LALGRAH & MISCONCEPTIONS OF SOME MISGUIDED INTELLECTUALS

by Ajay [From People’s March, vol. 10, #10, Oct. 2009]

There are many well meaning individuals who are genuinely confused on the issues that the Maoist movement in general has thrown up and this has more particularly been raised by the intellectuals of West Bengal in the light of the Lalgarh mass upsurge. Some of these intellectuals are well meaning progressives, but others, claim not only to be Left, but also of the M-L camp. Here we take some arguments presented mostly from the two Bengali journals Aneek and Shramjeevi (of Santosh Rana). Here, in India, the mis-conceptions mostly centre around the issue of revolutionary violence. Our intellectuals actually rarely see violence in their own lives and so are, quite naturally, horrified by violence. Yet, this is surprising as India is probably one of the most violent societies in the world, with violence on a scale not probably seen even in any backward country. Of course we are here not talking of the type of butcheries unleashed by the US on a country like Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere, nor its massacres (peace-time) perpetuated in countries of Latin America, Indonesia, etc. What we are talking of is everyday violence that the poor of this country have to face over and above the violence associated with acute poverty and a sub-human existence (India is on a par with countries of Sub Saharan Africa). What we are speaking of is the additional violence on women and dalits that no other society of the world face (genocide of Muslims in India is part of what they face in other parts of the world whether in Palestine, Afghanistan, Chechnya or even in west China). The continuous so-called „dowry killings‟ of women is a phenomena not seen in any other country of the world; the lynching of dalits and the inhumanity and subtle violence of the hierarchical caste system is a phenomena too not seen in other parts of the world.

Stop harassing innocent tribals: CPI (ML) Liberation

BHUBANESWAR : The CPI (ML) Liberation has warned the State Government not to harass innocent tribals by branding them as Naxalites and then arresting them. In a statement, secretary of the Orissa State Committee of the CPI (ML) Liberation Khitish Biswal alleged that Jaga Hakika who was party’s candidate in the last Assembly elections has been arrested in connection with disturbances at Laxmipur and kept in jail. Biswal said that Trinath Saina was arrested by branding him as a Naxalite while he was on his way to attend a rally of the party in the Capital.

He was later released when the CPI (ML) Liberation threatened Statewide agitation. Even now many innocent and other people are being arrested from Sundargarh, Malkangiri and Rayagada districts on mere suspicion. He warned that unless the State Government stopped harassing people by describing them as Naxalites, there will be Statewide agitation and people will be pushed to side with the forces championing anarchy. The recent arrest of 30 Maoists from Sundargarh district was thought to be one of its most successful operations against the Naxalites.

India is “losing battle Maoist”

The Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said his country is losing the battle against Maoist rebels.M. Singh told a meeting of chiefs of police of different states that the rebel violence is increasing the appeal of the Maoists has been growing.

The rebels say they are fighting for the rights of the poor.They operate in a wide band of territory in central India, and parts have virtually replaced the local government. More than 6,000 people were killed during their 20-year fight for a communist state.

‘Going Up’

“I always felt that in many respects, left-wing extremism is probably the most serious threat to internal security of our country is facing,” Mr Singh told a conference of leaders Police in the Indian capital, Delhi.

Centre may stop land acquisition in Naxal-hit areas

( Sep 15 2009 )

New Delhi, Sep 15: The Central government is considering an amendment to the Land Acquisition Act to stop state government’s from acquiring land for private projects in the country’s 90 districts worst hit by Naxal violence. Violent backlashes in Singur, Nandigram and Lal Garh areas of West Bengal since 2007 over land acquisition by the state government for private sector projects apparently led to the change in government thinking.

Earlier, Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee, whose Trinamool Congress spearheaded the anti-land acquisition movements in West Bengal and is a constituent of the ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government, made a similar demand.

An expert group, headed by Chief Secretary K.M. Chandrasekhar, made it clear that land in the Naxal-affected areas could be acquired by the government only for public welfare and national security. “The proposals need to be further revised to minimise displacement of people and secure the rights of the displaced,” the group said in its report.