The brutal rape and murder of Tapasi Malik, the 18 year old girl who was a highly motivated member of the Save Farmland Committee spearheading the struggle against land acquisition in Singur, had sent shockwaves through the body politic of West Bengal last year. The Save Farmland Committee had accused the CPI(M) cadre who double as night-guards for the fenced off area of land, forcibly acquired for setting up Tata’s factory at Singur. The CBI had taken up the investigation due to strong protests against the incident.
However, CPI(M) leaders and the police had tried to pass it off variously as suicide, result of a love affair etc. Most vociferous and prominent among these was Debu Malik, who appeared on several TV channels claiming to have seen Tapasi go towards the fenced off area with a can of kerosene in her hand. Soon, and sure enough, some intellectuals serving the CPI(M) took up the task of adding a new twist to the story.
In a widely circulated article which appeared on the prestigious American leftist newsletter Counterpunch on May 23, 2007, Sudhanva Deshpande and Vijay Prashad wrote the following about the death of Tapasi Malik:
“Stories were blown out of context, and allegations flew around (sexual assaults, murders) that have since been shown to be false. The most sensational was the murder of a young woman, Tapasi Malik, who had been a leader in the Singur struggle against the land acquisition. The blogs and the capitalist media blamed this death on the CPM. The Central Bureau of Investigation is now of the view that she was killed by her father and brother.”
The two authors cavalierly accused the bereaved father and brother of the victim for her murder, without attributing it to any source, and passed it off as an assessment of the CBI. It now turns out that the only source on which this accusation was based was an article in the CPI(M) organ Peoples Democracy which said the following on the matter
“NEW and definitive light has been shed on the murder of a young woman named Tapasi Malik. Tapasi was done away brutally nearly five months ago one early morning on December 8 and her remains stuffed in a hole within the limits of the automobile factory that is coming up at Singur. Her body was set on fire and was partially burnt. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probing the case now believes that the young woman’s father and brother might have had something to do with her murder.”
The article went on to say “In all probability, the duo (Tapasi’s father and brother) will be subjected to sophisticated probing techniques as narco-analysis, brain-mapping and DNA testing. The blood samples taken from the murder site apparently do not match the samples of blood collected from Monoranjan and Surajit. The father-and-son may also be subjected to a ‘lie-detector’ or ‘polygraph’ test.” All this was attributed to un-named “CBI officials” talking to an un-named “all-India English daily”. A miasma was tactically created to accuse the father and brother Tapasi Malik for her death and was propagated by Vijay Prashad and Sudhanva Deshpande in their article.
Now let us fast-forward to the facts which has been coming out in the last few days. The person whom the CBI subjected to the lie-detector test were not the father and brother of Tapasi but Debu Malik, the powerful CPI(M) activist from the area who was in charge of organizing the CPI(M) cadre for safeguarding the land acquired for their capitalist master. Debu Malik failed the test and broke down under interrogation to confess to the crime of raping and murdering Tapasi. Interestingly, he also confessed that it was done on the orders of Suhrid Datta, the influential Singur zonal committee secretary of CPI(M) who was also subsequently arrested. Debu is also the close confidante and driver of the former CPI(M) Singur zonal committee secretary and current district committee member Dibakar Das, who was also called up by the CBI for interrogation.
It has become clear that the entire crime was ordered by the local CPI(M) leadership to teach a lesson to the teenager protesting the loss of her family’s livelihood. Binay Kongar, the CPI(M) leader who is officiating as the CPI(M) state secretary in absence of Biman Bose who is enjoying a vacation in the USA, has disowned Debu Malik by saying that he is a “supporter/voter” of the party and not a “member”. However, the arrest of Suhrid Datta and the possible arrest of Dibakar Das has somewhat subdued the tone of the normally indomitable Binay Kongar. What this incident has also done is to expose the bankruptcy of the CPI(M) allied intellectuals who propagate the falsehoods emanating from their party in a Goebbelsian manner, hoping that a lie repeated a hundred times will become the truth.
Tapasi Malik 16 - A strong willed girl and one of the youngest and most dedicated organisers in singur.
Tapasi Malik raped and burnt alive on orders of CPM leaders to teach her a lesson.
Civilization died that day in the fields of Singur....
Two CPI-M activists, Mr Suhrid Dutta and Mr Debu Malik, who were arrested in connection with the Tapasi Malik murder case, were remanded in CBI custody by the additional chief judicial magistrate of the Chandernagore SDJM court in Hooghly today.
Mr Dutta, a CPI-M Hooghly district committee member and his associate Mr Debu Malik, were charged under sections 302, 120 (B), 376 and 201 of the IPC, said Mr Tapas Basu, CBI advocate who submitted a remand application before the court. He said the CBI had found evidence of the duo’s involvement in the murder. The magistrate later ordered the CBI to present Mr Malik before the court on 7 July. Mr Dutta was remanded in CBI custody till 12 July. Mr Dutta, who is also the secretary of the CPI-M Singur zonal committee, alleged that he was falsely implicated. The duo was produced before the court around 10.50 a.m. CBI officers grilled Mr Dibakar Das, another CPI-M Hooghly district committee member, yesterday but he was not detained. More than a thousand supporters of the Trinamul Congress, SUCI and other Opposition parties staged a sit-in demonstration in front of the court gate demanding that the accused be handed over to them for punishment. The agitators were chased away. Tension ran high in the court premises after local CPI-M supporters assembled in the area to take out a rally alleging “highhandedness” of the CBI. They alleged that Mr Dutta fell victim to a conspiracy of “Opposition parties”.
Defence counsel Mr Keshablal Mukherjee, who submitted the bail application for Mr Dutta, said the 55-year-old CPI-M leader should be released on bail considering his health condition. He claimed that Mr Dutta was framed by his rivals. The CBI advocate, however, countered the allegations and told the magistrate that the investigating agency had got evidence of the leader’s involvement in the crime. He said that Mr Malik had given a statement under Section 164 CrPC before the Patiala metropolitan magistrate court disclosing Mr Dutta’s involvement in the murder. Mr Malik reportedly told the CBI that five other men were involved in the murder which took place on 18 December last year. The CBI advocate said the murder was committed to creating a fear psychosis among the people of the area. Advocate Mr Kishor Mondal, who submitted the bail petition for Mr Malik said the CBI officers “had drugged his client” to keep him silent in the court. “Debu was under the influence of drugs when he was produced before the court. He didn’t respond to my quarries,” said Mr Mondal. The defence counsel said they would decide on the next course of action after speaking to the family members of the accused.
