Arundhati Roy on Green Hunt

Activist and writer Arundhati Roy shares her thoughts on the importance of the Naxalite uprising, Indian democracy. Speech given at a Andhra Pradesh Civil Liberties Committee panel opposing Operation Green Hunt, Nov. 23, 2009

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Tamilnadu: Campaign Against Operation Green Hunt!

Source: Spring thunder

War Against Naxals: The War Against Adivasis, Fishermen and Peasants!

Resist the Naxal Witch Hunt!
Organise Under the Naxal Leadership to Fight Recolonization!

Campaign across Tamilnadu
Public Meeting, Chennai
January 30, 2010

Dear working people

The Indian State has declared a civil war called ‘Operation Green Hunt’ to crush the Maoists and the Naxalbari movement. P.Chidambaram, the Indian home minister, has declared that the primary objective of the offensive is to decimate Maoist Guerillas, who are functioning in Chattisgarh, Jharkand, Orissa and in the vast jungles of Dandakaranya, along the borders of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh. Army headquarters and air bases are being constructed inside the dense jungles. Army men are being trained in anti-guerilla warfare. Over 1 lakh army personnel, such as CRPF, Cobra, C-60, Grey Hounds, Indo-Tibet Border Force, Anti-Naxal Striking force, etc., are being stationed in these areas. American satellites and Indian choppers are used to spy these jungles. Indian army officials are guiding the war, and the central government has allocated Rs.7,300 crores to the fund this war against its own people, the real, ancient inhabitants of the country.

Maoists ask people to intensify Telangana stir

K. Srinivas Reddy

Calling upon different sections of people to intensify the agitation for bifurcation of the State, the Communist Party of India (Maoist) has come down heavily on different political parties accusing them of engineering agitations in other regions of the State to undermine the cause of separate Telangana State.

In a statement issued on Sunday night, the ultra-left party castigated different political parties for their ‘doublespeak’ on the issue and asked the elected representatives and workers of the Telugu Desam Party to disregard what he termed as ‘nefarious’ designs of their party president N. Chandrababu Naidu and join the Telangana movement. The signatory of the statement was Chandranna, secretary of the North Telangana State Special Zonal Committee.

Launching a trenchant attack on the Centre for putting the issue of Telangana on a backburner, the Maoist leader accused the Congress, Telugu Desam Party and Praja Rajyam Party of engineering ‘false’ agitations in other regions. Leaders of these parties had convinced the UPA government to reverse its stand on the issue. Simultaneously, they had won over some political leaders in Hyderabad and ‘floated’ another demand for making the State capital a Union Territory.

Singling out the TDP chief Mr. Chandrababu Naidu for stinging criticism, the Maoist party pointed out that Mr. Naidu had promised total support to Telangana movement during last elections, but later remained silent. Subsequently, he vowed to support the bill for bifurcating the State, during an all-party meeting. But when the Centre announced its willingness to initiate the process of forming Telangana, he had joined hands with Congress leaders hailing from Rayalaseema and Andhra to launch a ‘false agitation’.

The Maoist leader advised leaders of the movie industry not to oppose the cause of Telangana and said some people had earned lakhs of crores of rupees by occupying lands in and around Hyderabad city. He also faulted the argument that Hyderabad city was developed by people from other regions, arguing that the city was built on the ‘blood and sweat’ of Telangana people.

Interestingly, the five-page handwritten statement did not mention anything about the Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) spearheading the cause of Telangana. The Maoist party, it appeared, had also renamed the North Telangana Special Zonal Committee as North Telangana State Special Zonal Committee. Frontline

Kerala: Maoist groups to fight against anti-naxal drive

KOZHIKODE: The CPI (Maoist) and the CPI-ML (Naxalbari) have decided to join hands against the massive drive launched by the UPA Government against the Maoists in different parts of the country.

After a meeting of the leaders of these organisations at an undisclosed place in Kerala on December 23, Kiran Kumar, the state secretary of the CPI-ML (Naxalbari) and Mohan, the state organising secretary of the CPI (Maoist), issued a joint statement exhorting the people to put up a militant resistance against the state repression.Both these outfits, which uphold the path of armed struggle, have been working independently in the state.

The CPI-ML (Naxalbari) has prominent frontal organisations like Porattam, Viplava Yuvajana Prasthanam and Viplava Sthreevadi Prasthanam. Revolutionary People’s Front (RPF) is the major frontal organisation of the CPI (Maoist).There had been several rounds of discussion between the two outfits in the recent past to decide on possible merger. A need was felt among these groups that ‘revolutionary forces’ should merge to strengthen the people’s war in the country.

MP: Krantikari Jan Committee, Krantikari Kisan Committee banned

The state government has imposed ban on Krantikari Jan Committee and Krantikari Kisan Committee in the state.

