According to the are invaluable in the history of humankind. laws of social development, ultimately the The international proletariat has in its hands enemies of the people shall be permanently the most powerful theoretical weapon of destroyed and the oppressed people shall Marxism-Leninism-Maoism and it will certainly win permanent victory. destroy the old world through world socialist revolution and definitely create a new world.

continued on p.110

22 January - June 2018 MIB-37 Great Marxist teachers on Karl Marx

Just as Darwin discovered the law of development or organic nature, so Marx discovered the law of development of human history: the simple fact, hitherto concealed by an overgrowth of ideology, that mankind must first of all eat, drink, have shelter and clothing, before it can pursue politics, science, art, religion, etc.; that therefore the production of the immediate material means, and consequently the degree of economic development attained by a given people or during a given epoch, form the foundation upon which the state institutions, the legal conceptions, art, and even the ideas on religion, of the people concerned have been evolved, and in the light of which they must, therefore, be explained, instead of vice versa, as had hitherto been the case. – Engels, ‘Speech at the Grave of Karl Marx Highgate Cemetery’

One may not agree with Marx, but one cannot deny that he formulated with the utmost precision those of his views which constitute “something new” in relation to the earlier socialists. The something new consisted in the fact that the earlier socialists thought that to substantiate their views it was enough to show the oppression of the masses under the existing regime, to show the superiority of a system under which every man would receive what he himself had produced, to show that this ideal system harmonised with “human nature,” with the conception of a rational and moral life, and so forth. Marx found it impossible to content himself with such a socialism. He did not confine himself to describing the existing system, to judging it and condemning it; he gave a scientific explanation of it, reducing that existing system, which differs in the different European and non-European countries, to a common basis — the capitalist social formation, the laws of the functioning and development of which he subjected to an objective analysis (he showed the necessity of exploitation under that system). – Lenin, ‘What the “Friends of the People” Are’

MIB-37 January - June 2018 23 Marx and Engels were the first to show that the working class and its demands are a necessary outcome of the present economic system, which together with the bourgeoisie inevitably creates and organises the proletariat. They showed that it is not the well-meaning efforts of able-minded individuals, but the class struggle of the organised proletariat that will deliver humanity from the evils which now oppress it. In their scientific works, Marx and Engels were the first to explain that socialism is not the invention of dreamers, but the final aim and necessary result of the development of the productive forces in modern society. – Lenin, ‘Frederick Engels’

Marx was the genius who continued and consummated the three main ideological currents of the 19th century, as represented by the three most advanced countries of mankind: classical German philosophy, classical English political economy, and French socialism combined with French revolutionary doctrines in general. – Lenin, ‘Karl Marx’

It is to the great historic merit of Marx and Engels that they proved by scientific analysis the inevitability of capitalism’s collapse and its transition to communism, under which there will be no more exploitation of man by man. It is to the great historic merit of Marx and Engels that they indicated to the workers of the world their role, their task, their mission, namely, to be the first to rise in the revolutionary struggle against capital and to rally around themselves in this struggle all working and exploited people. – Lenin, ‘Speech at the Unveiling of a Memorial to Marx and Engels’

Karl Marx, who died in 1883, was a materialist, an enemy of the utopians. He regarded the development of the productive forces and the struggle between classes as the guarantee of the liberation of mankind. – Stalin, ‘Anarchism or Socialism’

It was not until Marx and Engels, the great protagonists of the proletarian movement, had synthesized the positive achievements in the history of human knowledge and, in particular, critically absorbed the rational elements of Hegelian dialectics and created the great theory of dialectical and historical materialism that an unprecedented revolution occurred in the history of human knowledge. – Mao, ‘On Contradiction’

Marx took part in the practice of the revolutionary movement and also created revolutionary theory. Beginning with the commodity, the simplest element of capitalism, he made a thorough study of the economic structure of capitalist society. Millions of people saw and handled commodities every day but were so used to them that they took no notice. Marx alone studied commodities scientifically. He carried out a tremendous work of research into their actual development and derived a thoroughly scientific theory from what existed universally. He studied nature, history and proletarian revolution and created dialectical materialism, historical materialism and the theory of proletarian revolution. Thus Marx became a most completely developed intellectual, representing the acme of human wisdom... – Mao, ‘Rectify the Party’s Style of Work’

24 January - June 2018 MIB-37 Call of the Central Committee on Martyrs’ Memorial Week 2018

Observe Martyrs’ Memorial Week from 28 July to 3 August 2018 as per revolutionary traditions throughout the country! Pay red homage to the immortal martyrs who have laid down their lives in the people’s war! Defeat the ‘Samadhan’ strategy of the ruling classes of India aimed at wiping out the revolutionary movement! Advance the movement by safeguarding the Party leadership from top to bottom!

Call of the CC, CPI(Maoist) to its Entire Party Ranks, PLGA Commanders- Fighters, Revolutionary People’s Committees, Revolutionary Mass Organisations and the Revolutionary Masses on the Occasion of the Martyr’s Memorial Week from 28th July to 3rd August 2018

18 May 2018

The proletarians have nothing to lose but their chains. They have a world to win. – Marx and Engels

Dear comrades and the revolutionary masses, The martyrs’ memorial week which is immortal martyrs of our Party Comrade observed from 28 July every year is coming Charu Majumdar and Comrade Kanhai near. Advancing on the path of protracted Chatterjee, over 180 leaders and cadres at people’s war to victoriously complete the New various levels of the Party, PLGA, Democratic Revolution in India with the aim Revolutionary People’s Committees (RPCs) of finally establishing socialism-communism and revolutionary mass organisations and the as shown by the great leaders of Indian revolutionary masses have sacrificed their revolution and the founders, teachers and invaluable lives between August 2017 and May

MIB-37 January - June 2018 25 Com. Dev Kumar Singh Com. Daraboyina Swamy Com. Shankar Manjhi Com. Lakku Korram (Arvind) (PBM and CCM) (DVCM, CRB Press) (DVCM, KKBN, OS) (DVCM, KKBN, OS)

Com. Sudru Veko Com. Sukhman Korram Com. Gopal Meshram Com. Podiyam Baman (DVCM, BBM, OS) (ACS, Gobra, OS) (ACS, Darrekasa, MMC) (PPCM, CRC Coy-2)

2018. They include Politburo member to Bolshevise the Party on the basis of those Comrade Arvind (Sujit, Nishant), 10 experiences. We are commemorating the comrades of the staff under Central Regional bicentenary of the birth of Karl Marx – the Bureau and PLGA forces under Central first of the great Marxist teachers – from 5 May Regional Command in the Central Region, 125 this year. Marx was the first philosopher to in Dandakaranya, 17 in Bihar-Jharkhand, 4 declare that the point was to change the world in Telangana, 7 in Andhra-Odisha Border and not merely to interpret it. Based on the (AOB), 12 in Odisha, 5 in - theory of class struggle, Marx and Engels gave Madhya Pradesh- (MMC) and to the world’s oppressed people their fighting one in the tri-junction area of the Western slogans like “Proletarians of all countries, Ghats. Among them are 69 women leaders- unite!” and “The proletarians have nothing to cadres and village women. The Central lose but their chains. They have a world to Committee of our Party calls upon all to win”. Materialist dialectics, an objective observe the martyrs’ memorial week from 28 approach to history, the theory of class struggle, July to 3 August to commemorate the sacrifice economic theory, scientific socialism and the of these martyrs with revolutionary strategy and tactics of the proletariat that Marx enthusiasm and spirit. has taught are extremely important even today Comrades, we have celebrated the after nearly one and a half century. Marxism, centenary of October Revolution in our which has today developed into Marxism- movement areas last year with revolutionary Leninism-Maoism, is guiding the workers, fervour and spirit. We recalled the experiences peasants and the oppressed masses on their of that revolution and tried to take lessons path to liberation. from it with the aim of holding high the legacy The Indian ruling classes introduced the of October Revolution. We are making efforts new ‘Samadhan’ strategy (2017-2022) when

26 January - June 2018 MIB-37 Kasanur-Tumirgunda Martyrs

Com. Srinu Com. Nandu Com. Sainath Com. Lata Com. Shanta Com. Limmi

Com. Jamuna Com. Sandeep Com. Rajesh Com. Lalita Com. Pradeep Com.Chandrakala

Com. Nagesh Com. Kartik Com. Radha Com. Srikant Com. Sannu Com. Pushpa

Com. Sunita Com. Sanjay Com. Jaisheela Com. Rukmati Com. Rajni Com. Reshma

Com. Tirupati Com. Janaki Com. Anita Com. Manda Com. Kranti Com. Soni

Com. Ajay Com. Mangu Com. Irpa Com. Mangesh Com. Raso Com. Anita

MIB-37 January - June 2018 27 Com. Bujji Com. Raso Com. Nusse their old strategy aimed at completely killed due to snakebite. Among the martyred uprooting our Party and the revolutionary comrades are a Politburo member, one movement by branding it “the biggest threat Regional Committee member, six ZC/DC/ to internal security” met with failure by May DVC comrades, two Sub-zonal committee 2017. We had to suffer serious losses in the members, 26 AC/PPC members, 96 Party/ massacres carried out by the enemy this year PLGA comrades, one GPC comrade, three as per their daily-intensifying barbaric attacks leadership comrades of different RPCs, seven in places like Irpanar, Kalleda, Kassanur (Halbi leaders and members of mass organisations, Tumidigunda) and Aipenta in Dandakaranya 25 people’s militia commanders and members, (DK), Tadpal in Telangana, Badgaon in Bihar- and 12 comrades from the revolutionary Jharkhand (B-J), Koraput in AOB and masses (including two boys who were caught Khojruguda in Odisha. Particularly after the and shot dead by the police). Ramguda incident (AOB), we lost 40 comrades All these comrades are the people’s soldiers in DK’s Halbi Tumidigunda encounter in an who have got martyred in the process of unprecedented manner. In nearly two and a fighting back the unprecedented attacks of the half hours of gunfight, five comrades were Indian government’s armed forces under the martyred there itself, while eleven comrades ‘Samadhan’ strategy in the third phase of were caught alive by the enemy in an injured Operation Green Hunt. Of them, Politburo state. The police shot dead five comrades there member of our Party Comrade Arvind passed itself, while six others were taken by vehicle to away in the third week of March this year due Khandla-Rajaram forests 40-50 kilometres to heart attack following serious illness. He was away and executed. Failing to understand the 65. He led the Party for a long time remaining deceptive enemy tactics, 31 comrades jumped firm on the Party line through many ebbs and into the deep gorges of the Indravati River tides, ups and downs, twists and turns of the flowing nearby as per a command given by the revolutionary movement. Particularly after the enemy after thinking that it was given by our temporary setback of the Naxalbari armed commander. Seven comrades managed to agrarian struggle, he played a major role in swim into safety amidst enemy firing, while building a tide of revolutionary agrarian the rest of the 24 comrades either succumbed struggle in Bihar and in developing guerrilla to enemy bullets or sank in the river unable to war with the aim of establishing base area swim with their weapons. The four remaining there. Among the other leadership comrades, comrades broke the enemy encirclement and Bihar Regional Committee member Comrade retreated safely. Meghnath Singh was martyred in a booby-trap In this way, in the deceptive counter- accident in Burha Pahad area on Jharkhand- guerrilla operations conducted by the enemy Chhattisgarh border. Senior Party Member according to their LIC strategy, 85 comrades Comrade Balraj (Prakash, organiser) passed were martyred in fake encounters while 88 laid away in due to illness. DVCM down their lives in encounters. Two comrades Comrade Lata (Anu) was martyred in an was martyred in a booby-trap accident, one attack by wild elephants in Kabani area of the comrade died in an attack by wild elephants, Western Ghats. Member of CRB Staff four passed away due to illness and three were Comrade Dandaboyina Swamy (Prabhakar,

28 January - June 2018 MIB-37 Com. Sodi Pande (Rame) Com. Punem Jogal Com. Kuhram Kosi Com. Junki Dorpeti (PPCM, CRC Coy-2) (PPCM, CRC Coy-2) (PPCM, CRC Coy-2) (PPCM,PL-3, Gadchiroli)

Com. Doddi Budhram Com. Oyam Sukki Com. Uika Badru (Rakesh) Com. Kuhram Ural (ACM, WBT, DK) (ACM, I-Team, DK) (ACM, BBM Div., OS) (ACM, SAT Cmdr., DK)

DC-level) was martyred in the enemy’s encounter, Aheri Area Comrades Maheri encirclement attack in Tadpal. South Vadde (Lata, AC Secretary), Mangli Padda Gadchiroli DVC Secretary Comrade Srinu (Shanti, Aheri Squad Commander), (Vijendra) along with DVCM Comrades Chandrakala, Radha Pallo, Limmi Mattami Vasudev Atram (Nandu) and Dolesh Atram (Perimili Area), Jamuna Ichami (PL-7) and (Sainath) were martyred in the enemy’s Halbi- Lalita Netam (PL-14), and Comrade Vanilla Timidigunda attack in DK. In different (Kandhamal) in Odisha’s Milsikia encounter. encounters with the enemy, Bargarh-Bolangir- These immortal martyrs gave up their Mahasamund (BBM) DVCM Comrade Sanju personal interests by considering the interest was martyred in Odisha and Sub-zonal of the people and the Party as their own Committee members Comrades Shivlal and interest. They displayed high communist Shravan Yadav were martyred in Badgaon values, courage, dedication and commitment. under Bihar Region (Latehar) during this On the occasion of the 200th birth anniversary period. of Karl Marx and martyrs’ memorial week, In the same way, among the women AC/ the Central Committee (CC) of CPI(Maoist) PPC comrades who have been martyred during pays its humble red homage with bowed heads the last one year are Comrade Madkam Raje to Karl Marx and along with Comrade Arvind (Soni, North Gadchiroli) in Tavvekasa to all the martyrs who have laid down their encounter of DK, Comrade Oyam Sukki lives in the people’s war in the last one year. It (Kranti, DK military instructor) in Mudum shares the sorrow of the families and friends encounter, CRC Coy-2 Comrades Sodi Pande of the martyrs and conveys them its heartfelt (Rame, Section Commander, PLGA doctor), condolences. Kuhdam Kosi (Section Commander), Telam In the same way, our CC pays its homage Rame and Kumma Pramila in Tadpal to the revolutionary leaders and cadres of MIB-37 January - June 2018 29 Com. Vinod Com. Hemla Paiku (Sagar) Com. Hemla Paike (Lalita) Com. Undam Jogi (Lalita) (PPCM, PL-1 Dy Cdr., MMC) (PPCM, PL-1, MMC) (PM, CRC Staff) (PM, CRC Coy-2)

Com. Velladi Kamli Com. Hemla Sukhman Com. Allam Kamla Com. Oyam Kamli (PM, PL-11, WBT, DK) (PM, PL-11, WBT, DK) (PM, PL-11, WBT, DK) (PM, PLGA member) various countries who have been martyred in many economic, political, social and cultural the course of advancing the world socialist struggles under different RPCs and mass revolution as well as the leaders and cadres of organisations led by our Party CPI(Maoist) to anti-imperialist and national liberation complete the new democratic revolution in struggles of various countries in the last one India with the aim of putting an end to year. exploitation by establishing a new, classless Comrades, let us take pledge to continue society – socialism-communism. Under the the fight to advance along the path made leadership of the Party, PLGA forces including crimson by these martyrs till the end to win the people militia and the masses are advancing victory for the new democratic revolution of the people’s war-guerrilla war by connecting India as a part of the world socialist revolution. these struggles with the armed agrarian With initiative, perseverance, courage, revolutionary struggle and by arming the preparedness for sacrifice and Bolshevik masses. Thousands of women are getting determination, let us take the movement one mobilised in the movement with the conviction step forward. On the occasion of the memorial that the new democratic revolution alone can week of the martyrs, let us remember the open up the path of women’s liberation. They immortal martyrs and learn from their are upholding this truth which is being proved practice. Let us inspire the Party rank and file in practice. Many of them are joining the and the masses to play their role in the Party and the PLGA. Women comrades are revolution by placing before them the ideals fighting the enemy till their last breath with a of the martyrs. great sense of sacrifice. They are shedding their warm blood and laying down their valuable Following the footsteps of Karl Marx, the lives towards achieving the goal. These oppressed people of India are carrying out martyrdoms should be seen as a part of the

30 January - June 2018 MIB-37 Com. Uike Maase Com. Vetti Anita Com. Madkam Kosi Com. Kumma Pramila (PLGA, WBT, DK) (PLGA, WBT, DK) (PLGA, WBT, DK) (ACM, Telangana)

Com. Telam Rame (Ratna) Com. Raju Atram (Akshay) Com. Madkam Mangu Com. Manu (PPCM, CRC Coy-2) (PM, MMC) (PM, MMC) (PM, RKB Division, DK) efforts to achieve the great objectives of the in its combing operations that are conducted Party. Then there will be no scope for one after another. Coordination among the disappointment and demoralisation, and we mercenary forces of the central and state will be able to continue the struggle till the governments has grown. This has resulted in achievement of communism. the intensification of enemy attacks. Their Fascist attacks on the revolutionary intelligence network has been expanded many movement have become even more intense times over. Subjecting anyone who comes in since the last year under the ‘Samadhan’ hand to arrest, serious torture, killing in fake strategy of Modi-led NDA government at the encounters and atrocities on women has centre and various state governments. Using grown. While concentrating its attacks mainly all the resources of the state machinery on the Party leadership, the enemy has including the police, paramilitary and increased its attacks on various Party commando forces, the exploitative ruling committees, PLGA forces, RPCs and the classes are concentrating their efforts on this people’s militia. There is no limit to the attack. They are deploying new battalions in enemy’s barbarities. the movement areas and increasing ‘Carpet The exploitative ruling classes are Security’ day by day. They are raising many implementing state violence in coordination battalions by recruiting anti-people elements, with their reform programmes and reactionaries and local Adivasi youths by psychological warfare. They are conducting violating the judgments of their own highest propaganda through all kinds of mass media court of law – the Supreme Court. They are by labelling the Maoists as ‘anti-development’. deploying Adivasi battalions in the forest areas In the meantime, the Union Home Minister where the revolutionary movement is strong. Rajnath Singh who had flagged off the fake The enemy is not allowing any gap or respite ‘Gram Swaraj’ campaign from Chhattisgarh’s

MIB-37 January - June 2018 31 Com. Lakke Karram Com. Avalam Bapanamma Com. Mannu Mattami Com. Korsa Ungal (PM, Supply Sqd., OS) (PM, KKBN Div., OS) (PM, Comm. Team, DK) (PLGA Member, MMC)

Com. Rainu Com. Oyam Sanjay Com. Oyam Mangu Com. Karram Nandal (PM, NBT, DK) (Militia Member, WBT, DK) (Militia Member, WBT, DK) (Militia Member, DK)

Dantewada has even surpassed Goebbels by Comrades, starting the venomous propaganda that The growing attacks on the revolutionary “Maoists are against the poor people”. On the movement cannot be seen in isolation from the one hand, they are making life hell for the international and domestic situation. The people of the movement areas through white imperialists are making serious efforts to come terror and brutal repression. They are making out of their crisis by transferring the burden futile efforts to crush their fighting spirit, to of the economic crisis that they are facing for damage the people’s mobilisation and to stop a long time on the oppressed people of the their growing recruitment. They are trying to world and by exploiting the cheap labour and push the people into the position of a mute natural resources of the backward countries. spectator by generating an impression that it On the one hand, they are intensifying their is not possible to fight and defeat the ruling offensive against the working class and the classes and their mercenary forces many times middle classes of the imperialist countries and stronger. On the other hand, they are the oppressed nationalities and people of the implementing many reform programmes and backward countries. On the other hand, the ‘Civic Action Programmes’. They are stopping dogfight among the imperialists to re-divide the functioning of rural weekly markets till the the world has intensified. West Asia and people accept the ‘freebies’ distributed by the particularly Syria, South China Sea, Korean police. They are trying to expand the Peninsula, Iran, etc. have become centres of intelligence network by somehow separate the inter-imperialist contradictions. US President people from the Party and the revolutionary Trump’s serious threats of nuclear attack on movement. North Korea are continuing. Trump has withdrawn from the nuclear deal with Iran that was signed by various Western powers to end

32 January - June 2018 MIB-37 the Iranian nuclear programme and is now implemented by -Mohan launching into a fresh round of offensive Bhagwat- clique are only benefitting against Iran. Similarly, the US has amended the imperialists, comprador big capitalists and its law related to travel in Taiwan which was big landlords, while making the lives of the vast in force till date. China has expressed serious masses miserable. In fact, this clique is objection to it. Alleging that the Syrian instigating Hindu fascism to crush the militant government forces carried out chemical attacks struggles waged by the country’s workers, on the people, the US, Britain and France peasants, Dalits, Adivasis, religious minorities, conducted one-sided missile attack against that oppressed nationalities, women, employees, country in a conspiratorial way. US-supported students-youths, teachers and professors, Israeli forces carried out one-sided aerial attack doctors and others for the resolution of their on the positions of the Iranian armed forces problems. It is serving the interests of the in Syria. The Palestinian nation is relentlessly imperialists and the country’s comprador big fighting against the policies of the national- capitalists and big landlords by polarising the chauvinist Zionist Israeli ruling classes and country on communal lines and making the against the opening of the US embassy in people the sacrificial lambs. For this, it is Jerusalem after recognising it as the capital of deceiving the country with the slogan of ‘Sabka Israel. The US has fully supported the massacre Sath, Sabka Vikas’. It is flaring up national- of Palestinian protestors by Israel to crush their chauvinism, pseudo-patriotism and struggle. This has been strongly condemned warmongering against Pakistan and China. throughout the world. On the other hand, Due to these Hindu fascist policies, the Russian and Chinese imperialists have disparity between the rich and the poor has expressed their opposition of the above and grown enormously. In a report recently are condemning the US. They are increasing released by a non-governmental organisation their military budgets on a large scale. Russia Oxfam in Davos of Switzerland, one percent has concentrated its attention on West Asia. of the rich in India have accumulated 73 Disregarding strong opposition, China is percent of its wealth. Their wealth has grown strengthening its military presence in South by 21 lakh crore rupees in a single year. This is China Sea. All this are bringing back ‘Cold equivalent to the Modi government’s War’ memories throughout the world. The budgetary allocation for 2017-18. 17 new inter-imperialist contention is inevitably billionaires have emerged within a single year. pushing the imperialist and oppressed The inherent fraudulent nature of the ‘social countries towards fascism. Militant struggles service’ of the ‘poor’ Prime Minister can be of the oppressed nationalities and the easily understood from this. oppressed people against the aggressive and exploitative imperialist policies are daily The real meaning of Modi government’s intensifying throughout the world. ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’ (‘Everyone’s Cooperation, Everyone’s Development’) has Modi-led NDA government’s collusion been proved to be ‘Corporate ka Saath, with US imperialism in all spheres is going on. Corporate ka Vikas’ (‘Corporate’s It continues to function as a loyal US prop in Cooperation, Corporate’s Development’). For South Asia to fulfil the US imperialist interests. example, Reliance industries have made a profit It is mortgaging the country to the US of 504 crore rupees due to a single decision of imperialists and corporate houses. This is the Modi government in the third quarter of transforming the country into a fiefdom of the last year. This means that ‘Acche Din’ (‘Good US. In order to remove all hurdles in Days’) has come for the big landlords and the implementing these anti-people policies, the foreign and domestic corporate houses. Modi Indian ruling classes have already given the government, which is thumping its chest about existing Hindu chauvinism the form of Hindu preventing corruption, is looting public money fascism with the aim of establishing a ‘Hindu in the name of democracy. Eight incidents of Rashtra’. As a representative of the Indian bank fraud are taking place each day on average ruling classes, all fascist policies for the last three years. Though such frauds had

MIB-37 January - June 2018 33 taken place during earlier governments too, its the peasants instead of fulfilling their demands number has grown substantially after Modi on the one hand and are brutally crushing their government came to power. People like Vijay movements with police forces on the other. Mallaya, Nirav Modi, Mehul Chauksi have The youths are becoming victims of embezzled thousands of crore rupees of public imperialist and patriarchal feudal culture funds. 1,11,738 crore rupees have been openly promoted without restraint by the ruling looted from the banks in the last three years. classes. Women in particular are becoming Modi government too is following the footsteps targets of sexual violence and killing. Women of the erstwhile Congress government in throughout the country are struggling against waiving these bank loans, thereby serving the atrocities on them. corporate interests. All the oppressed classes and social sections of the country are coming to the The governments are ignoring the streets and carrying out movements on a large demands of the Adivasis against displacement, scale against these Hindu fascist policies for the implementation of PESA and other implemented by Narendra Modi-Mohan constitutional rights in spite of their militant Bhagwat-Amit Shah clique. struggles. The resentment of the Adivasi masses is growing day-by-day as a result. The After the ‘lion’ of ‘Make in India’ lost all recent ‘Patthalgarhi’ movement in several its claws, it has gone into a slumber. states for the rights over jal-jangal-zameen is an Consequently, Modi government’s claim of example of this. generating one crore jobs a year has proved to be yet another electoral gimmick. The Attacks on Dalits and religious minorities unemployed youths are coming out on the under the pretext of ‘cow protection’, ‘Love path of struggle against the central and state Jihad’, ‘Ghar Wapasi’, etc. have become governments which are following the same common under Modi government’s rule. It has policies, no matter which political party is in brought the ‘Triple Talaq’ bill with the power. intention of interfering in the internal affairs of the Muslims under the pretext of addressing Due to the amendments to a number of the so-called problem of ‘Triple Talaq’ as a part labour laws made by the Modi government and of its ongoing offensive against religious the shrinking of the government and formal minorities. It is similarly bringing frivolous sector as a result of the intensification of the arguments about building Ram Temple at implementation of LPG policies, the private Ayodhya. The proposal to scrap reservations and informal sector is growing where the and the Supreme Court’s verdict on SC-ST workers are left with very little social security. Atrocities Prevention Act are indications of Exploitation and oppression of the workers is the growing attack on the Dalits and oppressed intensifying as a result. The working class is castes. These are nothing but attempts at waging militant struggles against it. Policies furthering the exploitative interests by breaking like ‘Rurban Mission’, ‘E-Bazaar’, developing the unity among the people and stoking the 22,000 rural weekly markets as agricultural fire of communalism through the policy of markets, ‘Van-Dhan’, etc. are being used for ‘Divide and Rule’. The Dalits and religious no other purpose than to create favourable minorities are getting ready for self-defensive conditions for corporate farming and trading struggles in their own ways. Their serious by foreign and domestic big corporations and indignation has been expressed on many to build the required infrastructure for them. occasions like the resistance of the Dalits at These policies can neither stop the suicide of Saharanpur and the wavelike protest of the peasants nor can they resolve even their Dalits of Maharashtra against the Sangh immediate problems. The agrarian crisis is Parivar’s attack at Bheema-Koregaon, the deepening in the country as a result, and the conversion of Dalits to Buddhism in Una, the conditions are maturing for the peasants to get successful organised against the prepared for a prolonged struggle for their Supreme Court’s verdict on the SC-ST demands. The BJP governments are deceiving Atrocities Prevention Act, etc.

34 January - June 2018 MIB-37 In spite of the terror unleashed by the Comrades, Indian Army through killing hundreds of We will have to understand the growing Kashmiri youths in the region, the national Brahmanical Hindu fascism in India and the liberation struggle of Kashmir is daily terror that it is spreading across the country in becoming more militant with the slogan of the context of the fascism that is spreading ‘Azadi’. They are taking the path of armed across the world. It is as a part of this that struggle. The militant people’s resistance on the intense attacks on the revolutionary and one hand and the armed actions of the democratic movement are being carried out Kashmiri national liberation guerrilla fighters under ‘Samadhan’ strategy. PLGA forces are intensifying to oppose the cruel atrocities under the leadership of our Party have carried and massacres of the government armed out a number of heroic tactical counter- forces. offensive attacks against the enemy forces in The national liberation aspirations of the various guerrilla zones and red resistance areas nationalities of the Northeast have not been of the country this year with the aim of subdued. Different fighting organisations are fighting back and defeating the ‘Samadhan’ carrying on their struggles in various forms. strategy. The enemy forces have been destroyed The people of Assam have started a militant in significant numbers. In spite of this, we too mass struggle in the month of May against the had to suffer serious losses in enemy attacks. Citizenship Amendment Act-2016 proposed Losses and sacrifices are inevitable in war. But by the central government which poses an the aim of war is to preserve our forces to the existential threat to the Assamese nationality extent possible and destroy the enemy forces by allowing the rehabilitation of Bangladeshi to the extent possible. We can avoid many losses Hindus in Assam. by correctly implementing this Maoist Taking forward his Hindu fascist policies, principle. In fact, we could have avoided Modi has declared his aim of building ‘New encounters like that of Irpanar, Kalleda, Halbi India’ by 2022. The ‘New India’ proposed by Tumidigunda and Pujari Kanker. Modi means an India with the continuation We can reduce our losses considerably by of the rule of comprador bureaucratic correctly assessing the enemy’s situation, by capitalists and landlords and with domination putting into practice the already decided tactics of national chauvinism, Upper-Caste and by taking up and implementing new tactics arrogance and Brahmanical Hindu religious at the right time in order to fight back the frenzy. It will be an India which will be against enemy tactics that change rapidly during the the Adivasis, Dalits, religious minorities, war. The enemy wants to inflict losses on us oppressed castes, women and the oppressed through their continuous combing and nationalities like that of Kashmir and the searching operations. That is why we will have Northeast; it will be an India which will not to be always on the alert. As Mao had said, we tolerate any kind of opposition. It will be an will have to change place quickly like air and India reeling under hunger, inflation, black water under unfavourable conditions. We will marketing, unemployment, illiteracy, ill health, have to take the initiative by continuously homelessness, extreme impoverishment, remaining in a flexible condition, putting corruption and scams. It will move from ‘One pressure on the enemy and hitting at them after Country, One Commodity, One Tax’ and ‘Ek identifying their weaknesses. During enemy Bharat, Shresth Bharat’ (‘One India, Great operations in our movement areas, the India’) to finally ‘Akhand Hindu Rashtra’ revolutionary masses under the leadership of (‘United Hindu Nation’). Workers, peasants our Party are regularly maintaining vigilance and other oppressed classes will have to unite and protecting themselves, they are protecting and defeat this conspiracy of the Modi- our Party, PLGA, RPC, mass organisations Bhagwat-Shah clique to build such a ‘New and the militia units like the pupil of their eyes. India’. War mentality is relatively on the rise among the masses. Whichever side increases the active

MIB-37 January - June 2018 35 and creative role of human beings in war can and the conditions for revolution are becoming advance it towards victory. highly favourable. Militancy among the masses But we are suffering a lot of losses due to is on the rise. This situation must be utilised our inability in developing tactics capable of correctly. Presently when our movement is hitting at the deceptive war of the enemy, in facing a difficult situation, we will have to implementing the developed tactics and in carefully rectify our weaknesses and limitations bringing required changes in implementing the and come out of them so that the enemy is rules of guerrilla war. Our losses are growing unable benefit from them. If the enemy comes as a result of tactically taking the enemy lightly, to know about our passivity, it can launch not putting hard work day and night in attacks more aggressively and inflict damage implementing the secret methods in the on us. We should be careful so that this kind difficult situation and not giving primacy to of a passive situation does not emerge among active self-defence due to lack of war us. We should be active and dynamic. We preparedness. should make efforts consciously and in a planned manner in order to turn the conditions Today the Indian revolution is standing favourable to us in all spheres. All the leading at a juncture. It is facing a difficult situation. committees in particular should provide We can safeguard the movement and take it a courageous guidance to the movement. They step forward only through everyone’s active should give active, enthusiastic and continuous role and hard work. We can increase the self- leadership to the people’s war-guerrilla war. confidence of our rank and file only when the They should not tail the situation. Weaknesses entire Party, PLGA, the RPCs and the and limitations can be rectified through active revolutionary mass organisations identify their and lively leadership. The ebbs and tides can weaknesses and limitations to become steeled be negotiated. immediately in the fascist repression of the enemy, conduct reliable reviews so as to avoid This is a total war. By identifying the repeating those mistakes, formulate correct changes in the enemy, the movement and the programme and new tactics as per the concrete war, the leadership should remould itself and condition of the movement in different areas, also remould the cadres under them and intensify and expand the guerrilla war in a thereby develop the movement. No change can planned manner by implementing the tactics be brought about without developing new of self-defence and attack as per the concrete methods of work. For bringing about this conditions of various guerrilla areas. That is change, we should develop within us collective why, comprehensive reviews should be activity and communist thinking in place of conducted to identify the political and policy- individual activity and individualism, level mistakes, mistakes in adopting guerrilla revolutionary spirit in place of carelessness, tactics and in conducting guerrilla war. The vastness in thinking in place of sectarian enemy’s network is getting stronger. Therefore, thinking, and dialectical materialism in place we should not become careless in our practice of mechanical materialism. The entire Party, today without first arriving at a conclusion PLGA and the United Fronts should make about the extent to which the enemy might efforts to internalise these qualities on the have received information about our practice occasion of the bicentenary celebrations of the till yesterday. We will have to adopt correct birth of Karl Marx. tactics by considering the enemy as No matter how favourable are the strategically weak and tactically strong. Only objective conditions for revolution, the in this process can we increase Bolshevik revolutionary energy among the masses cannot enthusiasm among our rank and file to the be sustained without a strong revolutionary maximum and overcome our mistakes and Party and a correct leadership. The revolution losses. cannot be successful without a strong party, Due to the pro-imperialist, anti-people army and united front. Russian and Chinese policies adopted by the exploitative ruling revolutions had advanced in this very way. classes, anger among the vast masses is growing Similarly, the Indian revolution will have to

36 January - June 2018 MIB-37 be taken out of the difficult situation. The final Our programme for the Martyrs’ Memorial defeat of the enemy is certain. No one can stop Week from 28 July to 3 August its collapse. Chinese dictator Chiang Kai-shek The class hatred against the enemy will had massacred twelve thousand people on a have to be increased among the masses by single day. In spite of this, the Chinese upholding the sacrifices of the martyrs and revolution advanced amidst ebbs and tides. their ideology, politics and ideals on the The enemy is encouraging the reactionary occasion of martyrs’ memorial week between elements in a big way. The movement is facing 28 July and 3 August. The consciousness of many serious hurdles as a result. Efforts will the masses will have to be raised to fight against have to be made to overcome them. The masses state violence. The masses can be brought out will be steeled only in the course of struggles, of the illusion of reforms only by exposing their losses, successes, sacrifices and betrayals. exploitation, oppression and repressive politics During , the revolution in China and the counter-revolutionary ‘Samadhan’ had advanced towards liberation by suffering strategy and by preparing them to fight with much pain. Marxism-Leninism-Maoism is class hatred. The enemy is seriously trying to invincible. Therefore, the progress of the spread the illusion of class collaboration by revolution will not stop, no matter how much propagating that the ruling classes and the the repression is. Nevertheless, subjective efforts masses are not separate. This deceptive enemy in a conscious, planned, determined, tactic will have to be exposed among the courageous and active manner will have to be masses. It will have to be widely propagated made in order to win victory. The subjective that the masses have the responsibility to forces and the movement can be safeguarded protect the Party, PLGA, RPCs and only if the entire rank and file of the Party revolutionary mass organisations and to catch stand united and tackle the difficult situations and punish counter-revolutionary informers. actively. The masses will have to be aroused. They will Comrades, in spite of the enemy snatching have to be motivated to resist using all means. away our martyrs from amidst the masses By adopting appropriate methods as per the physically, they cannot wipe out the traditions level of consciousness of the masses, of ideology and politics, ideals and sacrifice programmes will have to be undertaken to held up by them. Our martyrs have sacrificed build martyrs’ memorial columns and pay in the interest of the workers, peasants and homage to the martyrs as per the revolutionary other oppressed people, for people’s liberation traditions. The family members of the martyrs and the establishment of a new society. The will have to be invited to the public meetings ruling classes are carrying out brutal attacks on and requested to make speeches. The masses us for their lowly interests. Against this, the will have to be encouraged to extend them all immortal martyrs have sacrificed for the kinds of material and moral support. The ideological and political line of the proletariat. murderous nature of the enemy will have to Let us struggle according to the present be exposed by giving examples of the recent situation of the enemy and the movement so big incidents and posters, leaflets, booklets, as to realise the dreams and aspirations of our photo calendar, photos of the martyrs, etc. will beloved martyrs. Let us march forward along have to be widely distributed and propagated the path of protracted people’s war with by upholding the sacrifice of our martyrs. patience through victory...defeat...again victory...again defeat to win final victory in the people’s war. With revolutionary greetings,

Central Committee Communist Party of India (Maoist)

MIB-37 January - June 2018 37 Obituary

Red salutes to Comrade Arvind, one of the leaders of Indian Revolution and member of the Political Bureau, CPI(Maoist)

One of the leaders Comrade Arvind of Indian Revolution, was born in a middle class member of the Polit peasant family in Bureau of the Central Jehanabad district of Committee of the CPI Bihar. He did B.Sc (Maoist) Comrade (Science) in Patna, the Arvind (Sujit, Nishant) capital city of the state. died with serious ill He was active in the health in the third week student and the youth of March, 2018 at the movement that rose when age of 65. he was in graduation and Laying life for the was attracted towards the sake of people and for a revolutionary movement change in the society is in this process. He joined heavier than the the Communist Himalayas. The life of Kranthikari Sangathan such people will be (CKS) along with a few especially ideal. There other revolutionaries. The are certain general CKS was merged in the features and certain particular features in the erstwhile PU party. Comrade Arvind life of every revolutionary wholay their life in developed as one of the leaders of the CC in the movement. They are ideal to all the the erstwhile PU party. Later when PW and revolutionaries and also be very helpful to PU merged he worked as a member of the CC bolshevise the Party. The life-history of our of the united PW. He worked as a member of beloved leader Comrade Arvind too is a great the CC and the CMC in the united party, CPI mine of such revolutionary experiences. (Maoist) formed with the merger of the erstwhile PW and the erstwhile MCCI. In the

38 January - June 2018 MIB-37 fourth meeting of the CC in 2013 he was of the autocratic rule of the Indira coopted into the PB and continued in this government. Lakhs of students and youth responsibility until his martyrdom. He had participated in these movements in a militant been suffering with diabetes and BP for a long manner along with the various ruling class time. Three years back his eyes were severely opposition parties fought for their electoral affected due to chronic diabetes. Lastly he purposes. Arvind worked in these movements became a martyr due to heart attack. by participating as a dynamic activist. He The life of Comrade Arvind since he developed an understanding towards entered politics in 1973-74 until his martyrdom democratic politics and gained experience in was very much full of struggle. He stood on conducting militant movements. But the quest the side of the progressive, revolutionary of persons like Arvind for a correct line did section in every step and turn. Over four not end. decades of his revolutionary life is inseparably In those days the Naxalbari peasant entwined with the revolutionary movement of struggle in the leadership of Charu Mazumdar Bihar-Jharkhand and Indian Revolutionary had a great influence all over the country. But movement. It handed over many experiences. By that time the Naxalbari Armed peasant We cannot separate his life from the political revolutionary strugglesuffered a temporary situation, the class struggle, the mobilization setback after the martyrdom of Charu of lakhs of people in the anti-feudal struggles, Mazumdar. CPI (ML) suffered a severe blow the strategy and tactics the revolutionary due to serious enemy repression and due to the movement adopted in the area, state and the ideological and political differences that regional bureau he worked, the ideological emerged in the party. In this situation there struggle against revisionism for a correct path, were serious discussions about what tactics to the ideological struggle against the wrong line adopt to re-build the movement. Persons like that came forth opposing the correct Party line, Arvind were active participants in the the extension of the revolutionary movement discussions in Bihar. They opposed the right from a small area to the vast rural area and revisionist line that came forth in the ML strategic areas. camp. On the other hand there was a strong From democratic politics to revolutionary influence of Comrade Jowhar who led the politics historic Bhojpur peasant armed struggle in Bihar in mid 1970s. With these two influences, The international and domestic situations people like Comrade Arvind entered were turbulent in the 1970s. Imperialism that revolutionary politics by considering the line was unleashing neo-liberalist type of of Charu Mazumdar to be correct and by exploitation, indirect rule and control all over keeping faith in it. But They took the stand to the world after World War II was caught in rectify the mistakes in these movements. Some severe crisis by the beginning of 1970s. This of them joined the Communist Krantikari was expressed in the form of intensification Sangathan (CKS) in 1977-79. This was the first of exploitation and oppression of the ruling step in the revolutionary life of Comrade classes on the oppressed people of our country. Arvind. The conflicts between various groups of the ruling classes for shares in exploitation reached In a reply to a question in an interview of the principal correspondent Brajesh Mishra of a serious level. It was the time of Congress rule th in the leadership of Indira Gandhi. It violated ‘Delight of Bihar’ on the 4 of April, 2005, the fundamental rights of the people. The Comrade Arvind said about his entering anger among the students and youth on the revolutionary politics,”I have been problems of education and unemployment participating in movements against the system reached a peak stage. Students and youth like full of exploitation, atrocities and in Arvind were full of hatred towards the movements against the government since my autocratic rule of the government. As a result, school life. I also played my role as a soldier in Democratic movements rose against the rule the movement against the Congress government in 1965-68 and in the people’s

MIB-37 January - June 2018 39 movement for ‘Complete Revolution’ against They discussed with various revolutionaries the system in the leadership of Jayaprakash (JP) with the single agenda of uniting the genuine between 1974 and 1977….but what happened revolutionaries, in the leadership of Comrade finally? Both these unarmed, people’s non- Narayan Sanyal and other revolutionaries. In violent movements were attacked by the this process they held a Conference in violent state-machinery of the autocratic rule November 1978 and established CPI (ML) of the Congress and killed thousands of (Party Unity). They mainly decided to build people……It imposed ‘Emergency’ in the revolutionary peasant movement in the South country and violated the fundamental rights Bihar Central zone with a strategic view. A of ordinary people. It suppressed the freedom section of the CKS in the leadership of of press and turned the whole country into a Comrade Arvind came into contact with the jail. What was the outcome of these two CPI (ML) (Party Unity). Both these groups unarmed people’s movements? The leaders merged in 1980 and formed the Unity openly betrayed the people’s movements. Both Organisation (UO). This organized into the these movements, especially the failure of the CPI (ML) PU together with a few JP movement instilled in me the trend towards revolutionaries of Punjab in January 1982. Marxism-Leninism-Maoism….I studied it This was a second step in the revolutionary life deeply….I concluded that without the of Comrade Arvind. proletarian leadership and the main role of the In the decade of the 1980s, The PU party worker-peasant people, the people cannot concentrated in Magadh, Koel-Kaimur areas achieve victory in the struggle for a change in of Central and South Bihar where the social the system. Without an army there is no value and geographical conditions were favorable for for the people’s voice. It is possible to change armed struggle. But The class contradictions the system not through parliamentary path but reached their peak stage in Magadh region. In only through an armed revolution. After more this area, a rich section of the Kurmis that consideration I saw clearly that it is only released the Thekari estate from the traditional Naxalism which believes in changing the upper caste landlord’s iron hold emerged as system through revolution……I got associated small landlords and reactionary rich peasants with the worker’s movement in Dehri-on-Sone and established their control. This section used (Rohtas) area. There were good successes in cruel casteist feudal autocratic power to exploit developing the workers’ movement…. In those and oppress the poor and landless peasantry days the comrades of the CPI (ML) Party of the Dalits and Backward Castes. The Unity contacted me…. That is why the JP Bhumihars had control in other areas. The movement is my first negative teacher which movement in the leadership of Jayaprakash brought me to the positive path of Narayan in 1974 mainly attracted the middle Naxalism...” and rich peasant youth of the Kurmis. The PU As the leader of Armed Agrarian Party prepared its first cadres in this area from Revolutionary movement the few militant youth who broke away from After Emergency was lifted, hundreds of the illusion of this movement. The party Communist Revolutionaries were released started revolutionary activities in Jehanabad from jail all over the country. At that time the depending on them. Arvind was one of them. revolutionaries were divided into small groups In this way, as a result of People like Comrade and each group declared itself as the actual heir Arvind joining the PU party in their search for of CPI (ML). In that situation most of the a correct path and leading this party in their revolutionaries released from jail started to join own Magadh area where they were born and some or the other group they found correct. A brought up,it helped the initiation of anti- few revolutionaries in the Bengal jails who feudal class struggle and armed agrarian considered the path of Naxalbari to be correct revolutionary struggle in that area in this felt that they have to rectify the tactical mistakes subjective situation. The movement developed and tried to revive the old relations. They to a considerable level in hundreds of villages started work among the people of basic classes.

