My Vision about Maoists Movement and State's War on Poor Adivasi People
The Truth Behind the Brutal Military Actions against So-called "Mao-terrorists"
It is quite regrettable that all big newspapers and popular news media as financed by the capitalists are more or less propagating utter lie regarding Lalgarh's tribal movement and the role of Maoists there, because these mass media and intellectuals are serving the vested interest of the big capitalists, corporate, Indian state government as well as Congress, TMC, CPI(M), BJP and all other ruling parties
I'm telling you with lots of supporting evidences in my hand that Lalgarh's movement was not at all hijacked by Kishanji or his Maoist party as campaigned by commercial TV and news media. People's democratic activities and struggle is still going on there under the banner of "Pulishi Santras Birodhi Janosadharoner Committee" despite brutal violence of police, harmads, militaries and paramilitary force.
The Maoists are just a supporting force of deprived and exploited Adivasi people, like Trinomool Congress in Nandigram and Singur.
Yes, it’s absolutely true that the radical leftist revolutionaries have been using armaments and landmines, but those journalists and mass movement workers who went to Nandigram in the year 2007 know well that Trinamool Congress also did the same thing in Nandigram supplying weapons to apparently “non-violent” group "Bhumi Uchhed Protirodh committee", for self-defence of the victimized poor villagers.
It was also my personal experience during investigation in Nandigram as a rural journalist in the year 2006-07 and I collected lots of evidences in support of my observation.
From the very beginning of Nandigram Movement, it was not at all non-violent agitation or "satyagraha" by the villagers, but initially it was not well organized like Lalgarh Movement. Rather it was a spontaneous resistance of local villagers (firstly with their traditional weapons like staff, sickle, lance, even mere broom and afterward firearms) against police and Lakshman Seth’s private army hired from outside (like Salwa Judum in Chattishgarh).
On 3rd January 2007 , the first confrontation of the villagers with police took place. On 22-24 January, 2007, a fact finding team consisting of 5 members of “Paschim Banga Khet Majoor Samity” visited Nandigram to ascertain the current situation there. An exclusive fact finding report on People’s Uprising in Nadigram was published in “Bharatiya Samajik Chintan” (A Quarterly Journal of the Indian Academy of Social Sciences), January-March issue 2007.
Here are some relevant excerpts from that fact finding report: "As the news of police violence spread all over the neighbouring villages, the villagers of Sonachura, Osmanchawk, Jalpai, Garchakraberia and others resisted the police to protect themselves. The villagers at Sonachura set a police jeep on fire."
“Tension gripped in Nandigram while a local CPI (M) office at Rajaramchawk was ransacked on the 5th January by the excited villagers. Some of the CPI (M) leaders have fled the villages, while much of their rank and file joined the anti-land acquisition movement. Following 3rd January's incident, the CPI (M) set up a number of camps at Satkhanda near Bhangabera Bridge
In the wee hours of the 7th morning, at Sonachura village, Nandigram -1 Block there was bombing and firing, where 4 villagers including a 13 year old boy named Biswajit Maity were killed and at least 20 people were seriously wounded in overnight clashes between local peasants resisting land acquisition and some 'outsider' cadres of the CPI(M) party. Those who died were Bharat Mondal (Sonachura), Biswajit Maity (Soudkhali), Sheikh Salim (Jadubarichawk) and Shankar Samanta (Son of SudhansuSamanta, Sonachura). The last one, a member of the CPI(M)controlled Sonachura 10 no. Gram Panchayat, was assassinated by the villagers to take revenge of carnage .”
"After the massacre about five thousand local people set the CPI(M) camp at Satkhanda in Khejuri-2 block and the house of Shankar Samanta, ablaze."
So it was clearly written in this report that notorious goon and local CPI(M) harmad Shankar Samanta was assassinated by the enraged villagers to take reprisal of slaughter.
Afterward the armed resistance of BUPC was backed by TMC party in Nandigram, like Kishanji's Maoists' party in Lalgarh to resist Harmads, police force and military atrocities.