Meanwhile, Singur Krishi Jomi Raksha Committee supporters and their counterparts in the CPI-M today took out rallies trading charges against each other. While the former demanded capital punishment for the accused, the later alleged that the CBI and the Opposition parties have conspired against Mr Dutta. Interestingly, Mr Malik, who was very close to the CPI-M, has fallen from grace and the party has already started stamping him as “a mere sympathiser of the party.” Trinamul Congress chief Miss Mamata Banerjee visited Tapasi’s residence at Bajemelia and assured villagers that no criminal would be spared. She will address a meeting of the Krishi Jomi Raksha Committee to be held at Singur tomorrow.
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Respectable editors and representatives of the media, struggle greetings. We are sending our press release about the miss propaganda on com, Padma ,life partner of com,sende Rajamouli.central committe member and state secretary of karnataka. There were some news, regarding that in the media, particularly telugu . Please consider to publish this release with due importance. Yours in struggle, Gangadhara For the state committee 27-06-07 Cpi(maoist) karnataka
------------------------------
----------------------------------------- Com padma,life partner of sende Rajamouli is with the party contact. Ruling class’s killer forces and enemies of the people are spreading ill fabricated stories. These are all to cover and divert their cowardice, fake encounter of com Sende Rajamouli.
As we already given press statement on 25th , he was caught at Kollum of kerala, while talking through public telephone near ksrtc there. Its number is 0474 2765303. He talked through that phone on 21st, at after noon 2 o clock with the one of our comrades. He ended his call abruptly with the sound like yeaha. Then he did not called any body. He had no work in AP at that time. He was not in charge of any area of AP. He was relieved from all responsibility there. He was serving only as Karnataka in charge and state secretary from last November.
We appeal all pro people organizations, human right organizations and individuals to defeat the ill intentional lies and miss propaganda of state forces. We appeal to bring all actual facts before the public.
With revolutionary greetings, yours Gangadhara For the state committee 27-06-07 CPI (MAOIST) Karnataka
Three days ago members of the RYL stopped a tram, distributed pamphlets and then set the tram on fire.Like as if setting the tram on fire is going to convince the people of the fascist nature of the West Bengal government or is it going to elevate the consciousness of the people ?
Agree that it may have got some press coverage but that hardly proves anything.. nowadays all you need to do is marry someone from another religion ,throw a party or just plain kiss somebody and viola ! you are on the front page of the newspaper with hours of coverage from television news channels.
What do comrades think of such individual acts of violence ?
My advice to people is to not take part in individual acts of anarchic violence for they serve no purpose. Burning a tram, smashing a statue or thrashing a reliance fresh outlet is not going to serve any long term purpose.
It means nothing to these people in power.It poses no threat to them.
Abraham Lincoln once said Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.
Taking a lump of metal and attaching it to a stick and banging it at the base of the tree may cause some external injury to the tree but it is not enough to bring it down. Eventually you will wear out.
We tell you to spend 5hours 55 minutes sharpening your axe and practicing your stokes and then you will be able to chop any tree in 5 minutes.
The current Mantra is to Organize.
In India there are an estimated 340 million unorganised workers(figures of 1999/2000. )And in most sectors like agriculture,construction,hotel industry more than 90 % of them are yet to be organised.
Click on image for larger view Fellow comrades of RYL please use your time and energy more constructively and refrain from individual acts of heroism or violence .
Naxalite strikes College St
Statesman News Service KOLKATA, June 25: A supporter of Revolutionary Youth League was arrested from Muraripukur Road today for trying to damage government property when he attempted to set a tram on fire near Presidency College on College Street last night. Police said Bhola Dutta, a resident of 40/14 Muraripukur Road, was among the 12-odd youths who stopped the Belgachia-bound tram when it reached Mahatma Gandhi Road and College Street crossing.
Shouting slogans against setting up of special economic zones, the youths forced their way into the tram and distributed posters among passengers. They forced the driver and passengers to disembark. Later they poured kerosene oil on the footboard of the tram and then set it on fire. The mob retreated after they spotted a police van approaching the spot. The fire was extinguished and police started a case on the basis of the complaint of the driver of the tram. The vehicle was sent to Belgachia tram depot under police protection.
No one was injured in the incident. “Bhola has been arrested following a tip-off this afternoon. His five associates have been identified. The youths all belong to RYL, a frontal organisation of a Naxalite outfit,” said DC (headquarters) Mr Pradip Chattopadhyay. Bhola was remanded in police custody for 12 days after he was produced before the chief metropolitan magistrate’s court, the officer said. “We are looking for the other accused,” he said.
A group of students including two from Jadavpur University went on rampage in an automobile showroom on AJC Bose road on 4 December last year. The two JU students were arrested. Yesterday’s incident is the second strike by a Naxalite outfit in the city in less that six months.
Madurai, June 28: Interrogation of three Tamil extremists, arrested on Monday in neighbouring Theni district, has revealed the presence of a Maoist group in Tamil Nadu with links to Naxalites in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh. Initial investigation of the arrested, including two law college students, has found the existence of the new outfit headquartered at Dharmapuri, which in the past witnessed Naxalite activities, police said. It was suspected that about 400 college students from various places across the state would have become members of the movement, they said.
Based on the information given by the three arrested, the police were now conducting raids at various places to arrest their leaders and other members.
The three extremists were arrested on June 25 after they were nabbed from a forest area in Periyakulam taluk of Theni district by residents of a nearby village. Some others, including two women, managed to escape. The group was armed with latest rifles and grenades.
The main objective of the movement was to rob the rich, corrupt officials and give the booty to the poor.
According to initial investigation, the arms and explosives seized from them included grenades of high quality (make not known), pistols and some ammunition.
The extremists had taken training in a clearing made in the western ghats and had come to Periyakulam for second phase of training. They had received funding from Maoist groups.
DIG (Intelligence) A K Viswanathan had visited the spot where the extremists were nabbed. (Agencies)
USDF is one of the fastest growing student unions in calcutta which the authorities claim is backed by maoists of various hues.
Around 5:30 p.m. on monday, the students were attacked by a group of CPI-M activists when they were seen taking measurement near the proposed thermal power super-project at Srikhand village.One of them is in a critical condition with severe head injuries
Statesman News Service DURGAPUR, June 26: Three of the five students of United Students Democratic Front who were detained by Katwa police last evening were released after preliminary questioning. Though Lokeshweri Dasgupta, second year history student at Jadavpur University, Priyonkar Dey of JU and Supriyo Sur of Presidency College were released, Jaladhar Mahato was arrested for his suspected links with Maoists.
Police said that Jaladhar might have links with the Lalgarh squad of the Maoists in West Midnapore and his name had figured during investigations following two Maoist strikes in Belpahari in 2005. The other three students were released after police did not find any links with them and the Maoists. However, police are yet to question Ashim as his condition is not stable and is currently admitted at a local hospital with critical head injuries. All the five were taken to the Katwa police station yesterday following a squabble at a village about six km from Katwa town.