40 January - June 2018 MIB-37 in Jehanabad, Aurangabad and Patna districts lifting of police camps, withdrawing false cases by mid-1980. on the activists and other such things. Party demonstrated the consciousness of The state government deployed thousands daring and self-sacrifice in developing the of police and Para-military forces in camps in movement in Bihar,considered as the fortress Gaya sub-division to suppress these struggles of feudalism. It mobilized thousands of and started a big offensive. In 1983 the police peasants against the cruel landlords and their scattered the MKSS conference near Maduva. private armies like the Bhumi Sena. Initially In 1985 the first state level police operation the movement centred round issues like self- (Operation task force) started. In 1986 the state respect, wages and bandit gangs. The landlords police fired in Arwal on the 19th of April on started organising private armies by organising the state conference of MKSS bringing back their strength. The counter-revolutionary the memories of Jalianwalabagh massacre. Kurmi landlords got organized under the Twenty-three peasants were martyred and 70 banner of Bhumi Sena and started brutal attack injured in this incident. The police killed an to suppress the mass base of the movement. activist of MKSS in the first encounter a few Naturally the people’s anger erupted against days before this conference. Around forty these cruel landlords committing atrocities on thousand people, activists and leadership the oppressed people. There were militant comrades all over the state were arrested, people’s resistance struggles. The party formed tortured and put in jails. Additional police regular red resistance armed squads to advance camps were turned into torture camps. the struggles of resistance in 1981. Against this repression, Lakhs of people were Comrade Arvindwas a great agitator. He mobilised like a great wave facing the roused the peasantry through his speeches. He Operation task force, protecting the Party and inspired thousands of peasants for militant the armed peasant forces and many militant struggles. The peasants chased away the people’s resistance movements were landlords in his leadership. They attacked the conducted. This became the main form of private armies of the landlords and punished struggle. The people demonstrated their them with class hatred. The peasants mobilized consciousness in all places against the state.The in a big way and wiped out Ram Parvesh, people’s protest demonstration reached such Dukhan Singh of Sikaria village that was the an extent that the state Assembly was gheraoed centre for class struggle and cruel landlords like in 1987 against Alwar massacre. The Raja Yadav, bandit gangs of Pekhan who were government had no other way but to withdraw responsible for the Kansara and Rampurchai STF temporarily. A few days before the massacres. Mazdoor Kisan Sangharsh Samiti Assembly gherao, the government banned (MKSS) and its leader Comrade Arvind played MKSS for the first time. the main role in this. Comrade Arvind gained A Few new aspects came forth in the the confidence of the peasantry as an efficient Jehanabad movement. The people’s movement peasant leader. He had a prominent role in took place especially in a legal form. Though mobilizing the Dalits in successful retaliatory the movement was limited to a small area the actions on the private armies againstthe mass organisations made remarkable attempts massacres of the armies of the upper caste with a strong will to organise their units from landlords on them in places like Pipra, Ruras, the village level to the state level. At that time Bigha, Belchi, and Bhagodih of the Magadh There were active village committees of the region and also in seizing more than 50 MKSS in more than half of the villages in the weapons from them. With The development area of the movement. By 1985 there were 2000 and expansion of the revolutionary movement activists and twenty thousand members in shook the foundations of the landlords. Feudal MKSS. There were village defense squads in power started to disintegrate. Since 1984 the more than 200 villages. Almost at this time four leaders of the local Bhumi Sena started to to five armed guerilla squads were functioning. surrender to the MKSS. The peasantry fined The activities of the armed squad were them. TheSena had to accept conditions like connected with the people’s movement and the

MIB-37 January - June 2018 41 open mass organization with the formations (Hussainabad) area. Armed squads were of secret organization. The policy of formed with the available weapons to counter destroying the upper caste reactionary landlord the attacks of the armed gangs of the landlords. elementsbyachieving the unity of all the One year later the movement spread from Japla oppressed classes and organizing the to Mohammadgunj, Hydernagar, oppressed people of various castes on class Hariharaganj, Bisrampur, Chattarpur, basis was implemented. Forms of struggle like Nabinagar (Aurangabad). Struggles erupted elimination of selected leaders of Bhumi Sena, like waves. There were struggles for land, crops economic blockade on cruel Bhumi Sena and against usury. There was an increase in landlords (ban on cultivation of lands, non- the militant people’s movement against the cooperation movementof the tenants, seizing reactionary gangs levying ‘Rangdari tax’ from the selected crops or destroying them and other the people engaged in collecting forest produce. such forms) and people’s courts were In Bisrampur area the movement developed implemented everywhere. Better results were through the fierce armed conflicts with the achieved from this tactics. The lower sections landlord’s ‘Krishak Sevak Samaj’ army and of the Kurmi peasantry were separated from spread to Panki, Majwimon and Garhwa areas their reactionary caste leaders through the in 1987. In Panki area there were large scale armed resistance with the help of the armed people’s struggles on issues like land, wages, squads. By propagating the politics of seizing rights on forests and forest produce, right to powerfrom the beginning and forming tactical collect mahua and against the landlords and united fronts based on broad mass base the forest officials. In some places the people seized movement was conducted on various social rifles from the police collectively and and economic problems. This led to the participated in many heroic attacks on the historic people’s uprising in the entire Magadh landlords. region. The second conference of the Party in 1987 The experiences of Jehanabad helped the decided to pay attention to land struggles. party rank and file and people’s guerilla forces Thereafter, occupying the lands of the in the leadership of Comrade Arvind and landlords and distributing them to the landless, other comrades to create an upsurge in the poor peasantry spread like a movement in agrarian revolution in the undivided Palamu Central Bihar. After the leaders of the Krishak district of the strategic and broad Koel-Kaimur Sevak Samaj were wiped out and it was region. It is that areaofThe plains of central destroyed, the big landlords among the Rajputs Bihar which extended to Gaya-Aurangabad in organized the Sunlite Sena. The party the north, Chatra-Hazaribagh in the east, implemented by combining the tasks of Sarguja (Chhattisgarh), and Sonbhadra strengthening the village committees and (Uttarpradesh) in the south and conducting military actions.Through this the whichcontained big estates with hundreds and reactionaries were put down. The thousands of acres in the hegemony of cruel revolutionary peasantry held people’s courts, Rajputand Brahman landlords. After work was imposed economic blockade, seized cultivable started in Palamu district from1978, the lands and attacked the paddy and wheat crops movement extended to four blocks of this area of the cruel landlords. There was a great by 1985. two squads were working there. In struggle in Sigsig. The revolutionary peasantry 1984 Comrade Krishna Singh was martyred. destroyed the go-downs and kacheries that The movement that emerged in protest against stood as symbols of feudal power. The Sunlite his murder demanding punishment to the Sena failed due to the relentless blows of the murderers gave a momentum to the movement. Reactionary organisations like the advancement of the agrarian revolution in Kisan Sangh, Savarna Liberation Front were Palamu. People’s struggle speedily broke out wiped out. People in all struggle areas on issues like just wage rates for agricultural consciously participated in programmes to laborers, bonded labor, feudal oppression and boycott the parliamentary elections. other such things in six months in ‘Japla’ Thousands of police forces had to be deployed

42 January - June 2018 MIB-37 for holding elections in these areas. The the squad conducted their activities regularly movement extended to the whole of undivided and so they functioned as regular squads. In Palamu district and some areas of Rohtas, this way the formations ofregular squads and Bhabua, Aurangabad, Patna, Bhojpur and temporary squads spread in all areas. Before Buxar districts. In the same way, There was a 1995 militia members used to be more in people’s upsurge in Koel-Kaimur region too number in the guerilla squads. Gradually the in 1988-1990. Some more guerilla squads too number of guerilla members rose and the were formed during this time. number of militia members reduced. In The government implemented the carrot addition to the development of the movement, and stick policy of giving the allurement of Comrade Arvind made great efforts to explain awards and the threat of punishment along the importance of professionalism in the with reform programmes and payment of armed squads and to rectify the shortcomings money to crush the agrarian revolutionary and weaknesses in understanding this. Thus struggle growing on a large scale in this way there was progress in the efforts to build regular and conducted Operation Rakshak and squads constituted by regular members. These Operation Siddharth in Jehanabad and squads played a decisive role in the Operation Agnidoot and Operation Devdoot development of armed peasant movement. In in Palamu. The people could stop the reform fact without these squads the movement could program with the slogan of ‘irrigation facilities not have gone one step forward. In the process instead of roads’. The people’s guerilla forces of intensification of armed agrarian took up tactical counter offensives with the revolution in Jehanabad and Palamu, the support of the militia and could put a stop to armed squads played a decisive role in re- the military operations of the enemy. building the mass organisations affected due to the repression campaigns of the The favorable geographical condition of government and in protecting the mass base. south Palamu, relative political vacuum and the sharp contradiction between the landlords Since the Enemy’s weaponry is our source and the vastmasses not only contributed to the of weapons, so weapons were started to be development of the resistance movement but seized from the landlords and reactionaries also created favorable conditions to develop the right from the beginning. The armed forces movement to the stage of guerilla zone. seized weapons from the police for the first time in 1980 itself. Comrade Arvind played the Efforts towards forming guerilla zones main role in formulating and getting through the anti-feudal struggleswith the aim implemented an appropriate political, of establishing liberated areas organizational and military program in the As Comrade Mao said, in the New state conferences of the party in 1987 and 1993 Democratic Revolution of any semi-colonial, to raise the political and military level of the semi-feudal country, armed struggle shall be the armed squads,to purge the bad elements from main form of struggle and army shall be the the squads and to apply the policy of carrying main form of organization. Comrade out actions by the squads on the basisof the Arvind’s role in building the movement and decisions of the concerned party committees. developing it to the next step with this In 1987 ‘Command Committees’ were understanding was very vital. The forces that formed under the Regional Committees of the came forth in the agrarian revolution were party to develop the military capabilities of the consolidated in the party units. Armed peasant armed squads. Later in 1993 they became the squads were formed from MKSS and people’s Sainik Sanchalan Team (SST, meaning militia. Though initially only temporary military administrating teams) that was a armed squads were formed in Magadh region regional level military command system. SST of Bihar, party formed armed peasant guerilla was first formed in Magadh and later in Koel- squads in Magadh zone in December of 1981 Kaimur. In 1994 there was a full-fledged and conducted a military training camp. military training camp and later too many Though the squad members were temporary camps were conducted as per the necessity.

MIB-37 January - June 2018 43 With this concentration on the military sphere the killing of the members of the Central the capability of the armed squads gradually Committee Comrades Shyam, Mahesh and increased. This was seen clearly in the actions Murali by the enemy in a covert operation. Just carried out by them. The armed squads one year later People’s Liberation Guerilla achieved success in big attacks in the plain areas Army (PLGA) was formed as the embryo of too. In the Assembly election boycott the people’s army on the 2nd of December, 2000 campaign in the mid-1990s, these squads that was a long time dream of the people of eliminated a few policemen and seized India and Comrade Arvind played an weapons thus demonstrating their capabilities. important role in its formation in Bihar- Police camps in Bihar were attacked for the first Jharkhand. The PW Congress in 2001 assessed time during this. Our armed squads also that the stage of the movement in Koel- conducted some counter-offensive actions on Kaimur-Magadh is at guerilla zone stage. It the government forces. The SSTs played a good took up the immediate task of establishing role in this. In 1997 Military Affairs Committee guerilla bases in this area with the aim of was formed. forming base area. In order to fulfill this task Comrade Arvind used to think much it took up countrywide TCOC as a part of about advancing by basing on the progress in which TCOC was took up in Bihar too. developing the anti-feudal revolutionary Guerilla war was intensified through the peasant struggle into a struggle against the state TCOCs in the purview of the state. In this way armed forces. By realising the necessity to Comrade Arvind played the main role in many develop the movement into a higher stage,he vital decisions in developing guerilla war and discussed in the Party about developing the Party line. guerilla zones with the aim to establish base Comrade Arvind’s role in developing areas. He made some concrete proposals for People’s War-Guerilla war this. As a result of the efforts of the Party, anti- The united party, CPI (Maoist) placed state armed struggle emerged as the main four main tasks before the party. Comrade struggle in Bihar in 1995. Arvind continued as a member of the CC in Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) was the united party and became a member of the formed in the leadership of the central Home CMC and the ERB. Comrade Arvind made Ministry in June 1998 and Joint Operational serious political, organizational and military Command (JOC) was formed in 2000 April efforts to fulfill these tasks, utilizing the with Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Bihar and favorable condition to intensify the armed Odisha to eliminate the People’s War agrarian revolutionary guerilla war after the advancing in the leadership of various Maoist formation of the united party. The united party parties of the country. With this, the offensive recognized 80 per cent of the total area under of the mercenary armed forces of the BJ SAC as guerilla zone. In the leadership of government on the revolutionary movements ERB, the BJ SAC selected many places and throughout the country intensified. The Bihar made efforts to establish guerilla bases with the State Committee assessed that Koel-Kaimur- aim of establishing base area. It made efforts Magadh developed into a guerilla zone by to bring uniformity in the party, to relatively 1995. In 1994-2000 there were 9 ambushes and further consolidate the party committees, to 10 raids and 60 policemen and a few leaders strengthen Special Area Military Commission of the landlord’s private armies were wiped (SAMC), Regional Military Commission out. They seized 176 weapons from them. As (RMC) and PLGA formations, to form zonal per the decision of the Central Committee after and sub-zonal commands, to intensify the the formation of united PW, Tactical Counter- armed agrarian revolutionary guerrilla war and Offensive Campaign (TCOC) was conducted to rectify the alien class trends in the Party and in Bihar, Andhra Pradesh,North Telangana the PLGA. The party committees strengthened and Dandakaranya in coordination during the to an extent. The PLGA formations elections in 1999. Large movement and strengthened. This helped to advance the resistance came up in these four states against movement at the ERB and SAC level in a more

44 January - June 2018 MIB-37 systematic manner and to coordinate the armies of the landlords, cruel big landlords, movements of various areas in a better way. usurers, many leaders and goondas of the state- The movement advanced in the red resistance sponsored counter-revolutionary TPC, JJMP, areas with slogans like ‘land to the tiller’, PLFI, JPC, Santi Sena, Nagarik Suraksha ‘power to Krantikari Kisan Committee (KKC)’ Samiti, Sendra and other such gangs. People’s and with the slogan of ‘power to revolutionary movements and resistance struggles were people’s committees’ in the guerilla zones. A conducted against state violence, many people’s favorable condition was created for the problems, especially on the problem of formation of ‘Revolutionary People’s displacement under various united fronts. Committees’ as units of people’s state power. These enthused the vast masses and also made The successful Unity Congress-Ninth a very good impact on the political scenario Congress of the CPI (Maoist) in 2007 January of the country. In this whole process Comrade gave the immediate, main and central task of Arvind strived relentlessly to fulfill his role in “Strengthening the three weapons of our the area of his responsibility. revolution and advancing the guerilla war Since mid-2009 the central and the state qualitatively into higher stage of mobile war governments launched the counter- and transforming PLGA into PLA in order to revolutionary war on the people – ‘Operation establish base areas in strategic areas”. “Unite Green Hunt’ in a bid to eliminate the DK and BJ, transform them into base areas” countrywide revolutionary movement. has become a popular slogan among the party Thousands of various levels of leadership, cadres. As a part of fulfilling the central task, cadres, PLGA commanders, fighters, militia after the Unity Congress East Regional and revolutionary people along with the central Command (ERC) was formed in the and the state leadership martyred before this leadership of ERB in which Comrade Arvind and in the intense enemy offensive before and too became a member. He actively led many after its initiation. Hundreds of party cadres TCOCsfor BJ Special Area Military along with many CCMs and SAC members Commissionand Bihar Regional Military were arrested. A few turned traitors. In spite Commission,directly led many centralised of this, the People’s War advanced in the (TCOC) operations, guided a few other actions leadership of our party fighting back and contributed his share to intensifying and Operation Green Hunt. A few actions with extending guerilla war. mobile war characteristics were conducted After the formation of the united party, while advancing the guerrilla war in DK and the hope of the people of India about the BJ. Especially the movement developed in victory of the revolutionary movement waves in the BJ SAC area until 2011. A few increased. The Party and PLGA made efforts RPCs in the village level and one or two in the for advancing the revolutionary movement as area level were formed and started functioning. per this. The Party strengthened all over the But the movement had to face serious losses in country. It gained the support of the Maoist the fierce war between revolution and counter- parties at the international level. Apart from revolution and there was a heavy reduction in leading the historic Lalgarh struggle, and the the subjective forces. This made a serious land struggle Narayanapatna, it led separate negative impact on the party and the Telangana and anti-displacement struggles. By movement. The fourth meeting of our Central conducting tactical counter offensives in DK, Committee of our party held in 2013 assessed BJ, Odisha, Bengal and AOB it shook the that the countrywide revolutionary movement enemy. was going through a difficult situation and especially with the loss of many leadership The PLGA forces in the leadership of the comrades and the reduction of the mass base party in the BJ Special Area carried out heroic the BJ movement fell into temporary setback. tactical counter-offensive actions against the In such a difficult situation too the leadership, mercenary armed forces of the government, activists, commanders and fighters working in eliminated the leaders and goondas of private the field and the people stood in the forefront

MIB-37 January - June 2018 45 to Bolshevise the party and are making efforts of the Party and PLGA in the direct leadership to bring the movement out of the state of of Comrade Arvind as a member of ERB and temporary setback. ERC, there were many tactical counter- The party and the people of Bihar- offensive actions on the enemy forces in 2013- Jharkhand got tempered in the past four to five 2017. This instilled self-confidence not only in decades of class struggle and people’s war. In the party and the PLGA but also in the vast this process they fought back many repressive masses. campaigns of the enemy and defeated them. Firmly standing bythe basic political line of Depending on this experience Comrade the party in the internal struggles of the Party Arvindstood in the field with unwavering Comrade Arvind also had an important courage and revolutionary confidence and role in the theoretical struggles of the PU party made efforts to intensify and extend guerilla against the CPI (ML) Liberation which existed war until his last breath in spite of his severe as a strong group in Bihar in the 1970s and the ill health in order to overcome the difficult state 80s and many such opportunist groups in the of the movement. Movement extended to a ML camp. few new areas. Through the small, middle and big tactical counter-offensives attacks Comrade Arvind firmly upheld the party conducted bythe party, PLGA and the people line in the internal struggles of the party. There who got united in difficult situations, By were two main internal struggles in the history damaging the police, Para-military and various of Party Unity, one in 1987 and another in commando forces to an extent through small, 1997. Mainly the CC secretary of the erstwhile middle and big tactical counter-offensive PU party Ashok placed a resolution with a attacks conducted by joining together of the rightist line in the second conference of the party, PLGA and the people in difficult party in 1987. He brought forth a document situations,by mobilising in various economic that our country is not a semi-feudal society and political struggles for jal-jangal-zameen-izzat- but turned into a capitalist society and so it is adhikar, on the problem of displacement, necessary to leave the line of Protracted against state repression and especially People’s War. The party with a majority in the mobilising thousands of people and people’s leadership of Comrade Narayan Sanyal militia in resistance struggles against rejected this wrong line and protected the party Operation Green Hunt, the aggressiveness of line and the party and advanced the the enemy was contained and the revolutionary movement. Comrade Arvind was one of those movement could be sustained. Efforts were who stood at the forefront along with made to fight back the enemy’s psychological Comrade Narayan Sanyal. war through revolutionary propaganda. In Coming to the issue of the internal spite of facing the three phases of Operation struggle of the party in 1997, the Bihar state Green Hunt especially after the revolutionary conference reviewed the failures in advancing movement facing a difficult situation since the movement in 1985-86. Then the Central 2013, and in spite of facing serious repression Organising Committee (COC) of the PU party as a part of the ‘SAMADHAN’ strategy (2017- did not accept this review. As a part of the 2022) of the enemy at present, people’s war is efforts of the PU party to unite with the being able to sustain fighting back the enemy erstwhile People’s War, when the movement offensive amidst severe losses. Education was of 18 years was reviewed in the central imparted to cadres of various levels to conference in 1997, the struggle between these bolshevise the party. Zonal plenums were held two lines emerged again. Comrade Arvind led and proper syntheses made, the conditions the alternative line in this internal struggle were properly assessed, proper tasks were which was centred round the party line. In spite formulated and new leadership teams were of the majority in the Bihar state conference elected. This filled the cadres with new accepting the alternative line that was presented enthusiasm. Due to the creative in the form of critical paper of Bihar, the implementation of active self-defense tactics majority in the central conference did not give

46 January - June 2018 MIB-37 its approval. But it included certain valuable giving chance to any opportunist compromises and correct criticisms of this critical paper in and by learning from each other. Comrade the political organizational review. In this way Arvind was one of those who made such this critical paper of Comrade Arvind played correct efforts. He was mentally very disturbed a vital role in enriching the political line of the with the clashes between the two parties. This PU party and also to identify and rectify the paved the way for the unity of the two ideological, political and organizational prominent streams of the Indian revolution – weaknesses. It also made a positive impact on MCCI and PW – and the formation of CPI the unity process of Party Unity and People’s (Maoist). War. Comrade Arvind was one of the best high Prepared the Basis for the unity of level commanders of the Party revolutionaries Comrade Arvind was one of the best high The movements that developed in Andhra level commanders that the Indian Revolution Pradesh, Dandakaranya and Bihar in the gave to the oppressed people. He played a very decade of 1980 provided a basis for the unity important role in developing guerilla war in of genuine revolutionaries in India. Comrade Bihar. He made efforts by concentrating on Arvind played his share of role in this. With developing armed struggle as the main form the understanding that without building strong of struggle, the people’s guerilla units of revolutionary movementsfollowing the correct guerilla squads, platoons and companies into political line, unity of genuine revolutionaries the main form of organization as per the party is not possible,Comrade Arvind built strong line and the decision of the Central movements in Magadh. He made efforts to Committee. After the formation of CPI strengthen the revolutionary line. He took these (Maoist) he actively fulfilled his responsibilities two movements as invaluable experiences in as a member of the CMC and the ERC. His Indian revolutionary movement during the role was very important in defeating the many time of fraternal relations with MCC party offensive campaigns of the enemy to eliminate and the efforts for unity with PW (1995-98). the revolutionary movement, in intensifying He tried to learn from them. Thus Comrade guerilla war in the forest, mountainous and Arvind handed over great revolutionary plain areas and formulating and implementing experience to the Indian revolutionary appropriate tactics with the objective of movement for achieving unity of developing guerilla war into mobile war in revolutionaries. This brought out a turn in the Bihar-Jharkhand. He directly led many heroic, erstwhile PU party. This formed the basis for brave guerilla actions like ambushes, raids and the merger of PW and PU parties. Thus he encounters, guided many actions and played played an important role in the merger of two the main role in their success. important parties – PW and PU in the CPI Comrade Arvind used to overcome any (ML) stream that emerged with the inspiration hurdles that came in the way of conducting of Naxalbari. guerilla actions with patience and by displaying The nearly three years of armed clashes limitless initiative, strong determination, between the united PW after the merger of PW perseverance and courage, a sense of self- and the PU and the MCCI inflicted serious sacrifice and presence of mind and made them losses, which was identified as a dark chapter successful. He heroically led and coordinated in the history of Indian revolutionary the PLGA forces in many encounters between movement. By making determined efforts with the enemy forces and PLGA forces and gave a self-critical attitude, the Central Committees appropriate response to the enemy offensives. of the two parties put an end to this dark He directly commanded by protecting our chapter by keeping faith in the belief that forces to the extent possible and giving blow genuine revolutionaries can achieve genuine to the enemy forces. unity on the basis of correct theory and practice Comrade Arvind made serious efforts to and on the basis of deep self-criticism, without develop the objectives of mobile war by

MIB-37 January - June 2018 47 developing guerilla war to a high level through When the problem of supply to develop concrete guerilla war actions. Jehanabad jail guerilla war was very serious, Comrade Arvind break, Bhandaria, Dhardharia, Amuvatikar played a special role in the preparation of and many such guerilla actions stand as Improvised Explosives, in developing many examples of this. He provided direct leadership kinds of mines and in the mine warfare. He to the first company formed in Keol-Kaimur deeply studied about the explosive material and area of the Bihar region under the purview of gained a grip on them. He directly and ERC. He handed over many new experiences successfully conducted many dangerous in guerilla war through relentless efforts. By experiments in the preparation and use of the developing active self-defense methods in explosives. He conducted many training camps conducting political-military camps,he placed in the East Region and one training camp in a model for the party and the PLGA. He not the Central Region for the PLGA forces on the only formulated military plans but provided preparation and use of explosives. He made direct leadership in their implementation. He available notes on it. Comrade Arvind had a was constantly in the field with the PLGA very important role in inflicting serious losses Company and directly led the Party and the to the enemy forces by successfully PLGA and so became one of the main targets experimenting the IEs and devices on them of the enemy. Hundreds and thousands of using the new knowledge and technique enemy forces engaged in the hunt to eliminate developed by him. him. In spite of this He never used to bother He fulfilled his responsibilities as one of about the enemy offensives. He never showed the in-charge comrades of supplies in the CMC his back to the enemy. The PLGA forces in his of the CPI (Maoist). Even in the difficult leadership conducted many daring situation after the enemy targeted and counterattacks against the enemy’s counter- damaged the supply mechanism of the party, guerilla operations to eliminate himand the he put serious efforts to send supplies to the enemy forces were eliminated to an extent. guerilla forces, especially to the Central Dumra encounter (Latehar, 2008), Borha Region, He even engaged his friends and counteroffensive action (Gumla, Lohardaga, relatives for this purpose. After the Enemy Latehar border, 2010), Piri Makanpur continuously targeted and damaged the supply counteroffensive action (Latehar, 2011), mechanism of our party, he put relentless Operation Octopus Break (Palamu, 2012) and efforts to revive it. He was a high level the Karamdih encounter, the attack on revolutionary commander and leader who helicopter as a part of it, the Chemo-Saneya never got scared when faced with defeat and encounter, Civil-luru Kerakona encounter made constant efforts to achieve victory by (Gumla, 2013), Bhorvakhand Rajgarh keeping confidence in the fact that defeat is counteroffensive action (Latehar, 2013), temporary and the final victory is to the people. Kumadi Borha counteroffensive action (Gumla, 2014), the action against enemy Comrade Arvind was arrested two times. ambush near Champi Path-Bans pahar He always faced enemy repression. At the time (Gumla, 2015), Sanayi Tanger Ghaghra when he was in the hands of the enemy, he counteroffensive action (Gumla, 2015), the faced mental tortures with great courage and action against the enemy ambush near protected the party secrets. He became Dubchahi Khaira (Latehar, 2015), the action underground immediately after his release that fought back the enemy’s‘Operation from jail, reached the party ranks and led the Prachanda’ in Budha pahad (in the border of party. Garhwa-Latehar districts of Jharkhand and Comrade Arvind’s life is an ideal for the Party Balarampur district of Chhattisgarh, 2016), and the oppressed youth of India counteroffensive action in Budha pahad (2017), etc. can be cited as main and very If we look at it in its entirety, Comrade daring counteroffensive action. Arvind’s life history is one in which he never allowed despair to come near him in spite of

48 January - June 2018 MIB-37 facing any number of ups and downs, ebb and live forever in the Indian Revolutionary flows, twists and turns in the protracted movement, in the International proletarian people’s war, in spite of witnessing so many movement and in the hearts of the oppressed of his comrades getting martyred in front of people. He shall continue to inspire all of them his eyes, and made relentless efforts by keeping forever. great confidence on the people, Party and the Come! Let us uphold the ideals of world proletariat. His services are unlimited Comrade Arvind as one of the leaders of in developing People’s war, especially in Indian Revolution and as one who made concretely applying the Party line in India. In invaluable services to the revolutionary spite of his serious illness, hewas underground movement! Let us advance in the path he till the end by remaining in the strategic area showed to overcome the difficult situation of itself anddirectly gave leadership to the party the revolutionary movement and develop the ranks and PLGA forces. He was martyred revolutionary movement to a higher stage! Let amidst them. He is a selfless proletariat fighter, us pledge to fight ceaselessly till the commander and leader dedicated to the establishment of Socialism-Communism by revolution. He was a leader who got integrated making successful the New Democratic with the people and party cadres and gained Revolution successful to realise his dream! their confidence. The extent to which he gave firm political leadership to the party,to that extent he uplifted the spirit of the people and Love live Comrade Arvind! the cadres with his jovial nature. By sharing the experiences of his vast revolutionary life Let us realise the ideals of the martyrs! to all his comrades,he used to inspire them. He took up study on special issues. He lived a With Revolutionary greetings, plain communist life. His ideals are exemplary for the cadres, PLGA commanders, fighters Central Committee, from the top to the bottom, the new generation cadres and the people of various oppressed CPI (Maoist) classes. The Indian Revolution lost a great leader with his martyrdom. However, he shall 25 May 2018

“The failure of the JP movement instilled in me an inclination towards Marxism-Leninism-Maoism… I studied it deeply… I concluded that in today’s conditions without the proletarian leadership and the main role of the workers- peasants, the people cannot achieve victory in the struggle for changing the system. If the people have no army there is no value of their voice. It is possible to change the system not through parliamentary path but only through an armed revolution. I saw clearly after more thought that only Naxalism believes in changing the system through revolution… So the JP movement is my first negative teacher. It put me on the positive path of Naxalism…” - Comrade Arvind

MIB-37 January - June 2018 49 On Kasanur-Tumirgunda Encounter

In the morning of 22 April 2018, the reactionary armed forces of the Indian government serving the interests of the domestic ruling classes and imperialism carried out one of the most dastardly attacks on the revolutionary movement of India led by the CPI(Maoist). In the battle of Kasanur-Tumirgunda on the banks of the Indravati River (in Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh bordering Maharashtra), 40 sons and daughters of the Indian oppressed masses laid down their lives heroically fighting the enemy till their last breadth, and thereby wrote one more glorious chapter in the history of the country’s ongoing New Democratic Revolution. We are presenting this special section on the encounter which is being published separately as a commemorative volume - MIB.

A background to the Kasanur-Tumirgunnda encounter

The massacre of forty Maoist uniformed assassins of the ruling classes, the revolutionaries and people’s militia members class enemy have used merciless state violence at Kasanur-Tumirgunda is one of the biggest to murder thousands of Party workers in the losses inflicted by the reactionary Indian ruling country’s rural and urban areas. After the classes on the country’s revolutionary formation of the People’s Liberation Guerrilla movement. Though unprecedented in the Army, the government forces have targeted history of the unified CPI(Maoist) in terms of guerrilla fighters including the women the number of revolutionaries martyred, they combatants committing unimaginablly cruel have always employed Kasanur-Tumirgunda- atrocities. Similarly, from the massacre of like method of large-scale massacres, summary eleven protesting peasants in Darjeeling’s executions, extra-judicial killings and murders Naxalbari in May 1967 to the massacre of through their fascist armed forces, private fifteen Adivasi peasants in Sukma’s Nulkatong armies and vigilante gangs. in July 2018, it has carried out innumerable The ruling classes have brutally killed tens massacre of the revolutionary masses. of thousands of communist leaders, cadres The ruling classes have been using these and revolutionary masses in the last five fascist means in their counter-revolutionary decades. From the murder of communist war to protect their reactionary, anti-people leaders like Comrades CM, Saroj Datta and and dictatorial political power. The vanguard Chandrashekhar Das, Comrades Shyam- Party of the country’s proletariat – Mahesh-Murali up to Comrade Kuppu CPI(Maoist) and its predecessors – have been Devraj, the snuffing out the lives of hundreds leading the oppressed classes and the people of people’s leaders is continued by the enemies of India to overthrow their political power that of the people. Like the massacre of hundreds keeps the vast masses under subjugation and of young Party workers in Kolkata by the slavery with a national democratic revolution.

50 January - June 2018 MIB-37 That is why, the ideology, politics and the It is with this aim and perspective that organised strength of the revolutionary Maoist guerrilla squads had set foot on proletariat represented by the Maoist Party is Gadchiroli from Telangana crossing the the mortal enemy of the Indian ruling classes Pranahita River in 1980. Within a few days and imperialism. on 2 November, Comrade Peddi Shankar – a Ever since the country’s genuine young member of the squad – was martyred communists led by Comrades CM and KC in police firing. He became the first martyr of decisively broke with the revisionist line of CPI the revolutionary movement of and CPI(M) and initiated the Maoist Dandakaranya. Overcoming this initial loss, movement, it has remained the biggest threat the Maoists gradually politicised, mobilised to the Indian ruling classes and their imperialist and organised the masses in an anti-feudal, masters. The reformism, economism and anti-imperialist and anti-state revolutionary tailism practiced by CPI and CPI(M) had not struggle by implementing the line, programme only made them harmless to the country’s and strategy inaugurated by Naxalbari. rulers but had in fact become their willing tools Advancing on this path, like in other areas of in keeping the masses in the grip of feudalism revolutionary class struggle, the Party has led and imperialism. Rejecting their class- the masses of Gadchiroli for the last 38 years collaborationist line which has dragged these in building their revolutionary organisations parties into the parliamentary quagmire, the and organs of political power under the Maoist Party has been putting into practice the protection of people’s guerrillas and militias revolutionary ideology of Marxism-Leninism- and achieved significant successes. With these Maoism in India’s concrete conditions by achievements in the political struggle, the acting on a consistent revolutionary masses have also won numerous victories in programme with armed agrarian revolution at their economic struggles too like distributing its axis. land, increasing wage, reducing rent and interest, protecting their jal-jangal-zameen from Organising the four oppressed classes the depredation of foreign and domestic big around the two main slogans of ‘land to the capital, and so on. Since the movement tiller’ and ‘all power to the Revolutionary represents the interest of the proletariat and People’s Committees’ under proletarian all the exploited classes and all oppressed social leadership, the Party has been leading the sections, it is growing and expanding in the country’s masses in a protracted people’s war last five decades in spite of some temporary for the last five decades. It has sown the seeds setbacks and losses in the process. of a people’s army and organs of people’s democratic power by smashing the power and The imperialists and the Indian ruling authority of the exploitative ruling classes in classes mired in ever-deepening economic several parts of the country through this war. crises have been resorting to fascist ideology, The Maoists have openly declared their aim politics and organisations against the working of seizing countrywide power and establishing people in the capitalist as well as oppressed a New Democratic state in order to transform countries to come out of their crises. In India, the present semi-colonial and semi-feudal India the ruling classes brought forward the bare- into a people’s democratic India so as to pass faced Brahmanical Hindu-fascist BJP-RSS in over to socialism and communism as part of place of the liberal-faced Congress and its the world socialist revolution. With this great governments to represent their interests by objective, the Party is working towards wielding government power at the centre. The transforming the existing people’s liberation combination of state terror and Hindu-fascist guerrilla army into a people’s liberation army terror has been unleashed on a countrywide and the ongoing guerrilla war into a mobile scale against the genuine communists and all war so that the immediate, principal and democratic forces. They have launched the central task of transforming the Guerrilla counter-revolutionary plan ‘Samadhan’ in Zones into Base Areas can be accomplished. May 2017 to wipe out the Maoist Party by 2022 in what is being billed as a ‘decisive battle’. This

MIB-37 January - June 2018 51 is a part of the neo-fascist plan of BJP-RSS to including the Dalits suppressed. Any resistance build ‘New India’ modelled on their vision of from them is sought to be stifled through brutal ‘Hindu Rashtra’. Within this overall strategy, caste violence as is exemplified by Khairlanji. they have conducted this heinous attack in the It is in the economically least developed forests of Halbi-Tumirgunda village in Bijapur regions that are found the most valuable raw district, Chhattisgarh on the Maharashtra- material that are indispensible for the Chhattisgarh border. industrially advanced regions of the state and The state of Maharashtra is the country’s the country – be it the minerals, forest products, second biggest province in area and the third or the energy sources, etc. Some of this raw biggest in population. Its capital Mumbai has material is also used to feed foreign been the most important economic and corporations abroad. Therefore, the continued financial centre of the ruling classes for long. accumulation of profit by the big capitalists – Apart from Mumbai, a large number of other both domestic and the foreign – is contingent big cities and towns too have developed over on keeping the avenues of exploitation of the time due to the comparatively higher level of economically backward regions open. To do industrialisation. The largest of these this they use the entire state machinery which industries are owned by the comprador big is at their command, including the bourgeoisie and the imperialists. A large government, the armed forces, the bureaucracy, number of medium and small industries too the courts, police, jails, etc. exist side by side, but it is the former that play The two adjoining districts of a decisive role in the economy and dominates Chandrapur and Gadchiroli are rich in natural it. Though these industries are mostly located resources. A number of cement factories, coal- in urban areas, they greatly depend for their based industries, paper mills, etc. are located labour and raw material on the industrially in Chandrapur which source their raw material underdeveloped and economically backward in Gadchiroli. It is endowed with rich natural rural and forested hinterland. This unevenness resources including minerals like iron-ore and in industrial development has led to an bauxite, forest resources like bamboo and tendu economically advanced Western Maharashtra leaf, perennial rivers like Pranahita, and so on, and a backward Eastern Maharashtra. but has remained economically backward. All The economically underdeveloped vast these resources are extracted using primarily rural areas are also the landlord class which the labour of the people and their natural represent the decadent semi-feudal production resources and then transported to feed the relations. This class also constitute the industrial centres of Maharashtra and outside. strongest social base and ally of the imperialists That is why these districts have much and the comprador big bourgeoisie in the importance for imperialist and comprador countryside. Members of this class, those capital which are concentrated in these two miniscule in number, are economically districts. The government and its bureaucracy wealthy and politically powerful with their including the forest department up t the police close connections with the state and the ruling- officials, Patels and Patwaris in the villages class political parties. In rural Maharashtra, work as local agents of the ruling classes, the and particularly in Marathwada and Vidarbha state and the private companies, subjecting the regions, the exploitation and oppression of the masses to oppression and humiliation. landlords coupled with the penetration But older than the exploitation and imperialist and comprador capital has led to a oppression of the big capitalists is that of the severe agrarian crisis for the last several big landlords – both non-Adivasi and Adivasi. decades, leading to the pauperisation of a large The royal family of Aheri was the biggest section of the middle and poor peasants. The Adivasi landlords of the district, which landlord and comprador classes belonging to wielded feudal authority and control to keep the dominant castes use their caste authority the masses subjugated and suppressed for and domination to keep the vast majority of centuries. Every Adivasi village had traditional the people belonging to the oppressed castes

52 January - June 2018 MIB-37 tribal chiefs who pledged their allegiance to the as guerrilla fighters and set up different types royal family. They were often the biggest of people’s militias that formed its base force. landowners and bad gentry representing the In the process of fighting the class enemies, landlord class in the village economically as they started forming Revolutionary People’s well as politically. The royal family Committees (RPCs or Janatana Sarkars) as collaborated with the British colonial rulers to embryonic organs of people’s democratic safeguard their position, and after the so-called power. independence, aligned with ruling-class In this way, the organised people of parliamentary parties like Congress and others Gadchiroli began to question and challenge the for the same purpose. Big landlords like them political authority of the old exploiting classes maintain close ties with the foreign and and transform the economic base of the society domestic big compradors for their joint by taking power into their own hands. The exploitation of the people and their natural Aheri royal family and other landlords, resources. contractors, usurers, forest department, etc., The results of this exploitation can be seen were pushed into the back foot. The king lost in the impoverishment of the Adivasi most of his old authority and power. The inhabitants of Gadchiroli and denial of forest department officials, Patels and democratic rights to them. The masses of the Patwaris, etc. were controlled by the people and district have struggled against it in the past with were deprived of their previous influence. The tremendous sacrifice – be it in the colonial masses organised in revolutionary period or thereafter – but have not been able to organisations carried out militant struggles for alter the situation in any significant way. The raising the wage for collecting tendu leaf, main reason for this was that the leadership bamboo and other forest produce and won of all past rebellions and struggles were not in unprecedented victories. These are one of the the hands of the proletariat, and therefore, they biggest victories achieved by the labouring could fight but never match the combined masses in India’s history. But these were not might of the imperialists and the feudal forces merely economic struggle as is the case with to lead the masses to decisive victory. the struggles led by reformist and revisionist The situation began to change from the parties and organisations; these struggles were 1980s. This was the period when the Maoist a part of the revolutionary class struggle for Party entered Gadchiroli, introduced Maoism the transformation of their future which they to the people and started mobilising them in are doing through the RPCs they have set up. the people’s war on the basis of a revolutionary This movement has continued for nearly forty programme. Not just the Adivasi peasants but years, which has laid a basis for a decisive break people from the urban petty bourgeois class too with the past and a qualitative leap in every started joining the movement or supporting it. aspect of the people’s lives. With this, class struggle broke out on multiple The ruling classes and their governments socio-economic, political and cultural issues. have observed the introduction and subsequent An organised armed resistance was started to development of the movement with alarm and be put up against the feudal and comprador have been trying to wipe it out since its forces including the reactionary tribal chiefs of inception. Within a few days after the first the Adivasi villages and their state forces. The Maoist squad entered Gadchiroli from masses found the correct ideology, politics and Telangana crossing the Pranahita River, forms of organisation for their liberation. They Comrade Peddi Shankar was killed in police formed units of revolutionary mass firing. He is the first martyr of the organisations like Dandakaranya Adivasi revolutionary movement in Dandakaranya. Kisan Mazdoor Sangathan (DAKMS), After the first blood was drawn, brutal state Krantikari Adivasi Mahila Sangathan repression has only grown in intensity and scale (KAMS), Chetana Natya Manch (CNM), in the last nearly four decades. State Task Force Balal Sangathan, etc. and joined the Party. (STF) and Special anti-Maoist forces like They also joined the PLGA in large numbers Commando-60 (C-60) were raised in 1992, a

MIB-37 January - June 2018 53 number of additional police stations and in the government. That is why they have camps were set up and nearly ten thousand brought forward BJP to the helm of the paramilitary forces were deployed, turning government so that the path to these projects Gadchiroli and the adjacent districts Gondia can be cleared in the most fascist way. BJP has and Bhandara into a cantonment. The people always been an aggressive -fascist of Gadchiroli have since been subjected to all Party, but after capturing government power forms of state terror as a part of the counter- with a clear majority at the centre and in the revolutionary war – massacres, fake state, its aggressiveness has gone up even encounters, forced disappearances, rape, large- further. scale arrests and illegal detentions, custodial While deploying an increasing number of torture and beating, burning of villages, police and paramilitary personnel in anti- destruction of property, counter-revolutionary Maoist operations, they are engaging a large ‘Gaonbandi’ (banning Maoists from villages number of bureaucrats and introducing reform in excange of government money) and ‘Tanta programmes in the name of development on Mukti (Dispute Resolution) Committees’, and the other. A number of NGOs like ‘Srjana’ so on. Particularly since the early 1990s, the and ‘Search’ as well as counter-revolutionary people here have seen continuous waves of vigilante gangs like ‘Bhumkal Sangathan’ are fascist repression by the government’s armed being sponsored by the government and forces in the name of anti-Maoist operations. domestic and foreign capitalists to create Just after the neo-liberal policies were public opinion in favour of this kind of introduced in a big way throughout the country projects. in the early 1990s, the process of leasing out In the last one and half decades after the the mineral-rich hills of Gadchiroli like formation of the unified CPI(Maoist), the Surjagarh and Damkodiwahi to mining class struggle has become more intense and companies was begun in earnest. The masses state terror is on the rise. While initiating the began a movement to resist the opening of the fascist Operation Green Hunt, UPA-2 proposed mines under the leadership of government with the initiative of Rural CPI(Maoist) because apart from its destructive Development Minister Jairam Ramesh tried impact on the existence and livelihood of tens to implement the provisions of Panchayati of thousands of people in surrounding Raj Extension to Scheduled Areas (PESA) Act villages, the Adivasis considered the hills like in Gadchiroli as a part of the counter- Surjagarh as a sacred abode of their ancestral revolutionary LIC policy of ‘winning hearts spirits. The masses started carrying out even and minds’. They did so by sponsoring a few armed actions against the project under the NGOs to establish Gram Sabhas in some leadership of the Party from 1991 onwards and villages and presenting them as role models for succeeded in stalling the projects. Moreover, other villages. Rejecting these state-sponsored since the masses of Gadchiroli have always Gram Sabhas, the people themselves started been with the Party since the beginning of the forming Gram Sabhas with their own revolutionary movement here, attempts to start initiative since 2014 in a number of villages. a counter-revolutionary campaign in the name When the comprador capitalists in collusion of ‘Shanti Sena’ in the late 1980s or ‘Shanti with the state tried to open the mines and loot Yatra’ in 2006 on the lines of the forest products in spite of the opposition did not succeed here and had to be wound up. of the masses, the Gram Sabhas started to Apart from Surjagarh mining, the people challenge it constitutionally and as per the legal are resisting such destructive large projects in rights given by PESA. The middle classes too all twelve tehsils of Gadchiroli and in areas joined their voice in this just struggle. But where the revolutionary movement have a denying even the constitutionally mandated strong influence. In some places, the people are minimum democratic rights to the Adivasi fighting against National Parks and Wildlife masses as per the Fifth Schedule or PESA in Sanctuaries. All these movements are creating deciding their own affairs, the people have been problems for the ruling classes and their parties subjected to ruthless repression. The moment

54 January - June 2018 MIB-37 the people started to ask for their democratic Since 2014, our resistance too has grown in rights, the government lost no time to make Gadchiroli. In Korchi and Agra-Macheli too, clear through its repressive acts that no the people started protesting against proposed constitution, law or democratic rights other iron-mines. The protests were widespread and than the ‘law’ of brute force would be respected our Party too played a role in it. New in Gadchiroli. organisations and people’s militia were formed Particularly after BJP came to power at in which thousands of people participated, put the centre and in Maharashtra in 2014, the up stiff resistance and forced the government multipronged attack on the people has to stop the projects. As a result, mining projects intensified. In 2016, the government started of Korchi and Agra-Macheli have remained building a new road to Surjagarh and the closed for the last four years. Thus, between mining company started some excavation on 2014 and 2017 we could reduce the losses and the surface of the hills. Close to four hundred step up resistance by overcoming the losses of trucks are brought at one go to take away the 2013. Recruitment to the Party and the PLGA excavated minerals under heavy police also grew. The organisational structures of the protection and guarded by MPVs. They Party, PLGA and mass organisations were brought a large number of earthmoving strengthened. The RPCs were consolidated. machines and workers from outside and also The efforts at this consolidation were involved a few local workers too. With the aim helped by the mass movements under the of keeping the Surjagarh mines open, the leadership of the Maoist Party. Our Party have enemy has set up six police camps around been organising the bamboo-workers in Surjagarh, first of which came up at Hedri and struggle for better wages and working later in Dodenar, Mureveda, etc. It set up a conditions. The organised Adivasi peasant new camp at Elseli in 2016 to facilitate mining. masses who worked as seasonal bamboo- With these camps, the government have been workers for a few weeks every year won trying to prevent our cadres from entering this significant victories through this struggle. area for organisational and military activities. Their confidence in the Party and their own Moreover, by depending on a highly fortified collective strength got enhanced in the process. Surjagarh, the government is planning to open The people’s movement in Gadchiroli led by the Damkodi iron-ore mines at Damkodiwahi our Party developed as a powerful anti- village nearby. The government, the companies imperialist and anti-comprador struggle. and ruling-class parties like BJP, Shiv Sena, Likewise, militant struggles have been Congress and NCP and state-sponsored NGOs organised for hiking the rate of tendu-leaves have recruited a small section of the Adivasis for the last few decades, achieving significant belonging to the old power-holders, local successes. From the last few years, Gram tyrants, evil gentry, lumpen elements and the Sabhas took over the work of getting tendu- people punished by the revolutionary leaves collected and sold to the contractors/ movement to create a social support base for businessmen in most places. Contractors used these anti-people and ecologically-destructive to take contract from the forest department projects. But they have not been able to bring previously. There used to be auctions there. But the vast majority of the people to their side or now auctions are conducted by the Gram get their consent even after using all methods Sabhas. The people are using this income for – be it persecution, enticement, bribe, false their welfare through the Gram Sabhas. promise or propaganda. Gram Sabhas under PESA were formed The revolutionary movement led by our as a wave in the district since 2014. The active Party suffered serious losses in the district in role of the Gram Sabhas in mobilising the 2013 in a series of encounters at Govindgaon masses played a vital role in opposing the , Bhatpar, Sindesur, Medri, Bethkathi, etc. We Surjagarh and other projects. Out of 1,650 lost a total of around forty comrades in these villages of the district, at leaset1,300 are incidents. Following this, the Party put efforts Adivasi villages. In almost all of them Gram to come out of the loss in a planned manner.