Please tell me where is the dissimilarity between the role of TMC in Nandigram Uprising and Maoists in Lalgarh Movement? I have found no difference. I personally experienced that both parties built up armed resistance against state's oppression.
So why only Maoist party will be accused as "terrorist"? Why only the Maoist groups will be alleged as "anti-constitutional party" violating “human rights”? What about other so-called “constitutional parties"? What is the reason of such kind of political prejudices, partiality and biasness of civil society and news media against radical leftist parties? Why CPI(M) should not be banned after killings of innocent people in Singur, Nandigram, Lalgarh and other regions of West Bengal ?
Why TMC should not be forbidden after Nandigram uprising?
Why Congress party of Sonia, Manmohan, Chidambaram should not be banned after torturing and killing poor Adivasi people, farmers and labourers in many states of India
Why Bharatiya Janata Party should not be legally invalidated after demolition of Babri Masjid spreading communal riots in India, Why BJP should not be banned after Gujrat's Genocide, and at the moment brutal atrocities and violence of police and Salwa Judum (Raman Singh's Harmads) led by BJP govt. in Chattishgarh over poor tribal people and social workers like Binayak Sen, Himanshu Kumar and others?
All ruling parties should be banned because all of them use guns and bombs to take control over common people, all of them are spreading reign of terror. Am I wrong?
All ruling parties should be banned because all of them use guns and bombs to take control over common people, all of them are spreading reign of terror. Am I wrong?I am personally against all kind of retaliation and intimidation in the name of either crushing up Maoist guerrillas or in the name of so-called ultra-leftist “revolution”. I don’t believe in the gun-politics of killings and counter-killings, I hate politics of revenge, I despise trigger-happy police as well as violent and destructive political movement uprooted from mass.
I hate any kind of dictatorship in the name of politics either by Kishanji or Soniaji or Mamataji or any other leader. But I do believe in common people’s constitutional rights of self-defense and self protection. 
What shall I do if a gang of slaughterers or hooligans assault me, try to kill me, and try to rape my daughter, attack my family or burn up my house? What shall I do then to save my own life and my family? Gandhi’s Satyagraha? Shall I chant “Ramdhoon” instead of resisting the assaulters?
What shall I do if a gang of slaughterers or hooligans assault me, try to kill me, and try to rape my daughter, attack my family or burn up my house? What shall I do then to save my own life and my family? Gandhi’s Satyagraha? Shall I chant “Ramdhoon” instead of resisting the assaulters?I do believe everyone has right to build up strong resistance by my means against all kind of violence and atrocities.
A gang of dacoits or hooligans may suddenly break into the house of a citizen in the dead of the night or a "terrorist" or anti-social element may try to kill a person or a sudden riot may take place without anyone anticipating even moments before such events taking place.
Our State is unable to fully protect the lives of its citizens and more often the Police arrive at the scene after the damage is done only to find out the cause for the occurrence. As a result, the innocent victims are falling prey to the violence unleashed by desperados. We should know that it is in this situation the "Arms Act 1959" has conferred on the citizen a right to obtain an arms license for protection of his person or property. The State felt the responsibility of protecting the lives and properties of the citizens by rationally interpreting the provisions of the Act to advance the purpose for which it was made.The Right to Keep & Bear Arms was promised to all Indian citizens as a Fundamental Right throughout the freedom struggle and post-independence it was finally enshrined as a Legal Right as per the Arms Act 1959.
For more information please check the link of this :
Another self contradiction in Indian law:-
Indian Penal Code section 96 to section- section 106 also depicts Right to Self Defense.
According to Section 97 of IPC, every person has a right, subject to the restrictions contained in section 99, to defend- Firstly, His own body, and the body of any other person, against any offence affecting the human body; Secondly, the property, whether movable or immovable, of himself or of any other person, against any act which is an offence falling under the definition of theft, robbery, mischief or criminal trespass, or which is an attempt to commit theft, robbery, mischief or criminal trespass.