Around 5:30 p.m. yesterday, the students were attacked by a group of CPI-M activists when they were seen taking measurement near the proposed thermal power super-project at Srikhand village.One of them is in a critical condition with severe head injuriest
Statesman News Service KOLKATA, June 21: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) today detained a youth in connection with the murder of Tapasi Malik in Singur about six months back and took him to Delhi for a polygram test, commonly known as lie detector test. The youth, Debu Malik, is a close associate of a CPI-M Hooghly district committee member. According to reports, the special crime branch of Central Bureau of Investigation detained Debu after they found irregularities in his statement regarding the circumstances that led to Tapasi’s murder.
The Central Bureau of Investigation had questioned at least 20 people in connection with the murder including Debu and the CPI-M Hooghly district committee member, with whom Debu reportedly has close links.
Debu had claimed during questioning that Tapasi was not murdered, but had committed suicide as her family had objected to her relationship with a local youth. After Tapasi’s family declined to marry her off to the youth of her choice, the girl committed suicide.The charred body of Tapasi Malik (16) was recovered from inside the fenced-off area for the proposed Tata Motors small car project in Singur on 18 December 2006.
Tapasi, who had been participating in a hunger strike in protest against land acquisition at Singur, was allegedly raped, strangled to death and finally set ablaze by unidentified miscreants near Bajemelia.
The state government, under pressure from the opposition parties, had first handed over the case to Criminal Investigation Department, but then asked the Central Bureau of Investigation to investigate.
A right wing reactionary blog recently carried this post about how the CPI had infiltrated the Indian army in the 1950's.
The Indian Army no doubt has its fair share of dedicated ,selfless, gentlemen one wonders how they are planning to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Revolt of 1857 ?
The ultimate tribute to the heroes of 1857 will be to re- enact the same revolt on a nationwide scale and join the Hurricance which will go down in history as the Third Freedom Struggle.
Is anybody in the Indian Army Listening ?
Below article from a right wing reactionary blog linked to an intelligence think tank.
We don't endorse what the article says posting it here for informational purposes.
CIA documents throw light on the state of communist movement in 1950
The CIA today released a collection of declassified analytic monographs and reference aids, designated within the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Directorate of Intelligence (DI) as the CAESAR, ESAU, and POLO series, highlights the CIA’s efforts from the 1950s through the mid-1970s to pursue in-depth research on Soviet and Chinese internal politics and Sino-Soviet relations. Of particular interest to India is a 3 part series on the border dispute with China but more juicy document is 12 MB dossier on the Indian Communist Party, this should stir up politics in India at a time when the Manmohan Singh, Sonia Gandhi lead Congress has accorded unprecedented leverage to the Communists who are celebrating 30 years of rule in Bengal.
Offstumped has reviewed the documents and was amazed to learn the extent to which the Communists looked for direction from Russia and China, sought support and approval and pretty much sub-ordinated national interest at the altar of a dubious ideology and subservience to the Chinese.
Below are a few highlights:
First we turn our focus to the border dispute with China to get a sense of Nehru’s naivety in his approach to dealing with the Chinese.
Nehru believed China’s Communist Leaders were amenable to Gentlemanly persuasion
Nehru’s strategy was defensive and he believed strengthening Indian Economy to resist a Chinese Military Attack was adequate
China’s short term policy was not to alert Nehru on the wide gap between Chinese and Indian claims on border and hence they lied about Chinese maps
Chinese leaders recognized that India neither by temperament nor by capability was a Military threat
China’s strategy was to use diplomatic channels to cut out Indian press, public and parliament. It was a 5 year masterpiece in guile. It played on Nehru’s Asian anti-imperialist mental attitude his proclivity to temporize and his sincerity for peace with China.
What China conceded with the Left Hand it retrieved with the Right Hand
Had it not been Nehru but a more military minded man who was Prime Minister in Oct 1959, a priority program to prepare India to eventually fight would have been started.
The 3 part series goes into excruciating detail on the series of events on this dispute. Expect more from Offstumped on this in later posts.
Now we turn attention to the dossier on the Indian Communist Parties.
The dossier runs into all of 185 pages. Its focus was on the split within the Indian Communist Parties into Pro-Soviet and Pro-Chinese factions. While recounting the sequence of events drawing from many sources including a book by Minoo Masani. A good portion of the dossier is dedicated to the CPI post Independence under Ranadive with his Pro-Soviet approach and his differences with the Telangana section of the party which was toeing the Maoist line. The dossier notes the April 1957 election win of the CPI in Kerala as the first such development in history were a Communist Party attained power through an election. It then notes that
in July 1957 through a reliable source that EMS Namboodaripad was asked by the Soviets to forward a full report to Moscow on the methods used to attain power via elections
Another juicy detail implicates Harikishen Singh Surjit and others on working with the Soviet Communists to setup an underground party.
In Feb 1958 an official of the Soviet Embassy contacted CPI Leaders to renew the request to setup an underground organization. While AjoY Ghosh refused, HK Surjeet and others privately decided that Ghosh was taking a complacent line and decided to reach out to the CPSU outside of party channels.
Here is where things get murky
the CPI did proceed to recruit a secret organization within the Indian Army
Subsequent events saw the beginning of the tilt of the hard left faction of the CPI towards China. The dossier quotes Basavapunniah a CPI leader
the real source of inspiration for the CPI should be Communist China, and he planned to talk to Chinese Leaders as a Disciple talks to his teachers
Some more murky details of how China and Russia influenced the CPI to setup a parallel state apparatus.
In February 1959, Ajoy Ghosh in his report to the Central Executive Committee that China Russia insisted that the CPI must develop a standby apparatus capable of armed resistance, while intensifying penetration of Indian Military forces.
After the Nehru Government dismissed the Kerala Communist Government on July 31 1959 there was further movement within the Party to revive its illegal activities.
From 6 to 8 August 1959 hard leftists urged a revival of CPI illegal apparatus to be run from the party secretariat
More Murky Details of CPI supporting China during the Tibetan invasion
In April 1959 Ranadive met with the Chinese Ambassador during which he
Offered CPI’s support to China on Tibet, and advised China to concentrate its attacks on rightist Anti-Chinese Indian leaders
Further in August in a letter to the Chinese Communist Party drafted by Ajay Ghosh and Ranadive the CPI urged the Chinese to
single out particularly the Praja Socialist Party and the Jan Sangh for attack as suggested in the April meeting with the Ambassador
More evidence of the sedition and treasonous role played by the hard left of the CPI
In the September Central Executive Committee meeting Ajoy Ghosh argued against the tendency to welcome chinese military presence on Indian borders to justify a new militant line for the CPI. This was rejected by the hard left who argued that
with the PLA now present along the Indian Border the Indian Party had a channel of support for Armed Operations and a potential liberator in the event of mass uprisings.
The CIA reports that this line was repeated multiple times. It was first reported on 13 Sept 1959 by Basavapunniah, Ranadive, Jaipal Singh head of secret illegal apparatus.