MIB-37 January - June 2018 55 Sabhas were formed. But the government tried while seven comrades and two villagers were to dilute these Gram Sabhas. So the people got martyred in enemy attacks, six comrades – one mobilised for proper implementation of PESA seriously – were injured during the period in and against reducing the Gram Sabha to a North Gadchiroli. In South Gadchiroli, toothless body. The people actively participated Koddur encounter took place on 2 November in the fight back. 2017 in which Comrade Karan was caught and The enemy’s ‘Samadhan’ plan which was killed in a fake encounter. In Kalleda encounter launched in May 2017 has made all these near the Maharashtra-Telangana border on 6 people’s struggles in Gadchiroli a target of their December 2017, we lost eight comrades attack. The cruel practice of extra-judicial including Aheri AC Secretary Comrade Aitu. killings has been intensified from August 2017. In this way, in the two Divisions of West Sub- They have killed a number of revolutionary zone 36 encounters took place, 60 comrades leaders and cadres, PLGA commanders and were martyred (including 40 in Kasanur). fighters, MO leaders and members and Given the economic and strategic villagers in several encounters, fake encounters importance of Gadchiroli, the ruling classes and massacres in Gadchiroli as in all other and their governments know very well that if movement areas of the country. According to the movement consolidates and expands then Gadchiroli Police, 42 encounters took place in it will become a bigger political force by the year 2017 in the district. Of them, only 24 mobilising the masses, reduce their political are real encounters with our forces whereas the power and create further hurdles to their plans rest of the 18 are indiscriminate and one-sided for plundering the natural resources in the police firing. This trend has continued in 2018 region. They have already seen that after taking as well. a firm root in Gadchiroli, the revolutionary A total of twelve firings took place in movement has expanded to the adjoining North Gadchiroli in the last one year since July Gondia and Bhandara districts and also to the 2017. On 10 July, Comrade Jogi who was on border districts of neighbouring Madhya her way to the expansion area was martyred. Pradesh. The movement in Gadchiroli has also The next day the enemy caught two comrades had a strong influence in other parts of the Lalita (Cy-4 member) and Sukki (PLGA state including its urban centres like Mumbai, member going to expansion area) who had got Nagpur and since the 1980s. separated in Ranwahi encounter (Comrade Moreover, it is for the first time since the Lalita was injured in her foot) from Engaon Dalit Panthers movement of the early 1970s village and killed them in a fake encounter. On that the people all over Maharashtra including 26 August, peasant Mannu Naroti of Dalits, peasants and the youth are getting Hachkothi village in North Bastar Division mobilised in militant struggles. This is ringing was killed in a fake encounter. Chatgaon squad warning bells for the ruling classes. So the member Comrade Mangli was martyred in ruling classes are equipping their police, Special Bhendi Kanhar encounter on 15 September. Forces and paramilitary forces with ultra- Tiprgarah ACM and senior woman leader modern weapons and launching counter- Comrade Soni was martyred in Tavvekasa revolutionary campaigns under different encounter on 14 October. Comrade Kamalesh names to contain and crush the revolutionary was martyred in Tadpalli encounter in movement. In this way, all social Kasansur area on 10 January 2018. On 24 contradictions have intensified in Gadchiroli March, Comrade Pali was martyred in Medri and other movement areas. With it the people’s encounter on 24 March. Villager Ramkumar war and the counter-revolutionary war on the Keshe who had gone out to the forest for people have also become sharper and more hunting was killed by the police near ruthless. Large-scale massacre of revolutionary Koyanvarshe in Gardewada Gram Panchayat activists, fighters and masses like Kasanur- of Etapalli tehsil on 5 February 2018. Similarly, Tumirgunda is a direct outcome of this bitter Sonsai Micha Usendi of Rekhnar village was war. killed by the police on 30 March 2018. Thus,

56 January - June 2018 MIB-37 The persecution of the democratic and to fight for their liberation. Similarly, rejecting progressive voices in the urban areas who are the so-called ‘women’s empowerment’ siding with the fighting masses is an integral sponsored by the imperialists and the part of the enemy’s war on the people. The governments of the exploiters, a large number arrest of Prof G N Saibaba and his five co- women are joining the class struggle with the accused in 2014 and their life imprisonment understanding that only by following the last year by a Gadchiroli trial court, the arrest Maoist Party can they achieve real liberation of five well-known social activists in June this from class and patriarchal oppression and win year followed by the arrested of another five real equality and dignity. Not surprisingly, social activists last month on utterly fabricated twenty-three out of the forty Kasanur- charged are glaring examples of this state terror Tumirgunda martyrs are women comrades. under the ideological and political leadership Moreover, the enemy’s evil propaganda that of the Hindutva-fascist BJP governments. teenagers are being recruited to the PLGA Similarly, a fact-finding team consisting stands falsified by this incident as not a single members of civil and democratic rights teenager is there among the fallen comrades. organisations, intellectuals and journalists In this way, Kasanur-Tumirgunda has from the cities visiting the encounter site were exploded many myths created by the heckled by organised police-RSS sponsored Goebblesian enemy against the revolutionary goons. movement and at the same time brought the In this way, with the intensification of the fascist character of the Indian ruling classes war between the armed revolution and the and their brutal counter-revolutionary war in armed counter-revolution, the distinction clear relief. between the real enemies and the real friends A positive aspect of the encounter is that are becoming clearly visible. The people led by our comrades fought for nearly two and a half the Maoist Party, PLGA and mass hours after the enemy forces encircled and organisations are fighting a just war against cordoned them off. Not a single comrade the unjust war of the reactionary ruling classes, surrendered during the battle even after the their state and the fascist organisations at their enemy asked them to surrender and save their service like the Hindutva-fascist RSS-BJP. lives. Our comrades fought till the last and gave Our comrades have laid down their lives their life in the battlefield. Ten comrades could at Kasanur-Tumirgunda in heroically fighting swim to safety amidst a hail of enemy bullets the fascist enemy. They are the best sons and while four other comrades broke the daughters of the oppressed people of the encirclement courageously and retreated safely country. Among the forty martyred comrades, even in an injured condition. These comrades all were Adivasis and Dalits of Gadchiroli, have shown a great fighting spirit during the Bastar and Telangana. The two non-Adivasi battle and thereafter. They have not lost heart comrades among the martyrs too have spent after losing so many of their comrades in a most of their lives among the Adivasi masses, single incident. They have analysed the losses got closely integrated with them and spilled self-critically and identified the mistakes and their blood for them. The masses embraced shortcomings on our part. They have pointed them as their own beloved children. The out that tactically we took the enemy lightly people’s militia comrades too were local and underestimated it, which led to serious Adivasi villagers. These facts thoroughly shortcomings in following the norms of secret expose the enemy’s vile propaganda that a few Party functioning and guerrilla operational Party leaders from ‘outside’ are misguiding the principles. The enemy took advantage of it to local Adivasi youth on the path of inflict such a big blow. Moreover, the masses revolutionary armed struggle. played a key role in safeguarding the lives of the comrades who had retreated from the The truth is that guided by the Maoist enemy encirclement by providing them all ideology and the Maoist Party, the oppressed kinds of help including arranging medical people have stood up against their oppressors treatment and safe shelters. They are standing

MIB-37 January - June 2018 57 firm with the Party in the path of struggle that movement. They have willingly taken up still constitues the pillar of strength for the additional responsibilities for this. The masses revolutionary movement in Gadchiroli. too are putting all efforts to protect our Party Taking lessons from this negative and PLGA comrades from further losses from experience and our mistakes and not losing the enemy so that the movement can continue sight of the strengths of the movement, the by surmounting this temporary loss. The Party, Party has formulated new tasks to make up for PLGA and the masses will take lessons from the losses and is redeploying the forces to carry every loss and every setback caused by the on political, organisational and military work enemy and will advance the movement. Taking in Aheri and Perimili Areas without a major inspirations from the Kasanur-Tumirgunda interruption. The comrades who have survived martyrs, the people will not bow down, will the Kasanur-Tmirgunda massacre have also not surrender, but will continue to fight back. gone back to the people with a redoubled The people alone are the makers of history; resolve to overcome the loss and advance the the final victory will be theirs!

The encounter

Like every year, commands were formed information about the TCOC from Sunil this year too in North and South Gadchiroli through brutal torture before killing him in a Divisions in West Sub-zone of the DKSZC for fake encounter, the comrades in the command conducting Tactical Counter-Offensive made some changes in the planning of the Campaign (TCOC). Of the two operational TCOC and also changed the area of its commands in South Gadchiroli Division, one operation. They took up motivation of the operational command is formed with the forces forces and made efforts for some armed action of Perimili and Aheri Area Committees (ACs), against the enemy. They also investigated and while another is formed with that of cleared some police informers and held people’s Bhamragarh and Company-10. courts. From 5 to 17 April, they were operating But within two days, South Gadchiroli in a perimeter of 15 to 20 kilometres of a single Division Commander-in-Chief and Aheri- area. It appears that due to this, the enemy got Permili Operational Command-in-Charge information about their location by 5 April and Sunil deserted the movement and ran away with conducted operations against them, but without a woman Party Member on 17 March. success. Following this, his life-partner too insisted on The comrades crossed the Indravati River leaving the movement and was sent home as on 18 April from the Aheri Area of Gadchiroli per her wish on 24 March. The three met and and entered the National Park Area of Bijapur. were in hiding in a village when the information Two police stations are operating from was passed on to the enemy. All the three were Damarancha of Gadchiroli district to cover the caught unarmed, tortured and shot dead by the border area and the two sides of the River cruel C-60 in a fake encounter at Sirikonda forest Indravati. There are also a few villages in this on 3 April. area which we cross at night so that no one After the desertion of Sunil, Comrade notices our movement. But our comrades this Nandu was made the Operational Command- time passed by them at daytime and even in-Charge and Comrade Sainath the Deputy crossed the river in the day so that many people Command-in-Charge. Considering the noticed them. Even after crossing the river they possibility that the enemy might have extracted moved in the daytime. There was the Damarancha weekly market the same day and

58 January - June 2018 MIB-37 many people returning from it met them. They In the morning of 22 April, it was also kept contact with some people whom they informed during roll call that the PMs were to should not have contacted due to their possible be told about the conclusions of the TCOC links with the enemy. Even before crossing the review that day after breakfast. Since this river, our comrades conducted people’s courts reporting was already done to the PPCMs and to try some anti-people elements in Aheri area, ACMs, they were now to do sentry and kitchen the news of which might have reached the duty. The comrades on sentry duty left for their enemy. Moreover, after reaching National Park posts while three comrades went to a nearby Area, the comrades kept contact with our village for some work. A patrol around the organisational comrades of five villages nearby campsite was conducted early in the morning. on both sides of the border – three on the But scout teams that used to be placed everyday Maharashtra side and two on the Chhattisgarh around the camp to watch for enemy movement side, as well as some persons of doubtful were not kept on that day. Likewise, there used credibility. to be teams of three comrades in each of the After reaching the National Park Area, the three sentry posts every day, but that day sentry comrades held a Command meeting for two teams were made up of only two comrades as days and reviewed the month-long TCOC. the majority of them were to addend the They also made a plan to hold meetings of the political class. Defensive weapons like cannons, AC/PPC and Party/PLGA members to convey claymore mines, etc., too were not planted that the conclusions of the review and to hold two day as was usually done by our comrades while days of political classes for the cadres. With this operating in Maharashtra. These were kept in plan, they arrived at the bank of Mogurkasa, a the camp itself. lake in Indravati at the foot of Jhandametta At around 7.30 in the morning, the (Jhanda Hill) in the morning of 21 April. The breakfast whistle was blown. Most of the closest village from here on the Chhattisgarh comrades started to gather at the kitchen. The side is Halbi-Tumirgunda, about forty minutes DVC comrades were in a discussion at the away from the campsite. headquarters. At around 7.40, the assault batches In this new campsite, a Party Branch of the police arrived near the camp. They had meeting was held where the conclusion of the crossed the Indravati in the night itself and slept Command’s review and the future programme in the forest, then walked close to the campsite of political classes were discussed with the early in the morning. They were C-60 Branch members till around 9-10 pm. Some commandos in two batches, each batch comrades raised the issue of the unfavourable containing about 40 to 45 policemen carrying position of the campsite in this meeting, pointing assault rifles, UBGLs and other modern out that if there were to be any enemy attack here, weapons. They came from the downstream side it would be very difficult for us to retaliate. But and came across our comrades at Sentry A. the leadership comrades contended that since Comrades Rajesh and Rukmati were there was a problem of water and shade in other posted in Sentry A. The two comrades opened places and classes too were to be conducted for fire immediately after noticing the advancing the next few days, it would be more convenient enemy. The encounter started. Both of these to stay near the river. After this, no further comrades stood their ground till the last without deliberation took place on the issue. The same thinking about their lives and resisted the enemy day, the leadership comrades called two members without vacating their post, preventing the of our village organisation from Aheri to the enemy from breaking in for nearly half an hour. camp and held discussions with them. Then came Both were martyred in the sentry position itself the news that enemy forces had arrived at when they were outnumbered and overpowered Tadgaon (a Police Station in Aheri Area close to by the enemy by attacking from the flanks. the Chhattisgarh border). Our comrades Soon after beginning their attack by considered changing the camp next morning in targeting Sentry A, enemy batches arrived at view of this but they did not do so, thinking that Sentry B and C and fired at them as well. Sentry it was routine mobilisation of enemy forces.

MIB-37 January - June 2018 59 B continued fighting from their position. Sentry amidst intense exchange of fire. He tried to lift C was forced to retreat some distance. After Srinu but failed. He understood that it was not destroying Sentry A, the enemy entered Section possible to save Srinu who was on the brink of A. There were not many comrades in the death. Therefore, wiping his tears and firing at Section as most of them had assembled in the the enemy in between, Srikant removed the AK- kitchen for breakfast. But the Company Deputy 47 and all the papers and other material from Commander and Section Commander came Srinu’s body so that they did not fall in the running from the kitchen to their position and enemy hands. He got hit in the leg in the process, fired at the enemy. But since no other comrade but went limping back to his cover and continued was there, they retreated to the headquarters firing at the enemy from the weapon of his section after firing a few rounds with their kits leader. After some time, the remaining comrades and whatever other material they could recover. got together and prepared to make another The comrades in the kitchen too came to the attempt at breaking through the enemy headquarters. In this way, most of the comrades encirclement. But Srikant refused to leave his got concentrated at a single place of the camp. post saying that he had understood the situation During the initial period of the encounter, and that he would not be able to make the the comrades at Sentry B had informed the attempt due to his injury. So he told the other comrades gathered at headquarters that there was comrades that they should leave while he decided a chance to retreat in their direction as the enemy to continue fighting till the end. Comrade had not yet encircled the route completely. Some Srikant stood in the battlefield with firm comrades tried to break through there, but the determination, commitment and self-sacrifice enemy soon covered up that gap, forcing them till the last bullet was spent. He thereby fulfilled to turn back. In this way, an opportunity for his responsibility as a communist and a guard retreat was lost. After this, the headquarter till the end. comrades made an attempt to retreat by taking By that time casualties on our side was cover in a dry stream between sentries B and C. mounting. Comrades like Pradeep, Nagesh, Seeing this, Sentry B comrades too joined them Limmi, Tirupati, Anita, Sannu and militia while firing at the enemy. But the enemy commander Mangu were hit by bullets and were advanced through Sentry B and fired on our either martyred or left seriously injured. Seeing comrades. Due to this our comrades turned back our comrades getting hit and the attempts at to the headquarters again instead of advancing retreat fail, thinking that there would be no to break through the enemy encirclement. By that escape one comrade issued a command to jump time the enemy had encircled from the side of into the river and jumped into it. Hearing this, Sentry C too. Attempts at retreating through our comrades started to jump into the lake, Section C too were not successful as the enemy which was 40-50 meters wide and much more had already blocked that route. in length. Those who jumped in the first group DVC Secretary Comrade Srinu motivated were fired upon from behind and the flanks, but other comrades for another attempt by they could come out of the lake safely. The advancing between Sections A and B. But as comrades in another group included a woman they were about to start he was hit by enemy comrade who was hit by bullet and was injured. bullets and fell down. Seeing him fall, his life- She was helped by the others to swim and was partner Comrade Shanta tried to come running taken to safety on the other side. A group of to him to help without thinking for her own militia comrades too could swim across the lake safety, but Srinu – who was no longer in a and retreat safely. The police were firing on the position to speak – raised his hand to signal her comrades while they were jumping in the lake to stop. The comrade came to him anyway and and also while swimming across it. They also was trying to help him stand up when she too ran to the far bank to block the escape route. A was hit by a hail of bullets and was injured. few comrades who swam and came close to the bank were shot dead by the police and they sank Seeing Comrade Srinu fall, his guard into the pool. In this way, a total of around Comrade Srikant too came running to help him eighteen comrades were martyred in the lake

60 January - June 2018 MIB-37 while several comrades successfully crossed the made a reconnaissance of the route towards lake in different groups and retreated to the Sentry A and informed the remaining comrades Maharashtra side. that an attempt could be made as no enemy Though most of the comrades jumped into could be seen in that direction. The leadership the lake, some comrades including Comrade motivated the rest of the comrades and started Nandu remained at the encounter site. They advancing one after another in a line by using tried to break through in a different direction. whatever cover was available. Though the enemy But comrades Pradip and Sanjay were martyred was not covering that portion of the in the attempt. Comrade Sainath too was encirclement, they saw the first few comrades martyred after some time. Comrade Kartik was trying to break through and advanced to block also hit and injured. Comrade Jaisheela, who this route too. The first comrades managed to was a guerrilla doctor, showed exemplary come out while continuing firing, but the route commitment to her duty even in this most of the rest of the comrades who were behind adverse situation by treating a number of was cut off by the enemy who were firing from injured comrades amidst the raging battle. She two sides. One of them was Comrade administered blood-clotting injection to three- Chandrakala who was hit and fell down and four profusely bleeding comrades in the the rest could not come out. In the firing a few battlefield. Her attempt to save the lives of the other comrades were martyred while Comrades comrades without bothering about her own Nandu and Kartik were injured. Comrades safety is an inspiration for all communists. Lata, Jaisheela, Manda and Kranti were not injured. These six were caught alive by the enemy When a large number of comrades had and tortured in illegal custody. Then they were been killed or seriously injured towards the end taken to Neiner forest of Khandla-Rajaram in of the battle there was a lot of shouting and Aheri Area with the purpose of staging an crying from our side and the enemy could encounter. When Nandu told the police, “Kill understand that our comrades were in a dire me if you have to, but let go the rest”, the cruel situation. They started to call for the surrender C-60 mercenaries first killed the rest before his of our comrades, saying that if they surrendered eyes and then killed Nandu as well at the end. they would be spared. At the same time, they In this way, our comrades bravely faced the were hurling abuses at our comrades and enemy till their last moment and displayed showering them with bullets and shells. All this exemplary communist qualities in serving the was to weaken the fighting spirit and resolve of Party and the revolution. our comrades. But none of our comrades surrender or fell into the trap of the enemy by Among the comrades who made the believing their false promises. Comrade successful retreat were PPCMs and PMs. They Chandrakala played an important role in this. took two AKs from the fallen comrades and a It was she who was the first to respond to the rifle with them. Of them two were injured in enemy’s call to surrender. She had taken over the process. They were left with almost no the responsibility of commanding the bullets by the end of the battle – only five AK remaining comrades after the death or serious bullets were left in one weapon. Once they were injury of the commanders. She ordered our out of the encirclement there was no more comrades not to surrender before the enemy’s enemy presence in outer layer. Some comrades running dogs and to fight on till the last bullet. who went to a village on the Chhattisgarh side In this way, she motivated and led our comrades in the early morning were returning while the in the fierce resistance. encounter started and they stopped there itself. All these comrades met in the afternoon. Around fifteen comrades were left at the Subsequently, the comrades who retreated by end including Comrade Nandu, Chandrakala, land to the Chhattisgarh side and those who Jaisheela, Lata, Jaisheela, Manda, Kranti, crossed the lake and retreated to the Sandeep and Kartik. They planned another Maharashtra side regrouped two days after the attempt at breaking the enemy cordon. encounter on 24 April. Comrade Sandeep took initiative in this. He

MIB-37 January - June 2018 61 The aftermath

After committing the massacre of forty of blatant lies. Only a few embedded journalists our comrades, the Indian ruling classes and who would faithfully parrot their concocted their fascist armed forces are rejoicing. BJP- story one-sidedly and glorify the ‘bravery’ of led central and state governments are the C-60 goons were allowed to visit the place congratulating themselves and their mercenary during that time. Even the local villagers were forces for carrying out this dastardly not allowed to come near the site. When an extermination, declaring promotions and cash all-India fact-finding team of civil and rewards for the C-60 murderers. Union Home democratic rights activists visited the site a few Minister Rajnath Singh to Maharashtra Chief days later, state and RSS-sponsored goons Minister Devendra Fadnavis and their lackeys including those of vigilante gangs like ‘Koya like K Vijay Kumar are making declarations Bhumkal Kranti Sena’ and ‘Bhumkal that the days of the Maoist movement are Sangathan’ tried to disrupt their visit. These numbered and that they are fighting a “lost goons haranguing the members of the fact- battle”. Echoing these sentiments of the ruling finding team, hurling abuses at them and classes, the corporate media and a number of branding them as ‘Maoists’ at the cue of the intellectuals and journalists too are stating that police in an effort to intimidate them. it is only a matter of a few years before the In Maharashtra, the enemy is boasting revolutionary movement is over. that it has wiped out the Aheri and Perimili But their jubilations and boasts cannot Area Committees and the guerrilla squads and hide the heinous crimes they have committed that it has broken the backbone of the Maoist and the white lies they have resorted to. First, movement Gadchiroli. Big capitalists like the the government and their forces claimed that Tata, Ambani, Mittal and Jindal or big the encounter took place in Kasanur of corporations like Lloyds who have been Maharashtra, whereas it took place across the coveting the minerals of the district but could border close to Halbi-Tumirgunda village not lay their hands on them till now due to the inside Indravati National Park of Bijaur district people’s resistance led by the Maoist Party are in Chhattisgarh. Secondly, they claimed that conveying their gratitude to Modi and two encounters took place at two different Fadnavis governments for this ‘success’. places of Gadchiroli within 24 hours. But there Members of the old exploiting classes like the were no two separate encounters at all. There landlords, reactionary tribal village elders, bad was only one and that was near Halbi- gentry, lumpen and anti-people elements Tumirgunda. The C-60 mercenaries found punished by the masses, etc. are telling the many of our comrades alive at the end of the oppressed masses of their villages that the battle, some in an injured state. They took six authority of the Revolutionary People’s of them into illegal custody, brought them to Committees will be over and their old authority the police camp, tortured them and finally will come back with the killing of the Maoists. killed them in a fake encounter in Neiner forest State-sponsored counter-revolutionary of Khandla-Rajaram in Aheri. They then organisations and vigilante gangs are singing floated the lie of two encounters at two different in the same tune, hoping to spread pessimism places. and defeatism among Gadchiroli’s revolutionary masses in an attempt to weaken The government kept the site of the the revolutionary movement). They are trying encounter as well as the surrounding area to influence and demoralise the masses using cordoned off for several days after the massacre this encounter. through a large deployment police and paramilitary forces. The prevented anyone The people of Gadchiroli, on the other from visiting the site fearing that it could hand, are weeping for the martyrs. The martyrs expose their heinous crime and lay bare their were their beloved sons and daughters who had

62 January - June 2018 MIB-37 served them in their life and through their They burnt Forest Department offices and go- death. Not all the dead bodies of the martyrs downs worth over one crore rupees a few days were handed over to the people by the fascist after the encounter. Revolutionary literature enemy even though the villagers demanded about the Kasanur-Tumirgunda martyrs them. They gave the body of Comrade Sainath including the Martyrs’ Week message of the and some other comrades under pressure from Party are being circulated among the masses the people, but refused to hand over others and they too participated in programmes to including some militia comrades’ bodies. The commemorate the Martyrs’ Week from 28 dead bodies which the masses could reclaim July. They are paying homage to their best sons were laid to rest in the villages with and daughters and are taking pledge to revolutionary tradition. The villagers of continue the revolutionary movement by Gattekal, who have lost nine of their kin protecting the Party and the people’s guerrillas. (Comrade Sainath and eight people’s militia All comrades from DVC members to the members) too are mourning the martyrs but Party members under the WSB are keen to are expressing their strong resolve to strengthen work in Aheri and Perimili Areas in order to the movement by filling the void left by them. fill the losses and sustain the movement. The The masses are holding meetings and leadership of Dandakaranya and Gadchiroli discussing how such an incident could happen, have taken it as an important task and an how could the cruel enemy kill our comrades immediate challenge to sustain and in such a big numbers, who were the traitors consolidate the movement in South behind this incident, etc. and are reviewing it. Gadchiroli, particularly in the Aheri and They are also criticising the mistakes of our Perimili Areas of the Division. The comrades comrades. But the people have the firm who had safely retreated from the encounter conviction that the Party will sustain, it will are determined to carry on the work by taking form new squads and send to their area – additional responsibility. The people who have because they have seen such reverses in the past lost their kith and kin too are strongly with the as well – even if not on this scale – and the Party. The TCOC taken up in South Party has bounced back after every setback. Gadchiroli Division for a month in June – They want that those who are responsible for nearly one and a half months after Kasanur- helping the enemy in carrying out this Tumirgunda – has sent out a good message. massacre should be punished and such big The cadre and the masses have confidence in losses to the Party and the movement be themselves and the Party that the loss can be prevented from taking place in the future. They made good and the movement can be sustained are insisting on the presence of the Party, if we work with enough dedication and alerting it about the danger of depending on daring. The Party has called upon the Party limited places and sources, and giving Members and the masses to come forward to information about the enemy and the anti- fill the vacuum and take up larger people elements in the villages. While one or responsibilities in memory of our martyrs and two individuals have gone to the side of the to carry forward their revolutionary legacy and enemy, the vast majority of the masses are with to fulfil the aims for which they have sacrificed the movement. their invaluable lives. The organisational structures in the The revolutionary movement in India has villages of Aheri and Perimili are still intact. experiences many serious losses and setbacks The people’s militia is still active and the in the last fifty years of its history since people’s resistance still formidable there. The Naxalbari. Tens of thousands of revolutionary morale of the masses too is good in spite of leaders, cadres and the masses have laid down the grief of the loss. They have taken up protest their lives to keep alive this movement. Every programmes against Kasanur-Tumirgunda time the exploitative Indian ruling classes and actively and with initiative. The bandh against the imperialists have rejoiced thinking that they the encounter was successfully observed on 10 have crushed the movement once and for all, May with the people’s active participation. continued on p.70

MIB-37 January - June 2018 63 “We will fight back the negative and unfavourable situation resulting from this loss” Interview with Comrade Sonu Politburo Member, CPI(Maoist)

1. How should the Kasanur-Tumirgunda had gone down considerably. They started to encounter be understood in the context of the doubt whether they would be able to fulfil the Indian revolutionary movement? task of finishing off the Maoist movement by A: Looking at it in the context of the Indian 2022. revolutionary movement, Kasanur- Just a few days after a big ambush was Tumirgunda encounter is an extraordinary conducted by the PLGA at Kasaram in Sukma event. Never in the last five decades of the district, PM Modi visited Bijapur district of history of the movement since Naxalbari have Chhattisgarh. His real purpose behind the visit we lost so many comrades in a single incident. was to admonish the anti-Maoist forces It has impacted the revolutionary movement entrusted with the task of wiping out our in Dandakaranya (DK) and the country, and movement and to boost up their morale. Soon particularly the Gadchiroli movement. It is after his visit, 50,000 forces were deployed to natural that not only the people of our struggle launch another operation against our areas or the people of India but also the friends movement in South Bastar. Just a few days of the Indian revolution abroad as well as the after he left Bastar, the enemy carried out oppressed people the world over are saddened Kasanur-Tumirgunda massacre. Following by the martyrdom of so many communist this, the enemy is using it to boost up the revolutionaries at Kasanur-Tumirgunda. deflated morale in its camp by claiming that it The enemy has been regularly launching is achieving big victories against the Maoists, a series of campaigns and operations against that their days are numbered, that they are us since the late 1980s. It launched Janjagaran- going to be wiped out soon, and so on. It is 1 and Janjagaran-2 in the 1990s, Operation launching operations in all our movement Manthan in 1997-98, Salwa Judum in 2005- areas with renewed aggression. So, looking at 2009, Operation Green Hunt since 2009, etc. the overall situation, Kasanur-Tumirgunda Each of these campaigns and operations has incident will have a negative impact on the been defeated by the people led by our Party. revolutionary camp. But this will be temporary. After getting beaten by the revolutionary Our Party and movement will certainly get masses in this way every time in the past, the over this loss, although it may take some time reactionary ruling classes have come up with a to repair the damage caused to the movement new strategy, a new plan called ‘Samadhan’ in of South Gadchiroli. May 2017. The enemy has declared that they 2. What is the impact of the incident on the will uproot our movement by 2022 under this revolutionary movement in Dandakaranya? plan. But things have not gone in their favour A: The movement in Dandakaranya is not according to their plan. From January 2018 separate from the all-India revolutionary up to Kasanur-Tumirgunda incident, the movement, and hence the impact is no less on enemy was suffering one blow after another at DK. In fact, since the attack happened in DK, the hands of the movement. For instance, in the impact is naturally felt more strongly here. the Irpanar ambush in East Bastar Division, The people who are outside DK obviously have we wiped out seven policemen and injured over the curiosity to know how this incident could twenty. Then there was the Eladmadagu take place. Their information is indirect. But ambush in South Bastar and the Kasaram the cadres and the people here have direct ambush. As a result, the morale of the enemy knowledge of it and are affected more acutely

64 January - June 2018 MIB-37 by the loss. Our comrades in Party us to trap and wipe out the enemy bit by bit Committees, PLGA and the mass through guerrilla war. But if we do not think organisations are asking us report about the on these lines, we ourselves will fall prey to the incident and our review of it, and particularly enemy. The comrades are taking Kasanur- about the mistakes of our comrades from a Tumirgunda as a lesson to learn from. The military point of view. They are also doing martyred comrades have left us a lesson and their own analyses. They are concluding that our comrades are determined to prevent the our comrades have made mistakes there recurrence of such losses in the future. The militarily and underestimated the enemy. masses too are telling us not to make such Three-four individuals in the Party and PLGA mistakes in the future because the Party must who have not been able to correctly analyse the continue to exist. They are urging us to be on reasons behind the incident, became the alert wherever we are, to understand that pessimistic and deserted the Party. The vast the enemy is intent on destroying the Party majority of the comrades, on the other hand, with large-scale massacres, that the times have are firm in their resolve after the incident. They changed and we too should bring changes to think that the Party should be careful in the our method and style of in accordance with future and follow the guerrilla operational these changes. Following these lessons and principles more closely by drawing appropriate suggestions, we can transform this loss into a lessons. gain, this setback into a basis for advancement. The enemy is using all means and methods to crush our movement, using covert 3. Why have we not been able to prevent an operations and conspiracies, increasing incident like Kasanur-Tumirgunda that has communication and infrastructure, speeding taken place less than two years of the up deployment of forces and their Ramaguda encounter? modernisation, etc. The martyrs of Kasanur- Tumirgunda – particularly the DVCMs – were A: Assessing the enemy subjectively is the main aware of these fast-changing developments, reason for it. The comrades who have survived and they took many steps in the past like the encounter too are very frankly pointing out identifying and eliminating enemy coverts to and admitting the mistakes committed by us. protect the Party and its leadership. They have Their opinion is that we have given the also been involved in many actions against the opportunity to the enemy to inflict such a big enemy and also survived numerous enemy loss to us. The people of Gadchiroli are attacks. But they relaxed their alertness while protecting us, giving us all kinds of help and going out of their Area to the National Park support. This is clear from the fact that there Area; they did not remain as alert in has been no serious loss to us in Aheri and Chhattisgarh as they used to be while in Perimili Areas in the last five years. Very few Gadchiroli, they lowered their guard encounters took place here, and we lost only momentarily. In fact, our comrades thought two comrades in Aheri in encounters after that there would not be much danger once they Govindgaon encounter in 2013. So there was crossed the border and they became careless. no need to go to another Division or Area like That is why they abandoned military National Park for camping. This was our precautions, did not take into consideration mistake. Not to check for informers, putting the unfavourable terrain, did not remain alert blind faith on our contact persons, not having and ignored guerrilla operational principles. a critical outlook to changes, to violate Party’s In this way, many serious mistakes were method of secret functioning and ignoring committed. This is a lesson for our Party and guerrilla operational principles, to ignore the the movement. warnings and suggestions of the masses, after the encounter started not trying to break This kind of incidents has taken place in through the enemy cordon in the first attempt the past as well, though on a smaller scale, and itself even if suffering a few losses, failure of we have drawn lessons from them. The command and losing of initiative in the objective conditions are growing favourable for

MIB-37 January - June 2018 65 encounter, etc. – all these mistakes were guerrilla fighters adept at understanding the committed from our side. changes in the objective condition and bringing There are two steps to prevent this kind about changes in themselves and their work- of losses. The first is to prepare appropriate style by creatively applying the Party policies and plans. This is the duty of the instructions. One result of not being able to Party’s policy-making bodies. The second is do this adequately after Ramaguda is before the execution of these policies and plans. For us in the form of Kasanur-Tumirgunda. this, the political consciousness of the cadres has to be raised. And here lies our principal 4. What is the Party’s plan to advance the failure. This is what is demonstrated by movement by avoiding big losses like Kalleda, Tadpal, Timnar, Kasanur- Kasanur-Tumirgunda? Tumirgunda and many other incidents since Ramaguda. We can prevent or minimise such A: If we compare the two sides in the war, the incidents by internalising and consciously enemy has one kind of plans and we another; implementing the guidance, instructions, the enemy forces rely on violence and loot while circulars, etc. issued by the leading Party we rely on the cadres and the masses to make Committees. The higher-level Party and implement our plans. After Mukaram committees had issued guidelines and attack in which PLGA annihilated 76 educated our cadres about our mistakes and policemen, the enemy made the plan of shortcomings in the Ramaguda incident. After deploying more forces, using more advanced ‘Samadhan’ plan was introduced, DKSZC and lethal weapons, building more had also issued a circular on how to assess the infrastructure projects for their war, bringing enemy in the changing conditions, the areas changes in their tactics, expanding their in which are we making mistakes and in what intelligence network, bringing more fake- ways the enemy is preparing traps for us. But reform programmes to separate the masses these were not implemented thoroughly in from the movement and isolate the Maoists, practice, resulting in continuation of losses. etc. But we take a totally opposite approach to our losses and therefore our plans too are Therefore, there is a need to bring about completely different from that of the enemy. further changes in our cadre’s military thinking and practice; we need to raise the average level Our plan is centred on how to raise the of the Party cadre’s consciousness. But this level of ideological-political consciousness of process naturally takes some time, and before the cadres, how to make them more aware of the process is complete there is always the revolutionary theory and the aims of the chance of losses. Moreover, the efforts we have revolution, how to make them more alert made are not enough. More needs to be done politically and militarily. This helps them to in this direction. The seriousness with which arrive at a correct assessment about the enemy the enemy is considering us, we too must and the tactics that have to be adopted to face consider the enemy with equal seriousness. Till the enemy as per the changes in the war this is done, some losses will be inevitable. situation. This is how a revolutionary party like ours thinks and acts in such a situation. The enemy is constantly raising the level of its counter-revolutionary war. Its When drastic changes come about in the ‘Samadhan’ policy is a higher phase of the war situation, there is always the possibility of within the LIC policy. In this condition, every some confusion and self-doubt to crop up in communist revolutionary should learn to know the revolutionary camp. In such changing well about themselves and the enemy. They situation, or in the periods of changed tactics, should not be like those who blindly follow the leadership must be with the cadre and help orders or instructions from above. They should them grasp these changes. This is the role of be conscious beings with the ability to think the leadership in all places. With this, the and work independently according to their confidence and morale of the cadre and the specific conditions. They should be capable people grows. Even when leadership is with the cadres there can be losses at times, but then

