'Maoist movement symbolises urban-rural divide'
The occasion was the launch of a book of fiction on the Maoist movement. But the chilly afternoon on the Press Club of India lawns was turned into a platform for the exchange of well-rounded views and facts on the movement with CPI's AB Bardhan and former IB intelligence officer MK Dhar supporting it and KPS Gill saying it is nourishing meaningless violence.
'Seeing through the Stones: A tale from the Maoist Land' by senior journalist Diptendra Raychaudhuri is a tale of the lives of a group Maoist leaders and cadres. Bardhan called the Maoist movement - which the author had done extensive research - as necessary to shake the society out of its existing slumber.
"We are only talking about the sensex, GDP, foreign exchange. These are very good figures. But they do not provide food to the vast majority. They do not provide clothing and shelter to millions. What should they do," Bardhan said, adding that the Naxals have shaken the society out of its complacency.
He said there is no reason to idealise the Maoists or the Communists. "But the movement is a symptom of the struggle in our society. The Government can not just crush them and go back," he said.
The veteran Communist leader called the Salwa Judum - apparently initiated by the Chhattisgarh government in 2005 to wean away the tribals from the Naxals - as the work of "perverted minds."
Dhar, who retired as joint director of the Intelligence Bureau, said the towns and cities maybe dazzling, but rural India is still buried under poverty. "The Maoist movement is a symbol of the divide between rural and urban India. The movement cannot be solved by police action at all. There could be a time when they (Maoists) could overrun urban citadels," Dhar said.
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Yes, the society has to be shaken out of its slumber, and sadly the shaking has to be a rude one, thanks to the imperviousness of those who can make a difference. All strength to you in your blogging in the new year.
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