However the dossier gets interesting as it moves to the 1960s closer to the formal split in the party. An interesting aspect of the split:
In 1960 the West Bengal faction of the Communist Party passed a resolution criticizing the conduct of the Soviet Communist Party and Khrushchev by name while supporting the Chinese Communist Party
The CIA calls definitely the only such resolution to have ever been passed by any Communist Party in the whole world.
The year 1960 ended with this faction of the CPI continuing to report to the Chinese Party and to receive guidance from it
Ajoy Ghosh also reported to the Central Executive that during his Peking visit Mao had revealed that China wished to exercise more control on Communist Parties in Asia.
The most concentrated of these Communist Activities were to be in West Bengal
Evidence of Chinese Influence in the growth of Communist Party in West Bengal
A new Chinese Party consul in Calcutta in Sept of 1960 held several meetings with members of the West Bengal party.
4 powerful radio sets had been installed in the office of the China Review in Calcutta to listen to broadcasts from Peking
handouts were given based on these broadcasts for propaganda work
The CIA also reports of indications from 1959 of
Chinese Financial Subsidies to sections of the CPI particularly the left faction strongholds in West Bengal
Basavapunniah also reports to two CPI Leaders later on that
a foreign supply base was now available for the underground organizations with Chinese occupation of Tibet and other frontier areas
In Sept 1960 the first evidence of a vertical split in the CPI became evident with the hard left faction comprising Jyoti Basu, Harikishen Singh Surjit, Basavapunniah, Sundarayya and Ranadive supporting the Chinese position on the Indo-Sino border dispute.
Earlier in August further murky evidence of the hard left seeking chinese support in a written letter.
asking for collaboration in Indian underground organization work aimed at an eventual revolution, because China has a border with India and can provide arms and supplies
Finally more evidence of anti-national stance of the Jyoti Basu lead West Bengal faction
When Z.A. Ahmed indicated that the Party should take a nationalist stand on Chinese incursions to India, he was severely berated by the West Bengal faction
Madurai, June 27 (IANS) Three suspected Maoists, arrested from the hills near the temple town of Madurai, were sent to judicial custody Wednesday.
The three men - identified as Velmurugan (20), a law student from a village near Periakulam, Palanivel (22), an onion merchant from Chokkampatti village near Salem, and Muthu Selvam (26), an engineering student, were picked up from Murugan Malai early Tuesday.
Police said efforts were on to trace seven others including group leader Raja, who belonged to a Maoist gang. They were believed to be hiding in Kadalamalaikundu area of Madurai district.
Senior police officers said preliminary investigations point to a 'possible nexus' between this gang and Maoist activists of India and Nepal.
As many as 66 hand grenades, detonators, self-loading rifles and 15 kg of chilli powder were seized from their hideout, Deputy Inspector General of Police (Madurai Range) D. Nandagopal told the media.
'The youths have confessed that they had been recruited by the PWG (People's War Group) to create a 'liberated zone' in the hills,' Nandagopal told IANS.
'Questioning the arrested youth, we learnt that they have links with Maoists in Andhra Pradesh, Bihar and Nepal. We have seized maps of Chennai and Madurai along with some blueprints of vital civilian installations from them,' he said.
Police said the men were receiving arms training in a camp in the Kodaikanal hill ranges before coming to Madurai district and they moved to Muruga Malai about 10 days ago.
New Delhi, June 27 (IANS) A two-day 'economic blockade' called by Maoists in six states to protest special economic zones (SEZs) ended Wednesday on a violent note, causing losses of well over Rs.1.5 billion to the economy, officials said.
Although there were only a few incidents of violence, with a railway station torched in West Bengal, the protest crippled normal life in parts of Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Bihar and West Bengal, proving the rebel clout in impoverished rural areas.
In West Bengal's Purulia district, about 50 guerrillas set fire to the Station Master's room at Biramdih railway station around 1.30 a.m. The attack destroyed the signalling system. Biramdih - on the Jharkhand-West Bengal border - is some 285 km from Kolkata.
'The (rebels) came and scared us away. We watched from a distance as they set the station on fire and fired gunshots in the air,' said Debasis Roy, a railway employee.
The Maoists shouted anti-government slogans and left behind leaflets and posters listing their demands. Three bombs were also found on railway tracks, a police officer said.
Train services between Bihar and Jharkhand, including the state capitals Patna and Ranchi, were cancelled. Normal life was disrupted in rural areas in four of Bihar's districts, officials and news reports said.
In Chhattisgarh, now the bloodiest battleground between the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) and security forces, rail and road traffic were badly hit in the southern Bastar region.
Public transport went off the roads and movement of iron ore from Dantewada district's Bailadila hills to Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh was halted, Girdhari Nayak, the inspector general of police (Maoist operation), told IANS.
Maoists blocked interior pockets of Bastar, Bijapur, Narayanpur, Dantewada and Kanker districts by placing wooden logs on the roads.
In Bihar, shops were closed and buses were off the roads in rural parts of Arwal, Jehanabad and Gaya districts as well as a few pockets in Patna district.
But the protest had no major impact in Andhra Pradesh and Orissa. A bus had been set on fire Tuesday in Andhra Pradesh, where the police have gunned down a string of Maoist leaders in recent times.
The blockade was an economic disaster, especially in Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh.
In Jharkhand alone, official estimates put the losses at around Rs.1.5 billion, spread over two days.
The railways have reportedly lost Rs.300 million due to cancellation of goods and passenger trains. At many places the Maoists destroyed railway property. In Latehar district, they burnt two engines and damaged 12 goods train bogies.
Around 1,500 buses did not ply during these two days, causing a loss of Rs.15 million. Trucks stood idle, leading to a loss of Rs.30 million.
The economic blockade also disrupted coal and iron ore production and transport, leading to losses of around Rs.600 million.
Businesses in the state have also been derailed by the blockade. The import and export business has been frozen for the two days causing losses of around Rs.500 million to traders, said a member of the Jharkhand Chamber of Commerce.
In Jharkhand, for the second day, rail and road traffic came to a complete halt. In rural areas, schools as well as colleges remained closed. Ranchi University has postponed examinations for postgraduate courses.
The CPI-Maoist called for the blockade to denounce SEZs. The party said SEZs were coming up on land taken away from farmers and being given away to industry at throwaway prices.
The police in West Bengal hunted for the attackers of the railway station, according to Inspector General of Police Jogesh Chattopadhayay. Meanwhile, shopkeepers kept their shops shut in the state's Purulia, Bankura and West Midnapore districts.
Most of Left-ruled West Bengal was, however, unaffected by the blockade.
Orissa police chief Amarananda Patnaik told IANS Wednesday: 'There is absolutely no incident. Everything is peaceful and normal today.'