66 January - June 2018 MIB-37 they can analyse the mistakes and review by plans to minimise losses, it was they who had discussing with the cadres and even change the executed it effectively on the ground. This tactics according to the conditions. In this way shows that we are capable of achieving we can bring favourable changes to the successes in our plans, and even if on some situation. occasions incidents like Kasanur-Tumirgunda In fact, we did this in the first three-four take place, we will rectify our mistakes and months of 2018. The result was that 30 to 35 shortcomings to recover from such losses to policemen were wiped out in a number of advance. This has happened in the past in our PLGA actions and the masses too participated movement and we can do it again. actively in the war by digging over 50,000 spike-holes for their self-defence. DK has 5. You have said that raising the ideological- become a death-trap for the enemy. The enemy political consciousness of the Party is the key forces are hesitating to enter our movement to avoiding incidents like Kasanur- areas. They are having a sense of insecurity. Tumirgunda and Ramaguda in the future. Contradictions within them are sharpening. What has been the outcome of the But due to our occasional mistakes like in Bolshevisation campaign that aimed at raising Kasanur-Tumirgunda, there has been an the Party’s political consciousness? unfavourable change in the situation. But this will not last long. The confidence, morale and A: Any revolutionary proletarian Party gets spirit of our cadres and the masses are high; infected by the ideology and thinking of the they are working with determination and a non-proletarian classes existing in the society. spirit of self-sacrifice. This is helping us to fight Communist revolutionaries are not immune back the negative and unfavourable situation from them. This influence takes the form of resulting from this loss. Special meetings have alien class trends within the Party. By 2013, been organised, the leadership comrades have such trends in our Party had reached a peak. been motivated and they are putting effort to So our Party too initiated the Bolshevisation overcome the shortcomings and limitations. campaign in 2013 to educate the cadres and to They have self-critically identified the mistakes struggle against the non-proletarian trends. and taking lessons from them, they have vowed After its completion, we have concluded that not to repeat them in future. They are one-third of the Party cadre has benefitted determined to go to the masses that are looking from the campaign and their confidence on our for us and helping us. With all these efforts, ideology and politics has increased. The cadre we hope to advance the movement by – particularly the leadership cadre – has got a overcoming the losses. good opportunity to learn about the development our ideology, Party history, The Maoists have a history of rising from changes in the revolutionary movement, and the ashes like the Phoenix after every defeat and so on. advancing by bringing changes to the forms and methods of struggle. For instance, serious The positive results of the Bolshevisation losses took place in Gadchiroli in April-June campaign are getting visible in the 2013, during which we lost 20-25 comrades in achievements of the Party, revolutionary a series of encounters and fake encounters. We movement and the masses. It can be seen in analysed our lapses and shortcomings and the successful PLGA actions against the enemy, made plans to prevent them. Thereafter, in the in the defeat of the Operation Green Hunt. five years between mid-2014 and mid-2017, What is behind the determination of the Party only two encounters took place in Aheri and cadres and PLGA fighters in braving and Perimili Areas. This is because our Party, defeating one counter-revolutionary campaign PLGA, Janatana Sarkars and the masses have after another? Behind it is the consciousness worked in this period by taking lesson from of our cadre who are imbued with our the losses of 2013. And the credit for so few invincible ideology. It shows that a section of encounters and losses during this period goes the cadre has got Bolshevised between 2013 and to them. While the leadership had made the

MIB-37 January - June 2018 67 2017 and the rest too are getting Bolshevised was said in Telangana at that time that this in different degrees. had broken the backbone of the Party. But the It is true that a few big losses like very next year the Party founded the people’s Ramaguda and Kasanur-Tumirgunda have army – the PLGA – and strengthened the taken place in spite of the Bolshevisation backbone of the Party. This had blown the lid campaign. We want to make sure that such off the enemy propaganda. incidents do not occur again or become a The vile propaganda of the ruling classes trend. For this, one Bolshevisation campaign against the Maoist Party and movement is a is not enough. Bolshevisation is a continuous part of its multi-pronged counter- process and needs to be undertaken repeatedly revolutionary war. With this, they try to confuse since there is no medicine to immunise the middle classes which constitute a big section communist cadres from non-proletarian trends in our country. But the vast majority of the permanently. We have concluded one round 130 crore people of the country are the of Bolshevisation campaign, but in today’s oppressed people. They have an impression changing conditions we will have to conduct that our Party is a correct revolutionary Party, it even more widely, deeply and effectively in a genuine revolutionary party. That is why, future. The campaign that started in 2013 has during the periods in which we suffer big losses brought some positive results and is concluded. like Kasanur-Tumirgunda the ruling classes But we will have to do it repeatedly as the put much effort to conduct false propaganda movement advances and encounters new of this kind to confuse and dishearten them. challenges. So they will go on claiming that the Maoist movement is going to be wiped out. But we should not ignore or take their propaganda 6. Citing the example of incidents like lightly. Rather, we should closely study their Kasanur-Tumirgunda, some people are propaganda based on falsehood and respond claiming that the Maoist movement will soon to it effectively through revolutionary be wiped out from the country. What do you propaganda based on the truth. have to say about it? In this context, we wish to appeal to the A: The people on the side of the ruling classes democrats, patriots and the progressive forces are propagating this on a big scale. For instance, of the country to see through the enemy an organisation called Bhumkal Sangathan is propaganda. They are the people who can active in Gadchiroli led by someone called expose these lies and place the truth before the Arvind Soni. This organisation is propagating masses. They played an important role in on a large scale that the Maoist movement is defeating Salwa Judum and OGH. When on its death throes; that the Maoists are OGH was launched in 2009, heeding to the fighting a losing battle; that they will be wiped appeal of the Party, a large number of out in no time, etc. Such people try to take democratic organisations came together to advantage of every reverse that we suffer. These oppose it and declared that OGH was a ‘War are the same people who organised a rally at on People’. Their intervention went a long Nagpur by mobilising SPOs and their families way in exposing OGH. In a period like this, to demand that Dr. G N Saibaba and his co- our Party as a vanguard of the country’s accused be given death sentence instead of life proletariat will try as much as it can to expose imprisonment. This is a class struggle, and the the enemy’s counter-revolutionary propaganda people are divided into two warring sides. In and to place the truth before the masses. But this situation, it is natural for the ruling class this is not enough. To defeat the enemy’s ever- elements to propagate such lies against us. After intensifying war on the people, the entire our losses at Kasanur-Tumirgunda, the revolutionary camp has to work together. intensity of counter-revolutionary propaganda has once again picked up. But this is nothing new. When our CCM comrades Shyam, 7. What is your message to the people of Mahesh and Murali were martyred in 2000, it the country and the international friends of

68 January - June 2018 MIB-37 the Indian revolution in the context of Tumirgunda? And why are the people of Kasanur-Tumirgunda? Gadchiroli standing with the Maoist Party for A: After Kasanur-Tumirgunda incident, many the last four decades even amidst cruel well-wishers of our Party and the revolutionary repression? If you consider all this in totality, movement are thinking that it is a very big loss. you will reach the correct conclusion as to why It is quite natural to think in this way. a Ramaguda or a Kasanur-Tumirgunda is Nevertheless, we call upon them not to lose taking place in the country. heart. They should first of all think why this The threat today is not to the Maoists incident has taken place. Why is it that today alone. Dalits, Adivasis, religious minorities, the government is deploying central etc. are all under the threat of Brahmanical paramilitary forces in Gadchiroli in their Hindu-fascism. The threat is to all the thousands? What is the connection with the democratic forces of the country. We are mining of Surjagarh which did not start till a amidst a fascist onslaught. We need to stand few years ago but has been started now? Why steadfast on our ideology, politics and line to is it that CM Fadnavis, state Finance Minister face this enemy offensive and smash it. We Mungantiwar, Union Minister of State for need to objectively examine and know the Home Hansraj Ahir visiting Gadchiroli reality to draw the confidence and courage to repeatedly and taking so much interest in the change this reality through our subjective district? What is the role of the imperialist effort. So our message is for unity in a resolute crisis behind it? What is the connection struggle against the fascist enemy. We need what between identifying the Maoists as the “biggest Danton said, Audace! Audace! Encore la audace! internal security threat” and Kasanur- continued from p.63 it has bounced back with redoubled energy and progressive class in history, and represents the expanded to newer regions. This is testified by interests of all the oppressed people of India the history of the two main streams of the who constitute the overwhelming majority of Indian revolutionary movement – the its populace. No matter how much heroic CPI(ML) and MCCI – as well as that of the sacrifice it takes, organised and led by the unified CPI(Maoist). Similar is the lesson from Maoist Party, people’s army and united front the histories of proletarian revolutions all over organisations the country’s oppressed people the world including the October Revolution are sure to complete the New Democratic and Chinese Revolution. The enemy may Revolution by sweeping away feudalism and damage the movement partially on some imperialism through the protracted people’s occasions through cruel state violence and war and win final victory by establishing fascist terror like it did in Kasanur- socialism and communism. To take pledge to Tumirgunda. But it will not succeed in wiping rededicate ourselves to this sacred task will be it out because it is led by the most advanced the true homage to the Kasanur-Tumirgunda and invincible ideology of Marxism-Leninism- martyrs and all the martyrs of the Indian and Maoism, led by the vanguard Party of the world socialist revolution. proletariat which is the most advanced and

“Wherever there is struggle there is sacrifice, and death is a common occurrence. But we have the interests of the people and the sufferings of the great majority at heart, and when we die for the people it is a worthy death.” – Mao Tse-tung, ‘Serve the People’

MIB-37 January - June 2018 69 News from the Battlefield January - June 2018

AOB - Telangana - Andhra Pradesh

On 17 January, road-rollers and other PLGA blocked roads and destroyed machinery were consigned to flames by the bridges in Cherla mandal of Khammam PLGA at Lungler under Matheli Police Station district on 3 May in protest against the Area of Malkangiri district, AOB. massacre of 40 comrades in Kasanur- Tumirgunda on Chhattisgarh-Maharashtra Five vehicles and some motorcycles were borer. The Essar Company’s slurry pipeline burnt down in Khammam district on 27 from Bailadila to Visakhapatnam was January. damaged two days later for the same reason. On 29 January, six vehicles were burnt down by PLGA guerrillas in Manugur Area of Bhadrachalam in Khammam (Bhadri Bihar - Jharkhand Kottagudem district). One CRPF jawan was killed in a gunfight Eight vehicles engaged in road with PLGA guerrillas in Madanpur Police construction work were set on fire by the Station Area of Aurangabad district in Bihar PLGA near Bhupathiraopet village close to the on 2 January. Three PLGA fighters were Godavari River in Pinapaka mandal of the martyred in the battle. same district on 4 February and a BSNL mobile tower too was destroyed in Vedira village on 4 Jharkhand bandh called by CPI(Maoist) February. on 29 March against state repression and war on people was successfully observed in all Red guerrillas blasted a bridge near Nanne- movement areas of the state. Kalveru on the borders of Bhadradi Kottagudem (Khammam) and East Godavari One jawan of the 85th Battalion of the districts in April to protest against the Supreme CRPF stationed in Bijapur town was seriously Court’s judgment diluting the SC/ST injured when PLGA blasted an IED targeting (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. one enemy unit near Mahadev Ghati on 30 March.

70 January - June 2018 MIB-37 Two DRG jawans were killed and seven On 6 January, two constables were injured due to an IED explosion conducted by seriously injured in a blast conducted by the the PLGA between Kunnar and Tumnar PLGA between Pumbad and Pulur villages. villages on Kutru-Nemed road in National Park The same day, one policeman was eliminated Area of Bijapur district on 9 April. A bus in in Jangla village of Bijapur district, West Bastar which the policemen were travelling was Division. destroyed in the blast. The PLGA left banners One policeman was shot dead in and posters at the site where slogans like “Modi Bhairamgarh weekly market by the red Go Back!” were written. In a separate incident, guerrillas in Bijapur district on 7 January. On a CRPF jawan was injured in a mine blast on that day a DRG jawan was injured after falling the same day near Bijapur Ghati. into a spike-hole in Vengur village of the same One ASI of the CRPF was killed by the district. red fighters near Kistaram in Sukma district On 7 January, DRG and STF forces set on 12 April. up a new camp in Malewahi village near Barsur One BSF jawan was severely injured in a town of Bijapur district. They forced the PLGA ambush near Mahla village of people of Malem and other villages nearby to Bhanupratappur in Kanker district o 23 April. work for setting up the camp without pay in The same day, PLGA attacked an enemy patrol spite of people’s protests. In the evening of 17 coming out of a new camp set up in Mahla January, PLGA attacked the camp with two village of Kanker district’s Pratappur area. improvised rockets, in which four STF jawans Four police personnel were injured in the were injured. The mercenary policemen ran to attack. On 30 April the same camp was the villages in panic and remained there till the attacked by the PLGA with improvised next day when additional forces were sent along rockets. with a rescue helicopter. On 29 April, three earthmovers, one road- One C-60 jawan was seriously injured in roller and a JCB machine engaged in road an encounter with the PLGA on 9 January in construction were burnt down near Samri the forest of Naingudem in Aheri tehsil of village in Balrampur district of North Gadchiroli district. Chhattisgarh. Rail traffic was disrupted on the KK Seven jawans of the special anti-Maoist (Koraput-Kirandul) line by felling trees on the commando force Jharkhand Jaguars were track, resulting in the halting of goods train wiped out and three were injured in a series of carrying iron ore from Bacheli in Bailadila explosions using 80 bombs conducted by the mines, Gangalur Area, Bijapur district on 15 people’s guerrillas in Burha Pahad area of January. Walky-talkies of the drivers and Garhwa district of Jharkhand on 26 June. A guards were seized by the PLGA. few modern weapons including AK-47 and Five vehicles engaged in road construction ammunition were seized from the dead work were burnt down in Narayanpur district jawans. of Chhattisgarh on 17 January. One policeman was seriously injured in a Dandakaranya pressure bomb explosion in Bangapal Area of Dantewada district on 20 January. PLGA guerrillas arrived at a bauxite mine Two policemen were injured in pressure owned by Hindalco Company at Kukud in bomb explosion carried out by the PLGA in Sarguja district of North Chhattisgarh on 5 Gangalur area of Bijapur district on 24 January. January and burnt down 9 vehicles including The same day one policeman was killed and three earthmovers, one crane and several one injured near Pidiya-Tumnar village of trucks. They also blasted the weighing shed of Bijapur district. the company with explosives.

MIB-37 January - June 2018 71 PLGA’s heroic Irpanar Ambush

PLGA fighters carried out a valiant ambush on 24 January near Irpanar village of Dhaudai (Dhaula) area in Narayanpur district (East Bastar), in which six policemen including two SIs were killed and around 18 were injured. 16 companies of the enemy forces were engaged in an anti-Maoist operation, during which they committed atrocities on the people. The enemy, however, admitted only four deaths and eleven injuries to their personnel. The attack was carried out on a batch of around 60 police personnel belonging to DRG, STF and District Force. Two AK-47, one Insas rifle and ammunition were seized. The following is a English translation of a few extracts from the press statement released in Hindi by the DKSZC after the successful ambush.

COMMUNIST PARTY OF INDIA (MAOIST) DANDAKARANYA SPECIAL ZONAL COMMITTEE

25 January 2018

Irpanar ambush is part of the resistance to the counter-revolutionary strategic offensive plan ‘Samadhan’ (2017-2022)

The Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee of Communist Party of India (Maoist) declares that the ambush conducted by the PLGA on a joint detachment of STF, DRG and District Force in Irpanar forest of Narayanpur district on 24 January is a part of the resistance to the countrywide ‘Samadhan’ (2017-2022) strategic offensive. In this ambush, two notorious Sub-Inspectors (SIs) of DRG and four others were wiped out by our PLGA forces and almost half a dozen were injured. PLGA did not suffer any loss of life. The PLGA seized two AK-47s, one Insas rifle and other war material. The two SIs that were killed in the attack were involved in a number of encounters and fake encounters that were conducted in East Bastar, Maad and North Bastar Divisions. They were part of the enemy forces which cruelly tortured and killed the women comrades Karuna and Mali after they were injured in Asnar encounter, comrade Ratna who was injured in Irpanar encounter and comrades Vimla, Pramila and Sunita after Tuswal encounter, etc. During these encounters the brutal beating of innocent villagers, incarcerating in jails on false cases, looting people’s property, killing and eating poultry and fowl of the people, burning down foodstuff or mixing poison in them, etc. have become a common practice for these mercenary forces. Just fifteen minutes before the Irpanar encounter, the DRG goons were taking away poultry from the village and had burnt a rice mill of the villagers... The PLGA has successfully carried out the Irpanar attack targeting the government’s armed forces, particularly the DRG and STF, which work as the nuts and bolts of the state machinery of the country’s ruling classes and the foreign and domestic corporate houses. The government armed forces entering our guerrilla bases and areas of Janatana Sarkars will be given befitting reply with attacks like Bhejji, Burkapal and Irpanar. On this occasion our Party appeals with a warning to the jawans and junior officers of the government armed forces that they do not become a part of the bloody game of the exploitative ruling classes. Don’t remain a part of the state machinery which is

72 January - June 2018 MIB-37 Arms and ammunition seized by the PLGA in Irpanar ambush

implementing the anti-people and treacherous pro-corporate policies of the ruling BJP government at the centre run by the Brahmanical Hindu-fascist . Don’t remain enemies of the people; don’t commit atrocities against the people; instead of continuing in the police jobs that bring you food soiled by the blood of the people, try to live a life of honour by using your labour; struggle for an employment with respect and honour. Vikalp Spokesperson DKSZC

On 25 January, two jawans of CAF were One policeman was killed due to an IED seriously injured in a booby-trap explosion in blast when a police party was on a combing Devalgaon, Madded Area, Bijapur district operation in the Pamed Area of South Bastar (West Bastar). (Sukma district) close to the Telangana border On 27 January, a PLGA Action Team with on 2 February. The next day, one more police the help of the masses attacked one of the four jawan was injured near Tonguda village bodyguards of local MLA Awadhesh Gautam between Pamed and Cherla in the same district in Nakulnar weekly market who enjoys ‘Z’ when PLGA carried out an ambush targeting Category security. The bodyguard was injured a police batch. in the attack and his AK-47 seized. The MLA Chhattisgarh-Telangana bandh was was later found claiming in public that half of successfully observed in the Maoist movement his guards were drunkards and it was because areas including that of Dandakaranya on 5 of their negligence that the attack could take February against the proposed amendments to place! the Chhattisgarh Land Revenue Act by the Raman Singh government. Railway tracks

MIB-37 January - June 2018 73 were removed by the PLGA with the Station near Kumalpar village, in which one involvement of the militia and the masses COBRA jawan of the 206th Battalion of the between Bacheli and Bhansi, due to which two CRPF was critically injured. Due to the red engines and six bogeys of a goods train on the terror struck by the people’s guerrilla, the KK line was derailed, stopping traffic on the injured jawan could be carried to the camp track. Walky-talkies were seized from the only after six hours of the attack. drivers and guards. A bus, an earthmover and Two CISF jawans were critically injured seven tractors engaged in road construction in a pressure bomb explosion conducted by the work were set on fire on this day. The people PLGA near Depal under Madded Police cut the Sihka-Nelsnar road at 35 places and Station on 25 February. destroyed 14 small bridges as a part of implementing the bandh. Three CRPF jawans Nine vehicles engaged in road posted in Rani Bodili camp were critically construction work without taking the injured in a pressure bomb explosion by the mandatory prior permission of the Gram PLGA on this day near Chingrinala between Sabhas or the people were destroyed by the Kutru and Farsagarh Police Stations of Bijapur PLGA on 26 February. The people of district. Harrakoder and Pichhekoder panchayats have been at the forefront in their opposition. This One police jawan was killed in an IED work of building a 12-km road from Barsur to explosion between Pamed and Cherla in Kaknar was started only two days back, and Bijapur district on 12 February. was brought to a halt after the PLGA attack. PLGA guerrillas carried out an attack on After the attack, over 400 police personnel from the enemy forces engaged for road construction Barsur, Mardum and Kaknar camps launched on Chintaguppa-Injaram road near a massive attack on the villagers of these tow Elladmadagu village under Bhejji Police panchayats, detained nearly 75 villagers Station on 18 February, in which two including women and took them to Kaknar policemen were killed and six were injured. camp where they were pressurised to allow the Twelve vehicles on road construction work construction work. When the people refused were burnt down as a part of this attack. Six to comply, four of them were booked under PLGA comrades were injured in the attack, fabricated charges, arrested and sent to jail. of whom two sustained serious injuries. Two DRG and one STF jawans were On 23 February, PLGA targeted a joint injured in an encounter with the PLGA in police team coming out of Kistaram Police

Tulad Metta counter-offensive teaches the enemy a lesson

A platoon of PLGA fighters carried out a valiant attack on a 400-strong joint enemy force consisting of CRPF, DRG, STF and District Force that was conducting combing operation on Tulad Metta (Tulad Hill) and attacked Todma village close to it on 26 February. One of the main purposes of the heightened search-and-destroy operations on Tulad Metta is because of its rich repository of minerals which the government is eager to open for exploration. The attempt to open it is going on since 2005 but has been unsuccessful due to the people’s resistance led by the revolutionary organisations. The PLGA attacked when the joint forces were returning after attacking Todma village where they beat up several villagers on the suspicion of working for the Maoists and taking along some of them forcibly. Four DRG and STF jawans were killed and seven were injured in the attack. The rest of the policemen ran away in fright. This has dealt a blow to the enemy’s plans to open Tulad Metta for mining and gave a fillip to the people’s resistance against it.

74 January - June 2018 MIB-37 Enemy’s MPV blasted by the PLGA

At around midday of 13 March, PLGA guerrillas targeted a convoy of paramilitary personnel going from Kistaram to Palod village which included two Mine-Proof Vehicles (MPV) and Sukma SP near Palod village of Kistaram Area in South Bastar Division (Sukma district) carrying CRPF jawans of the 212nd Battalion. The first MPV was blasted with an IED on Bottetong stream near Kasaram village which was just a kilometre away from the new camp from where they were coming. The 11-tonne vehicle flew 25 feet into the air and was completely destroyed. Of the eleven jawans inside it, nine were killed and two were severely injured. PLGA guerrillas seized some of the arms and ammunition of the killed jawans amidst firing from the MPV and other vehicles behind. Four Insas rifles and some ammunition could be seized, while the rest had to be left behind as reinforcement had arrived from the camps on both sides of the road hearing the blast. Eight PLGA fighters were slightly injured due to a shell explosion, but all of them retreated safely after completing the attack within 12 minutes. The blast sent a strong message of retaliation on behalf of the people to the reactionary government forces conducting a war on people in Maoist movement areas. As an aftermath of the attack, the Commandant of the CRPF Battalion was transferred, while inquiries were conducted by the Jabalpur Vehicle Factory of the Ordinance Factory Board that manufactured the MPV to find out as to how could the vehicle – considered to be ‘mine- proof’ be destroyed by the PLGA guerrillas!

Barsur area of Dantewada district on 27 Nine vehicles engaged in road February. construction work without taking the Three buses and three trucks were burnt mandatory prior permission of the Gram down by the PLGA on National Highway-30 Sabhas or the people were destroyed by the between Dornapal and Errabore on 6 March PLGA on 26 February. The people of and killed a Special Police Officer (SPO) Harrakoder and Pichhekoder panchayats have travelling in one of the buses. This action was been at the forefront in their opposition. This done in protest against the massacre of ten work of building a 12-km road from Barsur to comrades in Tadpala encounter on 2 March. Kaknar was started only two days back, and was brought to a halt after the PLGA attack. The PLGA launched an attack by After the attack, over 400 police personnel from exploding a mine and then firing upon the Barsur, Mardum and Kaknar camps launched personnel from the 134th Battalion of BSF in a massive attack on the villagers of these tow Kilenar-Maspur forest near Maspur village in panchayats, detained nearly 75 villagers Amabeda area of Kanker district on 7 March. including women and took them to Kaknar They were returning to their camps after camp where they were pressurised to allow the conducting five days of combing operation in construction work. When the people refused the Kiskodo area of Antagarh block. Two to comply, four of them were booked under personnel including an Assistant fabricated charges, arrested and sent to jail. Commandant were killed and four were injured. The PLGA seized a Tor assault rifle Two DRG and one STF jawans were made in Israel along with ammunition injured in an encounter with the PLGA in Barsur area of Dantewada district on 27 Two CISF jawans were critically injured February. in a pressure bomb explosion conducted by the PLGA near Depal under Madded Police Three buses and three trucks were burnt Station on 25 February. down by the PLGA on National Highway-30 between Dornapal and Errabore on 6 March

MIB-37 January - June 2018 75 the PLGA between Korsavalli and Kamal Camp of Sukma district. A Small Action Team (SAT) of the PLGA consisting of three guerrillas attacked and seriously injured Bharatiya Yuva Morcha leader Jagdish Kondra in Bhopalpatnam town of Bijapur in the evening of 26 March merely 150 meters away from the police station. Raising slogans like ‘Maovad Zindabad!’ the SAT guerrillas retreated safely. On 28 March, PLGA retaliated an attack of nearly four hundred paramilitary and policemen coming out of Orccha, Dhanora, Kadenar and Malem camps to forcibly build the Barsur-Dhaula road to facilitate the Arms and ammunition seized in Maspur attack opening of Amdai and Tulad mines. These forces opened fire indiscriminately on a unit and killed a Special Police Officer (SPO) of PLGA near Wahkeli village of Tuswal travelling in one of the buses. This action was panchayat in Narayanpur district. One STF done in protest against the massacre of ten jawan was killed in PLGA’s retaliation. comrades in Tadpala encounter on 2 March. On 2 May, the conveyor belt carrying iron- The PLGA launched an attack by ore from Deposit-5 of NMDC’s Bailadila mines exploding a mine and then firing upon the was burnt down by the PLGA, due to which personnel from the 134th Battalion of BSF in work remained suspended for four days Kilenar-Maspur forest near Maspur village in causing loss of several crores to the company. Amabeda area of Kanker district on 7 March. On 5 May, a Bandh called by the They were returning to their camps after CPI(Maoist) in the states of Central Region conducting five days of combing operation in in protest against the Kasanur-Tumirgunda the Kiskodo area of Antagarh block. Two encounter was observed. On this day, a police personnel including an Assistant jawan was wiped out by a SAT of the PLGA Commandant were killed and four were at Sadak Banjari on the National Highway in injured. The PLGA seized a Tor assault rifle Rajnandgaon, while a district-level leader of made in Israel along with ammunition. Ajit Jogi’s Chhattisgarh Congress was injured. On 13 March, a unit of the PLGA The policeman was a former Maoist who had destroyed drilling machines, generator, surrendered to the enemy in 2011 and was borewell, etc., belonging to the Neco Company helping it pro-actively in conducting anti- used for extracting minerals from Amdai mines Maoist operation in the district. in Narayanpur district of North Bastar PLGA forces including the people’s Division. militia and the masses seized two trucks in Two CAF jawans including an SI were Chintaguppa-Bhejji area carrying provisions critically injured when the red guerrillas blasted for the enemy forces and burnt down the an IED near Ullur village of Bijapur district vehicles on 19 May. under Bhopalpatnam police station on 23 On 20 May, PLGA exploded a landmine March. near Cholnar village targeting a vehicle Five DRG jawans were injured in a PLGA carrying police jawans from Aranpur to blast between Phulbagri and Poga villages of Kirandul in Bijapur district. Six policemen died Kerlapal area, Sukma district on 24 March. on the spot while another was seriously injured who succumbed to his injuries in the hospital. On 26 March, one SI and one policeman The dead included three jawans of District were injured in the mine blast carried out by

76 January - June 2018 MIB-37 Seized material from Cholnar ambush by the PLGA Force and four from the 16th Battalion of the Odisha CAF. PLGA seized two AK-47s, two SLRs, two Insas rifles and a large amount of PLGA fighters set on fire eight vehicles in ammunition from the enemy. the Niyamgiri area of Kalahandi district in The ancestral home of Kanker’s BJP MP Odisha on 10 January. Vikram Usendi at Barrebeda was blasted with Two SOG jawans were seriously injured IED by the PLGA on 23 May, in which it got in a PLGA attack in Nuapada district of reduced to rubble. It is worth noting that the Odisha on 25 February. Bodanar camp of BSF’s 44th Battalion is only Two motorcycle-borne personnel of one kilometre away from the site while an SSB District Police were killed in an IED blast camp is three kilometres away. carried out by the PLGA in Amamora forest One SI of a road opening party of the of Gariaband district in Chhattisgarh that CRPF was killed and one injured in an IED comes under the Nuapada-Mainpur Division blast near Puswada village in Dornapal area of the Odisha State Committee of of Sukma district on 24 May. The same day, a CPI(Maoist). depot belonging to the forest department was burnt down in Mahla area of Rajnandgaon district. Three engines and 22 carriages of a goods train transporting iron-ore from Bailadila was derailed after PLGA removed tracks between Bhansi and Kamalur stations on the KK line in Dantewada district on 24 June, causing a loss of six crores to the railways.

MIB-37 January - June 2018 77 Voices against War on People

Countrywide opposition to the power led by Narendra Modi, inaugurating a more intense phase of Brahmnaical Hindu- arrest of five social activists by fascist oppression throughout the country. branding them ‘urban Naxals’ The activists have been involved in Maharashtra Police arrested five mobilising and leading the masses within the renowned social activists of the country from bounds of the law against the anti-people different cities in a simultaneous operation on policies of the government including the 6 June on fabricated charges by branding them ongoing ‘Samadhan’ plan – the new avatar of as ‘urban Naxals’ and implicating them in the war waged by the Indian ruling classes on cases related to the Bhima-Koregaon incident the people of the country, particularly in the of 1 January this year. The additional case of Adivasi-inhabited parts like Gadchiroli district a so-called conspiracy to assassinate Prime of Maharashtra. The state government have Minister Narendra Modi has also been already been quite perturbed by the heroic imposed on a few of these activists. The real people’s resistance against the mining of reason behind the arrest of activists Sudhir Surjagarh Hills in the district carried out by Dhawale (leader of Republic Panthers and the multinational company Lloyds, and the editor of ‘Vidrohi’ magazine), Surendra arrested social activists have stood in their Gadling (Senior Advocate, Nagpur), Rona support. Similarly, they had protested against Wilson (Public Relation Secretary of CRPP), the brutal massacre of the sons and daughters Prof. Shoma Sen (Head of the English of the people by the government forces in places Department, Nagpur University) and Mahesh like Kasanur-Tumirgunda and took part in Raut (Central Executive Committee member fact-finding visits to expose the lies of the of VVJVA) is that they have been consistent government. In such a context, their arrest is and vocal opponents of the fascist Hindutva nothing but an attempt to gag the democratic forces led by the Sangh Parivar, particularly voices of the country in an authoritarian after its parliamentary wing BJP came to manner as per the direction of the Nagpur

78 January - June 2018 MIB-37 headquarters of RSS, the real power centre of Police forces terrorise the the country whose diktats are duly followed by PM Modi as well as Maharashtra CM masses of Saranda in the name Devendra Fadnavis. of anti-Maoist operations The Sangh Parivar is using the state The paramilitary and police forces of machinery and its various vigilante gangs to Jharkhand launched a massive anti-Maoist impose by force its decadent ideology on the operation in the Saranda forests of West masses and to crush its political opponents and Singhbhum and Goelkera block of Chaibasa critics in a fascist manner. The silencing of districts from 13 April onwards, involving anti-Hindutva intellectuals and public figures several thousands of armed personnel. They like Narendra Dabholkar, Govind Pansare and have fired hundreds of shells from mortars and Gauri Lankesh are some of its instances, to rocket launchers purportedly targeting the the list of which must be added the recent arrest Maoists but creating a reign of white terror in of the five activists under the draconian the region, forcing the predominantly Adivasi UAPA. The Sangh and the governments people from running away from their villages controlled by them are scared by the growing and taking shelter elsewhere. The reactionary organised resistance of the oppressed people government forces also conducted door-to- like the Dalits who openly challenged them door search in the villages looking for Maoists. through ‘Yalgar Parishad’ at Shanivarwada in They are preventing the shopkeepers of the area Pune and the bicentenary celebrations of from selling more than five kilos of rice to the Bhima-Koregaon earlier this year or the armed villagers, suspecting that these would find their resistance of the Adivasis of eastern way to the Maoists. Maharashtra led by the CPI(Maoist). The Hindutva fascists are haunted by the spectre But the fact is that the Adivasi people of of Maoism and other people’s movements the interior areas are suffering due to this rising up against them as a mighty tide. Hence undeclared ban, because they cannot come is the latest crackdown on the country’s frequently to the shops and make do with five democrats and revolutionaries. kilos like the townspeople. The people have also complained that the policemen have set The country’s history has shown that each up temporary check-posts on every path and every assault of Hindutva has been followed coming out of the forests, frisking and by the opposition of the country’s masses and harassing the people, and also keeping the the democratic forces leading them. The arrest sources of water under their control. Their aim of the five social activists too have been widely is to deprive the Maoists of food and water condemned and opposed in the country and and thereby force them to either surrender or abroad by a cross section of the people. Protest die. But this strategy has failed miserably as demonstrations, meetings, petitions and other they have failed to eliminate any Maoists but forms of protest as well a legal struggle for their have only inconvenienced and angered the release has been carried out in several metros, villagers. In fact, it is the government forces cities and towns. Not only democratic, which suffered casualties at the hands of the progressive and secular people’s organisations Maoists when 2 jawans each got injured in IED but even opposition parliamentary parties have blasts and firings on 15 and 20 April come forward to voice their opposition to the respectively. BJP government’s persecution of social workers. This has shown that the BJP-RSS’s attempt to Frustrated that their strategy has failed, muzzle the democratic forces of the country has the enemy forces have arrested many village not succeeded, even though it will take a long heads and other villagers to vent their ire, and arduous struggle to ensure the release of further infuriating the masses. This fascist the five social activists. The struggle must be counter-revolutionary operation under intensified as a part of the countrywide struggle ‘Samadhan’ is a continuation of ‘Operation for the rights of the political prisoners and their Anaconda-1’ of 2011 and ‘Operation unconditional release. Anaconda-2’ of 2012. During these operations

MIB-37 January - June 2018 79 too, the police terrorised the masses and Naturally, socially conscious and committed large-scale atrocities. The people of responsible activists like Damodar Turi have the area have called for a stop to this campaign been at the forefront in politicising and of state terror under the garb of curbing mobilising the masses to oppose these Maoism. measures. So the government is singling out, targeting and persecuting such persons under some pretext or the other. It is significant that Arrest of anti-displacement just a few months before his arrest, the activist Damodar Turi opposed notorious DGP of Jharkhand DK Pandey had falsely accused in a press conference that Various democratic and people’s rights Damodar Turi was the main coordinator organisations of Jharkhand and other parts behind MSS, thereby preparing the ground for of the country have come out strongly his arrest. Moreover, the ‘Annual Report’ of opposing the framing and arrest of Damodar the Union Home Ministry had maliciously Turi, a well-known anti-displacement activist identified VVJVA and MSS as ‘frontal of Jharkhand and a leader of Visthapan organisations’ of the CPI(Maoist), clearing Virodhi Jan Vikas Andolan (VVJVA). the way for their persecution. It is clearly a Jharkhand Police arrested him on 15 February part of the Indian government’s fascist war from Ranchi on cases related to the trade on people extended to the urban areas. union Mazdoor Sangathan Samiti (MSS) Democratic and civil rights organisations which was banned by the Raghubar Das-led have demanded the withdrawal of cases BJP government last year following the registered against Damodar Turi and his agitation led by it against the fake encounter immediate release, along with the draconian killing of Motilal Baske. FIRs filed against the ban on the MSS and other people’s organisation had named several social organisations. activists working in the trade unions and other social organisations along with over 800 ‘unknown’ persons. Anti-Maoist forces continue It was based on these charges that extra-judicial killings under Damodar Turi has now been arrested, even the garb of encounters though he is neither a leader nor a member of this organisation. It is very clear that using As has been regularly reported in the the FIR and the ban on MSS, the Hindu- last issues of MIB, the use of fake fascist BJP governments at the centre and in encounters as an instrument of war by Jharkhand are trying to gag the democrats, the anti-Maoist government forces to social activists and people’s organisations that eliminate Maoist Party members, PLGA have been leading various movements in the guerrillas and militia members, leaders state. Of late, BJP government have faced the and members of revolutionary mass ire of the people for its anti-people measures organisations, sympathisers of the such as the attempt to amend the Maoist movements and villagers is being Chotanagpur and Santhal Pargana Tenancy continued unabated in spite of protests Acts, to introduce a new Domicile Policy, to by the masses and democratic attract foreign and domestic big capitalists to organisations of the country. We mention the state to plunder its natural resources by a few of such cold-blooded killings causing large-scale displacement, suppressing between January and June 20198 below. the people in the name of fight against On 6 January, government armed Naxalism, and so on. All these measures are forces indiscriminately fired upon youths against the interests of the working people of attending their cattle near Karka village the state, and particularly the Adivasis and of Bijapur district, killing 13-year old other oppressed social sections. village youth Madkam Somaru on the

80 January - June 2018 MIB-37 spot, who was later presented as a Maoist Protest against the killing of killed in an encounter. A youth named Ramkumar Keshav of Koyanvarshe a village youth by the police village in Gardevada Gram Panchayat of Around 200 personnel of joint enemy Etapalli tehsil in Gadchiroli district who forces deployed in Aranpur camp of had gone to the forest with a catapult in Dantewada district combed the area and hand to hunt for birds was shot dead by attacked Gompur, Boddod, Vengur and the paramilitary and police forces on 5 Hiroli villages from 6 to 8 February. During February. Vetti Bhima, a peasant youth this operation, they opened fire upon the of Vengur village in Dantewada district, people and looted their houses. The villagers was forcibly taken from his home and ran away to the forest to save themselves from killed in the nearby forest in a fake this police terror. One such villager Vetti encounter between 6 to 8 February. Bhima, a peasant of Vengur village, was The enemy forces caught, tortured caught by the police from his home in the and killed two PLGA fighters Comrades afternoon of 7 February in the presence of Kunjam Sanni and Madvi Nanda in a fake his mother, took him to Dokapara near Hiroli encounter in Tokanpalli village under village and shot him dead at 5 in the morning Chintaguppa Police Station of Sukma of 8 February. They put Maoist uniform on district on 16 February. Similarly, Bhima, placed a gun beside his dead body and Comrade Kadti Brahmaiyya, a resident took photographs. Later they floated the usual of Vilgudatoli village under Errabore story of an encounter with the Maoists in Police Station in Konta Area of Sukma which they claimed to kill People’s Militia district and the president of the Commander Hunga with a reward of one Panchayat Janatana Sarkar was killed by lakh rupees on his head. the police in a staged encounter. Sonsu Hundreds of enraged villagers protested Mircha Usendi, a resident of Rekhnar against this cold-blooded murder at Kirandul village in Gadchiroli, was set on fire by town and told the media what had actually the notorious C-60 commandos in the happened. Led by the mother of Bhima forests of Gummadi Nala on 30 March Mangli Vetti and his wife Maase, more than where he had gone for hunting. He was 300 villagers of Vengur and adjacent villages dragged to the road near Vedampalli and blockaded Kirandul Police Station. They in a half-burnt stage and shot dead. The refused to receive the dead body, saying that villagers, who got to know about the cases should be first registered against the incident from a few eyewitnesses, went guilty police personnel responsible for the en masse to Gadchiroli and recovered the murder and they be suspended from their jobs body through their protest at the police with immediate effect. Dantewada SP headquarters. Kamallochan Kashyap threatened the On 4 April, Dandakaranya Adivasi agitating villagers with arrest unless they Kisan Mazdoor Sangh (DAKMS) accepted the dead body and went away, but member Oyam Manglu of Parasmudur the villagers continued their protest village of Bhairamgarh Area in Bijapur undaunted, calling for an end to the brutal district was killed in a fake encounter. method of eliminating Adivasis in fake Over four hundred villagers including his encounters. They ended their agitation and relatives protested in Bijapur town received the body only after the police against this killing and forced the police changed the name of the deceased in the to hand over the dead body. They official records from Hunga to Vetti Bhima brought back the body to the village and and the cause of death as gunshots in place conducted the last rites as per of encounter. revolutionary tradition.