The police think that naxal activities may spread in future to 13 districts of the state – Shahdol, Rewa, Seoni, Dewas, Khandwa, Khargone, Chhindwara, Hoshangabad, Betul, Harda, Badwani, Dhar and Jhabua. Hence local police should be trained and infrastructure developed in these districts. Moreover, hawk force should also be set up in them.

So far the police department considered Balaghat, Mandla, Dindori, Sidhi and Singrauli districts as naxal-affected.

It was thought that the Maoists would target Shahdol, Umaria, Anooppur and Seoni districts. But this is for the first time considered that 13 districts would be infested with naxal activities. There is dispute over declaring Singrauli, Sidhi and Dindori districts as naxal affected even though police have been getting information about naxals trying to increase its activities in these districts. CC

Forest officers dial Kishenji, seek protection

If revelation of Maoist leader Kishenji’s calls to state bureaucrats was not embarrassing enough for the Left Front government, it has now come to light that on Wednesday two forest officials called on the elusive leader’s cellphone and pleaded with him to protect them.

“We tap all the calls on Kishenji’s cellphone. That was how we got to know about the calls from two rangers in the Lalgarh-Jhargram belt. They spoke for 5 to 6 minutes,” said a senior police officer.

The rangers called up Kishenji hours after the Maoist-backed Sidhu-Kanhu Gana Militia ransacked the Parihati range office in Jhargram and assaulted ranger Pratap Acharya.

Acharya had earlier refused to hand over the government funds he had in the office to the Maoists. Irked by this, the Maoists beat him up with wooden planks. At present, he is in a critical condition.

Asked about the issue, Atanu Raha, principal chief conservator of forests, said: “We inquired into the matter. As of now we have not got the names of the rangers. Around 5-6 cases have been reported to me in which the Maoists after ransacking the range offices stole mobile phones of our rangers. There are possibilities that the Maoists are using these cellphones to mislead the police and the intelligence agencies.”

West Bengal: Maoist bid to nuke project

PRONAB MONDAL AND ANSHUMAN PHADIKAR

Dec. 28: Maoists have entered Haripur in East Midnapore to fan a movement on the lines of Nandigram against a proposed nuclear power plant, intelligence reports say.

In Nandigram, the Maoists had allegedly worked with Trinamul Congress leaders after a spontaneous local protest against an acquisition notice.

Mamata Banerjee has disowned Maoist claims of assistance, but it is widely believed that the guerrillas had helped cut off the administration from Nandigram in 2007, much the same way as they did in Lalgarh last year.

The intelligence bureau report, which has been forwarded to the Union home ministry, warns the state that it has to be prepared to confront Maoist-fired protests if the proposed central project is to be implemented in Haripur.

Intelligence sources said three CPI (Maoist) teams had moved into Haripur, 50km from Nandigram.

“They are camping in Haripur, holding meetings with villagers and saying they will fight more sincerely than Trinamul (which is part of the central government now),” an IB officer said. “They are taking advantage of the villagers’ fear of losing land and citing their success in Nandigram.”

Maoists eye Telangana comeback

The political turmoil in Andhra Pradesh over Telangana has rekindled Maoists’ hopes for a comeback in a state that was once their stronghold.

As a first step, Communist Party of India (Maoist) leaders are planning to initiate “peoples’ committees” to participate in democratic movements demanding a separate Telangana state.

Telangana is the traditional Naxalite heartland of Andhra Pradesh. But a savage counter-attack by the Greyhounds, a specialised anti-Naxal security force, in 2005 has weakened their dominance in this region.

“People want Telangana and we support it fully. Our cadres will participate in joint democratic movements along with other political parties,” said Koteshwar Rao alias Kishenji, a CPI(Maoist) politburo member, last seen publicly at a rally in the Telangana region in 1978.

He claimed to have spoken to some pro-Telangana politicians over telephone over the last couple of days but declined to reveal their identities.

“As the Maoists are planning to infiltrate the democratic mass movements, it has become necessary for us to keep vigil on activists with whom the Maoists may home some links,” a a senior intelligence officer told Hindustan Times on conditions of anonymity.

Rally against War on People (17th December, 2009)

On 17th December a rally was held in New Delhi (from Ramlila Ground to Parliament Street) to protest the state’s ongoing offensive against the people of Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Orissa, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashra. People from many states joined the rally. For more information…http://radicalnotes.com/journal/2009/12/11/rally-against-war-on-people-december-17-2009/

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Video: GN Saibaba on Adivasis’ Struggle for Survival

G. N. Saibaba, of the Revolutionary Democratic Front speaks about the state’s war on the Maoists and the tribal people.

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Solidarity Meeting on Telangana (Dec 26 2009)

Source: Radical Notes December 25, 2009 at 1:45 pm in Andhra Pradesh, Events, India, Self-Determination