Here is another important verdict of Supreme Court:-
On “Right to self-defense” is not only about using force to save oneself from an attacker but also extends to protecting one's property from being stolen or forcibly taken over, the Supreme Court has ruled in the last year. (What about plundering of lands, water, forests of indigenous people by the big capitalists, corporate and the state?)
Another Important verdict of Supreme Court in the last year. (20th July, 2010 )
So it's a fact that not only the “Maoists rebels”, our Indian constitution also does not truly believe in Mahatma Gandhi's thought of non-violence.
It is clear from the Indian Arm's Act of 1959 and the Arms Rules of 1962 that our constitution has conferred on the citizen a right to keep ammunition to protect his person or property. It’s ironically true that our government itself provides common people "License to kill" invaders for protection of defender's life and property. Killing of people is made "legal" by the state.
So my question is why armed resistance of tribal people against state atrocities should be banned by the government? Is it only just difference of having license of possession of weapon or firearms provided by the state or not? What a hypocrisy and self-contradiction in our Indian constitution!
If you ask me about my personal opinion regarding the Maoists' movement and state's atrocities over Adivasi people, I fully consent with well-known writer Ms. Arundhati Roy or renowned Gandhian social activist of Chattishgarh Mr. Himanshu Kumar and other Human Rights Activists like Gautam Navlakha, Sudha Bhardwaj and many others. Like them I'm not biased with any political thoughts either rightist groups, leftist groups or ultra-leftists groups.
Please find the attachments and go through the articles. I also attached some other articles and documents on Lalgarh tribal movement in West Bengal for your information. Please download all and read.
In connection with my view on "State's war on Adivasi (indigenous) people" I am sending you two more important articles published in "Tehelka" and "Outlook" magazines for your kind perusal.
First one is an exclusive interview of an Ex-army Officer and the second one "Walking with the comrades" is a fact finding report written by popular writer Arundhuti Roy. You know both of them are honest and unbiased in political thoughts and both of them adore Indian Constitution and People's democracy. So these articles are very much important to understand the naked truth behind the State's anti-people and wrong-headed policy of declaring a war on the poorest sections of its own people and the real picture behind the curtain of pseudo-democracy in India
'Bringing on the Army against the Naxals Will Be a Disaster’ - EN Rammohan, former Director General of the BSF, has fought insurgencies in Kashmir and the Northeast. Recently, Home Minister P Chidambaram picked him to probe the Dantewada massacre of CRPF jawans by Naxals. Yet, crucially, in a forthright interview with SHOMA CHAUDHURY, he says the Center’s strategy for fighting Naxals is a recipe for civil war.
Walking With The Comrades: Gandhians with a Gun? Arundhati Roy plunges into the sea of Gondi
Please find attached some more websites’ links for additional documents.
These are not political propaganda of alleged "mao-terrorists", these are fact finding reports of National Human Rights' Commission and Planning Commission of Government of India, these are campaigned by a Gandhian social worker, Himanshu Kumar, celebrated writer Arundhuti Roy, Social activist Gautam Navlakha (Asst. Editor of EPW magazine), Social activist Sudha Bharadwaj (PUCL) and many other unbiased human rights activists, none of them are Maoist rebels.
This report, published in EPW, was translated by Jyoti Punwani and is a summary of a talk given by Himanshu Kumar at the Press Club, Mumbai, on October 31 2009 .
Gautam Navlakha: Days and Nights in the Heartland of Rebellion, Please click here
Gravest Displacement…Bravest Resistance by Sudha Bharadwaj. Please Click here
Regrettably even Mamata Banerjee and her TMC who were strongly against CPI(M)'s terrorism from Singur-Nandigam to Netai, is a part of this anti-people policy of central government and operation green hunt and state-sponsored brutal violence on poorest adivasi people by Sonia, Manmohan, Chidambaram in different states of India
Then who will save these oppressed adivasi people?
Once Mahatma Gandhi criticized Bhagat Singh and other freedom fighters in the same way, as in the present day, we, the civil society, mass media and all constitutional parties criticize the tribal movement and their resistance led by the Maoists revolutionaries.