MIB-37 January - June 2018 81 Opposition to the torture of been arrested by the police for being associated with the alleged ‘Maoist gathering’ has been a 15-year old Adivasi girl in acquitted by the court, driving one more hole illegal police custody into the police’s claims. The inconclusive state of the ongoing enquiry proves that it was Social organisations of Bastar filed a instituted in the first place to save the culprits complaint in the Chhattisgarh Commission rather than to identify and punish them, and for the Scheduled Tribes recounting the illegal that the oppressed masses cannot rely on the detention of a 15-year old girl of Veccha village exploitative government but their own united in Kondagaon district by the police over a strength to bring the guilty to book and justice week by the police. Kondagaon Police had to the victims. picked her up early in the morning of 23 January 2018 from her home on allegation of being a Maoist aide and kept her in the police Mercenary government forces camp in illegal detention, during which she was tortured and sexually assaulted. According to burn down Janatana Sarkar the police, the girl had been involved in Maoist school in Bastar activities for the last five years, or from the time she was ten years of age! This police story and During a massive anti-Maoist operation its act of keeping her in detention and torture conducted between 5 and 9 January this year, have been opposed by the social organisations. the joint forces comprising of paramilitary and On receiving the complaint, the Commission police forces committed atrocities on the has issued an order to the Collector of Bastar people of West Bastar under the ongoing district asking for a report into the incident. ‘Samadhan’ counter-revolutionary plan. As a part of this, these mercenary forces burnt down a residential school run for poor Adivasi No progress in enquiry into children by West Bastar Divisional Krantikari Janatana Sarkar (Revolutionary People’s Sarkenguda massacre even Committee). The school was built and run by after five years the collective effort of the masses of the Division under the leadership of their people’s The paramilitary forces had mowed down government and with the assistance of the 17 villagers including seven minors of Maoist Party. In fact, it is the people who look Sarkenguda, Morpalli and Rajupenta villages after the needs of the school through of Bijapur district in Chhattisgarh when they contribution of labour, including providing had gathered for a traditional festival in the round-the-clock security from the police by night of 28 June 2012. Though the government doing sentry duty. Before the police arrived to forces claimed that it was a ‘Maoist gathering’ attack the school, the people took the young and the persons killed were all Maoists, the lie students and their teachers to the safety of the was exposed by the people of the village forest and kept them away from the hands of including the eyewitnesses and survivors who the enemy. recounted the massacre to the media and fact- finding teams. The protests that erupted after The government troops treated the school the massacre in different parts of the country as an enemy property and did not spare even forced the government to order a judicial the textbooks, blackboards, warm winter enquiry by a one-man enquiry commission. clothes of the young children and other But even after five years have gone by, the rudimentary material with which the school enquiry still drags on and the commission is was run. This is an example of the attitude of yet to submit its findings. In fact, the the reactionary Indian government towards the government has once again extended the term education of Adivasi children – first it closed of the enquiry by another six month late last down 75 government schools in Bijapur year in an attempt to further delay the process. district alone in the name of ‘rationalisation’, During this period, the two villagers who had and now it destroys even the minimum

82 January - June 2018 MIB-37 opportunity for education built up by the heinous designs frustrated, the policemen people themselves, thereby snatching away the beat up the women mercilessly, in which 33 right of the Adivasi children to basic of them were injured. But undaunted by the education. The government has often claimed beating, the women went to Gangalur Police that 35,000 Adivasi children have abandoned Station, gheraoed it and vocally protested school education due to ‘Maoist violence’. But against the detention of their fellow villagers the heinous act of burning down a functioning and demanded their immediate release. They school by the police forces clearly expose the ended their protest only after they compelled fact that it is the India n ruling classes who are the police to release all the detainees. actually responsible for depriving Adivasi After the PLGA eliminated an anti- children from education and keeping them people contractor Vishal Sarvaiya of Bijapur illiterate. The people of Bastar are indignant on 19 March, the paramilitary and police at this outrageous act by the police forces and forces attacked the surrounding villages in an have vowed to rebuild the school so that the act of revenge, beat up many villagers and took children can resume their studies at the earliest. away 13 persons forcibly with them alleging them to be Maoist sympathisers. They were Fighting masses free villagers held in illegal custody in Bijapur Police Station and tortured. Protesting this, over 500 from the clutches of the police villagers from Kotpal, Tumnar, Pedakodepal and Musalur demonstrated in front of the Government armed forces picked up three Collector’s office at Bijapur town demanding residents of Indur village in Pratappur area the release of the detained persons. They of North Bastar on 3 January, took them to a exposed the conspiracy of the police to brand BSF camp at Sangam village and beat them villagers as Maoists by daringly speaking up up mercilessly during the first three days and through the media. continued their illegal detention for another two days. The enemy forces were compelled to release the three of them only after the Women protest agianst anti- agitated villagers and their family members struggled incessantly for the five days at the Maoist forces committing camp. atrocities in Maad In the same month, two villagers of Anti-Maoist joint forces from Muttentod under Adnar Gram Panchayat in Narayanour district headquarters combed Narayanpur district were thrashed by the Idwai, Adder and Alweda panchayats under mercenary armed forces and kept them under Indravati Area of Maad Division, illegal detention at Udanpur camp. They Chhattisgarh in the first week of January. Four could be freed only after the people of the area more batches of police personnel despatched strongly protested against it. from Bijapur district covered Kolnar, Palli, A joint force of more than 1,500 Bodga, Takilod and Rekhwahi villages of the policemen consisting of CRPF, STF and same Area at the same time. The operation DRG stationed in Dantewada and Bijapur continued for three days, during which a reign districts attacked many villages of Gangalur of terror was unleashed on the Adivasi Area including Mankeli, Gompur, Pumbad, villagers. But they had to face the stiff resistance etc. during an operation from 14 to 19 of the masses at several places. When one of February. They fired upon the people the police batches reached Padkapara, they indiscriminately, looted their property, ordered the women of the village to give them detained several villagers and tried to rape a rice, chicken, utensils, etc. (the men of the young girl of Pidiya village. But the women village had run away to the forest while of the village got together, confronted the women, elderly and children were left behind). police forces valiantly and managed to rescue But the women firmly refused to give anything the girl from their clutches. Seeing their to these mercenary forces, due to which they

MIB-37 January - June 2018 83 had to leave the village empty stomach. spot and injuring 11 year old student Madkam Similarly, when in Takilod village the police Boti. Somaru and Boti had gone to the forest caught a youth and were taking him away, his in search of their cattle when police and mother fought with them and even beat up one paramilitary forces combing the forest fired on of the police jawans. In this way, she managed them indiscriminately, killing Somaru on the to get her son released. When these forces were spot and injuring Boti grievously. The police returning after three days, they caught four officials later claimed that they had killed a women of Utla village, two women from Maoist in an encounter, but this fiction was Bodga village and a man from Rekhwahi refuted by Boti who said that no Maoist was village and took them to Narayanpur town. present at the site. The villagers got together and went to Enraged by this killing, hundreds of Bhairamgarh Police Station to get their fellow people from the villages including a large villagers released where they protested for three number of women led by the dead youth’s days. When they got to know that the detained mother Madkam Tumdi blockaded Gangalur persons were kept in Narayanpur, they went Police Station in Bijapur. Later they also there too and got the detainees released through forced the police to hand them over the dead their struggle. The women participated in it in body and conducted the last rites in his village. large numbers and were at the forefront in this The mothers of the deceased and injured struggle. youths along with some other villagers also filed a petition in the High Court at Bilaspur Protest against killing of with the help of civil rights organisations demanding punishment of the policemen teenager Madkam Somaru responsible for the fake encounter. in police firing Between 5 and 9 January, nearly 1,200 Girl students protest against jawans of CRPF, DRG and STF forces from harassment by BSF jawans Dantewada and Bijapur attacked Pumbad, Pidiya, Karka, Tumnar and Gompur villages The jawans of 114th Battalion of BSF under Pidiya LOS Area of Gangalur AC, West at Bande in Kanker district of Chhattisgarh Bastar Division. During this operation, on 7 is located in front of Bande High School January they indiscriminately fired upon and hostel. Girl students of the school and youths attending their cattle near Karka village, hostel faced continued harassment from the killing 13 year old Madkam Somaru on the BSF jawans while commuting, but the

People of Sawnar protesting against police beating 84 January - June 2018 MIB-37 police refused to register or even of the masses and released the villagers acknowledge their complaints, let alone they had illegally detained. taking any action against the culprits. The Similarly, when the police detained harassment thereby continued unabated three villagers of Kokra on the accusation under the patronage of the police. In the of being Maoist aides on 9 March, the evening of 7 February, BSF jawans women of the village came forward to get harassed a girl student coming from them released. The three villagers attending tuition finding her alone. including a minor were detained by the Infuriated, the students and the principal jawans of CRPF’s 85th Battalion stationed of the school brought this daily harassment at Pamalwaya in Bijapur district when they before the people by talking publicly had come for some work. They took the through the media and declared that they three to the camp, interrogated and kept would take up an agitation if the police did Aitu Korsam and Chotu Modium under not register their complaint and take illegal detention while releasing the minor. prompt action. When the women of the village got the The BSF officials, on the other hand, news, they all came to Bijapur town and denied these complaints outright and in a sat in dharna in front of the police bid to cover up their guilt, called it an headquarters demanding the release of the attempt on the part of the Maoists to detained villagers. Some policewomen on malign the paramilitary forces. But this did duty even attacked them and beat them up not cut any ice on the agitated girl students. in an effort to break up the protest, due to Finally, under pressure from the students, which one pregnant protestor became teachers, parents and the school unconscious and had to be admitted in the management, the police was forced to hospital. The protestors vociferously register an FIR on 12 February 2018 and condemned the highhandedness of the promise action against the guilty BSF police and its utter disdain for the people jawans. But it is quite clear that the police demanding justice. are in no mood to bring them to book on their own, and it is not police action but the pressure of people’s agitation that alone Villagers oppose beating by can keep the mercenary government forces paramilitary during anti- under leash. Maoist operations The villagers of Sawnar and Todka in People get fellow villagers Gangalur area of Bijapur district, released through protest Chhattisgarh, have accused the paramilitary forces of beating them up with Nearly 500 villagers from Tumnar of sticks and rifle butt during a combing Bijapur district blockaded the Collector’s operation by the paramilitary forces on 1 office at the district headquarters on 22 June 2018. They complained through the March against the detention of 13 persons media that policemen beat up brutally 15 from their village for their alleged Maoist villagers including nine minors of the two activities. The villagers said that they were forcibly brought and detained for no reason villages on the suspicion of helping the labelling them as Maoist sympathisers. Maoists. Five students who had come on After registering their protest before the vacation also bore the brunt of the Collector and submitting a memorandum, mercenary forces and had to seek medical the people went to the police station to treatment in hospital. The government demand the release of the villagers. forces remained stationed in Sawnar for Finally, the government and its police were four days and terrorised the villagers with forced to bow before the resilient struggle their presence.

MIB-37 January - June 2018 85 Adivasi activists protest the two women activists do not have to undergo any kind of intimidation or action that is threats by government’s detrimental to their right to life, liberty and armed forces dignity. This order is a recognition of the patently illegal methods used by the police and Two Adivasi civil rights activists – paramilitary forces in Maoist movement areas Sunita Pottami (20 yers) and Munni Pottami to stifle the voices against its fascist war on (19 years) of Korcholi village under Gangalur people and the crimes committed against the Police Station in Bijapur district in masses as a part of it. The democratic and Chhattisgarh – have been facing continuous progressive forces of the country need to stand threats from the police and paramilitary forces firmly with the two Adivasi activists and ever since they dared to raise issues of civil ensure that no harm is done to them in any rights violation by these forces in Bastar. The manner. Attacks on Soni Sori and other social two of them had filed a petition in the Bilaspur activists of Bastar in the past point to the fact High Court in 2016 against six fake encounters that the Indian ruling classes and its armed in Bijapur district. They have been targeted by lackeys can go to any extent to crush the voices the police since then. But undaunted by such of dissent unless prevented by the united effort threats, they had been at the forefront in of the masses. organising the villagers, and particularly the women, in opposing acts of state violence and violation of the civil rights of the masses by 1.5 lakh Adivasis of South the anti-Maoist forces, the latest being the Bastar migrated due to state beating up of a large number of women by the police in December 2017. At that time, Sunita terror, alleges Opposition and Munni led a large number of women victimised by the police to Bijapur police , the main headquarters and lodged complaints against parliamentary opposition party in BJP-ruled the culprits and also daringly talked to the Chhattisgarh has said that over one and a half media, thereby bringing to light the brutal lakh Adivasis of South Bastar including atrocities of the police that they want to keep Sukma district have been forced to migrate to under wraps. After this, on 27 December, other states due to the continued state officers of police and paramilitary forces repression. This was stated by the Deputy separately threatened them with arrest under Leader of the Opposition in Chhattisgarh fabricated Maoist charges if they did not stop Assembly and Sukma MLA Kovasi Lakma in raising their voice and mobilising the masses a press conference held on 13 January at against the police. Bijapur SP NK Ahire and . He said that state violence carried ASP Mohit Garg told them that the police are out by the government armed forces has facing a lot of difficulties due to the PIL filed become one of the biggest problems for the by them in Bilaspur and alleged that they were masses of the region, be it in the form of fake complicit with the Maoists. encounters or arrests under fabricated Maoist cases. Lakma promised that if his Party came Following these direct threats, Sunita to power in the next assembly elections, it will and Munni personally approached the withdraw all the fake cases registered against National Human Rights Commission the people during the BJP government. (NHRC) on 10 January 2018 and reported about the danger they are facing to their safety. Though Lakma and other leaders of Hearing their plea sympathetically and taking the opposition are compelled to raise genuine note of the serious nature of the threat, NHRC issues of the masses of the Maoist movement passed an order the next day directing of DGP areas for their own electoral benefit under Chhattisgarh to personally enquire into the people’s pressure, they are hardly any better complaint. It also asked him to issue than the ruling party in addressing or resolving appropriate orders to the police officers so that them. One cannot ignore the fact that it was Congress at the centre that guided the

86 January - June 2018 MIB-37 launching of fascist extermination campaigns policemen should be punished after high-level like Salwa Judum, Sendra and Operation enquiry, the kin of the deceased should be Green Hunt in the past, resulting in the given a compensation of Rs.25 lakhs each and displacement of lakhs of Adivasi people. So it government job and the cost of their children is to be seen how genuine Lakma and his party should be borne by the government. The is on its promise of withdrawing fabricated Samaj also demanded that such incidents cases if Congress comes to power in should be prevented in the future and a Chhattisgarh. permanent solution should be found for the problems raised by the Maoist movement, or else the Adivasi masses would be forced to People’s organisations protest carry out a militant struggle against the against killing of villagers in government in the coming days, the sole fake encounter in MMC responsibility for which would lay with the government. People’s organisations of Chhattisgarh But this is not the first time that the central has strongly raised their voice against the paramilitary forces and the police of killing of two Adivasi villagers Ruplal Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh have Malgam and Rajkumar Kovasi of Khursipar resorted to the killing of Maoist Party village in Dongargarh area of Rajnandgaon members, PLGA fighters and sympathisers in district along with an unarmed Maoist leader fake encounters in a bid to stop the expansion Comrade Gopal Meshram (Azad) on 29 May of the movement under the newly constituted 2018. In petitions addressed to the President Maharashtra-Madhya Pradesh-Chhattisgarh of India and the Chief Minister of (MMC) Special Zone. Several such fake Chhattisgarh, the Adivasi organisation encounters have been carried out particularly Chhattisgarh Sarv Adivasi Samaj has said that in the last two to three years, and this policy the police caught the above-mentioned three has been carried over to this year too. Previous persons while they were bringing water, beat to this killing, on 9 February this year, two them up mercilessly with sticks and later shot full-time Maoist activists Comrades Vinod them dead to present it as an encounter and Sagar were caught unarmed near Borla between the anti-Maoist forces and the red village under Gatapara Police Station of guerrillas. The dead bodies were then taken to Rajnandgaon district, brought to the police Rajnandgaon town and post-mortem was station, severely beaten and killed, following done without informing the family members, which the usual story of an encounter was villagers or even the local government circulated. The killing of Comrade Azad and functionaries in a bid to cover-up the fake two villagers is the latest in this series of fascist encounter. Even though the villagers were assassinations. never associated with any Maoist-related activities, the anti-Maoist police and paramilitary forces killed them tempted by out- Opposition to illegal detention of-turn promotions and cash rewards, the and arrests in Odisha organisation noted. The members of the organisation The police in Odisha are resorting to complained that if the persons had violated illegal detentions, torture and arrest of people any law as per the police, the latter should have alleging them to be working for the Maoists. arrested them and presented before the court Following an encounter between the police and of law to initiate legal proceedings against Maoist guerrillas on 25 February 2018, the them rather than eliminating them extra- police picked up 19-year old Sumitra Dhruva judicially. They demanded that re- of Kodripani village under Bhainsadani postmortem of the dead bodies should be Panchayat of Nuapada district from Boden conducted to ascertain whether the deceased Bazaar the next day along with another person were killed due to beating or firing, the guilty continued on p.103

MIB-37 January - June 2018 87 Odisha State Committee protests the brutal killing of Maoist cadres in fake encounters

State repression on the Maoist movement is going on at an intense level in Odisha, oe of the forms of which is the regular killing of leaders and cadres of the Party and villagers by the government forces in fake encounters. On 12 May this year, Comrades Sevak, secretary of Gobra Area Committee was killed in ths way by CRPF and SOG in Ravangdih village of Garaband district in Chhattisgarh, while Comrades Sanjeev and Rakesh were killed extra-judicially in Dudkimal forest on 13 May. Protesting against these killings, Odisha State Committee of CPI(Maoist) called upon the people to observe bandh on 4 June in Dhamtari, Gariaband, Balangir, Bargarh and Mahasamund districts. The following is a translation of the press release issued on the occasion.

Dear people and the democratic intellectuals, The central and state governments are displacing the people on a large scale in order to hand over the natural resources of the country to the imperialists and big capitalists under ‘Make in India’. Against this, our Party is organising and leading the masses to establish their rights over jal-jangal-zameen. That is why the reactionary government is unleashing brutal repression on our Party and the masses. On 12 May, the police caught Comrade Sevak in Ravangdih village in Gobra Area of Gariaband district, tortured and killed him in a fake encounter. On 13 May, CRPF and SOG forces attacked our squad in Dudkimal forest of Bolangir district and killed Divisional Committee Member Comrade Sanjeev while Area Committee Member Comrade Rakesh was caught alive and shot dead. The same day five of our comrades were shot dead in the forests of Kandhamal. The killer policemen were congratulated by CM Naveen Patnaik and Home Minister Rajnath Singh. The ruling classes and their agents are celebrating any loss to the Maoist Party which has become a hurdle to the unhindered handing over of the country’s rich natural resources to imperialists and big capitalists. The mercenary forces of the government are attacking not only the Maoist activists and guerrillas but also the masses. They illegally detained, tortured and raped a woman in Kodripen village of Bhainsadani panchayat of Nuapada district. Government employee and malaria worker of Bhainsdani village Sukalsai Pahadia was ‘disappeared’ by the police after calling him to Boden Police Station. He is missing for the last one month. They are lying to the family members that he was never called by them to the police station. A few more people from the area have been arrested and sent to jail to establish a reign of terror. The people who have no connection with the Maoist movement too are being targeted for the same purpose. We call upon the broad masses and the democrats to observe bandh on 4 June in Dhamtari, Gariaband, Balangir, Bargarh and Mahasamund districts against the fascist attacks by the government forces on the Maoists and the people under ‘Samadhan’ counter-revolutionary plan. Condemn the continued attacks on the revolutionary movement in the interest of the imperialists and the exploitative ruling classes. Oppose the killings, arson, loot, arrests, illegal detention, atrocities on women and other forms of state terror. Recalling that there is no liberation without struggle, join the revolutionary struggle for resolving the basic problems of the masses

Chakra Bisoi Spokesperson Odisha State Committee CPI(Maoist)

88 January - June 2018 MIB-37 People’s Struggles

Dalits and the progressives day which was fought on 1 January 1818. The successful organisation of the ‘Yalgaar challenge the neo-Peshwai Parishad’ which brought the Dalits, Muslims through ‘Yalgaar Parishad’ and the democratic-progressive forces on a single platform on such a large scale after a On the eve of the bicentenary of the Battle long while and threw an open challenge to the of Koregaon on the River Bhima near Pune RSS-BJP had already enraged the Hindutva where several Dalit soldiers of the British brigade. So they planned to disrupt by using Indian Army died fighting the Peshwa Army, all means the even bigger programme of the the Dalit and progressive organisations of commemoration of the bicentenary of the Maharashtra held a massive public gathering Battle of Koregaon the next day with the called ‘Yalgaar Parishad’ at the Shaniwarwada active support of the government, police and Fort (the seat of the Peshwa rulers) on 31 administrative machinery. As nearly three December last year. The gathering sent a strong lakh Dalits from across Maharashtra were message to the oppressed people of coming to Bhima-Koregaon, they were Maharashtra to unite against the neo-Peshwai attacked violently at Sirur, Chakan and other of the RSS-controlled BJP governments and places by Hindutva gangs carrying sticks, rods, the entire Brahmanical Hindu-fascist Sangh tridents, sharp-edged weapons, cooker bombs, Parivar, which is unleashing a reign of terror etc. under the leadership of ringleaders like against Dalits, Muslims, Adivasis, women, the Bhide, Milind Ekbote and other democratic individuals and organisations of close RSS affiliates. Even before the the country and all other oppressed social programme could commence, the Dalit sections. participants were violently dispersed with ‘Yalgaar Parshad’ was the curtain raiser many sustaining injuries, as the police to the commemoration of the bicentenary of remained mute spectators complicit in the the Battle of Koregaon by the Dalits the next crimes of the fascist goons.

MIB-37 January - June 2018 89 Dalits protest in the streets of Mumbai on the daylong Maharashtra bandh on 4 January

This attack is a blatant attack on the Mumbai to a standstill. A Dalit student Yogesh democratic right of the Dalits to commemorate Prahlad Jadhav was killed in police lathi-charge the death of those whom they consider as on protestors in Nanded district. Rail and road martyrs in the fight against the Manuvadi rule traffic remained suspended, prohibitory orders of the Peshwa rulers and against the were imposed and internet service was shut Brahmanical caste-system itself. It is a heinous down during the bandh. After a long time attempt to violently crush the political Maharashtra witnessed such a massive and assertion of the Dalits and other oppressed widespread mobilisation of the Dalits in a sections by the most virulent advocates of united struggle against the government. It has modern-day casteism in the country – the sent a clear message to the ruling classes and Sangh Parivar. Ever since Dr B R Ambedkar their most loyal servants the BJP-RSS that the started the tradition of remembering the battle Dalit masses are no longer ready to take casteist by visiting the site of the column raised to the repression and humiliation by lying low and memory of those killed in the battle in 1927, will respond with militant united resistance. Dalits of Maharashtra have been paying their This struggle now needs to be carried forward homage there on 1st January every year. The as a part of the broader countrywide united significance of the commemorations this year fight against Brahmanical Hindu-fascism. was much more as it was the bicentenary of Though the Maharashtra government has the battle. Though the Hindutva forces had assured punishment of the culprits responsible never dared to disrupt the programme in the for the Bhima-Koregaon violence under past, this time they were emboldened to carry pressure from the enraged Dalit protestors, it out a pre-planned attack this year by the is unlikely that they will be brought to book presence of BJP governments at the centre and unless compelled by sustained mass struggle. the state on the one hand and the direct While Milind Ekbote was arrested, he was soon challenge to their authority posed by the Dalits released on bail, while Sambhaji Bhide is yet and the progressive forces through ‘Yalgaar to be even arrested. Moreover, the Sanghi Parishad’ on the other. forces have already started using the ploy of The Dalits protested militantly throughout pointing at the Maoists – and particularly the Maharashtra against the Hindutva-fascist so-called ‘urban Naxals’ – for organising the violence at Bhima-Koregaon, demanding ‘Yalgaar Parishad’ and the bicentenary immediate action against all the culprits commemoration of Bhima-Koregaon in a bid including Bhide and Ekbote. On 3 January, a to divert attention from their own culpability Maharashtra bandh was successfully organised in attacking the Dalits. Following their cue, on the call of over 250 Dalit organisations Maharashtra Police booked youth leaders which brought large parts of the state including Jignesh Mevani and Umar Khalid for

90 January - June 2018 MIB-37 participating in ‘Yalgaar Parishad’, raided the The Act, legislated by the Congress houses of a number of social activists in government in 1989, was an outcome of a different parts of the country by branding them prolonged struggle particularly by the Dalits as ‘urban Naxals’, and arrested five of them of the country against caste atrocities in June by falsely implicating them in cases committed by dominant-caste elements often related to Bhima-Koregaon. The Dalits as well related to the ruling classes. It was a bi-product as the progressive-democratic forces of of the struggle against heinous massacre of Maharashtra and the country need to strongly Dalits in Kilvenmani, Tsunduru, condemn and come out in protest against these Karamchedu, Kambalapalli, Shankarbigha, machinations of the Sangh Parivar and its Bathani Tola, Laxmanpur Bathe, and many governments to suppress the emerging united other places in different parts of the country, struggle of the people of the country against which forced the government to legislate a Hindutva-fascism. special law addressing atrocities, humiliation, and other caste-based crimes against Dalits and Adivasis. Though this Act introduced some Massive countrywide protest stringent provisions against the perpetrators of against dilution of SC/ST Act caste violence, the ruling classes and their governments have ensured that conviction In an extremely reactionary step, the under this Act remain less than 2% during the Supreme Court on 20 March passed a last three decades after its enactment (it has judgment whereby it substantially diluted the come down further in 2016, when the provisions of the SC/ST (Prevention of conviction rate was a mere 1.4% for SCs and Atrocities) Act 1989 in a bid to protect the 0.8% for STs). This is at a time when the ‘upper’-caste perpetrators of Dalits and recorded instances of caste atrocities against Adivasis from immediate and effective the Dalits are continually on the rise. Even this prosecution. According to the judgment namesake piece of legislation has now virtually pronounced by the bench of U U Lalit and been done away with by the Supreme Court, Adarsh Kumar Goel, FIR under the Act can proving once again that the state institutions only be filed after a preliminary enquiry to are fast abandoning even their formal neutrality verify the veracity of a complaint, the accused and independence under the Brahmanical named in the FIR under this Act need not be Hindutva-fascist Modi rule in serving the arrested within 24 hours as was the case earlier, interests of the dominant social sections. It is arrests can only be made after prior permission worth noting that Lalit and Goel were is taken from a ‘competent authority’, and the appointed SC judges in July 2014, months accused can avail anticipatory bail. All these after Modi government had assumed office. As amendments under the excuse of preventing an advocate, Lalit had represented BJP the misuse of the Act and protecting the president Amit Shah in the Shohrabuddin ‘innocents’ have left the Act completely Sheikh and Tulsiram Prajapati fake encounter toothless, effectively burying it as a tool for cases where Shah was a prime accused. In Dalits and Adivasis in their struggle for justice. diluting the SC/ST Act, both the judges have It presumes that complaints of caste-based acted as henchmen of the Sangh Parivar and crimes are prone to be false and malicious, the reactionary social forces it represents. unless declared otherwise by the authorities. The Dalits and Adivasis throughout the No wonder, the victims of caste violence and country rose up militantly against this blatant discrimination and humiliation can hardly attack on their legal right. The uproar of expect the country’s Brahmanical and casteist protest grew louder and culminated in a administrative and judicial system to allow countrywide bandh jointly called by Dalit, speedy prosecution of the perpetrators and Adivasi and democratic organisations on 2 deliver justice. It rarely happened even when April against the judgment. During the the Act was in full force; now that it has been successful bandh, over 12 protestors – mostly watered down, the probability of it has all but Dalits – were killed in police firing and attacks vanished.

MIB-37 January - June 2018 91 by Hindutva goons. CPI(Maoist) too called for of Bastar (refer to the back issues of MIB for the observance of a protest day in Telangana reports on this struggle). and Dandakaranya on 25 April. Due to the After chasing away the Tatas, the people powerful agitation, the Modi government was concentrated their struggle for getting back the forced to file a review petition after much dilly- land from which they were fraudulently dallying on 2 April challenging the judgment. dispossessed, since even after the Tatas were The reluctance of the central government is ousted, the government refused to give back understandable, given its arch anti-Dalit the land acquired for the project to its rightful Brahmanical Hindutva ideology and its owners. The people are using peaceful means dominant-caste social base. In fact, the of protest such as dharnas and rallies at the government is equally guilty in the tearing district headquarters Jagdalpur raising their down of the Act, as it refused to strongly legitimate demands for land and oppose the reactionary measures of dilution compensation for the loss incurred in the last during the hearing. Not the goodwill of the twelve years. This year too they have continued Modi government but the united struggle of the struggle by raising slogans like “We will take the masses alone that can save the Act from back the right over our land!”, etc. They have becoming redundant and reinstate it in its also declared that the movement will be original shape. intensified in the coming days if the BJP governments in the state and at the centre failed The people of Lohandiguda to fulfil their demands. fight for their land People oppose efforts Thousands of peasants of ten Gram Panchayats in Lohadiguda block of Bastar to reopen korandam district have been struggling to get back their mines in Bijapur land which was forcibly taken away by the government to set up an iron smelting factory. Three blocks of high-grade korandam In 2005, Raman Singh-led BJP government granite mines had been in operation by the had snatched 10,000 acres of fertile agricultural Chhattisgarh Mineral Development land from them and handed over to one of the Corporation (CMDC) near Kachnur village of largest comprador bourgeois companies of the Bhopalpatnam tehsil of Bijapur district, but country, the Tatas, for setting up a steel plant. had to be closed down in 1998 due to a strong The land was captured by the government not people’s resistance led by the Maoist Party. through the mandatory process of taking the Even though illegal mining by smugglers had prior consent of the Gram Sabhas and the continued intermittently and on a small scale peasants as per the provisions for taking over since then, the threat to the people and the Adivasi land under the Fifth Schedule, but by environment due to large-scale mining had conducting fake Gram Sabhas, using the police been averted. Now after two decades, the and private goons to threaten the landowners, CMDC has resumed preparations for by slapping false charges and putting the reopening these mines and has also obtained leaders and active members of the anti- the necessary permission from the government displacement movement in jail, false promises and the mandatory clearance from the of jobs, and such other coercive means. The Ministry of Environment and Forest, which government used all the powers of the state are nothing but servants of the imperialist and machinery to acquire the land, but the Tatas comprador bureaucratic capital. This has put could not take possession of the land or begin the lives of the Adivasi people and the fragile construction of the plant due to the stiff environment of West Bastar already resistance of the masses. Finally after more endangered by the iron-ore mines of Bailadila than ten years of valiant struggle, the Tatas had into graver danger. The people of the area are to abandon the Lohandiguda project in 2016. once again bracing up to resist the opening of It was a great victory for the fighting masses the korandam mines.

92 January - June 2018 MIB-37 Chhattisgarh govt. withdraws This amendment provided that the government or its enterprises would be able to the anti-Adivasi amendments acquire Adivasi land for “developmental to land revenue act work” and “with mutual consent”, and that too through a ‘fast’ and ‘simple’ process. This Raman Singh-led Brahmanical Hindu- was nothing but a fig leaf to make this utterly fascist government of Chhattisgarh got an reactionary and anti-people provision extremely reactionary and anti-Adivasi palatable to the Adivasi masses and to amendment to the existing land revenue act hoodwink them to accept it without demur. passed in the winter session of assembly on 21 This is one more glaring example of the fact December last year amidst widespread that every government in the present opposition. It is similar in its intent and parliamentary system – no matter which purpose to the amendments proposed by the political party is in power – is in the last Modi government to the Land Acquisition Act instance the representative of the big capitalists of 2013, which had failed due to the and the big landlords and serves their class countrywide mass resistance. Failing to alter interests. the land acquisition act at the central level to benefit the big corporations, BJP has been Contrary to the calculations of the attempting to make amendments to such laws corporate-lackey BJP running the government, at the state level wherever it is in power. As per there was a strong opposition to the this conspiracy, the BJP government of amendment from the people across the state, neighbouring Jharkhand had already made particularly in the Adivasi-inhabited areas. amendments to the Chotanagpur Tenancy Act Assessing the non-compromising mood of the 1908 and Santhal Pargana Tenancy Act 1949, people and the upcoming assembly elections, which are being resolutely opposed by the the opposition parties had already started Adivasi masses of the state. protesting against the Bill on the floor of the assembly, whereas the resistance of the people The Raman Singh government in its turn took the form of a movement on the streets introduced Chhattisgarh Land Revenue led by various democratic and people’s (Amendment) Bill 2017 in the assembly, which organisations. Many Adivasi ministers, MLAs brought changes to Article 165 of the and leaders from within the BJP had also legislation originally enacted in 1959. This voiced their displeasure at this step fearing the Article prohibits the buying or selling of backlash from the people, who vented their ire Adivasi land coming under the Fifth Schedule through rallies, meetings, demonstrations, for any purpose or under any pretext (which , burning of the effigy of ministers, and amounts to 65 percent of the state’s territory), other forms of protest ever since the bill thereby providing a safeguard against the popularly termed as a “black law” was passed. danger of alienation of tribal land through the DKSZC of the CPI(Maoist) voiced its legal route. But precisely for this reason, this opposition to the bill and extended provision has become a formidable hurdle wholehearted support to the people’s before the foreign and domestic big capitalists movement against it, leading several protest who are eying the vast natural and mineral programmes on its own. Finally, bowing to will resources of the state for private profit at the of the people, the government decided to expense of the masses. As the big corporate withdraw the amendment in a cabinet meeting houses were finding it difficult to acquire the held on 11 January, less than a month of its land of the Adivasis directly or through the passage. This is a major victory for the government because of this provision, Raman oppressed people of Chhattisgarh, particularly Singh government introduced the amendment its Adivasis, who have added another chapter to the act and got it passed through the to their glorious history of militant struggle assembly on the basis of the majority it enjoys against exploitation and oppression. in the house.

MIB-37 January - June 2018 93 Anniversary of Bhumkal Bandh called by CPI(Maoist) rebellion observed in Bastar against displacement observed successfully The 108th anniversary of Bhumkal rebellion that erupted in Bastar against the CPI(Maoist) called a daylong bandh of British colonial rulers in 1910 was observed all Odisha and Chhattisgarh on 25 June 2018 over Dandakaranya on 10 February. Various against forcible displacement of the people social organisations of the Adivasis held a rally by the governments of the two states. This at Jagdalpur – the headquarters of undivided includes government’s attempts to forcibly – to commemorate the martyrs displace the people from Udanti, Sitanadi, of the uprising including its leader Sonabeda, Simlipal, and Satkosia Wildlife Gundadhur, Debridhur and others. A large Sanctuaries under the pretext of wildlife number of Adivasis in their traditional attires protection, Manibhadra and Lower Suktel carrying traditional weapons and beating big dam projects in Odisha, Bodhghat dam drums and other musical instruments coming in Chhattisgarh, proposed mining projects in from faraway places assembled in the town. Niyamgiri, Gandhamardan, Khandwalmali, Speaker after speaker reminded the audience Kudrumali, Sijumali and tens of other hills of the glorious history of the Adivasis in inhabited by the Adivasi people, fighting against oppression and said that the displacement due to plants by multinational present rulers too have failed to understand and companies like Posco in Jagatsinghpur address their aspirations much like the British district, and so on. rulers over a hundred years back. They complained that the government had failed to It is to be noted that the people have been honour the memory of the Adivasi fighters for resisting for the last several years attempts justice who made supreme sacrifice in the by the governments to displace them from struggle for the cause of the people. their ancestral land for setting up these mines, dams, power plants, river-linking projects, The meeting demanded that Gundadhur highways, railways and other large and other martyrs of Bhumkal be given the infrastructural projects or in the name of status of freedom fighters, a public holiday be wildlife sanctuaries, reserve forests, etc. In declared on 10 February or the Bhukmal Day, places where CPI(Maoist) is working, it is the statue of Bastar ruler Praveer Chandra leading or actively supporting these people’s Bhanjdeo who was martyred fighting the resistance movements. Indian state be erected, the places of historic importance connected to the rebellion like the The people of the two states affected or place where Gundadhur and others were threatened by displacement therefore hanged be preserved, a museum for preserving responded to the bandh and it was the memory of the uprising be built, and so implemented successfully. National on. A memorandum containing these Highway-130 connecting Chhattisgarh and demands was forwarded to the Governor. The Odisha was blocked at several places by revolutionary organisations including the felling trees to implement the bandh, due to CPI(Maoist) too organised meetings which traffic remained suspended on this commemorating Bhumkal rebellion the same busy road for over 15 hours. Similarly, road day in different parts of Dandakaranya with and railway traffic, government the participation of the people. Homage was establishments, markets, etc. remained paid to the martyrs of the historic people’s closed in the areas of the two states where movements like Bhumkal and the ongoing the Maoist movement has its presence. revolutionary movement in India and pledge was to taken to fulfil their dreams by advancing the true inheritor of the Bhumkal rebellion – the Indian new democratic revolution.

94 January - June 2018 MIB-37 Maharashtra government Gadchiroli against Surjagarh project, it is likely that the BJP government and the Lloyds working as agents of Lloyds Company will not find it easy to forcibly ignoring people’s protests acquire the land and set up the factory in the coming days. Devendra Fadnavis-led BJP government of Maharashtra is colluding with the multinational Lloyds and Metals Company to Peasant movement forces excavate the Surjagarh Hills for iron-ore the government to submit mining and to process it in a smelting factory to be constructed nearby, in spite of the fact in Maharashtra that the predominantly Adivasi inhabitants of Gadchiroli have been opposing this project for Nearly fifty thousand poor peasants of years together. Apart from starting extraction Maharashtra brought out a ‘Mahamorcha’ of iron-ore by deploying a ring of paramilitary (‘Grand March’) and walked for six days and police camps around Surjagarh and under covering over 180 kilometres from Nasik to the shadow of police guns for the benefit of Mumbai in the month of March, compelling the Lloyds, the government is now going all the Devendra Fadnavis-led BJP government to out to pave way for the iron-ore smelting concede to their demands at the end of it. factory at Konsari village in Chamorshi tehsil Many peasants walked this distance barefoot, of the district, not far away from Surjagarh. the severity of which left their feet swollen and bleeding. Undertaking such serious hardship, This will cause double destruction to the they aimed to march up to the state assembly environment of the region severely affecting to highlight their condition and raise their the lives of the people – first, due to the demands. On their way they mobilised public excavation of the hills, and second, due to the opinion in favour of their struggle and won water and air pollution to be caused by the the support of the other working masses and proposed smelting factory. Stooge of the the democratic sections of Maharashtra. At the Lloyds Chief Minister Fadnavis had laid the end of it, on 12 March, they blockaded the foundation stone of the factory in January Maharashtra assembly. The government was 2017, during which the first hectare of land forced to give a written assurance that all their was acquired and the owner was paid demands would be considered and fulfilled in compensation money. But since then, the land a time-bound manner. The demands included acquisition process has slowed down mainly implementation of the recommendations of due to the reluctance of the peasants in parting the Swaminathan Commission and the farm- with their land. After a year of this ceremonial loan waiver schemes, compensation for crop beginning, now the Maharashtra Industrial loss, ensuring the rights of the Adivasi peasants Development Corporation (MIDC) has over forest land, settlement of their claims on intensified the process of acquiring the rest of land under Forest Rights Act 2006, the required 50.29 hectares of agricultural land remunerative price for their products, updating from the peasants under pressure from the of their ration cards, etc. company. To discredit the agitation of the peasants, Though the government and the company Maharashtra CM Fadnavis had earlier are dangling a number of enticements before condescendingly remarked that 95% of the the people like offer of jobs in the factory and marchers were ‘technically’ not peasants but large monetary compensation, etc., the people were only “poor Adivasis”, as if Adivasis are not eager to take the bait. They are worried could not be peasants in terms of their about the loss of a permanent source of livelihood! The revisionist leadership of Akhil livelihood that the land provides and also the Bharatiya Kisan Sabha affiliated to the CPI(M) environmental degradation that will be caused leading the march ensured that the peasants by the setting up of the factory. Given the confined themselves to a few reformist shimmering opposition of the masses of demands and did not adopt any militant form

MIB-37 January - June 2018 95 of struggle to raise them. These leaders were government. By passing these amendments, he satisfied with the vague assurances made by has taken one more step towards clamp-down the BJP government and promptly declared the on the democratic and civil rights of the withdrawal of the agitation. It is unlikely that people. Telangana Joint Action Committee the BJP government – which is an arch enemy and other people’s organisations have strongly of the working people – would keep its condemned this move and demanded that the promises to the peasants and fulfil their genuine TRS government shelve these amendments at demands in the coming days, making more the earliest. militant and sustained struggles to address the dire problems of the peasants inevitable. Glorious people’s struggle forces Vedanta to close down Voices of opposition to copper plant at Thoothukudi Telangana government’s new draconian law The people of Kumareddipuram and adjoining villages abutting Thoothukudi K Chandrashekhar Rao led Telangana (Tuticorin) town of Tamil Nadu had been Rashtra Samithi (TRS) came to power riding protesting peacefully for the last three months on the separate statehood movement in which against Sterlite Industry’s copper smelter plant the masses participated wholeheartedly with near their villages, a subsidiary of the the aspiration of a better future. But after using multinational Vedanta Resources owned by the popular movement as a lever to government British business tycoon Anil Aggarwal. The power, TRS has left no stone unturned to scale of the plant can be imagined from the maintain the status-quo, due to which the fact that it is the largest copper plant in the people’s expectations have been cruelly country and the seventh-largest in the world. betrayed. Behind pro-Telangana rhetoric, TRS has only intensified the anti-people policies of the previous governments of undivided Andhra Pradesh, which include the recent attempt to gag political opponents using the state machinery. One of the latest such measures is the amendments brought by the TRS government to the Sections 506 and 507 of the Indian Penal Code on 25 January. According to the amended provisions, the police can now arrest any person which it thinks has used ‘expletives’ or ‘abusive words’ in public without filing any complaint or taking any order from the court. These provisions which made prior permission of the court for arrest on such crimes mandatory have been removed, giving the police and their political bosses a free hand to use the law against political opponent who dare to criticise the government or the ruling party. The CM had been threatening his parliamentary opposition as well as the members of the state’s democratic organisations with arrest if they did not desist from making allegations against his A policeman in plainscloth shooting at the protestors

96 January - June 2018 MIB-37 Protestors opposing the Sterlite copper plant at Tuticorin The people, mostly fish-workers, were down of Section 144 around the plant was aggrieved that this giant plant has been causing taken by the AIDMK government to thwart environmental havoc, polluting the earth, air the intensifying movement. and water of the area and causing serious On 22 May, armed policemen brutally health hazards, putting their livelihood and the attacked the agitators in a bid to violently break future generations at grievous risk. In fact, the up the struggle when over ten thousand people’s struggle of Tuticorin against the protestors including the aged, women and copper smelter plant is over two decades old, children marched to the District Collectorate as old as the plant itself when it was on the occasion of the “100 Days” of the recent inaugurated by the then CM Jayalalitha in phase of their movement. The police October 1994. But it was forcibly set up at that intimidated, abused and taunted the peaceful time ignoring the people’s opinion, billed as protestors all along the march who were one big step towards industrialisation of the converging on the collectorate for a token state. protest, lathi-charged them and finally opened The agitating people under the banner of fire when the exasperated protestors responded the Federation of Anti-Sterlite Movements by pelting stones. The police, using have recently revived this movement to oppose unjustifiable force in violation of all procedure, the 3,500 crore rupee expansion plan of the shot to kill and cause maximum damage, company covering an area of about 400 acres committing the worst act of police violence in and demanded a closure of the entire plant. the history of the state. At least 13 protestors Led by the people of Kumareddipuram, they including nine at the Collectorate were have been conducting a continuous sitting-in massacred and over 40 were seriously injured protest for over three months, receiving the in this unprovoked firing. wide support of the people of the region and In this way, the government at the behest entire Tamil Nadu. But the central and state of the multinational corporation used the governments acting as the lackeys of the force of arms against unarmed agitators in a company (which holds 36% of the copper blatant display of state terror. Justifying the market-share in the country) had been killing, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister E K criminally ignoring the genuine demands of Palaniswami blamed the protestors for the people and sidestepping all statutory resorting to violence and said that the police provisions to protect the environment. Many were compelled to open fire in “unavoidable coercive measures including the clamping

MIB-37 January - June 2018 97 People overturning an ambulance in front of the government hospital where the killed protestors were brought circumstances” to uphold law and order and Attapadi in Palakkad district of Kerala this prevent the loss of life and property. No doubt, February for ‘stealing’ a few handfuls of rice the police and the government directing it had and coriander powder to placate his hunger. been working to protect the property and The extreme class hatred that the privileged interests of the imperialist Vedanta-Sterlite. hold for the poor, the hungry and the politically Yet, the very next day the determined struggle disenfranchised was in naked display through and heroic sacrifice of the masses made the this incident. It highlighted the historic state government order the closure of the plant oppression and injustice that the Adivasis of citing non-compliance of environmental Kerala have faced at the hands of the dominant norms – the very reason the people were trying sections of the non-Adivasis who have kept to get across to for over three months to no them crushed and downtrodden for centuries. avail. On 29 May, the government cancelled It also depicted the racist nature of the the allotment of land for the proposed discrimination that the Adivasis of Kerala and expansion of the plant. It took the laying down in other parts of the country are subjected to the lives of 13 agitators and scores of injuries by the people of dominant classes and castes to compel the powers that be to concede to their under the influence of Brahmanism and other demand. It is another glorious victory of the ruling-class ideologies of hierarchy and people’s movements of the country against superiority. anti-people and anti-environment big As has been pointed out by the Western corporations along with the governments at Ghats Special Zonal Committee of their service. CPI(Maoist) in a press statement protesting the killing of Madhu, “The incident has exposed Widespread condemnation of the real retrograde face of the Kerala society which boasts of being a progressive society. We the lynching of Adivasi youth call upon all the sufferers to rally together to Madhu in Kerala resist those who perpetrate racial onslaught by beating to death even those who are starving.” Adding one more sordid chapter to the Pointing out the recent death of another incidents of macabre mob lynching Adiavsi named Kandan of Nilambur at the throughout the country in the last few years, a Kozhikode Medical College Hospital due to 27-year old Adivasi youth Madhu belonging denial of treatment, the statement issued by to the tribal hamlet of Kadukumanna was tied, Party Spokesperson Jogi noted that mercilessly beaten and lynched by a mod at “Mainstream political parties in the state,

98 January - June 2018 MIB-37 Protest in Kerala against the lynching of Madhu including the CPM, which nurtures a culture lives even more precarious. Pushed back to of political killings and tramples on human the margins of society and facing daily rights, have been trying to portray such exploitation, oppression and humiliation – atrocities against tribespeople as chance events. of which Madhu’s heinous lynching is but one It is nothing but an attempt to whitewash the example – the Adivasi people have no other recurring attacks against the tribal way out but to fight back by all means. community.” CPI(Maoist) is putting efforts to mobilise The Adivasi masses inhabiting the them in the revolutionary class struggle Western Ghats have been facing an existential against their tormentors so that they can win threat to their lives due to malnutrition, a life with economic independence, political disease, lack of healthcare, etc. as a result of freedom and human dignity. The widespread decades of government apathy. The protest evoked by the killing of Madhu and systematic destruction of their forested the condemnation of the social-fascist CPI(M) homeland by encroachment of mines, government from the progressive forces of plantations, tourism industry, etc. facilitated Kerala must be garnered for the people’s war by successive governments to serve the which alone can liberate the tribal people of interests of the ruling classes has made their the Western Ghats from harrowing incidents like the lynching of Madhu.