Thousands have been killed by the Indian state since the Maoist rebellion began in 1967 in a village in West Bengal. The Maoists are now active in many states.
Ex-Minister demands resignation of Karnataka Home Minister
Mysore, June 26: Former Minister and senior Congress leader H Viswanath today demanded the resignation of Karnataka Home Minister M P Prakash for not being aware of the disclosure of list of naxal sympathisers in the State by the police.
Talking to reporters here, he said Mr Prakash should have known the facts and names in the list.
Mr Viswanath condemned the Government's attitude for including the names of veteran farmer leader Kadidalu Shamanna and many university professors in the naxal list.
''Mr Prakash should also suspend the police officials concerned for releasing the list,'' he said.
Stating that Revenue Minister Jagadish Shettar was not aware of the recent decision regarding formation of two new districts in the State, he said it was another evidence that exposed the functioning of the government.
On land grabbing by various political leaders in the State, Mr Viswanath challenged Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy to make their names public.
SHIMOGA: Karnataka Komu Souharda Vedike has condemned the inclusion of progressive thinkers, journalists and farmer leaders in the list of Naxal sympathisers.
Speaking to reporters here on Monday, Vedike secretary K L Ashok alleged that the State Government was trying to suppress the progressive movement and freedom of expression by releasing the list and was protecting the interests of communal outfits.
The list of Naxal sympathisers has disclosed the hidden agenda of the state government, he stated.
He also added that a case would be filed soon against police officer Shankar Bidari who disclosed the list.
When I started this blog... I never in my wildest dreams expected it to end in this manner...
Almost a year ago peoplesmarch.com an independent website that provided news on the Maoist Movement in India was blocked by the Indian government.
It was then that I took a spontaneous decision to start a blog to provide news and updates on the Maoist movement. I thought I would be doing my bit to counter censorship in India.
And that is why we today have naxalrevolution.blogspot.com
If peoplesmarch.com wasn't blocked then this blog would never have come into existence. I would have been content reading their updates.
I even had a decent blog back then where I made cartoons called Indiacorporatewatchbut had to stop once I started blogging at this address.
One of the primary motives of the naxalrevolution blog was and still remains to counter the reactionary naxalwatch blog and we did a very good job of it, delivering far more superior content and balanced news.
But never did we imagine that this blog will be accessed by maoists and not even in our wildest dreams did we imagine that this blog might play a role in someone's death..
Yes.. Shocking as it may sound... this blog seems to have blood on its hands.. or rather its pages.. and it is oozing out of the keyboard even as I type onto my hands...
Yesterday night when I was looking for the latest news about Maoists on Google news.. I came across this news item and it left me dazed for a couple of minutes...
Rajamouli’s body handed over to kin
ANANTAPUR: Dharmavaram police handed over the body of Sande Rajamouli, one of the topmost Naxalite leader, to his relatives.
Rajamouli’s brother Ravindra, AmaraveerulaBandhuVargamSanghamState leaders Padmakumari and Suseela came to Dharmavaram.
DSP Sivaiah spoke to them and handed over the body to them. Mouli’s relatives alleged that he was killed in a fake encounter and demanded an inquiry.
It is learnt that the CDs seized from near the body of the slain Naxalite contained important information. The information included the letter written by Mouli’s wife Rajita to Maoist politburo member Lakshman and e-mail IDs and websites of Maoist leaders in the world.
It was the last paragraph that sent my head spinning.
Now let us re read and reconsider that bit of information that I have highlighted in red more carefully.. It says that a CD containing the email ids and website addresses of Maoist leaders of the world were found on his body.
Now before we jump to conclusions let us think rationally and answer some questions that I think are important and need to be asked and answered.
Let us also make some assumptions and consider some probabilities
What are the chances that this list was compiled by Comrade Rajamouli who was underground by surfing random websites online on his own ? A. Nil
What are the chances that the list was passed to him indirectly through someone else? A. 50-50
What are the chances that the person who may have passed the list he had was the same as the one I posted here only a month back? A. Very High
What are the chances that a man who was underground for 2 decades successfully would be suddenly be intercepted by police and murdered? A. Nil
What are the chances that the person who accessed this blog was traced by the Intelligence Bureau which monitors visitors to this blog and all those who subscribe to it through email updates 24 X 7 , 365 days a year ? A. Very High
What are the chances that the Intelligence Bureau monitored that person who accessed this blog and eventually came to know about Com Rajamouli's whereabouts through him ? A. Very High
What are the chances that some readers of this blog are still being monitored? and the lives of several people are in danger all because somebody for whom this blog was not meant for accessed it regularly ? A. Moderate
What are the chances that my gut feeling which is saying that this blog has played a part in this murder indirectly is true? A. Very High
What are the Chances we will ever find out the truth? A. Nil
What are the chances that I am going to continue this blog ? A. 1%
What are the chances I am going to delete this blog?
A. 50-50
What are the chances that this post is just the delusion of a paranoid mind ?
A. I don’t really know !
This blog seems to have become an albatross that I have to carry around my neck for the rest of my life.
• Salekasa police had pumped 30 ml of petrol up Murali Reddy’s anus, which caused severe bleeding later. On Thursday, Adenwalla secured an order from the court to get Reddy examined by a civil surgeon in Gondia
• Arun Ferreira’s soles were whipped with batons while ice was kept on his genitals
• All four were subjected to third-degree torture during police interrogation.
IAPL member Maharukh Adenwalla is also arguing the case of Murali Reddy, who was held with Bandra resident Arun Ferreira (below) on charges of having links with Naxals
The International Association of People’s Lawyers (IAPL) on Friday said the Nagpur police was wrongly implicating alleged Naxalite Arun Ferreira and his associates in several cases to prolong their police custody and torturing them.
Ferreira and his co-detenues will now undergo another narco-analysis test following the order of a magistrate’s court in Bhandara. The previous test was inconclusive.
IAPL member Maharukh Adenwalla, who is also arguing the case of Murali Reddy, picked up along with Ferreira, says, “Ever since their arrest on May 8, Reddy has been in police custody. [Bandra-resident] Ferreira, who remained in police custody till June 19, has only now been sent to judicial custody. The law allows police custody for only 15 days. That is why the police has been implicating them in different cases — if they get out in one case, they can be arrested in another.”
Nagpur police had arrested Ferreira, Reddy, Naresh Bansod and Dhanendra Bhurle for alleged links with Naxal groups on May 8. Adenwalla pointed to a 2005 landmine blast case in which the accused had already been arrested by the Salekasa police. Now, the police have implicated Ferreira and Reddy in that case. Interestingly, the FIR does not even mention them as accused.
“This is a serious infringement of democratic rights,” says Adenwalla, “in our June 8 petition, we asked the court to direct the police to give us details of all the cases in which the accused have been implicated.”