Do we really have right to pay homage to Martyr Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev, Rajguru, Khudiram, Kanailal Dutta, Bagha Jatin, Surya Sen, Binoy-Badol-Dinesh, Rasbehari Bose, Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, Azad Hind Army and many other revolutionaries, if we condemn radical Maoists force today just for their political strategy of armed resistance? Why do we applause “Pather Dabee” the politically banned novel of Sharatchandra Chattopadhyay by the British Government?
We have to keep in mind that the imperialist British Government and the mass media controlled by the British Government also called our brave and devoted freedom fighters "Swadeshi Dakat" or "Terrorists". The communist party also reviled the great freedom fighter Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose blaming him as a “conspirator”, “traitor” and “Tojo’s Dog” (Tojo was the war-time Prime Minister of Japan). Several other abuses were hurled on him by the Communists at the time when Netaji was organizing the people of Indian origin in South-East Asia including Indian prisoners of war captured by the Japanese and setting up the Azad Hind Fauj for liberating India Japan India India India India
After 56 years of independence finally the Chief Minister of West Bengal , Buddhadeb Bhattacharya, apologized on January 23, 2003 , on behalf of the Communists, ostensibly to the people of India
Now let us wait when history will repeat itself, when Buddhadeb and other political leaders will apologize for upbraiding the Maoists rebels as “terrorists” backed by China
British government also sponsored counterinsurgency campaign in all over the country which involved fake police encounter, gang rape, burning villages, genocide as part of an effort to counter so called "terrorists" freedom fighters i.e. "Swadeshi Dakat".
But who were real terrorists? Bhagat Singh, Surya Sen, Binoy-Badol-Dinesh, Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose or the British Government? And also today the burning question is who real “Terrorists” are? Who are the “extremists”? The Maoists or the state? Sashadhar Mahato or the military-paramilitary and police’s joint force?
WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS CIVIL WAR? WHY SHOULD WE, THE CITIZENS OF INDIA
For more news on the subject please explore the following websites.
Salwa Judum (literally means "purification hunt") is a state sponsored counterinsurgency campaign started in Dantewada district of the Indian state of Chhattisgarh in 2005, which involved vigilante gangs accompanied by state security forces burning villages, killing people and forcing them into camps, as part of an effort to counter Naxalites (Maoist guerrillas). Over 644 villages have been affected and some 300,000 people displaced.
Please check the links given below:
In response to Public Interest Litigations filed by Nandini Sundar et al vs State of Chhattisgarh Chhattisgarh
Please go through National Human Rights Commission's Report and Planning Commission's (Govt. of India) Report mentioned above.
On March 9 2010 , social activist Himanshu Kumar gave a talk in Kolkata at a public meeting organized by Ekhon Bisanbad, speaking about his experiences in Dantewada over 18 years, and about the ongoing “Operation Green Hunt” being conducted to ostensibly root out left wing extremists.
Please watch these videos:
Mr. Himanshu Kumar addressing the audience on 21 November 2009 .
All India Fact Finding team visited the demolition site of vanvasi ashram in Dantewada, Chhattisgarh, on May 30, 2009, The ashram headed by Himanshu was demolished on May 17th May when everyone was engrossed in the national election results, his 17 years of work and effort was bulldozed in exactly 2.5 hours. The fact finding report will be officially released by Dr Binayak Sen on June 26th in Delhi
Ms. Arundhuti Roy, at a convention against government military offence against tribal, Green Hunt, arranged at the University Institute Hall, kolkata on April 14, 2010 .
Please watch the video. Last year, I attended this seminar.
Indian popular author and activist, Arundhati Roy, talks about India
Arundhati Roy talks with Sagarika Ghose in a special interview on CNN-IBN.
Human Rights activist associated with the Peoples Union of Democratic Rights (PUDR), Gautam Navlakha speaks about the sentencing to life of Dr Binayak Sen by a session’s court in Raipur
Labels: human rights, Maoists, terrorism
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