“Even a bird needs a nest. How can you force people to move without consultation and without proper settlement? You Deng Xiao-ping also had a nest and what you would do if your nest was destroyed? I welcome the fact that the masses threw stones and waved their hoes as protest.” – Mao Tse-tung to CPC General Secretary Deng Xiao-ping while commenting on 15 November 1956 on a protest by peasants against attempts at forcible displacement by the government for constructing an airport in Henan

MIB-37 January - June 2018 99 News from Behind the Bars

Overcrowding in jail reaches Parliament in the last winter session that this percentage may exceed 300 percent in some serious level in many states districts of these states. According to government data for the year 2015, 4,19,623 Indian jails are overcrowded by more than prisoners are being lodged in 1,401 jails of the 53,000 prisoners, most of whom belong to the country whereas their total capacity is only for poorer classes and socially oppressed 3,66,781 prisoners. Due to the filling of the jails communities who have been put behind bars above their mandated capacity, prison inmates for petty offenses. This well-known fact has are suffering from serious problems of lack of been once again highlighted by a governmental living space, hygiene, healthcare and body itself. A parliamentary committee related wholesome food, etc., the committee noted. to the empowerment of women which undertook a survey of the jails recently have Citing the findings of the National Police found that Chhattisgarh has the highest rate Commission, the parliamentary committee of overcrowding with 233 percent more has remarked that 66% of the imprisonments prisoners than the estimated capacity, followed are ‘unnecessary’. Most of the jail inmates are by Delhi with 226 percent, Meghalaya with 177 entitled to get released on bail or after paying percent, UP with 166 percent and Madhya a fine but failed to do so due to their poverty, Pradesh with 139 percent. The committee has absence of legal aid, etc. In its suggestions to remarked in its report presented to the the Union Home Ministry, the committee

100 January - June 2018 MIB-37 recommended alternative mechanisms to settle Government data reveals the cases of the prisoners lodged for petty widespread filing of fabricated offenses, regularising court hearings, avoiding unnecessary arrests and imprisonment, etc. cases by the police in DK Though the parliamentary committee has Information furnished by Chhattisgarh thrown some light on the true condition of the government in response to RTI queries from a Indian jails in its report and made lawyers’ group in Bastar has revealed that recommendations that may benefit the about 96 percent of all criminal cases filed by majority of the prisoners, it is unlikely that the the police in Dantewada district between 2005 Modi government – or for that matter, any and 2013 has resulted in acquittal by court, government in the centre or the state – would showing the extent of fake charges filed by the take such measures with any seriousness. The police. A large number of these fabricated cases ruling classes, who use the jails as an instrument are related to the Maoist movement. It is in of class rule over the country’s exploited and common knowledge that the police file charges oppressed masses, cannot be expected to take against political activists and villagers after any step favouring the vast majority or bring every revolutionary action by the PLGA and about the urgently necessary jail reforms even other organisations of the CPI(Maoist), falsely if these are recommended by its own bodies. implicating them under a number of criminal It will be compelled to do so only by powerful cases carrying severe punishment. As the struggles of the people inside and outside the government record has itself demonstrated, prisons. hardly any of these charges ever stand judicial scrutiny, ending up in the acquittal of the accused. This does not prevent the police from foisting multiple charges – particularly on

MIB-37 January - June 2018 101 senior political prisoners – to prolong their four years back. The police started to use him incarceration as undertrials to the maximum as a witness and he gave fake testimonies in extent possible. The activists and the Adivasi court from the side of the police in over 300 villagers thereby end up spending years in cases since then, including a large number of prison before their acquittal, while no action Maoist-related offenses. In fact, 25 year old is taken against the police personnel who are Somesh used to visit the court premises of guilty of framing false charges. Jagdalpur almost on a daily basis and thus became a familiar figure known to the judges, advocates and the court officials. But of late ‘Pocket’ police witness speaks he started receiving threats from the accused up against the fraudulence of and their associates against whom he falsely police in Bastar testified in courts, forcing him to open his mouth against the police through the media. It is usual for the country’s police to He complained that while the police used him regularly use fake witnesses to bolster their cases as their ‘pocket’ witness for nearly four years, in courts against the people accused of but has now left him to fend for himself by fabricated charges, but the recent instance of a refusing to provide him security from his youth from Bastar who has been used as a adversaries. ‘witness’ in over 300 cases has revealed the Responding to these complaints, though extent of the crooked methods which the police Bastar Police has denied that it has ever used deploy. A youth named Somesh who works as fake witnesses like Somesh, this episode has a grocery shop owner in Jagdalpur town of once more revealed the true character of the Bastar district in Chhattisgarh has come out Indian judicial system where the police is in the open complaining of a threat to his life, licensed to use any fraudulent means against accusing the police of putting his life into the accused including forged witnesses, jeopardy. particularly in the regions where people’s Somesh has started to supplement his shop movements against the government like the business by working as a police informer about Maoist movement is active. It is common for

102 January - June 2018 MIB-37 the police in Maoist movement areas to arrest is daily increasing in Dandakaranya and other a large number of political activists and the Maoist movement areas with the growing state masses under fabricated charges and then using repression as a part of the government’s false witnesses and manufactured evidence to counter-revolutionary war on people. Now the prove their guilt in court. Democratic and civil government is planning to set up more jails in liberties organisations should raise their voice the region to lock in even larger number of against such wrongful methods used by the prisoners in the coming days. As a part of this, police of the country to persecute political a second jail is being planned at opponents and innocent persons. Bhanupratappur town of Kanker district in North Bastar in the form of a sub-jail in addition to the one already functioning in the New jail coming up in district headquarters. Ten hectares of land has Bastar to incarcerate more already been allotted and Police Housing revolutionaries and people Corporation of Chhattisgarh is given the task of carrying out the construction work. Jails in Bastar region are among the most The reactionary Raman Singh-led BJP heavily filled jails in the country, mostly due to government of Chhattisgarh, which has no the detention and imprisonment of a large qualms about reducing public spending in number of Maoist political activists and providing basic amenities like heath and Adivasi masses by the government with the education and is cutting its budgetary aim of crushing the ongoing revolutionary allocations in public welfare, has no dearth of movement. Detainees and prisoners are thrust funds when it comes to suppressing the people’s into the six jails of Bastar region, some of just struggles using the coercive organs of the which are overfilled by as much as three times. state like its armed forces, courts and jails. But For instance, over 2,000 prisoners are behind these fascist measures will prove to be dismal bars in Jagdalpur Central Prison whereas its failures in weakening the indomitable fighting designated capacity is only of about 600. But spirit of the masses who are no alien to all even this inhuman method is now is becoming forms of state violence and terror including inadequate, as the number of political prisoners prolonged and rigorous jail terms. continued from p.87

Mokran Pahadia of Koimunda village. Both around 30 villagers approached the police were kept in illegal detention for 16 days and asking the whereabouts of Sukalsai, the police were not produced in any court within 24- denied having called him or keeping him in hours of arrest as is mandatory as per the law. their custody. The police also threatened the They were interrogated under illegal detention villagers not raise the issue in public. With this and were pressurised to admit complicity with kind of illegal acts, the police in Odisha and the Maoists even though they had no particularly in Nuapada are terrorising the connection with the CPI(Maoist). people with the aim of weakening the mass Similarly, petty shopkeeper Yusuf Pathan base of the expanding Maoist movement in of Kudupani village in Boyargaon panchayat the state. But rather than weakening the was arrested on 5 March and produced in court fighting spirit of the masses, each of such acts on 8 March allegedly for helping the Maoists. are only unravelling the true character of the Following this, a rural malaria worker in state machinery of the ruling classes before government employment Sukalsai Pahadia of them, making them feel the need of the Bhainsadani village was called to Boden Police revolutionary class struggle even more strongly. Station in Nuapada district on 19 April and This is emboldening them to face all forms of has been missing since then, presumably kept state repression valiantly and put up resistance under illegal detention by the police. When to them.

MIB-37 January - June 2018 103 News from the Counter-revolutionary Camp

44 out 126 ‘Naxal-affected’ Central government approves districts of the country plan for 4,072 mobile towers in declared ‘Naxal-free’ Maoist movement areas

In its recent report submitted in April this On 23 May, the union cabinet chaired by year, the Union Home Ministry has removed PM Narendra Modi approved a proposal to 44 districts out of the category of 126 ‘Naxal- set up 4,072 new mobile towers with a cost of affected’ districts in the country citing 7,330 crore rupees. It will be a part of the reduction in Maoist activities in them. second phase of expansion of telephone Presently 106 districts of 10 states are covered connectivity in the Maoist movement areas of under this category. The number of ‘Severely the country. These towers, which will be Naxal-affected’ districts too has been brought equipped with 4G technology enabling internet down from 35 to 30, the five districts which data unlike the first phase where 2G technology have been reduced belonging to Bihar (Nawada was used, will be set up in 96 ‘LWE-affected’ and Muzaffarpur) and Jharkhand (Dumka, districts spanning across 10 states. These East Singhbhum and Ramgarh). This include 21 towers in Jharkhand, 18 in Odisha, reduction has been claimed by the Modi 14 in Telangana, 16 in Chhattisgarh, 8 in government as a success of its eight-point Andhra Pradesh and Bihar, 5 in West Bengal, ‘Samadhan’ plan adopted in May 2017 as a 3 in UP, two in Maharashtra and 1 in MP. This part of its ‘National Policy and Work Plan’ plan has been billed by Modi government as a against Naxalism started in 2015. At the same step towards ‘empowering’ the people of the time, contradicting its own claim of a revolutionary struggle areas of the country, but reduction in the area of the Maoist movement, are in reality aimed at strengthening the eight new districts including that of the tri- telecommunication network for the junction region of Kerala, Karnataka and government forces conducting counter- Tamil Nadu have been added to the list of revolutionary activities including anti-guerrilla ‘Naxal-affected’ districts. operations in the interior rural areas under ‘Low Intensity Conflict’ (LIC) policy.

104 January - June 2018 MIB-37 False claims of wiping out the same is the case with the number of ‘surrendered’ Maoists, the great majority Maoist movement continue having being staged dramas scripted by the At a joint press conference held on 4 police. The officials were also forced to admit January this year, top officials of the central that this year the government armed forces and state governments including police officers sustained more casualties in 2017 than the posted in Chhattisgarh once again claimed previous two years, with 58 deaths and many that the Maoist movement in the is on the more injured. wane with 60 percent of the area under the All these demonstrate that there is no basis movement has been already made ‘Naxal-free’. in reality for these claims and these are nothing These officers including Additional Chief but white lies of the central and state Secretary of the Union Home Ministry BGR governments. Such false claims can neither Subhramanyam, DGP AR Upadhyay and demoralise the fighting masses and their Special DG (Naxal Operations) DM Avasthi revolutionary organisations nor can they boost also claimed that the remaining 40 percent too the sagging morale of the mercenary will be wrested from the Maoists and the government forces waging an unjust and cruel revolutionary movement will be completely war on people. wiped out by 2022. They informed that over 75,000 armed personnel have been already deployed in Bastar Range for anti-Maoist Union Home Minister four operations and five more battalions including the newly-formed Bastariya Battalion would more counter-revolutionary be deployed by April. The state government battalions for Bastar has also sent a proposal to the central government to declare Kabirdham (previously On 21 May this year, the union Home Kavardha) as a ‘Maoist affected district’. Minister Rajnath Singh took part in the Presently, 16 of the 27 districts of Chhattisgarh passing out ceremony of the training of the are designated by the white government as 241th Battalion of the CRPF which has been ‘Maoist affected’ of which 8 are termed as christened as ‘Bastariya Battalion’ in its ‘severely affected’. But the very fact that training facility in Kapigaon of Ambikapur additional forces are being sent to the state and district in Chhattisgarh. Among its total new districts are designated ‘Maoist affected’ strength of 743 personnel, the Battalion puts paid to the government claims. Had the incorporates 540 Adivasi youths of Bastar Maoist movement really weakened as the including 189 women and have been trained government officials are projecting, then what for a year in jungle warfare and counter- was the need of reinforcing the already dense guerrilla warfare. This unit is set to be deployed deployment in Bastar and other parts of the in Sukma, Bijapur or Dantewada districts of movement areas? Bastar where the Maoist movement has one of its strongest mass bases. He claimed that The officers also claimed that 68 Maoists the Maoist movement was rapidly shrinking were killed in 168 encounters, more than 1,010 all over the country and that the Maoists were have been arrested and 365 surrendered during fighting “a lost battle”. He declared that four 2017. But it is common knowledge that a additional battalions of paramilitary forces considerable section of those killed as ‘Maoists’ would be sent to Bastar in the next two to three are in fact unarmed villagers shot dead in fake months as a part of the government’s plan to encounters. Several Party and PLGA cadres completely wipe out the movement from too have been killed in a cold-blooded manner Chhattisgarh. Two days later, the central and not in so-called encounters. Similarly, most government announced that 4,072 mobile of the arrested persons are implicated in towers would be set up in the ten most ‘Maoist- fabricated charges and put behind bars in an affected’ states of the country at the expense attempt to terrorise the masses and to advertise of 7,320 crore rupees of tax-payers’ money. the ‘success’ of anti-Maoist operations. The

MIB-37 January - June 2018 105 By strengthening the coercive apparatus the white government under the direction of of the state with these and similar measures, the central government’s Home Ministry is the Indian ruling classes are dreaming of making plans to enter the areas where the uprooting the revolutionary movement by Battalion is active with large number of forces 2022 as a part of its reactionary Hindu-fascist to carry out continuous operations and inflict project of ‘New India’. But neither the maximum damage. According to one deployment of Bastariya Battalion and paramilitary official, if the Battalion is reined additional forces nor the strengthening of in, 80 percent of the ‘Maoist problem’ in South communication facilities for intensifying the Bastar would be brought under control! As per ongoing war on people can wipe out the this plan of a massive operation prepared revolutionary class struggle led by CPI(Maoist). during the visit of Union Home Minister It is based on a correct ideological and political Rajnath Singh to the state on 21 May, nearly line and is firmly rooted among the most 50,000 paramilitary and police forces stationed oppressed masses of the country, which gives in the seven districts of undivided Bastar and it the kind of resilience it has displayed in the in Rajnandgaon with the backup of additional last five decades of its existence. Lackeys of forces from AP-Telangana and Maharashtra the ruling classes like Rajnath Singh have time bordering Chhattisgarh will be deployed to and again pronounced the death of the encircle and wipe out the Maoist Battalion in movement in the past, but every time it has the coming months. proved them wrong by making advances in the No matter what the government’s plans face of the most adverse circumstances. The and fond hopes are, like any other unit of the present declarations like “lost battle” and the Maoist guerrilla army, Battalion No.1 too has “end of Maoism” too would be proven wrong its roots dug deep among the struggling masses in the times to come. of South Bastar. It is they who have given birth and reared it like their own child and saw to it Government’s anti-Maoist that all attempts by the fascist enemy to crush it in the past were foiled. The PLGA and its forces plan to target PLGA’s units protect the interests of the broad masses Guerrilla Battalion No.1 and mix with them like fish in the water. No doubt that the battalion will once again defeat The central paramilitary force CRPF has the enemy’s cruel latest plans to eliminate it decided to single out and target the Guerrilla with the cooperation of the masses. Battalion No.1 of the PLGA stationed in South Bastar for its future armed attacks in a bid to blunt the main striking force of the Counter-revolutionary AGNI revolutionary movement in Dandakaranya. In making attempts to regroup fact, the Battalion has become a big threat to these mercenary armed forces as it has carried The state-sponsored counter- out several daring attacks in recent times revolutionary gang AGNI (Action Group for including the ambushes at Bhejji, Burkapal and National Integration) was propped up during Eladmadagu and Palod MPV blast this year, the tenure of notorious Bastar IG SRP Kalluri thereby keeping the enemy on the back foot. by putting together a handful of reactionary With its presence and armed actions, the tribal elders, traders, intellectuals, journalists, Battalion has helped sustain the structures and RSS-affiliated Hindu-fascist functionaries, etc. activities of the revolutionary organisations Acting as the henchmen of the ruling classes, including the people’s governments (Janatana they carried out foul propaganda against the Sarkars), provided security to the revolutionary revolutionary movement and other people’s masses in their activities including cultivation struggles and attacked democrats and social and collective labour, and thus playing an activists standing on the side of the masses important role in the ongoing class war. That under full protection and patronage of the is why, the CRPF and other armed wings of state. But it had ignominiously shut shop after

106 January - June 2018 MIB-37 Kalluri was shunted out of Bastar following be kept under secrecy. The government armed allegations of atrocities committed in the forces would carry out anti-Maoist operations villages of Bijapur by the government armed on the basis of the intelligence inputs provided forces under his direction were confirmed by by these informers. This new tactics is being the government’s own agencies like the CBI. planned primarily for the interior villages of After its appeals to reinstate Kalluri came to Bastar, where the police say that its intelligence naught, it wound up its activities. network has become weak over the years. After one and a half year of lying low, now According to government records, the Maoists AGNI is once again trying to regroup. It have eliminated over 200 police informers in conducted a meeting of its members in Bastar in the last five years, retarding its ability Jagdalpur (significantly, the venue was adjacent to gather information about the Maoist to the District Collectorate) on 10 February this movement. Therefore, top police officers under year. Addressing the gathering, leaders like the guidance of the government are working AGNI coordinator Anand Mohan Mishra to build this new and extensive network of local reiterated their old agenda of fighting Maoism informers. ‘ideologically’, countering the ‘white-collar But in the areas such as Bastar where the Naxals’, supporting the Maoist movement and revolutionary movement has a long history, a giving all kinds of support to the government strong presence and a politically roused mass in its counter-revolutionary war. Undoubtedly, of people, it is not possible for informers to the revival of AGNI under the guidance of conduct their counter-revolutionary activities high-ranking government officials is a part of surreptitiously against the people and their the ongoing ‘Samadhan’ plan, integral to movement for long. Nor is it easy to entice the which is the use of white terror and a barrage oppressed people to become part of the of misinformation campaign targeting the enemy’s informer network with offers of fighting masses using vigilante gangs. With no money and material, etc. Therefore, though social base other than the miniscule minority such informers are sometimes able to cause belonging to the ruling classes such as the some temporary damage by passing on news landlords, bad gentry, reactionary tribal chiefs, about the Maoist activists, members of local etc., organisations like AGNI largely depend revolutionary organisations and the guerrillas, on the government for their existence, get they are identified and punished on most propped up by it and are swept away by the occasions. Acting as its eyes and ears, the rising tide of people’s movements. This has people safeguard the revolutionary movement happened to such organisations like Salwa with their active vigilance and defeat the Judum, Sendra, Shanti Sena, etc. in the past. conspiracies of the class enemy. The present The masses of Bastar will once again brace up endeavour by Chhattisgarh government to to consign pests like AGNI to a similar fate raise an ‘army’ of informers too will certainly through their glorious struggle. falter before the revolutionary vigilance of the masses. Informer network to be expanded in Bastar villages Police attempt to attract Bastar Adivasis with According to media reports, Chhattisgarh ‘Tedamunta Bastar Abhiyan’ Police has decided to raise an ‘army’ of informers in the Maoist movement areas of The police in Bastar region of the state with the aim of completely wiping Chhattisgarh have launched a new counter- out the movement, whereby it plans to induct revolutionary campaign called ‘Tedamunta ten village youths as police informers in each Bastar Abhiyan’ (‘Bastar is Rising Campaign’ village of such areas. They would be provided in Koya), under which it is conducting monetary incentives and security for their meetings in the Adivasi villages to tell the work, while their identity and activities would people not to join the Maoist movement or to

MIB-37 January - June 2018 107 cooperate with the Maoists in any way. As a Raipur that it demonstrated BJP government’s part of this, the police in the second week of commitment to fully root out Naxalism from April held meetings in Rangaiguda, the state. This is another measure of the Ramaram, Godelguda and Toyapara villages Brahmanical Hindu-fascist BJP in power to of Sukma district by forcibly assembling the intensify the cruel war on people under villagers. Addressing them, the police officials ‘Samadhan’ plan. asked villagers to unite to prevent the masses A variety of armed forces belonging to from entering their villages and not to central paramilitary and state police are participate in sabotage activities like burning already operating in Chhattisgarh and other police vehicles and damaging roads. They also states where Maoist movement is active. Many told the village youths to join school and of these are commando forces like the CoBRA concentrate on building their career by excelling Battalions of the CRPF. Commando forces in studies rather than joining the Maoist have already been formed to carry out movement. Reiterating the usual rhetoric that operations against the people’s guerrillas in Maoists are against development, the police many of these states like Grey Hounds (AP- asked the people to take advantage of the Telangana), C-60 (Maharashtra), SOG government’s various development schemes. (Odisha), Jharkhand Jaguars (Jharkhand), Finally, the police claimed that the assembled Hawk (Madhya Pradesh), Thunderbolt villagers gave their ‘consent’ when they were (Kerala), etc. These are specially trained to asked their opinion about wiping out the ruthlessly suppress all genuine people’s Maoist movement, though anyone can well movements including the Maoist movement imagine whether the villagers had any other of the country. Nevertheless, no matter how choice than to comply given that they were well-trained and equipped these forces may be, menaced all the while by gun-totting policemen their basic character as counter-revolutionary around them. Such Goebbelsian propaganda and anti-people mercenaries serving the work by the police cannot hide the fact that narrow interests of the ruling classes cannot the masses of Bastar have risen up against the be changed. The so-called ‘Black Panthers’ will ruling classes of the country and not against only add up to the ranks of government forces the Maoist movement. Well aware of their own already operating in the state for decades interests, the vast majority of the people cannot which have failed to crush the people’s be made to stand up against their own resistance in Bastar, and it too will find itself revolutionary amount by any amount of to be ineffective before the resolve of the prompting or coercion by the state. fighting masses.

‘Black Panthers’ force to be State-sponsored counter- raised against the Maoist revolutionary mobilisation movement in Chhattisgarh against Soni Sodi

Raman Singh government of The Adivasi people got united in large Chhattisgarh has decided to raise a new special numbers to protest against the fake encounter counter-guerrilla commando force called carried out by the government armed forces ‘Black Panthers’ on the lines of the Grey on 7 February this year at Hiroli-Dokapara Hounds of AP-Telangana. This special force village under Kirandul Police Station in will be a special unit of the state police to carry Bijapur district. The police had claimed that out targeted operations against the Maoist they shot down a Maoist commander named guerrillas. Initially a battalion will be formed Hunga in a shootout whereas the reality was with selected police personnel from the regular that they shot dead a peasant of Vengur village police forces and given special commando Vetti Bhima in a cold-blooded manner and training. Hailing the decision, Union Home presented him as a Maoist (see the section Minister told a press conference on 21 May in ‘Voices against War on People’ for more

108 January - June 2018 MIB-37 details). Many democratic organisations, Maharashtra government’s social activists and opposition political leaders including AAP leader Soni Sodi called it an flaunts success in its ‘Naxal extra-judicial killing and came in support of Gaonbandi’ scheme the just struggle of the people demanding punishment for the killers of Bhima. The people’s war in Gadchiroli district led by the Maoist revolutionaries began in the Infuriated by the protests of the people and 1980s. Since then, the reactionary government their support by the social activists, the is carrying out ruthless suppression campaigns government and its police mobilised a few on the movement and its mass base on the one hundred residents of the Salwa Judum camps hand and a number of fake reform of Bijapur and Dantewada districts to programmes on the other to wean the masses demonstrate against Soni Sodi in Dantewada away from the revolutionary agrarian town on 13 February. These ‘relief’ camps – programme. One such programme that was which are actually akin to concentration camps started in 2003 by the Maharashtra – were set up over a decade ago during the government is ‘Naxal Gaonbandi’ scheme. fascist Salwa Judum campaign to forcibly Terming the Maoists as ‘anti-development’, detain villagers suspected of taking part or the government introduced this scheme supporting the Maoist movement. Most of the purportedly for the development of those people have returned to their villages, and only villages which declared their opposition to the a handful of families opposing the Maoists. Apart from the ban of entry, the revolutionary movement are still residing in government claims that the villagers have these camps. Prompted by the police and the vowed not to participate in Maoist administration, these so-called protestors organisations and their activities, not helping raised slogans against Soni Sodi, accusing him them in any form, not joining Maoist of being a Maoist sympathiser and a traitor to meetings, not allowing their sons and the country. They submitted a memorandum daughters to join the Maoist ranks, facilitating to the Governor of Chhattisgarh demanding the development work of the government, etc. the arrest of Soni. As per this scheme, apart from starting the Soni Sodi has been facing the ire of the so-called ‘development’ work, every village is government and the counter-revolutionary given a cash reward of three lakh rupees. gangs propped up by it like AGNI for many Citing the figures of the villages which have years due to her vocal opposition to fake applied for getting inducted into this scheme encounters, violence on women and other since its inception, the government has claimed forms of state terror perpetrated by the police that recently it has achieved better success in and paramilitary forces on the Adivasi people bringing villages into the scheme. As per of Bastar under the garb of anti-Maoist government records, a total of 1036 villages of operations. She has faced death threats and Gadchiroli have so far passed resolutions in even chemical attacks from these forces for village assemblies since 2003 declaring a ban standing by the people. This is the latest attempt on the entry of the Maoists into their village to silence her voice through intimidation and and sent proposals to the government veiled threats. It is worth noting that several expressing their willingness to join the ‘Naxal social activists and democrats have been Gaonbandi’ scheme (the corresponding figures already forced to leave Bastar by these same for Gondia and Chandrapur districts are 73 forces using violence or threat of violence. The and 80 respectively). Of this, the government democratic and progressive forces need to has approved 870 proposals, while 146 come forward to condemn and oppose the proposals including 140 received till August targeting of Soni Sodi and other social 2017 are under consideration (103 villages in activists by the government for siding with the 2011, 6 in 2012, 10 each in 2013 and 2014, 84 struggling masses. in 2015 and 82 in 2016 passed such resolutions). According to government claims,

MIB-37 January - June 2018 109 an unprecedented 140 villages expressed continued from p.22 willingness to join the scheme last year by August, which it cited as a sign of the declining Comrades, support for the Maoist movement among the On the occasion of the bicentenary villagers of Gadchiroli. celebrations of the birth of Karl Marx, we have The fact is that the government is trying to propagate in our Party, PLGA and to cover up its utter failure to provide the Revolutionary People’s Organisations and Adivasi masses of eastern Maharashtra with among the people about his inspiring life, even the basic necessities of life like healthcare, Marxism, development of Marxism into education, safe drinking water and means of Marxism-Leninism-Maoism in the conditions livelihood in over seven decades of so-called of new and historic class struggle as well as independence by branding the Maoists as ‘anti- construction of Socialism, about the great development’. It is known to all that the victories of the proletariat and the oppressed Maoists never oppose any government people in the guidance of this theory and their programme or scheme which genuinely benefit importance, about the defeats-mistakes-lack of the masses, but only oppose those which are experience in this process and about the lessons meant for their further exploitation and learnt from all these; study the important plunder, like mines and roads, etc. It is the writings of the great teachers; apply the reactionary government which is against the fundamental principles of MLM and the path real development of the people and the country. of international working class to the concrete Realising this, the people are participating in conditions of our country and take up the revolutionary movement to defend their education campaign about the lessons learnt collective interests and are sustaining it with from practice. CPI(Maoist), the proletarian their immense efforts and sacrifices. Through vanguard organization of Indian Revolution, this, they are opening the path for their real proudly states that it shall firmly and daringly development. Thus, there is no real basis for march forward successfully along the path the government’s claims of the so-called success shown by the revolutionary theoretician of the of ‘Naxal Gaonbandi’ scheme or other such international proletariat and the builder of this counter-revolutionary polices. The resolutions revolutionary path Karl Marx, hold aloft the against the Maoists are often passed in revolutionary banner of Marxism and on the fraudulent ways through the ruling-class path of Protracted People’s War for the success elements of the villages and using the threat of the New Democratic Revolution as an of the government armed forces, with no integral part of the World Socialist Revolution actual consent of the majority of the villagers. with the ultimate aim of establishing Moreover, even the villages which have joined Communism. this scheme have not seen any of the purported ‘development’, exposing the false claims of the Long live Marxist theory! government. Just as the people of Gadchiroli have rejected the fake reform programmes in Unite under the revolutionary banner of invincible the past, ‘Naxal Gaonbandi’ scheme too will Marxism-Leninism-Maoism! meet the same fate in the hands of the Workers of all countries, Unite! revolutionary masses. Long live World Socialist Revolution! Down with capitalism-imperialism! Red Salutes to the millions of fallen comrades in the World Socialist Revolution!

110 January - June 2018 MIB-37 Statements of CPI(Maoist)

COMMUNIST PARTY OF INDIA (MAOIST) CENTRAL COMMITTEE

Press Release 1 January 2018

Part of the aim to establish Hindu Raj - The ‘Supreme’ battle!

The New Year brought forth the battle of Chief of Army BP Ravath who is being the Supreme Court. Those who consider our compared to the infamous murderous Brigadier country democratic consider the legislative Dayyar of the Jalianwala Bagh massacre during bodies, administration and the judiciary as three the British rule, saffron forces being released not pillars and media as the fourth pillar which is guilty, the withdrawal of cases on people like known to everyone. The issues between the Yogi, the retirement of the Central Election judges of the Supreme Court and the Chief Commissioner AK Jyothi, the disqualification Justice were placed before the people for their of the MLAs of Delhi Assembly, the judgment. Justices Chalameswar, Madan appointment of Anandi ben as the Governor Lokur, Ranjan Gogoi and Joseph Kurien of Madhya Pradesh, the election of Ramnadh revealed to the media about their grievances Kovind as the President of India, the election against the CJ Deepak Mishra. This is of Venkayyanaidu as the Vice-President and unprecedented in the history of the Supreme such things are not at all separate incidents. The Court. Their appeal to protect democracy was imposition of ban on beef, the selection of Cow a great jolt to the lovers of Constitution. In fact as the national animal, the reduction of this is only a signal showing that the influence subsidies to Haj pilgrims, the preparation to of the Hindutva forces develops to a dangerous make an ordinance though the bill to make a level. This is the expression of the intensity of law banning Triple Talaq and other such things crisis in the system and nothing else. are mutually related. Since the Hindutva forces came to power The transfer to the CBI Special Court and in the centre there are heavy changes that are murder of Justice Brij Mohan Harikishan Loya shaking the country. The attitude of the present in Nagpur who was conducting the trial of the

MIB-37 January - June 2018 111 Sohrabuddin case in which the President of BJP come into practice. Eighty percent of the people and ex Home Minister of Amit Shah of the country are said to be Hindus. Yogi and is the chief accused,was denied by his family Thogadia say it must be made hundred percent. members to be a natural death but now they said His inheritor Mohan Bhagavath gave a they do not have any doubts about it. Dr. dangerous signal in a recent meeting in Raipur Praveen Thogadia elected as the President of that ‘all of us are the inheritors of adivasis’. VHP in its Conference in Bangalore disappeared Their mentor Golvalkar used Hindu and Aryan suddenly and surfaced the next day crying out synonymous. In the changed conditions his life is under threat. Media revealed that the Bhagavath said they are the inheritors of infamous goonda Nayum of Hyderabad killed adivasis and suggested that they are the in police firing was involved in the murder of inheritors of the Aryans. Coming to culture they Sohrabuddin. Those who know about the do not give any opportunity to the celebrations saffron terrorist politics certainly know that the of any religion in the country. The audiences Modi-Shah clique is related to all these. Those of radio and television understand the growing who know about Amit Shah, who held 12 influence of Hindi language. Hindi is imposed Ministries including the Home Ministry during as the national language on the rest of the the 2002 massacre in Gujarat, his boss Modi hundred languages. Golvalkar’s teachings are and Maya Kodnani, know the secrets behind implemented with the aim to change the these things. Those who know about Adwaitha country into ‘Hindi-Hindu-Hindustan’. He which says that everything is an illusion and worked as Sangh Chalak for 33 years from 1940 about Sankaracharya do know their magic. to 1973 during the time which he formulated a Those who are in touch with the Vyapam total ideology. This is the guide for the present scandal are not surprised with these deaths. rulers. In fact the drastic changes and the We have extensive information to know developments in the country are not about the massacre that Amit Shah and Modi coincidental. They are going on as a part of a created in Gujarat. ‘Gujarat files’ the outcome well-knit protracted plan. In order to understand of a risky sting operation reveals their these we have to first understand the original murderous character. ‘Scars of Minority’ ideology of the mother organization of the BJP, reveals the murder stories of Modi from Salma the RSS. We need to know the Constitution ben, Sajida ben, Ayesha ben and Ameena ben. written for it. We need to know about They reveal the facts that Nanavathi Manusmrithi that they say to be the founder of Commission did not dare to. The Naroda the foremost law in the world. Madhav Sadasiva Patiya, Sachir Kanta and Bilkis Bano’s heart Golvalkar imbibed all these and wrote ‘We are rending reports speak about the Brahmanic our Nationhood defined’ in 1939. The present Manusmrithi’s morals. We cannot understand generations must have heard of it. This is equal the necessities of this clique without knowing to the Christian’s bible and the Muslim’s Kuran these. for the RSS. It was not reprinted after 1941. He The cancer surgeon Dr. Praveen Togadia mentioned five characteristics and unities who cried out that his life is under threat joined regarding a nation. He said unity by virtue of VHP in 1983 and Modi joined BJP in 1984. geography, race, religion, culture and language. Both of them are close associates and shaakha In the geographical unity he defined India to be mates in RSS. When Modi could not find place ‘a land from sea to sea’. It means starting from in BJP, Thogadia sheltered him in 1995-2001. Afghanistan to Burma including Sri Lanka it is He convinced Modi to become the CM on the the Indian sub-continent. The ideology behind request of Advani. However RSS wanted him the Sagarmala-Bharathmala of Nitin Gadkari out of the post of President in the recent is nothing but this. Golvalkar is very much in Conference of VHP. He did not heed to it and the mind of Modi in inviting the leaders of became the President. Since he knew the danger various countries, especially the ASEAN leaders from them who are well known for their murder on many occasions since he came to power. game he came before the media. Saffron Most of what Golvalkar said about religion has terrorism saw the blood of many intellectuals

112 January - June 2018 MIB-37 who stood against their politics. Intellectuals like the sectors of the country. All the sectors are filled Dabolkar and Gowri Lankesh died in their with Hindutva forces. This is fascism. Our hands since they wanted real secularism. country is suffocated in the utmost dangerous Without doing such kind of things it is not consequences. Consequently Justice possible for them to establish Hindu Raj and to Chalameswar, Ranjith Gogoi, Madan Lokur, make Bhagavadgeetha as the Constitution that Joseph Kurien placed their wish to protect Sushma Swaraj and Ananth Kumar Hegde have democracy before the people. In the Communist been openly stating. Manifesto that Marx and Engels wrote nearly In fact the three and a half years of Modi 170 years ago they said thus – ‘A part of the rule has been facing unprecedented problems in bourgeois theoreticians who understand the the country. FDI is flooding the country dynamics of the total history take the side of unprecedented in the ten years of the UPA rule. working class struggles’. ‘The working class Modi feels great of this and is challenging the gives them the instruments necessary to make opposition parties. The peasantry of the war with the bourgeois classes’. country, especially the adivasi peasantry is This is the time to fight for the sake of our absolutely against to giving their land and forests country, for maintaining people’s democracy and is fighting courageously due to which the and to implement real secularism with more corporate classes are unable to invest. In such a courage. Four judges are asking for the people’s situation Modi laid red carpet for foreign judgment in this path of struggle. This is not investments. But in spite of this, the business at the problem of the four judges. This is the ease and many other things cooled downMade opposition to the fascist trends of the Hindutva in India. GST is brought forth that is destroying forces. This is the expression of the crisis of the lakhs of small industries and benefiting the system. Let us stand in support to them and corporate classes. The growth rate of the defeat the murderous, reactionary Hindutva country too is shown in a false manner. Modi politics. Alternate organs of political power are went to Davos with a jumbo delegation. But being established in some areas under the dollars did not respond. Modi’s promises are leadership of the Maoists. The Hindutva forces not fulfilled in spite of the demonetization, and the world capital are together implementing digitalization of money, the many finance bills ‘Samadhan’ military strategy to eliminate them. and the major amendments of laws for the Senior security adviser of internal affairs, corporate classes. The peasantry is in the path K.Vijayakumar recently explained the people’s of militant struggles leaving behind their protest courts as ‘to prevent subversion to our own with suicides. Workers, employees, students are system’. There is no alternative to our country coming onto the streets. Modi and company except for establishing Revolutionary People’s are indulging in heavy destruction to divert the Committees. Let us fight staunchly against the people in the present severe crisis of the country. forces that dare to eliminate it and the strategies They bring issues like surgical strike, ram in a united manner. This is todays’ need. This mandir or the Padmavathi movie and are paves way for the future. All their talk about getting ready for the 17th Lok Sabha. Their republic is false. Their republic stands on gun formula is that murder too is oxygen to succeed running, bribery and killing. We must not allow in elections. Hindutva forces like the Karani this. Let us end it through people’s struggles. Sena are cashing on the sensitive feelings of the Let us go hand in hand in the struggle. people and are violating the directions of the Supreme Court. This is nothing but the barbarity of the Hindutva. Dear people, democrats and intellectuals! There is an aggressive and intense offensive (Abhay) of the foreign capital on one hand and Spokesperson Hindutva on the other, on the people of the country. Foreign investments are invited in all Central Committee CPI(Maoist)

MIB-37 January - June 2018 113 COMMUNIST PARTY OF INDIA (MAOIST) CENTRAL COMMITTEE

Press Release 9 January 2018

Koregaon-Bhima is the symbol of Brahmanical arrogance and the self-respect of Dalits!

The Hindu fundamentalist forces wielding Hindutva goons Sambhaji Bhide and Milind deadly weapons attacked thousands of Dalits, Ekbote they reached Koregaon-Bhima on 1 progressive and secular forces who had January 2018 and attacked the Dalits and their assembled to commemorate their historic supporters with lethal weapons. Saffron goons victory day at Koregaon-Bhima of blasted tens of cooker bombs and terrorised the Maharashtra on 1 January and created a riot masses. They terrorised the people of on the occasion which is observed as a symbol Koregaon. One Dalit youth lost his life in these of Dalit self-respect. Our Party CPI(Maoist) attacks and many got injured. In spite of the strongly condemns this heinous attack. There leaders of Dalit organisations giving intimation is no other way to stop the serious threat of to the government and the police about holding Hindutva which has emerged as a threat to the their programme long before, they not only did existence and dignity of the Dalits, Adivasis and not make any proper security arrangements but religious minorities than fighting courageously instigated the violence of the Hindutva goons. against the Brahmanical religious fanatic forces The government and the police instigated the and defeating them. saffron goons with the intention of teaching a ’s reign in Maharashtra lasted from strict lesson to the Dalits so that they do not 1674 to 1680. Thereafter the Maratha rule was dare to commemorate such days of self-respect run under the leadership of the Peshwas. While in the future. In fact, all this took place as per a the Marathas could defeat the attacks of the pre-planned conspiracy. The gangs of Sambhaji Mughal rulers, they could not defeat the British Bhide and Milind Ekbote implemented the evil Indian armies. The British made Pune the designs jointly prepared by the central and state military and administrative centre of their rule governments, their intelligence departments and after defeating the Marathas. In the beginning the forces of the Sangh Parivar. Our Party of the nineteenth century the Peshwas tried to appeals to the Dalits, Adivasi and religious capture Pune with their army of twenty-eight minorities, democratic and secular forces to thousand. Then the British Indian army resisted expose the clever saffron tactics of Maharashtra for 12 hours and did not allow Pune to fall into Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. their hands. Dalts were among the Indian Condemning the attack on the Dalits in soldiers who had joined the British Indian Koregaon-Bhima, tens of Dalit, democratic, Army and resisted the Peshwas. By separating secular, progressive, rationalist and the British from themselves, the Dalits have been revolutionary organisations had called a commemorating the defeat of the Peshwas at Maharashtra bandh on 3 January. The rage of the hands of the Dalits as their victory day and the people flared up against the Hindutva attacks a symbol of their dignity for the last many not only in the state but throughout the country. decades. The Brahmanical forces have not been The people took up militant activities against able to tolerate the celebration of this victory the government at many places. But the day every year in this manner. From the withdrawal of the bandh witnessing the arrogance of establishing their rule at the centre militancy of the masses by one of the prominent and in the state, under the leadership of the callers of the bandh Comrade Prakash

114 January - June 2018 MIB-37 Ambedkar and Republican Party of India led varna system, casteism and untouchability have by him dejected the people. The saffron no moral qualification to praise Ambedkar and terrorists attacked using guns and bombs the Dalits will not tolerate if he talks about them. without making any distinction between men Our Party appeals to all the oppressed peoples and women and broke their heads with sticks – to unite and struggle in an organised manner to call off the bandh forgetting all this when the against the heinous acts of the Hindutva forces people protested against it, being sacred by the whose rule is replete with the blood of many people’s militant actions and being satisfied by starting from Rohith Vemula to the Dalit youth the treacherous Hindutva leaders is not a happy killed at Bhima-Koregaon. This is the time for occasion for anyone. all the democratic, secular and progressive forces Sambhaji Bhide and Milind Ekbote to stand with the people’s movements by responsible for the attacks on the Dalits are still exposing the opportunist Brahmanical politics. roaming free. How close are they the followers Modi’s promise of building a ‘New India’ by of ‘Pradhan Sevak’ of the people Modi can be 2022 which is above religion and caste is nothing understood by recalling the election rallies of but hyperbole. Our Party is openly declaring that 2014. Our Party strongly condemns the arrest by no ‘New India’ will be built without fighting of many persons by Maharashtra Police in for a new democratic society and their Mumbai under fabricated charges including exploitation where there will be no religion, youth leader from Gujarat Jignesh Mevani and caste and gender-based discrimination by JNU student leader Umar Khalid who have rooting out the problems of the people. stood in support of the Dalits by upholding their self-respect on this occasion.

Modi’s shouting about the upliftment of (Abhay) the Dalits and the upholding of Dr Ambedkar as the leader of the oppressed masses is nothing Spokesperson but a part of Hindutva conspiracy. We should Central Committee declare in one voice that people like neo-Manu Modi who like the Bhagawat Gita emphasises CPI(Maoist) on one’s ‘Karma’, justifies the Brahmanical continued from p.128 government. You must boycott the Republic Day celebrations of 2018 explaining the increasing intensity of the danger of the Hindutva forces on the oppressed masses in the country. Condemn severely the inviting of the representatives of foreign corporate classes to pave way for looting the resources of the country, not caring the survival of the indigenous people who have been preserving these resources for generations. Declare this constitution fake and make true the warning of Ambedkar that “…those who suffer from inequalities will blast the democratic political organization that this constituent assembly built with great labor”. The anti-people fascist policies of the rulers of the country make them violate the constitution. The first citizen of the country President Ramnath Kovind and Vice-president Venkayya Naidu are talking highly of Modi. The anti-people fascist policies in the country are not allowing the people to abide by the laws. The peasants of India who committed suicides in the past are now taking up militant struggles. Students, teachers, government employees and workers are taking up struggles for the fulfillment of their demands. The soldiers of the Indian Army are announcing their difficulties to the world through internet and are exposing the nature of Modi’s rule. Suicides and fragging are on the rise in police forces. A policeman of Basaguda police station of Bijapur district recently killed four officers. All these reveal the intensifying revolutionary conditions in the country. In such a situation, let all of us fight bravely for a new society and a new constitution. Abhay Spokesperson Central Committee CPI(Maoist) MIB-37 January - June 2018 115 COMMUNIST PARTY OF INDIA (MAOIST) CENTRAL COMMITTEE

Press Release 9 January 2018

The Triple Talaq Bill is a demonstration of the Hindu-fascist forces; it undermines the sentiments of the Muslims!!