TORTURE ALLEGATIONS
• Salekasa police had pumped 30 ml of petrol up Murali Reddy’s anus, which caused severe bleeding later. On Thursday, Adenwalla secured an order from the court to get Reddy examined by a civil surgeon in Gondia
• Arun Ferreira’s soles were whipped with batons while ice was kept on his genitals
• All four were subjected to third-degree torture during police interrogation.
LEGAL TANGLE
* According to Adenwalla, the day after their arrest, Ferreira and the others were again arrested by the Dhantoli police.
* As soon as they were given judicial custody on May 20, the four were sent to Mumbai for narco-analysis tests.
* On May 23, when they returned from Mumbai, the Salekasa police applied to the magistrate for their custody.
* From May 28 to June 6, the four were in the custody of Salekasa police.
* Then, Bansod was sent to judicial custody, but the others were handed over to the Chichgad police till June 19.
* While Ferreira, Bansod and Bhurle are now in Nagpur jail, Reddy is with the Duggipur police.
Respectable editors and representatives of the media , struggle greetings to you.This is our press release regarding murder of our beloved com Rajamouli ,central commitee member and our state secretary by the ruling class goons of andhra police.
Requesting to publish this with due consideration. yours in struggle, Gangadhara 24-06-07 for the state committee CPI (MAOIST) Karnataka -----------------------------------------------------------------------
Comrade Raja mouli alias Naveen, central committee member and karnataka state committee secretary was cought at Kollom of kerala state on 22nd, at 2 o' clock after noon, by the ruling class goons of andhra special police. At that time he was talking through phone, numbered 0474 2765303; may be at Kollum ksrtc bus stand, with the one of our comrades of karnataka.They tortured him severely and murdered with out caring any so called legal rules and norms. Then concocted, as usual, general story of encounter . He started from Bangalore on 20 th june at night 8.o clock . Whatever informations giving by the killer police officials about encounter is utterly false.These ruling class criminals are acting as mafia gangs, operating for money,posing as protecters of people,cheating civil society,doing all anti social activities and protects anti socials. Rajashekara reddy government of Andhra pradesh killed our comrade by throwing away all rules and norms that it has to be followed and protected.
Com Rajamouli was simple and mingling person. He took the responsibility of karnataka from november 2005. He was active and enthusiastic, had a good military knowledge, he delivered it to others also.He tried to know karnataka and guided as a secretary for more than one and half years He actively participated and led the successful struggle against right opportunist line,which came forward in the karnataka party during the 5th state conference ( 2005-2006.)
He was a relentless fighter in the miltary field and in the political feild. He contributed by bringing important political questions for discussions in recently concluded unity congress of the party. He spent his most of the life for serving the people and party.
His martyrdom is great loss to all India movement and karnataka particularly. People and party lost great revolutionary leader and military teacher. We are sharing all sorrows and griefs of his family and people. We saluting his parents for their contribution to indian revolution, by giving great leader to the people.
Revolutionary move ment can not be stopped by these type of heinous crimes on humanity by the ruling classes. Revolution is naturally growing phenamena reactionaries are naturally dying phenamena of this coercive exploitative world.Leadership and leaders were emerges and emerging from people's struggle.People's struggle can not be stopped without stopping exploitation.Revolution can not be stopped without bringing non exploitative egalitarian society. Rajashekara reddy government will have to pay proper price for this murder.
* We strongly condemns this heinous murder of our beloved com Sendhe Rajamouli.
* We are pressing strongly to bring all murderers under punishment.
* We are requesting human rights organizations and activists to bring all facts of this state murder before the the people
* We appeal all people , democrats ,pro people organizations and progressives to condemn this murder and fight against this fascist rulers and their goons in uniform.
With revolutionary greetings
Yours in struggle, Gangadhara 24-06-07 for the state committee CPI (MAOIST) Karnataka
CPI (MAOIST) KARNATAKA CLARIFICATION ABOUT THE DATE OF THE PICKING COM SENDE RAJAMOULI
We are very sorry, by mistake we stated that our comrade sende rajamouli was caught on 22nd 2 o clock. It is 21st 2 oclock afternoon at kollam, he abruptly ended his talking through phone,numbered0474 2765303 ,with yeeh yeeeh like sound. please consider this.and do the needful. And also consider while publishing our statement on this regard.Sorry for the inconvenience. yours in struggle
Hyderabad, June 23: CPI (Maoist) second-in-command Sande Rajamouli, the man who had nearly succeeded in killing former chief minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, fell to police bullets last night in the latest blow to the rebels in insurgency-hit Andhra Pradesh.
The 47-year-old Naxalite leader had 120 cases against him in Chhattisgarh, Andhra and Orissa; was on the wanted list in seven other states and had a cash reward of Rs 16 lakh on his head.
Sande Rajamouli
Rajamouli, also known as Prasad, headed the group’s operations in Karnataka and was said to be the No. 2 in the CPI (Maoist) hierarchy after national secretary Muppala Lakshman Rao (Ganapati).
The encounter also claimed a woman guard of the Maoist leader while another rebel escaped under cover of darkness.
Andhra police said the exchange of fire took place near the Dharmavaram railway station in Anantapur district. “They kept running and fired at the police who retaliated, killing Prasad on the spot,” said district police chief Stephen Ravindra.
“The woman rebel died in hospital later. Another injured Maoist escaped,” Ravindra added.
Rajamouli, who was also a member of the central military commission of the rebel outfit, had masterminded the October 1, 2003, landmine explosions that nearly killed Naidu while the Telugu Desam boss, then the chief minister, was on his way to the Balaji temple near Tirupati.
The blasts had ripped apart Naidu’s bullet-proof vehicle but he escaped with fractures to his left collarbone and wrist.
Rajamouli’s death is the latest in a series of setbacks the CPI (Maoist) has suffered in Andhra, where State violence has claimed more than 7,500 lives since 1969.
The outfit, which has lost several leaders, including its top boss in the state, last year, had brought the Karimnagar native back to Andhra to regain control of former strongholds like the Nallamala forests.
Respectable editors and all representatives of the media. Struggle greetings to you. We are sending this press release on posters released by state police against us. Requesting to favour this for the publication.
Yours in struggle, Gangadhara For the state committee CPI (Maoist) 23-06-07 karnataka ----------------------------------------------------------------------
Police department has released posters containing photos of our comrades as most wanted ones and fixed one lakh rupees on each. They projected all these most social concerned persons as anti social criminals. But actually the fact is that police officials are the most criminal, anti people elements, murderers. Shankar Bidari is one of them, who ruined the life of the people of Chamaraja nagara, Kollegala, Mysore area. In the name of anti Veerappan operation he did such a brutal and uncivilized violence on common people.Many women and girls were gangraped,molested,and murdered.people's property looted and foisted several false cases, by thisshankara bidari and his men. This was also revealed by Justice Sadashiva commission's enguiry. But no action was taken by the any ruling governments. That same bloodthirsty man, continuing these anti people activities, in the same manner. Ruling classes and their parties are indulging waves of crimes on people and country.
