Naxalites active in an area

By M Mazharul Haque, Special to IslamOnline

NEW DELHI, November 20 (IslamOnline) – Analysts say that Naxalite violence in India is more difficult to deal with than communal. Maoist extremists have killed thousands of innocent people and caused immense damage to national property by destroying police stations, government buildings, bridges and vehicles.

Federal home ministry sources say that in the first two months this year, 54 people were killed, of which 33 were civilians and property worth Rs. 16 million was destroyed by Naxalites across the country.

In 2001, 554 people lost their lives of whom 439 were civilians and property worth Rs 250 million was destroyed. In 2000, of 550 people killed, 452 were civilians and property worth 80 million was destroyed. In 1999, 598 people were killed, including 502 civilians. There were 1, 246 incidents of Left extremist violence all over the country.

Despite increased spending on better training and weapons of police force, the Naxalite growth and violence have not been contained, especially in the states of Andhra Pradesh and Bihar.

Poverty and underdevelopment are ideal conditions to strike roots for the Communist radicals like Peoples War Group (Naxalites) and their twin the Maoist Communist Center (MCC). In Orissa, Koraput, Malkangiri, Rayagadaand and Gajpat are very poor districts. PWG cadres are active there.

These districts lack employment opportunities. Irrigation facilities are nearly non-existent and corruption is rampant. Forests were once a source of livelihood for the tribesmen of the area. Forest officials with the connivance of smugglers have done immense damage to forests. Having no means of livelihood, they have been exposed to exploitation at the hands of the rich and powerful.

Even after 50 years, the governments have not been successful in bringing the Asur, Birhors and Birija tribes of Gumla, Lohardaga and Laterhar districts of the Jharkhand state into mainstream life.

Naxalites hold meetings in the villages of these districts. They are able to win the sympathy of villagers when they talk about exploitation at the hands of bauxite mining contractors.

Asurs, who are mostly bauxite miners have to face the heavy-handedness of the contractors. Asurs have been metallurgists since ancient times. Most of them are landless. They lived comfortably until they engaged in producing pure iron. They bartered iron for food grains. The advent of modern technology snatched their livelihood and they ended up as laborers.

State governments’ failure in controlling Naxalite violence forced the federal government to set up a panel in 1999 to coordinate efforts to contain Naxalite activities. The panel is headed by the federal home secretary. Chief secretaries and directors general of police of the concerned states are its members.

The Naxalite-affected states submit reports related to their action plan to control Naxalite activities, security management and developmental works to the coordination panel. Since 1991, the federal government has been reimbursing 50 percent of the security-related expenditure incurred by the states in tackling-left wing terrorism.

Naxalite violence in the newly created state of Jharkharnd has grown leaps and bounds over the past few years. They are active in Chatra, Gumla, Palamu, Lohardaga and parts of Ranchi and Hazaribagh districts. In many places in these districts they run parallel administration. They collect tax from officials and contractors and hold jan adalats (people's court) to resolve local disputes.

The Naxalite movement in India was born in the Naxalbari region of West Bengal. On March 3, 1967 a group of peasants occupied a piece of land in Naxalbari region, hoisted red flags in that land and reaped the crop. They formed kisan (peasant) committee. After this, they started occupying the land of other jotedars (owners of cultivated land).

The first armed clash between these peasants and landlords began when a bataidar (share-cropper) was beaten up by a landlord. After this, more violent clashes took place between kisan committee members and landlords. Peasants started confiscating crops and occupying lands of landlords.

By May 1967, the conflict converted into an armed peasant uprising. The Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPIM) government in West Bengal, with Jyoti Basu as its home minister, persuaded the leaders of the peasant movement to stop their violent activities. But they did not listen to him. Then Basu was forced to call the police to rein in the extremists. Police were unable in controlling the berserk mobs.

The peasant struggle continued to intensify and it spread further in Naxalbari, Kharibari and Phansidewa areas of the West Bengal. The radical Communists established people’s courts and passed verdicts.

On July 19, 1967 a large number of paramilitary forces were deployed in areas of uprising. Nearly one thousand extremists were arrested. Peasant movement leaders Tribheni Kanu, Sobhan Ali, Gorkha Majhi and Tilka Majhi were killed. Some leaders were arrested and others went underground. Top Naxalite leader Charu Mazmudar also went into hiding. After the police action extremists leaders were expelled from the CPIM.

The spark of Naxalbari set aflame the fires of revolution in Srikakulam, Birbhum, Debra Gopiballavpur, Mushahari and Lakhimpur-Kheri areas in West Bengal. The states of West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Punjab, UP and Tamil Nadu saw a big spurt in Naxalbari-inspired struggles. Maoist formations came up nearly in every state of India.

They see imperialism, feudalism and comprador bureaucratic feudalism as their enemies. Their friends are workers, peasants and middle classes who support revolution. They do not believe in elections and parliamentary democracy. They consider the United States and the former Soviet Union as enemies of people because they were imperialist. To them the Soviet Union was a “revisionist” state.