The Indian ruling classes seeped in as a task before the oppressed classes, sections, Brahmanical Hindu majoritarian ideology are nationalities, democratic and secular forces. treating the Muslims who constitute 15 percent Our Party appeals to them to come forward to of the population as second-class citizens since fulfil this task. the transfer of power in 1947. Lakhs of people Modi government introduced a bill in the have lost their lives in the riots carried out by winter session of the Parliament in 2017 where the Hindu religious fanatics in the last 70 years the Islamic custom of Muslim men divorcing since 1947 like in the massacre of three thousand his wife by pronouncing ‘talaq’ thrice has been Sikhs in 1984, the pogrom of over two thousand considered a crime. It did not get passed in Muslims in Gujarat in 2002, etc. Their property Rajya Sabha despite it was passed by Lok was destroyed and they were made homeless. Sabha. There is no basic difference among the Many women were raped and have faced forced parliamentary parties about this bill apart from to live a humiliating life. Muslims are in larger some minor differences of opinion. It is not a numbers among them. As a result, the Muslims new thing for all the parliamentary political are daily living a life under terror. No matter parties to scuffle in the parliamentary pigsty on which party is in power – be it Congress of BJP this serious issue related to the life of Muslim – the attacks of the Hindu fanatics are on the men and women by confining it merely to the rise. In this condition, attacks of different kinds issue of maintenance. It is nothing but a part on the Muslims after the fascist forces came to of the vote-bank politics to divert the masses, power in 2014 under the leadership of Modi particularly the Muslim masses, from their basic notorious as a Hindu fascist. These fascist forces problems. are aggressively advancing in order to establish their dominance in the country by attacking Modi government – which claims that one Muslims, Christians, Dalits, Adivasi, women, out of every ten Muslim women is oppressed students etc. in the last three years with the aim by the custom of Triple Talaq – is blatantly of building a Hindu Rashtra in the name of ignoring the basic problems of the Muslim cow protection, , Love Jehad, masses. In fact, the unbearable conditions in nationalism, Manuvad, etc. Now the Talaq-al- which the country’s Muslims can be easily Bidat bill has been introduced in a conspiratorial understood from the Sacchar Committee manner demonstrating the domination of these Report of 2006. Compared with the average fascist forces and undermining the sentiments literacy of the country, the literacy among their of the Muslims. Our Party CPI(Maoist) children is negligible. According to the census considers that facing and defeating all these of 2011, one-fourth of the Muslim children attacks by giving support to all oppressed classes between 6 to 14 years of age are not in a position and sections including the Muslims is present to attend school. More than 17 percent children

116 January - June 2018 MIB-37 could not even pass matriculation. Only 4.9 class – remain as hurdles to the development of percent of Muslims are in jobs. These jobs too the country by maintaining the semi-colonial are of a low grade. Their presence in Indian and semi-feudal system with the support of the services like IAS and IPS is not more than three masses and by mouthing secularism and percent. Muslims are 6 percent in the police socialism. They are using religion as an forces. In this way, whatever may be the field, instrument to crush the people politically, discrimination against them is continuing. economically, socially and culturally. No matter Bringing the triple-talaq bill by ignoring all this, whatever may be the religion, all of them give Hindutva forces want to display their women the status of second-class citizens by hegemony. They are making preparations to upholding patriarchal ideology. All the religions bring an ordinance in the next budget session are historically at the service of the ruling classes of the Lok Sabha. and are anti-development. They remain as There is no doubt that it is undemocratic hurdles to the development of scientific thinking for Muslim man to one-sidedly pronounce triple by encouraging idealist thinking. Muslim talaq to his wife. Talaq-al-Bidat has been already women are being oppressed – making this claim prohibited in many Muslim countries. Triple- the Hindutva fascists are weeping crocodile’s talaq was banned in Pakistan way back in 1964. tears, but are not talking about the Hindu Muslim countries like Egypt, Sudan, Jordan, women reeling under the yoke of Manuvad. No Syria, Iraq and Morocco too are opposing it by matter what the religion is, women from their saying that the custom of triple-talaq has no birth to death are treated as chattel to men. The place in the Quran. In the same way, Al-e- ideology of male-domination in various Hurriyat related to the Sunni faction of Islam religions is mainly responsible for the practices too is opposing Talaq-al-Bidat. But the Muslim of child-marriage, female feticide, dowry killing, masses of our country are observing triple-talaq honour killing, cruel domestic violence, etc. No as per their religious beliefs. matter how many laws are made in the hollow parliamentary platforms on these issues, all of But women of the Muslim community with them are limited to hoodwinking the masses. democratic ideas have been struggling against The proposed legislation on triple-talaq too is triple-talaq for a long time in different ways. nothing but an attempt to delude the Muslim Various democratic and secular forces are women. supporting these movements. Our Party supports these movements. But the masses Uttarakhand’s Saira Bano, Afreen Rahman should try to resolve the issue of ending the of Rajasthan or Israt Jahan of West Bengal practice of triple-talaq amongst themselves as have come to the limelight due to petitions in per their aspirations. This problem cannot be the Supreme Court. But there are innumerable resolved democratically by the Brahmanical women like them. They will continue to be Hindutva ruling classes. Muslim women will crushed under the burden of patriarchal have to further widen their struggle with the ideology like Manu Dharma – whether it be support of the democratic and secular forces Hinduism, Islam or Christianity – till the time and try to bring the masses out of the clutches they continue to give the status of second-class of social evils through it. Only by developing citizens to women. In spite of amendments to democratic ideas and culture will it be possible the Hindu marriage act to ensure inheritance to raise the consciousness of the masses so that of property to girl child, how many fathers are they can be brought out of the influence of respecting this provision? Under what laws are patriarchal ideas that give a status of second- child-marriage and the dowry system still class citizens to women. Only in this way can continuing? According to the census of 2011, the masses themselves independently solve the 55 lakh child-marriages were registered in India. problems like triple-talaq that violates the Which woman is in a position to decide whether democratic freedom and rights of women. to abort her pregnancy or not in spite of the Supreme Court’s judgment that the woman The country’s ruling classes – the does not need to take the permission of her comprador bourgeois class and big landlord husband on this issue? In spite of Madhya

MIB-37 January - June 2018 117 Pradesh government legislating to give capital which represents the feudal-patriarchal punishment for culprits committing rape and Brahmanical Hindu-fascist ideology or the murder of minor girls below 12 years, has there Hindutva forces, they have no moral right to been a reduction in the number of such talk about the rights of the Muslim women. atrocities? The Supreme Court has ruled that it This is because Hindu-fundamentalist forces is a crime for a husband to establish physical themselves are the main source of patriarchal relation with his wife who is below 15 years of exploitation, oppression and discrimination that age. But has the Hindutva organisation Rashtra are continuing on women who constitutes half Sevike Samiti (RSS) stopped propagating their the population of the country. Whether it is the patriarchal Manuvadi ideas by asking “what custom of triple-talaq that is undemocratic for does it mean by marital rape?” The fate of the Muslim women or the patriarchal exploitation, triple-talaq bill which has been brought by oppression and discrimination continuing on violating the personal laws enshrined in the women related to different religions, it is not constitution of our country too will not be any possible for the country’s exploitative ruling different from this. The ruling classes want to classes to end them. That is why, come, let’s continue their rule by befooling the people with make successful the New Democratic laws and courts. In fact, it is not possible to Revolution in the country to end the liberate the masses from the superstitions related exploitation and oppression continuing on the to religion without making them conscious oppressed sections including women by about it. Women getting freedom on issues like overthrowing the imperialist, comprador marriage and divorce, right over children, bureaucratic capitalist and feudal classes. Let’s abortion or political rights like right over advance on the path of protracted people’s war property, equal pay for equal work, equality to destroy the country’s semi-colonial and semi- before the law cannot even be imagined under feudal system and to establish in its place a the present exploitative system. The conspiracy voluntary union of federal democratic republics of the Hindu-fascists to bring up the issue of representing the four classes – workers, peasants, triple-talaq without addressing all these issues urban petty bourgeoisie and the national and to sow division among the Muslim masses bourgeoisie – based on the worker-peasant should be condemned and defeated. Upholding alliance. all the democratic rights of the Muslim women, a struggle should be waged for gender equality and liberation from exploitation. Dear people, democrats and secular forces! (Abhay) The building of a Ram temple at Ayodhya, Spokesperson introducing Uniform Civil Code and abrogating Section-370 – all these are in the Central Committee agenda of the Hindu-fascist forces from before. CPI(Maoist) In fact, whether it is the Modi government

118 January - June 2018 MIB-37 COMMUNIST PARTY OF INDIA (MAOIST) CENTRAL COMMITTEE

Press Release 10 January 2018

Raise voice against the namesake Constitution! Fight bravely for the formation of a new society and a new Constitution!

January 26th is said to be the Republic Day do this. If not so, the saffron brigade might do of India. For the rulers who celebrate transfer it silently and declare Bhagavadgita as the of power on August 15th, 1947 as Independence constitution of the country. Day, this is a day of the Republic. The rulers Modi decided to celebrate Republic Day in are happy that the Indian Constitution is the a grander manner in 2018 than in the past three biggest written Constitution in the world. But years. The reason behind this can be easily in fact half of the total 395 Articles in it were understood in the background of taken from the British Constitution and the rest demystification of the illusions in the ordinary from that of other countries. This duplicate people in the constitution and their increasing Constitution gave many assurances including questions on it. This time they are inviting the fundamental rights and directive principles. leaders of many countries for the Republic Day None of those that the Constitution assured the celebrations. The present rulers need to do so. citizens of India are being implemented. They Due to the increasing aggressiveness of the are on paper but the people never experienced Hindutva forces in the country they are losing them. The history of 67 years of the Republic their prestige and so they are striving to show of India proved this. All the people must raise that they abide by the constitution. All lovers their voice that they do not need a namesake of the constitution must expose this in a united constitution. It is time the lovers of the manner. Otherwise, as the great Marx warned, constitution realize the fakeness of it. Our Party “the rule of the ruling class would turn stable said way back that it is not worth more than a and dangerous to the extent to which it embeds toilet paper. Our Party appeals on the eve of the intellectuals of the class being ruled”. the 68th Republic Day celebrations to bury such a constitution and to fight bravely for the Our country is said to be a Sovereign, formation of a new system and a new Democratic Republic and after many years the constitution. rulers are deceiving the people with words like Socialist and Secular. More than thirty to forty For the last three years of the rule of per cent of the voters in the so-called democratic Hindutva forces they have been unprecedentedly country are not utilizing their right to vote. The praising the constitution. We have been seeing people of Kashmir who were forcibly included the diehard saffron terrorist and the Prime in this country are still fighting for ‘Azad Minister of the country Modi highly praising Kashmir’ (Freedom for Kashmir) and are Ambedkar known as the architect of boycotting elections. This is the kind of our constitution on the eve of his birth and death Republic. The people of the Northeast are anniversaries. Lovers of the constitution must bravely facing the Indian Army for their right remember that Ambedkar complained that he to self-determination and the right to secession worked as an instrument in the formulation of and burnt the constitution many times in the constitution and against his opinions. protest. It is a shame to say that our country Moreover, he declared that if the constitution has a Socialist Republic constitution. is being utilized in a wrong way he shall be the first person to consign it to flames. We remind Brahmanism interpreted secularism in our you that in the present time you must dare to country in a quite intelligent way. It distorted

MIB-37 January - June 2018 119 the meaning of secularism and is raising high Mahajan has said that the state of affairs in the the flag of Hindutva giving it the meaning of Parliament needs a scale to control. These reveal ‘equality of all religions’. In our country with a the democratic consciousness of the formulators secular constitution thirty people lost their lives of the legislations. Our country is full of big in the violence instigated in the name of feudal lords and a bourgeoisie that did not protection of cow. There were 70 incidents of participate in democratic revolutions and so mob lynching. The social media reports that 98 how shall the legislative bodies have such per cent of these happened under the rule of consciousness? The executive class that works Modi and 70 per cent of the murdered were for this class naturally tries to implement a fascist Muslims. Muhammad Akhlaq of Dadri, rule. The oppressed people lost confidence on people’s singer Muhammad Khan of Jaisalmer the judiciary long back. The recent release of district, worker Afrad of Rajasamund district saffron terrorists from jail reveals that the court of Rajasthan and many such Muslims were declares the criminals of the ruling party not killed. This is the barbarity in this secular guilty, however big the criminals belonging to country which claims to be a place of equality that party may be. While the earlier government of all religions. Meanwhile, the violence of the handed over sixteen cases like the Malegaon Hindutva forces on the Dalits are increasingly explosion of Maharashtra to the recent becoming very barbaric, insulting and a explosions in Modasa district of Gujarat to NIA shameful to the civilized society. Mahesh claiming the these have been committed by high Thakur of Azadpur village of Nalanda district profile people, Sadhvi Pragya, Lieutenant of Bihar was forced to lick the earth. Jayed Colonel Purohit, Dayanand Pandey and other Solanki, a Dalit of Gujarat was murdered for such saffron terrorists and their bosses became his big whiskers. In Kashmir the army not guilty in Modi’s rule. This only reveals the personnel cut the hair of girls. Such incidents attitude of the judiciary. The judiciary sentenced do not highlight a secular, equalitarian the Dalit youths involved in the Kopardi case constitution but the Chaturvarna system and to death, pronounced life imprisonment for the the pathetic situation of the castes. So it is time adivasis of Gadchiroli district and few for the oppressed to think what can be done with intellectuals in false cases. But the punishments this constitution except destroying it. The to the Hindutva forces that indulged in fundamental rights to expression, assembly and massacre in Naroda Patiya in Gujarat in 2002 press freedom mentioned in the third part of and those involved in the killing of Bilkis Bano’s the Indian Constitution are being violated each three year old child and her family and and every day. The directive principles that have committing mass rape on her reveals the partial been formulated with the aim of building a nature of the judiciary. Bilkis Bano said she is welfare state are like moral statements the living with a confidence on secularists in the implementation of which are left to the mercy country and this statement increases your of the rulers and the lovers of the constitution responsibilities manifold. The murders of know the fakeness of them better than us. The Dabholkar to Gauri Lankesh tell us the state of recent fatwa of Hindu Makkal Kachi that the journalists, writers and democratic secular rights activist of Manipur Irom Sharmila shall intellectuals if the media that is said to be the not be allowed to stay in Kodaikanal for the fourth estate of democracy does not take the ‘crime’ of marrying British citizen Desmond side of the ruling class. Social activist Kancha Koutinho reveals that the fundamental right of Ilaiah of Telangana, journalist Vinod Varma of the citizens of the country to reside according Chhattisgarh and other such 14 people were to their wish depends on the discretion of the foisted with false cases and are behind bars. It is Hindutva forces. Such events show that the nothing but self-deception and deceiving others constitution should have been burnt long back to say this country is a republic. as per the warning of Ambedkar, the author of Democrats, secularists and lovers of the the Constitution. constitution! It is boasted that democracy in this country You have been protesting in various forms stands on three pillars. Former President of against the aggressions of the Hindutva forces India Pranab Mukherjee has said that the first since they came to power at the centre. Well- of these – the legislative bodies – have been known people are returning their awards to the turned hollow. Speaker of Lok Sabha Sumitra continued on p.123

120 January - June 2018 MIB-37 COMMUNIST PARTY OF INDIA (MAOIST) CENTRAL REGIONAL BUREAU

Press Release 29 January 2018

Fight for the unconditional release of the leader of Bheem Army Chandrasekhar Azad Ravan! Let us get organized to fight for the liberation of Dalits! Let us annihilate the caste system!

The ruling classes and the governments without the spilling of blood of Dalit and have celebrated Republic Day across the Muslim people in this state. All the ruling class country in a grand way. Modi conducted the parties including ‘Behenji’s’ party have their celebrations in Delhi in the presence of kings, bit in these clashes but BJP became more prime ministers and presidents of ten ASEAN aggressive under the rule of Yogi, the gang- countries namely Myanmar, Indonesia, leader of saffron terrorists as a part of the Thailand, Singapore, Kampuchea, Laos, strategy of , Amit Shah and Malaysia, Vietnam, Philippines and Brunei. Narendra Modi. They took ‘Goraksha’ of the On the other hand, the same day Uttar age old tradition as their weapon. The Pradesh adjacent to Delhi witnessed imposition of NSA on the Bheem Army’s communal riots in which Chandan Gupta died leader shows that crime becomes the state and and Neshar was injured. They belonged to punishes the victims under the rule of Modi different religions. The same Hinduist Yogi who amended the Act in 2016 to let rigorous extended the detainment of the leader of punishments for the Dalits. The rulers always Bheem Army three days before the Republic deceive the people that it is the duty of the Day for another six months. This heckles the police system to protect the rule of law and that SC, ST Atrocities (Prevention) Act and also the law too does its bit. The rulers and the reveals his Varna policy. Our Party demands police in UP are little ahead of this. The judge the immediate release of Chandrasekhar Azad of the Allahabad High Court commented, “In Ravan which is a part of the struggle against the entire country there is not another criminal the Hindu fascist actions. It appeals to all the force whose misdeeds can come anywhere near revolutionary, democratic and secular forces the list of crimes of that organized body called to come forth for the same. the Indian police force” within twenty years It is known to all that last year there was a of ‘Independence’, revealing the state of affairs caste collision between the Rajputs and the of the police in India’s Republic rule. After the Dalits in Saharanpur of UP during which Hashimpur massacre another judge Azad was attacked, injured and consequently recommended the dissolution of PCA in UP arrested. He was foisted with NSA in 2017 which reveals the unlawful rule of the police. November while he was behind bars. UP is The Yogi government once more revealed its known for communal riots and caste collisions. Manuvadi policy of considering the Dalits as Since partition in 1947 to the present religious a danger to the caste system in the country. clashes in Khasganj, perhaps no day passed Time demands that the Dalits, Adivasis and

MIB-37 January - June 2018 121 minorities come together in a more united and persons all over the country were found guilty. militant manner. In the more than thousand cases of POTA 13 It is a primary thing that justice is not persons were found guilty. All those who were above class under class rule. In addition to this arrested under POTA in Gujarat were alleged Justice Chalameswaram and his team revealed to have attempted to murder the ‘Hindu’s that in Hindutva rule it is not above religion favorite’ Modi and the BJP leaders. It is beyond and upper castes. The case of Bilkis Bano is a doubt that all of them are suffering from severe glaring example. CBI strongly said that at least exploitation and the suppression of the three of the accused be given death sentence religion. but the Supreme Court did not heed and The Hindutva attacks have turned violent explained the murder of all her 17 family in the past three and a half years. They are a members including her three year old child part of the fundamental strategy as a part of and the termination of five month pregnancy establishing Hindu raj. This is why due to barbaric rape of the 19 year old Bilkis Chandrasekhar is behind bars. The student of Bano must be seen in the background of JNU Nazeeb of Jammu-Kashmir is missing. Gujarat massacre. This is Brahmanical Manu said atheists must be boycotted. His judgment on a ‘Muslim’ woman and nothing successors are now indulging in heinous else. On the other hand, when a Dalit youth conspiracies to eliminate atheists, democrats, committed atrocity on a Maratha girl in revolutionaries and secular persons and all Ahmadnagar in the end of 2017, court those who are against them. Starting from the pronounced death sentence to three persons. rationalist Dabholkar to the atheist and Is this not Manu policy? How can the Dalits journalist Gauri Lakesh and Shantanu of the country believe that there is no caste Bhowmik the Hindu communalists eliminated dimension in the justice being meted out to many people and are now warning Arundhati them! Justice Loya looking after the trial of Roy and Nandini Sundar to be in this list. Sohrabuddin case in which Amit Shah was the Ambedkar said 82 years back, “Hindus say prime accused died suddenly revealing the role they are patient people. I don’t think it is of the Hindutva forces behind it. correct. Hindus are not patient on many The Vyapam scandal is an example to say occasions. The occasions, if anywhere they are that Hindutva does not retain any evidences. patient are only those that are unfavorable to The daily newspapers reveal the crimes of the them”. He warned the future generations of three thousand members of the Parliament and the devious and cruel nature of Brahmanism. the Assemblies who came to power in the rule The Supreme Court too failed to control the of the Hindutva forces who repeatedly state indiscriminate violence and atrocity of the that they came to power to establish Hindu raj. Karni Sena for the past few days in the The recent ‘sex scandal’ of a saffron Minister Hindutva ruled states against the movie in Chhattisgarh in which false cases were ‘Padmavati’. Our Party makes it clear that in imposed on journalist Vinod Varma is known this situation all the struggles against the to all. The imposition of NSA on a Dalit leader excesses of the Hindutva forces must be by the bloodthirsty saffron terrorists is like a coordinated and taken forward in the path of thief pointing someone to be a thief. annihilation of caste. The incident in Bhima All the cruel Acts like the TADA, POTA, Koregaon on the 1st of January, 2018 reveals UAPA and MACOCA are only to harass and that friends believing in the fake Indian suppress the Dalit, Adivasi, Muslim and other Constitution are blindly opposing armed oppressed people which are revealed from their resistance and are coming in the way of reviews. Only one percent of the TADA cases teaching a lesson to the Brahmanic cruelty. Let that investigated more than 76 thousand us fight united and organized in the light of

122 January - June 2018 MIB-37 the lessons for the liberation of the Dalits and Brahmanism. The actual reasons for the the oppressed people without falling to present evils lie in their prolonged rule. So we understand the conspiracies of the ‘caste cannot fight Brahmanism without all the forces system’ that ‘makes impossible a United Front against the atrocities of the Hindutva forces for mutual cooperation even for a good work’. and against the imperialist economic policies The Hindutva offensive in the country working among the people coming together in reveals the conspiracies of the Hindutva forces a united manner. Brahmanism is not at all the that are in power in the country with the problem of the Dalits, Adivasis and religious objective of transforming the Indian minorities alone. This is the problem of its rule Constitution. Golwalkar the ‘Veda guru’ of for the past centuries. The Varna system is the Hindutva commented Indian Constitution as result of this. The caste system is the distorted ‘un-Bharat’ and VHP said it is ‘un-Hindu’. form of it. All these are disturbing the system. Modi, their successor, highlights Ambedkar Without curing this we cannot build this and Constitution. system on new foundations. We cannot formulate a new Constitution with people’s Dear people, democrats and secularists! participation. We cannot imagine people- They are speedily getting ready to declare friendly Acts. So Dalits, Adivasis and people the country as a Hindu raj. The budget session of religious minorities that are the basic classes of the Parliament is underway. The Prime must unite with all the oppressed classes and Minister unprecedentedly started to praise the sections in the revolutionary movement and budget before it was introduced in the Lok take up struggle. Sabha. He will have to conduct many more meets to support Jaitley in the background of the hike in the prices of crude oil in addition to the crisis of demonetization and GST. The (Abhay) opposition parties in the Parliament are Spokesperson moving the dices in the arena of vote bank Central Committee politics but none of them oppose the age old CPI(Maoist) continued from p.142 and opponents of the ruling dispensation. And there is no bigger enemy or opponent of them than the country’s 1.25 billion people, their fighting organisations and their movements whom they are trying to smear with a bundle of false and baseless allegations. Not Maoists or the revolutionary movement, but the existing semi-colonial and semi-feudal system is at the root of the rampant corruption and ‘black’ money in the country. Only by overthrowing this system through the alliance of the four oppressed classes in the New Democratic Revolution under the leadership of the proletariat and advancing to establish socialism and communism by defeating imperialism can this corrupt system and its ‘black’ money be done away with. It is to this goal that our Party, CPI(Maoist) and all its leaders and cadres are dedicated to. Our CC appeals to the people of the country to see through the ruling-class misinformation campaign against our glorious Party by differentiating the true from the false and distinguishing their real friends from their real enemies. Beware of the slanderous white-lies of the ruling classes and their henchmen like Arijit Pasayat! Reject all attempts by the enemy and their media to malign and slander our Party along with all other people’s organisations on pretexts like “war against black money” and “terror funding”! Intensify the struggle by uniting as a mighty force to get rid of the existing ‘black’ economic system and all its parasitic hangers-on! Abhay Spokesperson Central Committee CPI(Maoist) MIB-37 January - June 2018 123 COMMUNIST PARTY OF INDIA (MAOIST) CENTRAL COMMITTEE

Press Release 12 March 2018

Break the imperialist chains! Bury Brahmanical Hindu fascism!

The Central Committee of the approach. To struggle for realising their Communist Party of India (Maoist) calls upon dreams is to bury Brahmanical Hindu fascism. the people, particularly the youth and the Our country today is the victim of democratic-progressive and patriotic forces to imperialist exploitation in an unprecedented observe 23 March as the Anti-imperialist Day manner. The exploitative ruling classes at on the martyrdom day of Comrades Bhagat present are transforming the country’s Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev who laid down economy into a destructive economy by their invaluable lives in their youth by hanging implementing pro-imperialist liberalisation, on the gallows to liberate mother earth from privatisation and globalisation policies and by the yoke of imperialist shackles and to fight auctioning away every sector of our country’s relentlessly till the last breath for fulfilling their economy. The other and current name of this aspirations. is ‘Make in India’. The country’s condition is This is known to all that the day of 23 being made even worse than under colonialism March has been written in blood in the history by the BJP-led government at the centre by of India’s revolutionary movement. Comrade concluding many business and trade Bhagat Singh and his comrades have been the agreements with a number of imperialist and ideals for the youth of the country yesterday, capitalist countries. Our country will not gain today and will remain so tomorrow. They were real independence without fighting against revolutionaries who struggled with these exploitative and traitorous policies. unparalleled courage against alien rule and Towards this, our Party appeals to the country’s exploitation by raising the slogans of ‘Down students and youths to jump into the armed with Imperialism!’, ‘Long live revolution!’ struggle by advancing along the path shown They never wanted that the exploitation of the by Bhagat Singh. blacks replace the exploitation of the whites. Today’s young generation needs to be Comrade Bhagat Singh had said that they were aware of the truth that Brahmanical Hindu ushering in the revolution to establish such an fascism is ruling the country in collusion with egalitarian society where there is no imperialism. The rabidly Hindu- exploitation of man by man. To remember fundamentalist ruling clique in power at the their sacrifices is to struggle for an exploitation- centre is pushing the country towards a free social system. retrogressive direction and reaction. They are Comrade Bhagat Singh was an atheist. implementing the conspiracy to imbue all the He opposed the sowing of divisiveness among social and cultural fields with Brahmanical the masses in the name of religion or caste. ideas and to convert the entire people of the Since he was a revolutionary equipped with country into Hinduism. By working on rabidly socialist understanding, he took the message fascist policies, they are attacking and killing of struggle to the people with a scientific journalists, rationalists, patriots, democratic-

124 January - June 2018 MIB-37 progressive-leftist forces who are opposing facing through guerrilla warfare lakhs of their anti-people, traitorous and armed forces deployed in the areas of fundamentalist policy. They are branding the revolutionary struggle to wipe out our youths fighting for realising the aspirations of movement. ‘The revolutionaries are the real the people as ‘terrorists’. The Hindutva fascist patriots’ – this saying is being written in the ruling clique which has already captured power pages of the country’s history for the last five in 21 states is impatient to raise the saffron flag decades. The revolutionary movement is in the entire country. The Hindu advancing shoulder to shoulder in the fundamentalist forces are destroying the statues countrywide struggle and people’s resistance of Comrade Lenin who led a heroic fight for actions continuing against Brahmanical the liberation of the human race and of Hindutva. The Maoist movement is marching Ramaswamy Periyar who opposed forward as an example in the country. The Brahmanism. Without defeating Hindu Hindutva-fascist ruling clique is carrying out religious fanaticism and burying Brahmanism the new counter-revolutionary strategic plan we cannot realise the dreams of Bhagat Singh. ‘Samadhan’. In such a condition, our Party Today the people of all sections are on appeals to the youth of our country who the path of struggle. Crushed by endless constitute 65 percent of the country’s problems the peasants are adopting the path population to stand on the side of the of militant movements instead of committing revolutionary movement and advance towards suicide. The long march of peasants from fulfilling the unfulfilled dreams of Bhagat Nasik to Mumbai is a part of this movement. Singh. Workers are advancing on the path of strikes against the pro-imperialist pro-capitalist and Organise meetings-programmes and rallies anti-worker policies. Students are struggling on 23 March against imperialism! for the resolution of their genuine problems. Mobilise the masses in militant actions against Teachers, employees are forced to hit the imperialist exploitation! streets. Dalits, Adivasis, religious minorities, women and all other oppressed sections are agitating against Brahmanical Hindutva fascist forces. Our Party calls upon the youth to fight with them shoulder to shoulder. (Abhay) The revolutionary movement is continuing in our country today under the Spokesperson leadership of our Party. The exploited- Central Committee oppressed masses are fighting by giving CPI(Maoist) unprecedented sacrifices. The PLGA and the people led by our Party are extremely bravely

MIB-37 January - June 2018 125 COMMUNIST PARTY OF INDIA (MAOIST) CENTRAL COMMITTEE

Press Release 4 May 2018

Red Salutes to Comrade Arvind, one of the Leaders of the Indian Revolution and Politburo Member of CPI(Maoist)!

Comrade Arvind (Sujit, Nishant), one of His four-decade long revolutionary life was the leaders of the Indian revolution and member inseparably connected to the revolutionary of the Politburo of the Central Committee of movement of Bihar and the Indian revolution CPI(Maoist), breathed his last in the third week and brought several experiences. His political life of March 2018 after prolonged illness. He was cannot be seen in isolation from the 65. contemporary political situation, class struggle, Comrade Arvind was born in a middle mobilisation of lakhs of people in anti-feudal peasant family of Jehanabad district in Bihar. struggles, the strategy and tactics as formulated He completed his B.Sc. in Patna. He joined and and applied in his area and field of work, state actively participated in the student and youth and Regional Bureau, his many struggles for the movement that had erupted on the scene during correct line and against the incorrect line, and his graduation days. In this course he was the expansion of the revolutionary movement attracted to revolutionary politics. He joined from smaller areas to vast rural and strategic with some other communists and formed areas. Communist Krantikari Sangathan (CKS). They From democratic politics to revolutionary merged with the erstwhile CPI(M-L)(PU) and politics: Many people’s movements erupted in developed as one of its Central Committee (CC) the first half of the 1970s against the autocratic members. After the merger of CPI(M-L)(PW) rule of Indira Gandhi government – a and CPI(M-L)(PU), he worked as a CC member representative of the exploitative ruling classes. of the united CPI(M-L)[PW]. Following the Lakhs of students and youths participated in merger of CPI(M-L)[PW] and MCCI, he these struggles militantly. Comrade participated worked as a member of the CC and the Central in these movements as an energetic activist. There Military Commission (CMC) of the unified was a great impact of the Naxalbari peasant CPI(Maoist). In the fourth meeting of the CC movement throughout the country in those days. held in 2013, he was co-opted as a Politburo At that time, there was also quite a good impact member. He worked in this capacity till he was of Comrade Jowhar who was martyred as the martyred due to heart attack after suffering from Secretary of the State Committee of CPI(ML) Diabetes and Blood Pressure for a long time. The in the course of leading the historic Bhojpur CC, CPI(Maoist), pays its humble red homage armed agrarian struggle by upholding Comrade to Comrade Arvind and takes pledge to continue CM’s line. People like Comrade Arvind came the fight to fulfil his aspirations till the last breath. into revolutionary politics under the influence Our CC shares the grief of his family and friends of these two factors by holding high the line of and conveys them its heartfelt condolences. Comrade CM and keeping faith in it. He and The life of Comrade Arvind from the time some other comrades formed the Communist of coming to politics in 1973-74 till his Krantikari Sangathan (CKS) during 1977-79 with martyrdom has been full of struggle. In every step, an attitude of rectifying the errors that had every turn and every moment he remained on cropped up in that line. This was the first step in the side of progressive and revolutionary change. Comrade’s Arvind’s political life.

126 January - June 2018 MIB-37 As a leader of the armed agrarian fired upon the state conference of MKSS held in revolutionary movement: Communist Arwal on 19 April 1986 bringing back memories revolutionaries in their hundreds came out of of the Jalianawalabagh massacre. 23 peasants jail throughout the country after the lifting of were martyred and 70 were injured in this the Emergency. Some comrades under the massacre. Over 40,000 activists, leadership leadership of Comrade Narayan Sanyal and comrades and people were arrested across the others formed CPI(M-L)(Party Unity) in state, tortured and incarcerated. Militant people’s November 1978 with the single agenda of uniting resistance movement was conducted against this all the genuine revolutionaries. One group of repression. CKS under the leadership of Comrade Arvind From anti-feudal struggles to efforts towards established contact with Comrade Narayan establishing Guerrilla Zones with the aim of Sanyal-led CPI(M-L)(PU). These two groups building Base Areas: The role of Comrade merged in 1980 to form CPI(M-L)(Unity Arvind in developing the movement to the next Organisation). It became CPI(M-L)(PU) after higher level was very significant. The the inclusion of some more revolutionaries from revolutionary forces which had emerged from Punjab in January 1982. This was the second step the armed agrarian struggle were organised in in Comrade Arvind’s revolutionary life. Party Unity. Guerrilla Squads were formed out After Comrade Arvind joined the of MKSS and militia squads. He held revolutionary party through efforts for upholding discussions in the Party about developing the the correct line, it helped to initiate and develop movement with the aim of establishing people’s anti-feudal and armed agrarian revolutionary democratic power through the united front of struggle in Jehanabad, Aurangabad and Patna four classes under the leadership of the Party by districts of his own Magadh region. In the state crushing feudal political power. In this way, he of Bihar which was known as a fortress of played a very important role in developing the feudalism, the movement against cruel feudal line of the erstwhile PU Party. lords and their private armies like Bhumi Sena Standing firm on the basic line of the Party erupted as a mighty tide through the in internal struggles: Comrade Arvind remained mobilisation of lakhs of peasants. Mazdoor firm on the Party line during the internal Kisan Sangharsh Samiti (MKSS) and Comrade struggles of the Party. Particularly in the first Arvind as its leader played the main role in this. Conference of PU in 1987, the Party Secretary He was a great agitator. He had a feel for the Ashok brought forward a proposal of taking a pulse of the masses and could rouse them through rightist line. He presented a document in which his speeches. He inspired thousands of peasants it was claimed that our country was no longer to join militant struggles. He led them in chasing semi-feudal, that it transformed into a capitalist the landlords out of the villages and punishing society and therefore it was appropriate to their private armies by carrying out armed attacks abandon the path of protracted people’s war. The on them. In this way, he earned the trust of the vast majority of the Party members under the peasants as a capable peasant leader. His role was leadership of Comrade Narayan Sanyal rejected also significant in successfully carrying out this erroneous line and safeguarded the Party and resistance actions against the feudal private its correct line. Comrade Arvind was one of those armies and seizing arms from them by mobilising who stood in the forefront in this struggle under the Dalits in retaliation against the massacre of the leadership of Comrade Narayan Sanyal. Dalits by Upper Caste feudal armies in Magadh region. This movement expanded to the adjacent Struggle against the opportunist politics of areas and 6-7 districts like Palamu of Koel- the revisionist parties: Vinod Mishra became the Kaimur area. The base of the feudal forces was leader of CPI(M-L) after the martyrdom of shaken with the expansion and development of Comrade Jowhar. He took a revisionist line. the revolutionary movement. The authority of Comrade Arvind had a significant role in the the landlords started to crumble. Intolerant of struggles carried out by the erstwhile PU against these movements and in order to crush them, this group which was strong in Bihar at that time the state government conducted large-scale and such other revisionist groups of the M-L attacks by setting up police camps. Bihar Police camp.

MIB-37 January - June 2018 127 Preparing the basis for the unity of directly led many valiant guerrilla actions revolutionaries: It is not possible to achieve unity including ambushes, raids and encounters and among revolutionaries without building strong correctly guided many actions, contributing movements in this way – by grasping this correct greatly to their success. No matter what hurdles understanding, Comrade Arvind built strong came in the way of conducting guerrilla actions, movements in Magadh and consolidated the he used to overcome them with great revolutionary line. In this way he brought perseverance and made these actions successful valuable revolutionary experience to the Indian with his boundless initiative, determination, revolution in uniting revolutionaries. This patience, courage, understanding and sense of brought a turning point in PU and formed the selfless sacrifice. He courageously led and basis for the merger of PW and PU. In this way coordinated the PLGA in many encounters he played a main role in the merger of PW and between the enemy forces and the PLGA forces. PU – the two main Parties of CPI(M-L) stream He led from the front in directly commanding that were formed under the influence of our forces to preserve our subjective strength and Naxalbari. to destroy the enemy forces. He made serious The armed clashes with MCC that efforts to develop the guerrilla war to a higher continued for nearly three years after the merger level with the aim of transforming it into mobile of PW and PU in the unified PW have been war. Jehanabad Jailbreak and guerrilla actions identified as a black chapter in the history of the like Bhandaria, Dhardharia and Amvatikar will Indian revolution and it caused serious losses as remain testimony to this. He gave direct well. Nevertheless, on the basis of correct leadership to the first Company under ERB in ideology and practice, on the basis of deep self- the Koel-Kaimur area of Bihar Region. He criticism, without giving scope to any kind of brought several new experiences of guerrilla war opportunist compromises, by learning from one through continuous effort. He set examples another alone can genuine revolutionaries before the Party and the PLGA by developing achieve unity – Comrade Arvind was one of methods of active self-defence during the those who had conviction on this understanding conduct of camps. He not only gave direct and worked for unity untiringly. This paved the leadership in formulating military plans but also way for the merger of the two main streams of in implementing them concretely. He became the Indian revolution – MCCI and PW – and one of the prime targets of the enemy as he the formation of CPI(Maoist). directly gave leadership to the Party and the PLGA by always remaining with the Company As one of the higher-level commanders of in the field. Hundreds of enemy forces followed the Party: Comrade Arvind was one of the the Company with the aim of eliminating him. higher-level commanders given by the Indian In spite of this, he never worried about the enemy revolution to the country’s oppressed masses. He and never bowed to it. Under his leadership, the played the main role in developing guerrilla war PLGA conducted many heroic counter-offensive in Bihar led by erstwhile PU, erstwhile unified attacks against the enemy’s counter-guerrilla PW and unified CPI(Maoist). He made efforts campaigns targeting him and wiped out a large by concentrating on developing guerrilla war as number of enemy forces. Comrade Arvind in the main form of struggle and guerrilla Squads, particular played a special role in developing Platoons and Companies as the main form of guerrilla war before and after the formation of organisation of people’s guerrilla units. After the CPI(Maoist). formation of CPI(Maoist), he performed his responsibilities as a member of the Central Bringing new experience by developing as Military Commission (CMC) and Eastern an expert in explosives and mine warfare: Regional Command (ERC). His role in Bihar- Comrade Arvind had a special role in preparing Jharkhand in defeating the enemy’s many explosives, improvising various types of mines aggressive attacks to wipe out the revolutionary and developing mine warfare at a time when movement, in intensifying the guerrilla war in limitations in supply became a very acute hurdle the forested, hilly and plain areas and in adopting in developing the guerrilla war. He not only and implementing appropriate tactics to develop acquired a grip on explosives through deep study, it to the level of mobile war was crucial. He but he directly and successfully participated in many dangerous experiments in their

128 January - June 2018 MIB-37 preparation and use. He conducted many in India and in concretely implementing the training camps for the PLGA related to this in Party line in particular was immense. In spite of ERB and one in CRB. He prepared notes on facing serious ailment, he remained in explosives and their use. Serious losses were underground life in the strategic area, gave direct caused to the enemy forces by successfully using leadership to the Party ranks till his last breath the techniques of improvised explosives and and passed away amidst them. He was a selfless science developed by Comrade Arvind. fighter, commander and leader of the proletariat As an in-charge of supplies for the guerrilla dedicated to the revolution. He was a leader who forces: Comrade Arvind also performed the won the confidence of the Party rank and file by responsibility as one of the in-charges of supplies closely integrating with them. The firmness with of the CMC, CPI(Maoist). After the enemy which he gave leadership to the Party was targeted and destroyed the supply mechanism of equalled by his lively personality with which he our Party, he made serious efforts to provide kept the cadres and the masses in high spirit. He supplies to the guerrilla forces particularly of inspired all by sharing his vast revolutionary Magadh region. He utilised all kinds of contacts experience. He was untiring in his study of for this. He took the help of even his friends and specific subjects. He led a plain communist life. family members for this. He untiringly made The ideals he has established are worthy of efforts to rebuild the supply mechanism of our emulation by the cadres of the entire Party from Party even after the enemy targeted and destroyed top to bottom, by the commanders and fighters it repeatedly. He was a higher-level revolutionary of the PLGA, by the new generation of cadres fighter and leader who incessantly made efforts and the masses of the oppressed people. Indian for victory without getting dismayed by defeat revolution has lost a great leader with his demise. and by believing that defeat is temporary while But he will always be alive in the annals of the final victory belongs to the people. revolutionary movement of the Indian and the world proletariat and live in the hearts of the A determined fighter in enemy dungeons: oppressed masses. Comrade Arvind will always Comrade Arvind twice went through keep inspiring them. incarceration by the enemy. He always stood up to enemy repression. He preserved Party secrets Let us develop the revolutionary movement while in enemy custody even by bravely going in this difficult situation to the next higher level through severe mental torture. After release, he by upholding the ideals of Comrade Arvind who immediately returned to the Party ranks under gave invaluable service to the revolutionary secrecy and resumed his responsibility of leading movement as one of the leaders of Indian them. revolution! Let us advance along the path shown by him! Let us take pledge to persist in struggle The life of Comrade Arvind is an ideal for till the victory of the New Democratic Revolution the Party and India’s oppressed youth: In totality, and the establishment of socialism and the life history of Comrade Arvind is the history communism. of a communist revolutionary who always continued struggle through relentless effort by keeping faith on the people, the Party and the world proletariat in spite of several ups and (Abhay) downs, tides and ebbs, twists and turns in the protracted people’s war and who never allowed Spokesperson despair to overcome him even when several Central Committee comrades got martyred in front of his eyes. His service to the development of the people’s war CPI(Maoist)

MIB-37 January - June 2018 129 COMMUNIST PARTY OF INDIA (MAOIST) CENTRAL COMMITTEE

5 May 2018

Condemn the massacres perpetrated by the police, paramilitary and commando forces!

Make efforts till the last breath to realise the aspirations of the Tadpal, Kassanur and Aipenta Martyrs!

Defend, consolidate and advance the revolutionary democratic movement of India!