National Forum for Telangana
JNU forum for Telangana

Venue: Press club, Raisina Road no 1,
Date: 26th December
Time: 3PM

It is none other than the class interests of ruling political parties which pressurized the central government to backtrack their decision over separate statehood for Telangana. Contrary to its statement on 9th December (to initiate the process to create the Telangana state), the central government made a very confusing statement, satisfying the ruling class of Andhra and Rayalaseema on 23rd December. The Home Minister announced that the opinions of all the concerned forces will be taken into consideration from now on. Not a single word was mentioned about the formation of Telangana. The statement not even states whether opinion will be considered to form Telangana or to continue with the united Andhra Pradesh. This particular statement led to the celebrations in Andhra and Rayalaseema, and once again the people of Telangana felt the betrayal.

Now the class dimensions in opposing the separate statehood to Telangana are clearly visible. In one word, this is a war between upper class power coalitions of Andhra Rayalaseema and the poor, marginalized and deprived people of Telangana. The ruling class across the spectrum of political parties came together launching war against the democratic aspirations of the people of Telangana. The huge land interest in the name of SEZ’s and real estate business, of Lagadapati Rajagopal (MP from Vijayawada constituency) and several other similar forces, led to the fabrication of a ‘movement’ in these two regions against the democratic aspirations of Telangana people. All the mainstream political parties and their opportunistic stands were never so exposed in the political history of Andhra Pradesh. Political parties such as Congress, TDP, CPM, PRP, Loksatta extended their support for the formation of Telangana prior to the centre’s decision on the 9th. Some parties even stated that they will support the resolution on bifurcation of the state if it is introduced in the state assembly. However, immediately after the 9th December announcement, these opportunistic political parties took a u-turn and refused to support the people of Telangana. The so-called struggles in these two regions were sponsored by ruling parties in Andhra and Rayalaseema. The keen observation of the ground situation explains the nature of their sponsoring class interests.

The feudal and capitalist forces are unable to visualize a situation of not having control over the rich natural resources of Telangana such as water, coal mines, forest, granite quarries, and vast cultivable lands. Decades of exploitation pushed this region to underdevelopment whereas the Andhra region flourished at the cost of blood and sweat of the Telangana people and their resources. It is a pure class war between the mainstream political lobby of Andhra and Rayalaseema on one side and people of Telangana on the other. At this historical juncture the common people of Andhra need to recognize the same forces as their enemies too and launch a struggle against them in the spirit of the Telangana movement.

Now once again Telangana is burning. The people voluntarily came to the streets expressing their dissent against the centre’s betrayal. The state government deployed forces in universities turning them into battlegrounds. As we all are aware, generations after generations the people of Telangana have spilled their blood for the cause of Telangana. And the people are aware that it is the ruling class interest which is operating underneath the so-called united Andhra Pradesh sentiment. We request one and all to come and express solidarity with the struggling people of Telangana. Your presence encourages us to take our struggle further. The support from like minded individuals will also send an encouraging message to people on ground.

For schools in Lalgarh, promised aid still a pipe dream

A month after the state government promised to give Rs 24 lakh to the district administration in the Maoist-affected Lalgarh-Jhargram belt to restore schools in Lalgarh and arrange for special classes for its students, the money is yet to reach the schools.

Most of the schools continue to be occupied by the security forces even as the December 31 deadline set by the Calcutta High Court to get these vacated is just six days away.

Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee had announced a month ago the students of these schools would get special coaching classes so that the current academic year is not spoilt.

Twenty-two schools in the region were occupied by paramilitary troops for nearly seven months but the district officials in West Midnapore, in which Lalgarh falls, said all schools except three or four were already vacated. “Other than 3-4 schools in the district, all others have been vacated. Around 16 schools are not fit to house classes,” said DM N S Nigam.

According to a district official, schools in Jhargram, Lalgarh, Katapahari, Goaltore, Ramgarh, Pingboni and Midnapore town are in a state of disrepair. These schools need at least Rs 1 lakh each for restoration, he said. In the first week of December, Chief Secretary Ashok Mohan Chakraborty had sanctioned Rs 14.78 lakh for the restoration of these schools and Rs 8.73 lakh for providing special coaching classes to students. But Nigam said the money was yet to reach the district. “We are yet to receive the funds. But we will receive it soon.”

Meanwhile, two state government departments — Public Health Engineering (PHE) and Public Works Department (PWD) — have only compounded the matters, locking horns with each other over the construction of camps for the joint forces.

Earlier, state Home Secretary Ardhendu Sen had issued an order saying joint forces will vacate the schools in West Midnapore by July 18 once the camps were ready. But the PHE and the PWD could build only two of the 22 camps needed till November last week. When reached for comments, both PHE minister Gautam Deb and PWD minister Kshiti Goswami cited security threat for the delay in starting construction. IE