For maintaining their exploitation,loot,compradorship to imperialists, these cruel forces and it's masters are playing this threatening game with the thought of preventing people from struggle for their life and society. Never, impossible, peoples's struggle can not be stopped by any force. revolutionary movement can not be suppressed by these dirty and cruel acts on humanity. History proved it .People will broke all barriers and chains of exploitation.
The Janatha Dal and BJP coalition government is preparing to unleash terror on struggling people. On the one hand they are imposing false cases, arresting, encountering etc and on the other, they are including pro people's organizations pro people individuals and democrats in the list like criminals,to stop their voice.
This is nothing but preparing the ground for ruthless offensive on people. This is total violation of so called democratic rules and principles and the real intention is to implement fascist rules. By that they are trying to make favourable atmosphere for forth coming anti people projects, which results displacements of the people and losing of land ,such as national parks, reserve forests, BT parks, water and power projects, road projects etc.
These are all part of suppression of people's movements all over India. In nandigram of west Bengal, hundreds of people butchered by CPI (M) led government. In orissa, chattisghad,jharkhand, bihar, Andhra pradesh and else where, state and central governments unleashing ruthless terror on people. Kidnappings, gang rapes, fake encounters, arsons etc are become common.
Karnataka government is having coordination with central joint operational command (JOC), which is formed particularly for suppressing our movement.
Government is not showing any concern for agitating people of the land and their burning problems.They only trying to ruin people and land. Is these governments are by the people, to the people and for the people.? they are by the ruling class,to the ruling class and for the ruling class i,e big land lords,comprador buerocratic capitalists.That,s why people have only way, struggle and war.
We strongly condemn these anti people acts of government and it's forces We are demanding to withdrawal of those posters, photos, rewards and lists with immediate effect
Immediately withdraw listing of pro people organizations and individuals as anti people ones. We appeal all freedom loving people, democrats, progressives, and intellectuals to condemn these anti people activities of government and it's forces, wage relent less struggle for right to organize and be organized, right to live, right to speak and right to fight. Dare to rebel, dare to win.
with revolutionary greetings yours, Gangadhara For the state committee CPI (MAOIST)
As Nepal goes through a difficult transition, what is the stand of the country’s Maoists on the important issues that will determine the Future? Nepal’s Maoist leader Prachanda spoke exclusively to CNN-IBN on those issues in an interview on Devil’s Advocate.
Karan Thapar: Now that the interim Government has given itself the power to abolish the monarchy, if the King interferes in politics, don't you think you should withdraw your demand for the immediate abolition of the monarchy?
Prachanda: No, we don't feel that. Although the Parliament has already decided that two-thirds majority of Parliament can abolish the monarchy, in that sense we feel that our demand is justified.
Karan Thapar: So you want Parliament to abolish the monarchy immediately?
Prachanda: Yes, we want that Parliament should take initiative and monarchy should be abolished immediately.
Karan Thapar: But then what is the point of having a constituent Assembly in four or five months’ time. This should be decided by the Assembly.
Prachanda: The constituent Assembly is quite necessary to restructure the whole state. It is not the question related only to the monarchy.
Karan Thapar: But the monarchy is an important part of the structure of Nepal. Surely, this is a decision the Assembly should decide. If you don’t decide this in the Assembly, you are disrespecting the Assembly.
Prachanda: We are not disrespecting the Assembly. We have compromised with other parties that after the election, at the first meeting of the Assembly, we will decide the fate of the monarchy. But during this one-year period, it has been proved that until and unless the monarchy is there, it will create disturbance and try their best to derail the process. Therefore, we try to take initiative.
Karan Thapar: So the problem is that you don’t trust King Gyanendra ?
Prachanda: Exactly. But it is not the question of individuals. It’s the question of this feudal institution that should be abolished.
Karan Thapar: So you are not ready to let the Assembly take this important decision?
Prachanda: Why has the Parliament decided right now that two-thirds majority can abolish the monarchy before the elections?
Karan Thapar: But just because the Assembly has given itself the power does not mean it has to exercise the power?
Prachanda: But the provision is there that if serious disturbance comes from the monarchy, in our assessment, serious disturbance has already occurred through the monarchy.
Karan Thapar: All right. Let me question you on that. On Tuesday, your colleague, Baburam Bhattarai said that he is scared that the King might engineer a coup with the help of the Nepalese Army. He even said that General Katwal, the Army Chief is a foster brother of the King. Is that a real fear or is that Mr Bhattarai’s imagination?
Prachanda: It is an open secret that Mr Katwal has been educated and raised by the Monarch therefore he has the real relation with the Monarch. But right now we feel that they are trying to activate their forces. So that is the danger from that kind of a relation.
Karan Thapar: So you are really scared that the King and Mr Katwal could organize a coup?
Prachanda: No, right now, I don’t think they will organize a coup. In some section of leadership of the Army, we heard that they are trying to do some things.
Karan Thapar: But you are not taking that seriously.
Prachanda: No I don’t think as a whole Army, they will take such an initiative. In the whole history of our political development, the Army has not taken such kind of decision. They also know the overall political consciousness of our masses and people.
Karan Thapar: So you trust the Army and are prepared to trust General Katwal?
Prachanda: It is not a question of trust. Katwal may have some sentiments with the Monarch and you will imagine some kind of disturbance. But on the whole I don’t feel that they will be able to take such an initiative.
Karan Thapar: This is very interesting because on this issue you have a slightly different opinion to your deputy. Mr Bhattarai is rather scared about this. You are not worried.
Prachanda: We have information that in some sections they will try but the will not be able to, that is my point.
Karan Thapar: Though the Prime Minister has not said this officially and formally, many people believe that he would like to retain the monarchy in a ceremonial form, perhaps like the British Queen. Do you believe that is Mr Koirala’s actual position?
Prachanda: Yes, I think five years back I had a regular contact discussion with Mr Koirala and he’s not quite clear about his own position. He vacillates questions of the monarchy and the republic.
Karan Thapar: Is he confused or is he trying to find a clever way of keeping the monarchy?
Prachanda: Previously I thought he was trying to find an artful way of abolishing the monarchy. But in the latter half of the development I think he was trying to find an artful way to save the monarchy.
Karan Thapar: So the Prime Minister is trying to save the monarchy?
Prachanda: Yes, when he says ceremonial monarchy and then he says I want to give some political space to the Monarch, all these things prove that.
Karan Thapar: On Sunday the PM revealed that he had advised King Gyanendra and Crown Prince Paras to abdicate in favour of Prince Hridendra. If that were to happen, could the Communist accept a ceremonial monarchy?