Between 10 March to 27 April 2018, 58 revolutionary masses and activists of revolutionaries laid down their lives in three revolutionary organisations in other areas of massacres carried out by the police, revolutionary struggle in the country (Bihar- paramilitary and commando forces in Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Odisha and Dandakaranya. Ten comrades (seven women Chhattisgarh) in encounters that took place in and three men) were massacred in Tadpal the last four months. CPI(Maoist) pays its red forests near Pujarikanker of Bijapur district, homage to each of the comrades who have while 40 revolutionaries and villagers (22 given up their lives for advancing the revolution women and 18 men) were mowed down on and reiterates its pledge to fight till the end to the banks of Indravati River in the Halbi fulfil their aspirations. Tumirigunda forest of the same district by C- The NDA government is very aggressively 60 commandos of Gadchiroli. Since this carrying out brutal attacks in all the states heinous crime was committed by the C-60 where the Maoist movement is active. After commandos, the incident was known by the conducting ‘Operation Green Hunt’ for eight Kassanur village on the Maharashtra side of years, it is now implementing the ‘Samadhan’ the river. Soon after this incident, eight strategy. Hundreds of villagers and tens of revolutionaries (six women and two men) were revolutionaries have been killed. In spite of shot dead near Ilimed on Aipenta Hills of this, the revolutionary movement has not only Bijapur district. A total of 35 female and 23 continued but is in fact spreading to newer male comrades were massacred in these three areas. Worried by this, the government is massacres. Of the eleven comrades who were preparing special ‘Missions’ every year and injured in the firing of the C-60 commandos intensifying its armed offensive using modern at Kassanur, six were taken away by C-60 weapons. Using helicopters extensively in officer ASP Maheswar Reddy to Khandla various roles, it is introducing aerial attacks as Rajaram forest and shot dead. 24 comrades lost well. The attack carried out jointly by the their lives due to drowning in the river during Indian Air Force, central paramilitary forces the Kassanur incident. Our CC is pays its and the commando forces of Telangana and humble red homage with bowed heads to all Chhattisgarh in Pujarikanker on Chhattisgarh- these martyrs. In addition to them, the police Telangana border is a proof of this. It is have killed tens of revolutionaries, stepping up attacks by using UAVs widely. It is

130 January - June 2018 MIB-37 strengthening mobile network even in the forest when he fell into the trap set up by the C-60 regions. Moreover, it is making informers out commandos as he went to hunt in the forest of some unemployed lumpen elements of the of Chinavedampalli village of the same district. villages, family members of those who have Such incidents have become common been punished by the people in the course of occurrence in the lives of the Adivasis in the the movement, families of policemen and last one decade. Our Party appeals to the people reactionary tribal elders by enticing them with to condemn and resist these attacks and defend the promise of money, jobs and protection. the revolutionary movement by standing firmly The government forces are carrying out attacks on its side. and massacres by mainly basing themselves on There is an integral link between the the intelligence provided by such informers. growing attacks, massacres and severe The central government held a meeting with punishment of comrades incarcerated in the the participation of the army and top police, jails in the movement areas on the one hand civil and judicial officers of the Maoist struggle and the economic crisis that is deepening areas in May 2017 in Delhi and chalked out throughout the world on the other. The the strategy of ‘Samadhan’ with the aim of exploitative ruling classes are in a hurry to loot wiping out the revolutionary movement. It set the natural resources of the country on a large the deadline of making India Maoist-free by scale to come out of the economic crisis 2022. But the state governments, particularly besetting the country and the world. the BJP government of Chhattisgarh is in a Functionaries of central and all the state hurry to uproot the Maoists by 2019 itself. governments are competing with one another Maharashtra’s BJP government too is to frequent foreign countries within a short participating in this race. The central span of time to auction the country’s government is not only giving the necessary resources. They are concluding tens of funds to various states for this but is also agreements with various capitalist, imperialist providing additional paramilitary forces governments and multinational companies. demanded by them. Unable to provide They are busy in providing all the basic employment opportunities in any other field, amenities to these foreign and domestic hawks the state governments are recruiting in order to reap quick results as per the unemployed youths into government armed promises made to them. They are intensifying forces, giving them commando training and the attacks on the masses by using police and are increasing the size of these forces. paramilitary forces to complete infrastructural As a result, the areas of the Maoist projects. After Devendra Fadnavis became the movement are being crushed under the iron Maharashtra Chief Minister, a security cordon heels of the police. People’s lives are in disarray has been laid around the forests and villages and the oppression of the khaki goons is of Surjagarh Hills in Gadchiroli by deploying becoming more and more intolerable. six camps of special paramilitary forces for the Commando attacks on the villages are taking only purpose of facilitating mining activities. place on a daily basis. Forests are reverberating Iron-ore is being transported for the Lloyds with the sound of the guns of the special forces Company in 400 vehicles once every week in the name combing operations. The Adivasis under heavy police protection. Almost all the who venture into the forests in search of the mineral-rich areas of Bastar Range has been means of livelihood are being killed by them. sold by the Raman Singh government in the Women are being subjected to atrocities. It has last fifteen years to dozens of corporate houses become a common thing to destroy even the including the Tatas, Jindal, Essar, etc. It has meagre property of the villagers. On 5 become a life-and-death problem for the people. February, an Oraon youth Ramkumar who They are putting up resistance against it by went to play in the forest of Koyanvarse village getting ready for tremendous sacrifice. It has of Gadchiroli that falls under the mining area become unavoidable for them to stop the was brutally killed by the C-60 commands. government policies and police guns. Adivasi peasant Sonsai (35) was burnt alive

MIB-37 January - June 2018 131 The exploitative ruling classes are wiping refused to resolve the problems of the people out the very signs of PESA and Gram Sabhas as they are only interested in the people’s votes. in the Adivasi areas. On the other hand, they Dear people! are spreading illusions among the masses by repeating the sugar-coated mantra of The spark of Naxalbari has become a “development”. Modi, Raman Singh, prairie fire and has spread throughout the Devendra Fadnavis, Raghubar Das, country. The exploitative ruling classes are Chandrababu Naidu, Pinarayi Vijayan, unable to tolerate this. Particularly for the Naveen Patnaik and Chandrashekhar Rao are saffron terrorists in power, the country’s in the forefront of this. The rulers are least Maoist movement has become unbearable. It concerned about the burning problems of the is implementing its strategy against the country such as skyrocketing prices of the movement in a very aggressive way exceeding goods of daily need, growing unemployment, the previous governments. In spite of this, the farmer’s suicide, starvation deaths, atrocities growth of political awareness, people’s and corruption scandals, etc. They are not movements and democratic movements along bothered about the welfare of the people but with the revolutionary movement in the only about the development of the ruling country have not allowed these oppressors to classes and the wealthy families. The ruling play their game of plunder as per their wishes. classes are undermining all the laws that they The people are fighting much more militantly themselves had promulgated and are violating than before. The People’s Liberation Guerrilla the civil and democratic rights. They are Army (PLGA) is standing with the people and harassing, arresting and putting behind bars is fighting with renewed determination and for long periods the democrats, intellectuals, dedication. Our Party is mobilising the masses human rights activists and well-wishers of the and carrying out struggles by exposing the anti- Adivasis under fabricated charges who take the people policies of the exploitative ruling classes side of the struggling masses by branding them from time to time. The masses in the areas of as ‘white-collar’/‘urban’ Maoists. The the revolutionary movement in particular are sentencing of Comrades G N Saibaba, fighting with the spirit of self-sacrifice and Prashant Rahi, Hem Mishra, Pandu Narote, courage to build a new democratic system in Mahesh Tirkey and Vijay Tirkey are an the country by forming people’s governments example of this. Recently, a few pro- in place of the exploitative government. Salwa establishment intellectuals of Maharashtra Judum and Harmad Bahini were defeated. have labelled well-known advocate of Nagpur Thereafter the UPA government launched the Surendra Gadling, a woman activist of Kabir war on people in 2009 with the strategy of Kala Manch Harshali and Dalit leader Sudhir Operation Green Hunt. But this too had to bite Dhawale as the ‘conspirators’ behind Bheema- the dust and retreat after the Burkapal attack Koregaon. The police subsequently raided their of 24 April 2017. The Union Home Minister residences and seized electronic devices from had to acknowledge this defeat immediately them. In this way, the police are gearing up to even if in a muffled voice. The ruling classes imprison them at any moment. Our Party have brought forward the ‘Samadhan’ strategy strongly condemns these acts of state terror. by talking big about a change of strategy. The people are acquiring many experiences in the While the people are fighting these life- course of defeating many enemy strategies and-death problems on the one hand, the through the people’s war in the last fifty years attacks of the Hindutva forces are intensifying as a part of the Indian revolutionary in the country on the other. Hundreds of movement. Our Party appeals to the people attacks have been perpetrated by these forces that they fight back the new ‘Samadhan’ in the last four years, in which several Muslims, strategy by using this experience. We will not Dalits and Adivasis have lost their lives and be able to safeguard the achievements of the many more have lost their property. People of last five decades of people’s war if we fail to all sections of the society are coming under defeat the higher-level enemy attacks by Hindutva attack. In spite of this, the rulers have displaying a higher level of consciousness.

132 January - June 2018 MIB-37 Therefore, it is time to take forward the active perpetrators. You too are facing fascist attacks. self-defensive war with courage, determination You too are being arrested, denied bail and put and dexterity through tactical counter-offensive behind bars for long durations. You too are attacks by deeply studying the enemy and being attacked and a few among you are being without giving scope for mistakes. Let us take killed. In spite of all this, our Party has full lessons from the experiences of the immortal confidence on you and believes that you will martyrs and continue the struggle for realising firmly stand by the people and the people’s their ideals and aspirations. movements with conviction and courage. Your role in exposing and defeating Salwa Judum, Sendra and Harmad Bahini that were Democrats, journalists, civil rights activists unleashed with the aim of spreading white and students-youths, terror among the masses is appreciable. You You all had got mobilised on a war-footing have valiantly struggled to expose Operation and brought the facts to light against the Green Hunt that was launched subsequently massacre of 31 comrades by the Greyhound and forced it to beat an ignominious retreat. commandos of Andhra Pradesh Police at Our Party congratulates you for your efforts Ramguda of Odisha in October 2016. in the wake of your growing responsibilities Massacres on an even bigger scale are being in the Indian revolutionary movement. Our perpetrated today. Our Party CPI(Maoist) calls Party hopes that you will be active with ever upon you to come forward to investigate these more determination to face ‘Samadhan’ and massacres immediately and to participate in resist the atrocities of the Hindutva forces in a the just struggle for the punishment of the conscious manner.

« Condemn the ongoing state repression on the revolutionary, national liberation and democratic movements! « Expose the pro-imperialist and anti-people policies of the central and state governments! « Bring to light the facts behind Tadpal, Kassanur and Aipenta massacres and demand punishment for the guilty! « Organise memorial meetings and programmes in commemoration of Tadpal, Kassanur and Aipenta martyrs and hold high their sacrifice! Take pledge to fulfil their aspirations!

(Abhay) Spokesperson Central Committee CPI(Maoist)

MIB-37 January - June 2018 133 COMMUNIST PARTY OF INDIA (MAOIST) CENTRAL COMMITTEE

Press Release 10 June 2018

Strongly condemn the arrest of five social activists by the Maharashtra Police! Build up a countrywide movement for their release as a part of the struggle against Brahmanical Hindu-fascist forces led by Modi-Shah-Bhagwat clique!

On 6 June 2018, Maharashtra Police only explanation for the sa-id ‘letter’ arrested five well-known social activists Maharashtra Police claimed to have recovered associated with various democratic can be that it was authored and planted by the organisations of the country on cases related police themselves as a part of the fascist to the Koregaon-Bhima incident of 1 January conspiracy to target, frame and jail the arrested this year, subsequently implicating them in the social activists and other democratic voices of framed-up charge of a ‘conspiracy’ to the country in collusion with central and state assassinate Prime Minister Narendra Modi intelligence agencies that are notorious for based on a letter purportedly ‘recovered’ from hatching such conspiracies and fabricating a computer seized from one of the accused. such ‘evidence’. We appeal to all the country’s The five arrested social activists include Rona democratic, progressive, secular and patriotic Wilson of the Committee for the Release of organisations and individuals as well as the Political Prisoners (CRPP), Prof. Shoma Sen masses to strongly protest against this of Nagpur University and a leader of India’s persecution of the five social activists by the democratic women’s movement, Sudhir BJP governments and fight for their release. Dhawale of the Republican Panthers and We call upon them to strengthen the country’s editor of the magazine ‘Vidrohi’, and ongoing broad democratic movement against prominent lawyer Surinder Gadling of the the most regressive, decadent, anti-people and Indian Association of People’s Lawyers treacherous Brahmanical Hindu-fascist forces (IAPL). The Central Committee of our Party led by RSS. CPI(Maoist) condemns these arrests in the Only a few days prior to these arrest, strongest terms and considers it as a part of Maharashtra Police had raided the residences the continuing attack of the Brahmanical of the five social activists in the pretext of Hindu-fascist forces led by the Narendra Modi- collecting evidence in connection with the Amit Shah-Mohan Bhagwat ruling clique on fabricated charges related to the Koregaon- the country’s people, their inalienable Bhima incident. This was a blatant act of fundamental rights and their democratic fascist intimidation and was condemned by organisations. In addition, the arrests and the various democratic organisations. But the invention of a “Maoist conspiracy to raids proved to be a mere prelude to their assassinate Modi” by Maharashtra Police are further persecution. Raids and seizure of also a part of the preparations for a new ruling- electronic devices followed by arrests based on class offensive against the countrywide planted ‘evidence’ has become a familiar revolutionary movement led by our Party. modus-operandi of the police today to target Through these, the path is being cleared to gag democrats and democratic organisations and threaten all expected voices of opposition opposing the Hindu-fascist forces in to it beforehand using frame-ups and lies. The

134 January - June 2018 MIB-37 government and outside. Clearly perceiving the lives, followed by fake encounter and arrest of arrests to be another planned attack of the innocents by policemen close to them. The fascist forces on the people’s democratic rights, killing of Israt Jahan, Sohrabuddin Sheikh and a wide section of parties, organisations and several others by Gujarat Police when Modi individuals including opposition and Shah were at the helm of the state amply parliamentary parties have come out strongly testify to this fact, with the difference that this condemning their arrest and exposing the time the threat from ‘Islamic terrorism’ has police claims in the last four days. been replaced by ‘Maoist extremism’. As the Realising that the charges brought by the desperate trumpeting of the non-existent police related to the Koregaon-Bhima held no ‘achievements’ of four years of Modi water and the conspiracy of the Sangh brigade government is proving ineffective in drowning to falsely implicate the social activists was the growing tide of people’s angry protests getting unmasked, the police concocted one throughout the country, the Sangh Parivar has more cock-and-bull story. This time they once again resorted to the old trick of ‘discovered’ a Maoist ‘plot’ involving the garnering sympathy for Modi & co. by posing arrested social activists to assassinate PM Modi a ‘threat to life’ with an eye to next years’ in a manner similar to former PM Rajiv parliamentary elections. Gandhi! The only ‘evidence’ the police could Another important objective of the arrests muster to back up their claim was a ‘letter’ is to divert public attention from the Sanghi purportedly recovered from the laptop of one perpetrators of the Koregaon-Bhima violence of the accused. Undoubtedly, this so-called early this year. The BJP governments at the ‘letter’ and the fantastic tale it supposedly centre and in Maharashtra have been shielding contains is nothing but a brainchild of them in spite of repeated demands by the Dalits Maharashtra Police and intelligence agencies for action against them. As is well known, at the behest of their Sanghi political bosses. RSS-related Hindutva-fascist organisations Top BJP leaders like Rajnath Singh, Arun hatched a conspiracy to violently break up the Jaitley and Devendra Fadnavis lost no time to commemoration of the bicentenary of the jump into the fray and brought more grist to Battle of Koregaon (the last battle of the Anglo- the Goebbelsian Hindutva-fascist propaganda Maratha war) by the Dalits of Maharashtra mill by repeating these ridiculous police scheduled for 1 January 2018. The mobilisation allegations, and claiming that even of Dalits in large numbers for this programme Maharashtra CM was receiving ‘death threats’ has been perceived as a threat by the from the Maoists. Adding their own Brahmanical Hindu-fascist forces. So the embellishments, the official and pro- saffron storm-troopers first broke up the establishment media have gone all out to memorial of a Dalit historical figure Ganpat propagate the bundle of lies mouthed by these Gaikwad at Vadhu Budruk on 30 December Indian progenies of Goebbels, conducting a 2017, four kilometres away from Koregaon- media-trial of the social activists and Bhima. Then on 1 January 2018, they pronouncing them guilty even before allowing systematically attacked thousands of Dalits the farce of an official trial to begin. coming to attend the programme in Koregaon- This brings to mind the memory of Bhima at various places using firearms, bombs Germany under Hitler when the Nazis burnt and swords, etc., killing one and injuring many down the Reichstag themselves and putting the in an attempt to break up the congregation. blame on the German communists, democrats Hindutva leaders like Sambhaji Bhide (founder and patriots to witch-hunt them. Leaders like of Shiva Pratisthan) and Milind Ekbote (chief Narendra Modi and Amit Shah are past of Hindu Ekta Aghadi) and their fascist masters of such fascist methods of eliminating organisations were at the forefront in any opposition to their rule and gaining public organising these attacks with the support of sympathy. They have perfected their own the Sangh Parivar and the government ‘Gujarat model’ of repression along Nazi lines administration. The entire state-machinery of propping up tales of alleged ‘threats’ to their colluded with these Hindu communal forces

MIB-37 January - June 2018 135 in perpetrating the violence and then shielding opponent against Indian state’s violence them from punishment for their crimes. against women. Sudhir Dhawale of Mumbai Dalits and the democratic organisations is a well-known political activist running the of the country, and particularly of magazine ‘Vidrohi’ and associated with Maharashtra, had come out militantly onto progressive Dalit organisation called the streets in large numbers to protest against Republican Panthers. He had spent several this attack orchestrated by the Hindutva years in prison on charges of Maoism before organisations in collusion with the Devendra being acquitted by the court as the police failed Fadnavis-led BJP government. A successful to substantiate their trumped-up charges. Maharashtra Bandh was observed on 4 January Surinder Gadling, a senior advocate practicing at the call of the Dalit organisations. They in the Nagpur bench of demanded immediate action by the is a leader of IAPL and has been providing government against the perpetrators including legal defence of political prisoners persecuted the arrest of the Hindutva ringleaders Sambhaji by the Indian state, mostly the Adivasi Bhide and Milind Ekbote. Under pressure from prisoners of eastern Maharashtra incarcerated the protests calling for immediate action under spurious Maoist-related charges. against the culprits, the police were forced to All five have been championing the cause register FIRs against them, but took no further of the oppressed and downtrodden classes and action. It was reported that the Prime social sections against the neo-liberal Minister’s Office sent instructions refraining imperialist polices implemented by the the police from arresting Sambhaji Bhide – an governments of various parliamentary parties old-time ‘guru’ of Narendra Modi. As a at the centre and the states. They have been shrewd tactic to divert attention from the vocal opponents of the exploitation of natural Sanghi culprits, Maharashtra government and resources by big corporations in collusion with Hindutva organisations started to talk in the state-machinery in the name of unison about the “involvement of urban ‘development’, leading to large-scale loss of ” in organising the Koregoan-Bhima livelihood, displacement and environmental programme and the subsequent violence. Such destruction. They have been raising their voice frivolous ‘evidence’ as the presence of some in support of the people’s just struggles for jal- of the arrested social activists in a large public jangal-zameen-izzat-adhikar. The relentless work gathering called against the Brahmanical caste of social activists like them and the resistance system by Dalit organisations at Pune’s put up by the people’s movements they are Shaniwar Wada – the seat of the Peshwa rulers associated with have become the biggest –on the eve of the Koregaon-Bhima hurdles in the way of the government and big programme has been used by the police to corporations to unrestrained exploitation and implicate them in the ‘conspiracy’. But this loot. Therefore, casting aside such claim had no ground to stand on. So the state- ‘troublesome’ activists and movements by machinery and Sangh Parivar nexus invented means fair and foul has become an urgent the even more bizarre ‘plot’ of Modi’s requirement for the governments who are loyal assassination and foisted the additional charge servants of the big capitalist-big landlord classes of this ‘conspiracy’ too on the arrested and their imperialist masters. This is another activists! important factor behind the arrest of the five The five arrested social activists have been social activists by the police of Maharashtra active in public life as a part of democratic government which is openly working as the movements for several years. As the Public running dogs of big mining companies like the Relations Secretary of CRPP, Rona Wilson of Tatas, Lloyds, Mittals, Jindals, etc. with high New Delhi has been working for the rights of stakes in the mineral-rich Adivasi areas of the political prisoners persecuted by the Indian Gadchiroli and other parts of the state. state. Prof. Shoma Sen of Nagpur University State repression of this kind is nothing has been active in the country’s women’s new to the people of the country. However, movement for many decades and is a vocal after the Hindu-fascist BJP – the most loyal

136 January - June 2018 MIB-37 servants of imperialism and the Indian ruling In this dire situation, it is the need of the classes – came to power at the centre, brutal hour to fight back each and every manifestation and violent forms of repression are being used of fascist Hindutva terror in the country as a more extensively and on an ever larger section part of our collective fight for democracy, of the people to suppress all forms of progress and secularism. This is the sacred duty democratic dissent. This is complimented by and responsibility of each and every genuine large-scale Goebbelsian propaganda and nationalist and patriot to resist and smash the misinformation campaign to delude the masses fascist pseudo-nationalists and pseudo- and cover-up their treacherous, anti-people and patriots ganging up against the people and the fascist acts. The country’s revolutionary and country to serve the interests of a handful of democratic movements, the parliamentary foreign and domestic exploiters. It is the need opposition, non-parliamentary democratic of the hour to expose and oppose the heinous organisations, oppressed social sections like conspiracy hatched by the Modi-Fadnavis workers, peasants and the middle classes governments and the RSS to frame the five including lawyers, professors and teachers, arrested social activists by using their running students and youth, women, Dalits, Adivasis, dogs in the Maharashtra Police. Therefore, let religious minorities, oppressed nationalities, us demand the release of the five arrested social etc., are being attacked most ruthlessly by the activists and other political prisoners Saffron pseudo-nationalists in the name of incarcerated in jails all over the country! Let nationalism and patriotism. It is these traitors us unite in a common struggle to fight and who are branding the individuals and defeat the Brahmanical Hindu-fascist BJP-RSS organisations committed to democratic, gang on all fronts! Let us uphold the great progressive and secular values as ‘anti- fighting tradition of Tantia Tope-Rani Jhansi, nationals’ and ‘traitors’. It is as a part of this Birsa Munda-Gundadhur, Bhagat Singh- all-round fascist attack that the Hindutva Rajguru-Sukhdev-Chandrashekhar Azad, terrorists have assassinated progressive Alluri Seetharamaraju, Bhumaiah-Kista Gaud intellectuals like Govind Pansare, M M and thousands upon thousands of democrats, Kalburgi and Gauri Lankesh, social activists patriots and communist revolutionaries who like Prof. G N Saibaba and others have been have fought and died for the people and the pronounced life sentence on fabricated charges, country till the present to bury the treacherous mass leaders like Chandrashekhar Azad feudal-comprador tradition of Savarkar- Ravan, Jignesh Mevani and Hardik Patel, etc. Hegdewar-Golwalkar, Shyamaprasad have been maligned, slapped false charges Mukherjee-Deen Dayal Upadhyay, Modi- including sedition on two of them and jailed, Shah-Bhagwat and all their neo-Nazi disciples! Muslims have been lynched and assaulted by Let us boldly advance the country’s national- RSS goons in collusion with the police- democratic revolution by giving battle to all administration, writers and artists have been kinds of fascist, reactionary, authoritarian and issued death threats, unarmed protestors are anti-people forces! being shot dead in indiscriminate police firings, cultural and moral policing is being imposed, all organs of the state are being increasingly fascisised and saffronised, and so on. In fact, the list of such sordid ‘achievements’ of Modi- (Abhay) Shah-Bhagwat gang in the last four years of Spokesperson rule is a long one and is daily expanding. The shadow of Hindu-fascism is darkening over Central Committee the country and its people. CPI(Maoist)

MIB-37 January - June 2018 137 COMMUNIST PARTY OF INDIA (MAOIST) CENTRAL COMMITTEE

Press Release 18 June 2018

Reject the SIT’s false and baseless allegation of involvement of our Party and leaders in accumulating ‘black’ money and personal wealth! Expose and oppose the Goebbelsian propaganda war of the ruling classes to tarnish the image of our Party and movement!

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) on it. To fulfil this aim, our Party’s leaders and headed by retired Supreme Court judge Arijit cadres painstakingly uphold the communist Pasayat inquiring on ‘black’ money principle of plain living and hard work; they announced on 16 June that it has recovered keep their personal needs to the minimum and huge amounts of money hidden by the leaders depend on the people for their existence. It is a of our Party. The SIT also said that its Party of the toiling masses and exists for the investigation will concentrate on unearthing all sole purpose of serving the interests of the the ‘black’ money and wealth clandestinely masses. The masses fulfil the financial needs acquired by the Maoists from sources like of the Party and the revolutionary movement; narcotics, extortion, etc., as a precursor to the masses keep them alive with their blood their seizure. Our Central Committee and sweat. This being the reality, there cannot emphatically rejects this allegation as totally be a more ridiculous allegation that the leaders false and baseless. It is as outrageous an and cadres of this Party are indulging in allegation as the recent allegation that our Party amassing money, wealth and property by is conspiringOCTOBER to assassinate Prime Minister fleecing the people like the ruling parties and Narendra Modi. We warn people like Arijit the run-of-the-mill politicians! Pasayat not to become willing tools of the Modi and BJP had promised before the Indian rulingREVOLUTION classes by drumming up last parliamentary elections that it will put an Goebbelsian lies and slander against our Party, end to the country’s ‘black’ economy and bring lest they too meet the fate of Hitler-Goebbels back over 500 billion dollars of ‘black’ money along with their paymasters at the hands of stashed away in foreign banks and tax-havens. the vast toiling masses of the country. Modi had even promised to deposit 15 lakh Our Party CPI(Maoist) is the vanguard rupees of the recovered money in the bank revolutionary Party of the Indian proletariat. accounts of every Indian. It has been four years It is leading a bitter people’s war of the since Modi government came to power. oppressed classes and sections of people Thousands of crores of tax-payer’s money is against the Indian ruling classes and their being squandered to advertise the imperialist masters. It aims to destroy the ‘achievements’ of “Char Saal Modi Sarkar” present system that cannot exist without its (“Four Years of Modi Government”). But an shadow – the so-called ‘black’ economy – to intriguing aspect of this Public Relations establish a new system that will have no need blitzkrieg is the studied silence about fulfilling of a shadow economy for its existence. It is a the pre-election promise of curbing the ‘black’ Party that has as its ultimate aim the abolition economy and bringing back ‘black’ money of private property and the class society based from Swiss banks and foreign tax-havens. It is

138 January - June 2018 MIB-37 not difficult to understand the reticence of BJP wonder that bigwigs such as Lalit Modis, Vijay leaders and spokespersons in broaching this Mallayas, Nirav Modis, Mehul Chauksis, inconvenient subject. It is as plain as daylight Reddy brothers, etc. with close economic and that with four-fifths of its term behind it, Modi political ties with the ruling parties have gone government has nothing to show for its scot free (Lalit Modi ran away after a 5,000 ‘achievement’ on this score. In fact, all major crore rupees fraud in June 2015, Mehul measures taken by it in the name of “war on Chowksi did the same in November 2015 after black money” have failed. Even one and a half a 11,600 crore scam, Vijay Mallaya defrauded year after the dramatic demonetisation the people of 9,000 crores in March 2016 and announced of 8 November 2016 – which had Nirav Modi fled in January 2018 after a 11,400 cost over a hundred lives, hundreds of crore fraud), while some small-fries have been thousands of businesses and lakhs of jobs – caught and punished. Obviously, the SIT has there is no reduction of ‘black’ money. The RBI no teeth to bite these big moneybags who hold itself had to admit that 99 percent of the 15.44 the reins of country’s economic and political lakh crore rupees worth old notes in the power. The SIT and the government that has economy has been deposited and exchanged appointed it will not think of harming their for new ones. Of the remaining 15,000 crores, own class brethren, but would rather shield and 8,000 crores are with the corporate banks, protect them. Even if the SIT were to be leaving out only 7,000 crores to be accounted headed by an upright investigator, it could not for, i.e., ‘black’ money! This is a mere pittance have been expected to be effective against the (0.0001 percent) compared to the size of the ringleaders of the ‘black’ economy. But an SIT annual ‘black’ money generation at 93 lakh headed by someone like Arijit Pasayat, known crore rupees and annual ‘black’ wealth for bestowing favours to the high-and-mighty generation at about 300-400 lakh crore rupees as a judge, is doomed to failure from the very (in 2016). Such is the sterling ‘achievement’ of beginning. Modi government! Demonetisation has But when it comes to the people, people’s proved to be not just a monumental failure but organisations and people’s movements, the one of the biggest crimes committed by Modi approach of the ruling classes, their government against the people and the country governments and their agencies like CBI, NIA, in its four years of office. ED, SIT, etc. is the exact opposite. That is why As for the other big measure, the SIT that the SIT – which has failed to catch a single real was set up by Modi government headed by ‘black’ money-holder in the last few years – has Justice Arijit Pasayat to investigate ‘black’ now come out accusing our Party and the money has fared no better. Even after years of movement! This is nothing but a futile attempt existence and a never-ending ‘investigation’, at chasing phantoms to divert the people’s the SIT has nothing to show for its attention from the real culprits and the SIT’s ‘achievement’. It has utterly failed to identify, own failure. The revolutionary movement led make public or take action against depositors by the Maoist party has been attacked by the of ‘black’ money. Even after damning ruling classes and their governments as their disclosures about rich Indians holding foreign prime target under the guidance of the bank accounts and wealth by the Wikileaks, imperialists. They openly declared more than ‘Panama Papers’ and Swiss ‘whistle-blowers’ a decade ago that the Maoists are the biggest along with a number of other evidence, the SIT threat to their exploitative rule. As a part of has only managed to sit and watch. Thereby it the countrywide all-round counter- has only proved itself to be a white elephant revolutionary war, the successive governments revelling at taxpayer’s money. This is because have been trying to wipe out the movement and the account-holders in foreign banks include the Party by cutting it off from the 4S – supply the who’s who of India’s economic and of war material, recruitment, intelligence and political world – big businessmen, big landlords funds. They are working with a strategy of and real-estate owners, heavyweight politicians, attacking on all fronts – be it on the ideological, top bureaucrats, media barons, and so on. No political, military, economic, cultural, or

MIB-37 January - June 2018 139 propaganda front. The SIT’s malicious only for the Party, but also for the army (PLGA) allegations are a part of this multi-faceted and the united front by always keeping in mind attack. the needs of the people’s war and the people. After Brahmanical Hindu-fascist Modi There are three main sources for fulfilling our government came to power, the ruling classes movement’s economic needs. One is the Party have intensified their attack on the Maoist membership fee, levy and the contributions of movement by launching the third phase of the people, the second is the confiscation of Operation Green Hunt. In the name of the wealth and the income sources of the demonetisation, the police and paramilitary enemy, and the third is the taxes we collect in forces caught, detained and tortured the the guerrilla zones and red resistance areas by peasant masses of the Maoist movement areas following a progressive tax system as per our in large numbers when they went to banks or Party’s financial policy. At present, income markets to exchange old notes, alleging that through production is not an important source they were doing it for the Maoists. Not even of income for us due to the intense enemy small traders or other people belonging to the offensive. But, this too is developing with the middle classes were spared of persecution in consolidation of people’s democratic power. the name of unearthing ‘black’ money of the Along with this, our movement has developed Maoists. Democrats, civil rights activists and a transparent and accountable system of social workers, etc., standing with people’s inspection and supervision on financial movements too were persecuted with the same matters. The higher committees of the Party, charges. The hard-earned money of the people, army and united front examine and ratify the particularly the toiling Adivasi people of these annual budgets of the lower level committees; areas, was looted partly or entirely by the khaki their accounts are open to the people for goons at gunpoint. The income of the rural inspection. If any Party leader or cadre people from day labour or from collection of develops non-proletarian trends in financial forest produce who use to keep their savings at matters due to the influence of feudal and home rather than in banks was likewise taken imperialist ideology and indulges in corruption away by the raiding police parties in spite of or accumulates personal wealth, such a person protests. A fraction of this looted money was is subjected to criticism by the concerned Party shown as “Maoist money”, but the major part unit and disciplinary action too is taken when was pocketed by the corrupt police- required. paramilitary officials. As our Party is closely A few of the die-hard elements who refuse integrated with the people, the losses of the to remould themselves are either expelled from people mean a loss to the Party as well. So it is the Party or run away to the enemy camp. They true that our Party suffered financial losses and sometimes take away Party funds and hardship along with the people due to clandestinely share it with the police and demonetisation. But just as the people are administrative officials as a part of their recovering from this loss by considering it as surrender agreement. By showing the example another ruling-class assault, the Party too is of a few such degenerated elements discarded recovering from this temporary hardship by by the Party, the central and state governments relying on the people. have been propagating the lie that Maoist No people’s organisation leading a leaders are amassing ‘black money’, personal people’s movement can do without funds. Our wealth and property, etc. Using this pretext, Party and movement too is no exception. In they are seizing the property of the families of fact, adequate collection and allocation of the members and sympathisers of our Party, funds is indispensible for the implementation harassing and intimidating them in many ways of the general political and military line of our and even arresting them. Facing such hurdles Party. Our Party has a clear proletarian outlook and pursuing a correct financial policy, our both on the collection of funds and their Party is leading the masses since Naxalbari in expenditure befitting a genuine communist laying the foundations for a socialised, self- party. Funds are collected and allocated not reliant economy where there will be no place

140 January - June 2018 MIB-37 for the division between the rich and the poor, party Congress got 86.65 crores)?! Is it not a the wealthy and the impoverished, the overfed fact that the brand-new BJP party headquarters and the underfed, the employed and the in New Delhi with its ultra-modern luxury and unemployed, the ‘black’ and the white’, etc. – opulence can put the corporate headquarters in a word, there will be no economic disparity of any multinational to shame?! Is it not true resulting from the exploitation of labouring that ‘Pradhan Sevak’ Modi had enough classes by leisured classes. resources to flaunt a ten-lakh rupee coat in a With such goals as its ultimate objective, country where the poor still die of starvation?! our Party has no need to earn ‘black’ money Has not Amit Shah’s personal worth jumped from narcotics, etc. These are ‘trades’ that nearly ten times from just over two crore rupees harm the people and aid the enemies of the to over 19 crores, while that of a company people, and hence these are discouraged by our owned by his son jumped over several thousand Party. In fact, it is the imperialists and their times?! What about Union ministers Nitin Indian props that are engaged in such socially Gadkari involved in the Purti scam and Kirin harmful but economically lucrative trades. Rijiju involved in a 450 crore rupee power-plant Politicians of all ruling-class parties engage in scam? Wasn’t Yeddiyurappa the CM such highly profitable clandestine trades like candidate and the Reddy brothers the MLA illegal mining, timber smuggling, human aspirants from BJP in the recent Karnataka trafficking, black marketeering, etc. with elections?! Is this wealth not generated by the impunity in league with the bureaucracy, toilers of the country and appropriated by the police, etc. This is in addition to the parasitic classes of big capitalists, big landlords innumerable cases of bribes, scams, etc. In fact, and foreign corporations who then throw a few these are some of the biggest sources of ‘black’ crumbs at their representatives like BJP-RSS money. The central and state governments or their leaders to revel at this ill-gotten wealth?! themselves earn thousands of crores of rupees These parliamentary parties and their leaders from the sale of liquor and tobacco products represent the super-rich, while our Party while lecturing the people about the benefits represents the interests of the exploited and of abstinence. To accuse the Maoists of using oppressed masses. To accuse our Party, leaders ‘black’ money therefore is sheer hypocrisy on and cadres of amassing wealth in the face of the part of the ruling classes and their such gluttonous self-gratification of the super- governments. rich and their political hangers-on is a blatant travesty of truth – one of the thousand-and- In fact, if anyone can be accused of one lies of the Saffron progenies of Goebbels generating, sustaining and benefitting from the running the country today. ‘black’ money and ‘black’ economy, it is the imperialists, the big capitalists, big landlords, A large part of the money and wealth the their political hangers-on like BJP and parliamentary parties and their leaders use to Congress and their super-rich leaders. Where win elections and enrich themselves comes else do the thousands of crores by BJP and its from the country’s super-rich who investment likes in every election come from? Is it not the this money in expectation of dividends after case that BJP is the richest political party in these parties come to power. No party can the country, earning 290.22 crore rupees afford to win an election without this money; ‘officially’ in 2016-17 while all the other no party can refuse a payback with interest to parliamentary parties together earned a mere their benefactors after it comes to power using 35.05 crores?! Can anyone deny that BJP and this money. Though no party is exception to its leaders have received the highest ‘donations’ this rule that keeps the farce of “the largest and other generosities among all the parties democracy in the world” going, BJP and its and party-leaders from the country’s super-rich leaders have no competitors when it comes to in the last four years (BJP received 488.94 crore serving the super-rich. Modi-Shah-Bhagwat rupees out of a total donation of 637.54 crores ruling clique is known to be the closest to all parliamentary parties in the country in confidants of the domestic and foreign the last four years, while the main opposition corporations and their billionaire owners

MIB-37 January - June 2018 141 today. For instance, documents recovered from Assets) owed to the public sector banks by big Sahara and Birla groups revealed that corporations was written off by the central Narendra Modi was paid 55 crore rupees as governments between 2007-08 and 2015-16. Of kickbacks by these corporate houses in 2013 this, 1.32 lakh crore rupees (or more than a half when he was the Gujarat Chief Minister. He of it) were written off by Modi government is also said to have enriched the Tatas with a itself. In addition, it is estimated that 8,748 windfall of 30,000 crore rupees as a bait to bank ‘frauds’ have taken place during Modi establish the 2,000 crore rupees Tata Nano government’s rule (averaging eight frauds a factory in his home state Gujarat. day), costing the people over 74,000 crore The Modi clique has not only continued rupees. With such mammoth embezzlement to help the corporate houses to earn super- of the hard-earned money of the country’s 1.25 profit through underhand means after it led billion people by a few domestic and foreign BJP to victory in the last general elections, but moneybags, it is hardly surprising that a has intensified this profit-making spree to an handful of families are the country’s biggest unprecedented level in the last four years. A owners of money and wealth – ‘black’ or few examples will suffice. Gautam Adani was ‘white’. They are getting richer and more given a 7 billion dollar mining lease in powerful every year while the vast majority of November 2014; SBI was directed to grant his the people are becoming more and more company a 1 billion dollar loan on easy terms; pauperised and disenfranchised. The disparity BJP government helped him to a profit of is becoming so acute that while the top ten 45,000 crore rupees just by allocating a huge percent of the population used to own 32 amount of land on the Gujarat coast at a dirt- percent of the country’s total income in 1980, cheap rate. Dalmia Group has been handed it owned 55 percent of it by 2016! This over Lal Quila for five years on a 5 crore rupees disparity is even more acute if we look at the annual lease. No wonder that Gautam Adani’s top of the economic pyramid. The top one net worth registered the highest rate of growth percent owns 73 percent of the country’s (125%) among the country’s big businessmen wealth, while the bottom ninety-nine percent last year, while the assets of Mukesh Ambani owns a paltry 27 percent! The top one percent – another favourite of Modi government – rose augmented their wealth by 21 lakh crores in by 80% the same year. But they are not the only 2017, while the bottom 50 percent had no share ones to be gratified. While in this wealth. India has the third highest government waived 5.32 lakh crore rupees of number of billionaires in the world, to which corporate tax in 2013-14, Modi government 17 more were added in 2017; among the fifty outdid it by waiving 5.89 lakh crores in 2015- richest families in Asia, 18 are from India. It 16 and 6.11 lakh crores in 2016-17. Indeed, over is the same country where the standard of 50 lakh crore rupees of tax income was living of a substantial section of the people is forfeited by the central governments to the lower than the acutely impoverished Sub- foreign and domestic big businesses between Saharan Africa. It is clear that ‘black’ money 2004-05 and 2015-16. A mindboggling profit and their owners have not come down but on the 2,355 crore rupees ‘official’ donation skyrocketed under four years of Modi rule. by these corporate houses to BJP and other Therefore, if the ‘honourable’ Arijit parties in the last three parliamentary elections! Pasayat has any honour left in him, he should Haughty declarations like “Na Khaunga, Na dare to investigate and publicly name all the Khane dunga” (“I will not eat, nor will I allow business Tsars, big politicians, top bureaucrats, others to eat”) on the face of such plunder media barons, etc., who have grown into appear a ‘jumla’ by the ruling classes and a cruel millionaires and billionaires by sucking the joke on the country’s people. blood of the poor people of our country. But But there are still other ways in which it is obvious that neither the SIT nor any ruling- Modi government has enriched the big class agency can dare to do this. The only thing capitalists. A total of 2.28 lakh crore rupees they are good at doing is to attack the enemies debt (deceptively called the Non-Performing continued on p.123

142 January - June 2018 MIB-37 The philosophers have only interpreted the world in various ways; the point, however, is to change it. – Karl Marx, ‘Theses on Feuerbach’

The ideas of the ruling class are in every epoch the ruling ideas, i.e. the class which is the ruling material force of society, is at the same time its ruling intellectual force. – Karl Marx, The German Ideology

Both for the production on a mass scale of this communist consciousness, and for the success of the cause itself, the alteration of men on a mass scale is, necessary, an alteration which can only take place in a practical movement, a revolution; this revolution is necessary, therefore, not only because the ruling class cannot be overthrown in any other way, but also because the class overthrowing it can only in a revolution succeed in ridding itself of all the muck of ages and become fitted to found society anew. – Karl Marx, The German Ideology

The history of all hitherto existing society [That is, all written history - Engel’s note] is the history of class struggles. – Karl Marx and Frederick Engels, Communist Manifesto

The distinguishing feature of Communism is not the abolition of property generally, but the abolition of bourgeois property. But modern bourgeois private property is the final and most complete expression of the system of producing and appropriating products that is based on class antagonisms, on the exploitation of the many by the few. In this sense, the theory of the Communists may be summed up in the single sentence: Abolition of private property. – Karl Marx and Frederick Engels, Communist Manifesto

In place of the old bourgeois society, with its classes and class antagonisms, we shall have an association, in which the free development of each is the condition for the free development of all. – Karl Marx and Frederick Engels, Communist Manifesto

The Communists disdain to conceal their views and aims. They openly declare that their ends can be attained only by the forcible overthrow of all existing social conditions. Let the ruling classes tremble at a Communistic revolution. The proletarians have nothing to lose but their chains. They have a world to win. Working Men of All Countries, Unite! – Karl Marx and Frederick Engels, Communist Manifesto There is no royal road to science, and only those who do not dread the fatiguing climb of its steep paths have a chance of gaining its luminous summits. – Karl Marx, Capital, Vol.1, Preface to the French Edition

MIB-37 January - June 2018 143 If we have chosen the position in life in which we can most of all work for mankind, no burdens can bow us down, because they are sacrifices for the benefit of all; then we shall experience no petty, limited, selfish joy, but our happiness will belong to millions, our deeds will live on quietly but perpetually at work, and over our ashes will be shed the hot tears of noble people. – Karl Marx, ‘Reflections of a Young Man on the choice of a Profession Men make their own history, but they do not make it as they please; they do not make it under self-selected circumstances, but under circumstances existing already, given and transmitted from the past. – Karl Marx, 18th Brumaire of Louis Bonaparte

The weapon of criticism cannot, of course, replace criticism of the weapon, material force must be overthrown by material force; but theory also becomes a material force as soon as it has gripped the masses. – Critique of Hegel’s Philosophy of Right To be radical is to grasp the root of the matter. – Karl Marx, ‘Critique of Hegel’s Philosophy of Right’

Communism is the riddle of history solved, and it knows itself to be this solution. – Karl Marx, ‘Private Property and Communism’

Revolutions are the locomotives of history. – Karl Marx, Class Struggle in France (1850)

In the social production of their existence, men inevitably enter into definite relations, which are independent of their will, namely relations of production appropriate to a given stage in the development of their material forces of production. The totality of these relations of production constitutes the economic structure of society, the real foundation, on which arises a legal and political superstructure and to which correspond definite forms of social consciousness – Karl Marx, Preface to the Critique of Political Economy (1859)

At a certain stage of development, the material productive forces of society come into conflict with the existing relations of production or – this merely expresses the same thing in legal terms – with the property relations within the framework of which they have operated hitherto. From forms of development of the productive forces these relations turn into their fetters. Then begins an era of social revolution. The changes in the economic foundation lead sooner or later to the transformation of the whole immense superstructure. – Karl Marx, ‘Preface to the Critique of Political Economy’ (1859) Between capitalist and communist society there lies the period of the revolutionary transformation of the one into the other. Corresponding to this is also a political transition period in which the state can be nothing but the revolutionary dictatorship of the proletariat.

– Karl Marx, Critique of the Gotha Program (1875)