The radicals declare India as a multinational country and support the right of “nationalities” to self-determination, including secession.

Andhra Pradesh (AP) state has tried a number of times to open dialogue with them. Naxalites are most active in AP where during the last three years nearly 6,000 people have been killed in Naxalite-related violence.

PWG scuttled talks last July because the police had killed some Naxalites. Two emissaries of PWG, Varavara Rao and Gaddar, had three round of talks with two ministers. The direct talks between Maoist leaders and the government was to start within a few days.

In AP, the PWG demands scrapping of World Bank projects, stopping privatization and carrying on with land reforms. Its other demands are doing away with voluntary retirement service and implementation of reservation in private sector. The government reiterates that PWG first abdicate violence for meaningful talks.

The founder of Naxal movement in AP was Kondapalli Seetharamaiah. Kondapalli’s five decades of leadership of the PWG ended when his deputy Ganapathy took over the reins in 1991, literally throwing him out.

The Naxal movement in AP started from Karimnagar district. Till 1985 they were active only in Karimnagar, Khammam and some parts of East Godavari and Visakhapatnam districts. By 1997, their influence had spread to all other north-west districts of the AP as Adilabad, Nizamabad, Warangal, Rangareddi and Nalgonda. The eastern and southern parts of the state were also within their reach.

In 1997, they announced the formation of a “guerrilla zone” comprising Adilabad, Nizamabad, Karimnagar, Warangal and Khammam districts. In these areas they mine or ambush police stations, mainly for weapons.

Besides AP, Bihar and other two newly created states, Jharkhand and Chattisgarh are today most severely affected. Nine other states are more or less affected by Naxal activities. The Naxals have also spread their tentacles in the Indian states of Orissa, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.

Iraq: U.S. Approaches 50 Nations for "Help" in Attacking Iraq  Blix Praises Iraq Talks, U.S. Asks U.K. to Mobilize Troops Inspectors to Check Slipper Factories, Iraqi Press Doesn’t Care Ex-Iraqi Army Chief Charged Over Chemical Attacks on Kurds Bush Vows Consultation With Allies on Iraq, Invites NATO Support Iraqi Firing Not Breach of U.N. Resolution: Annan Nuclear Expert: Trouble Expected to Face Inspection Team  12 Cities Across Canada March Against War on Iraq U.S. Plans to Use UN Resolution As Cover for 'Aggression': Iraq Thousands Stage Anti-War, U.S. Protest in Brussels Ramadan Muslims in Kosovo Perform Taraweeh in the Open New Muslims Enjoy Peace, Serenity of Ramadan Fast Ramadan in Malaysia Good for Business  “Sharon” Dates & “Intifada” Ramadan Lamps in Egypt Muslims Need Strong Soup to Survive Fasting in Cold Russia Annan "Deplores" Israeli Killing of 7 Palestinian Civilians  Egyptian Web Activists Stop Juicy Fruit Juice Ad Indian Maoists on Killing Spree Anatomy of Naxalite Violence Brussels, London Exchange Accusations over Oil-Slick Tanker  Adult Iranian Siamese Twins Seek Head-Separation in Singapore Freed Pakistani Surgeon Was Questioned By CIA, FBI Singapore to Lift Chewing Gum Ban on Doctors’ Orders U.S. Lawmakers Pass Homeland Security Bill Pro-Russian Chechens To Putin: Make Army Stop Abusing Civilians Afghanistan Frees 248 Pakistanis After UAE Mediation West Is Uneasy Over Malaysia’s Success: Mahathir Ex-Slaves in Mauritania Disagree on Amnesty Report Pakistan Muslim League Member Elected Speaker of National Assembly No Power Should Enforce Its Will on Iraq: Indian PM Brain Damage May Be Cause For Snoring U.K. Paper Slams Europe for Threatening Africa's Ecology Boxing Legend Muhammad Ali Urges Young Afghans to Maintain Muslim Faith U.S. Appeals Court Gives Justice Department Expanded Wiretap Powers French Court to Rule on Racist, Anti-Muslim Book Palestine: At Least 11 Killed, 40 Injured in Jerusalem Bus Blast Resistance Only Way to End Israeli Occupation: Mussa  Mitzna Sweeps Labor Primaries, Palestinians Cautiously Welcome Mitzna Elected New Labor Party Leader: Poll Israeli Army Kills Five Palestinians in Tulkarem Israel’s Labor Party Chooses Dovish New Leader Over 20% of Palestinian Children Suffering Malnutrition: U.N. 9 Arab-Israelis on Trial for Challenging Job Office Racism Israel Destroys Palestinian Security Forces Building in Gaza Raid Chechen War Reaches Moscow World Wide War Invasion into Gaza Arafat HQ Destroyed… In Pictures Homeless in Minutes War on Iraq.. World Reaction Yesterday's News Advanced Search     News Archive : Day: 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31     Month: 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12   Year: 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999