Prachanda: It is not a question of Communist. The whole nation will not accept such a ridiculous thing.
Karan Thapar: Not even Prince Hridendra, who is only four or five years old?
Prachanda: Yes, nobody will agree to that.
Karan Thapar: If the constituent Assembly meets and decides to retain the ceremonial monarchy, will the Maoists respect and honour that decision?
Prachanda: We do not believe that kind of a result will come.
Karan Thapar: But if it comes?
Prachanda: If it comes, we will respect what the masses want and we will teach the masses what they did is not correct but we will respect the decision.
Karan Thapar: So you will accept a ceremonial monarchy if the constituent Assembly decides to keep one?
Prachanda: My point is that we will respect the decision and ideologically we will again peacefully try to educate the masses.
Karan Thapar: Peacefully? There will be no arms struggle?
Prachanda: Time and again I have cleared this point that we will respect the decision.
Karan Thapar: The reason I want to clear it again is because at the moment you are demanding immediate abolition. So you will accept a ceremonial monarchy if the constituent Assembly decides to keep one?
Prachanda: Yes. That’s why I’m here. If we do not respect the decision, how can we be part of the elections?
Karan Thapar: That’s interesting because at the same time you want to abolish the monarchy before the Assembly meets but leave that aside. Let us now move on the question on the election of the constituent Assembly. On the 15th of this month, speaking in Kirtipur, you said you don’t even believe it’s likely to happen in December. Given that the election has already been postponed once, are you confident it will be held this year?
Prachanda: We have serious doubt it will be held. We are for the election. As soon as possible, it should be held but because of the experience we have serious suspicion.
Karan Thapar: You are seriously doubting that the election will be held this year?
Prachanda: Yes, we have serious doubt.
Karan Thapar: How much of a responsibility will the that of the Prime Minister?
Prachanda: Main responsibility should be taken by the Prime Minister because when we entered in the negotiation and the agreement, the PM time and again said if I will not be able to hold elections in June, then morally I will not be the PM.
Karan Thapar: Do you think, because he has not been able to hold the elections by June, morally he should step down?
Prachanda: I am not saying that. It’s the PM himself who said this time and again.
Karan Thapar: But you are saying that the responsibility for delay, the failure to hold the election on time is that of the Prime Minister.
Prachanda: Main responsibility is that of the Prime Minister.
Karan Thapar: Why did he fail? Because he does not wants to hold it or is it because he is weak? What is the explanation?
Prachanda: My point is that the Prime Minister and his party could not take the concrete position of the monarchy ad the republic. This vacillation in its political position is the main reason.
Karan Thapar: In your eyes, is the PM vacillating because he is actually trying to find a way of retaining the monarchy and therefore he keeps delaying the elections.
Prachanda: I have serious doubts that the PM wants to retain monarchy and therefore he is trying to play with the situation.
Karan Thapar: How much tension has this introduced in your relationship with the Prime Minister?
Prachanda: There have been many ups and downs, twists and turns in the relationship but yet I think that the relation is not so cold. We are in a warm relation which some times gets very tough as well.
Karan Thapar: Sher Bahadur Doeba, the leader of the Nepali Congress Democratic Party says that the obstacle to holding election with the constituent assembly are the terrorist acts of the Maoists. He blames you.
Prachanda: It is quite wrong. It is Sher Bahadur Doeba himself who doesn’t wants to have elections. For the first time when we entered into this negotiation with Doeba, he is the person who was quite against this election of the Constituent Assembly.
Karan Thapar: Let me put this to you. Suppose the elections do not happen in November-December. How serious will that be for Nepal?
Prachanda: It will be a disaster, I think. Whole political scenario can change in a serious anarchy in this country. I don’t want to imagine the results.
Karan Thapar: If such a disaster happens, can the interim government survive that disaster?
Prachanda: I don’t think so. In that situation, another serious mass movement should be organised and we will be with the masses.
Karan Thapar: When you say that another mass movement should be organised, are you talking about a return to arms struggle?
Prachanda: Not at all. It will be a peaceful mass movement.
Karan Thapar: If you are going to organize a peaceful mass movement, does that mean also that you will leave the interim government?
Prachanda: When we will be forced to go into a serious mass movement, at that time we will abandon the interim government. We will be out of the government, but will be in the legislature.
Karan Thapar: So you will be in the Parliament but leave the interim government?
Prachanda: Yes. That’s right.
Karan Thapar: So let me repeat, what you are saying, that if there are no elections in the constituent assembly in November or December, it will (a) be a disaster in Nepal, (b) you will launch a mass movement and (c) and at that point you will leave the interim government.
Prachanda: Yes. Exactly. We will leave the interim government but will retain in the Parliament and we will handle the mass movement in a peaceful way.
Karan Thapar: Mr Prachanda lets talk about your party of the Maoists. You have agreed to surrender your arms, to out your combatants in camps, to return or cease property and discipline the young communist league. Your critics say that on all these issues, you are cheating. Tell me, are your cadres not refusing to obey your orders or are you only too happy for your orders not to be obeyed.
Prachanda: I want to make it clear that we have not surrendered our arms. We have agreed to integrate both the armies on a new basis.
Karan Thapar: Let me explore that. E N Martin the United Nations Special Representative says that 30,850 Maoist combatants have registered in camps, but only 2,855 arms have been handed it. That is a huge discrepancy. Are you holding back your arms?
Prachanda: The data is incorrect. I think it is somewhere close to 3000.
Karan Thapar: But look at the difference, thirty thousand combatants and just three thousand weapons. Where are the other weapons?
Prachanda: Yes, it is a serious question and time and again I’ve tried to make it clear that our comrades are not all armed with modern weapons. They have been armed with grenade, crude bombs and the likes.
Karan Thapar: Have you surrendered everything? Or are you hiding some stock?
Prachanda: Yes, we have stored all the bombs, grenades, guns and everything. We have in fact registered all the arms and explosives.
Karan Thapar: Let me quote to you what Nankishore Punj the leader of your Maoist army said. He said, “If we detect more arms in the future that are presently out of our memory and control, then we will inform the UN monitors.” How can you not remember where your arms are? It sounds as if you are cheating.
Prachanda: Its not a question of cheating. When we were in the war, we remained in the rural areas, jungles and scattered in different parts of the country. We did not have a really disciplined barrack like that.
Karan Thapar: So you cant remember where your arms are?
Prachanda: The arms may have gone missing in few places.
Karan Thapar: Alright. Let me put in something else to you. E N Martin says that instead of surrendering and registering in camps, your combatants have instead joined the young communist league. In that place, even boys under 18 have been registered.
Prachanda: You have to understand the whole phenomena of communist league. You should go back to the question on the paramilitary forces we have organised during the conflict.
Karan Thapar: Have you moved your Maoist Army combatants into the League?
Prachanda: No that’s not true. However in the league, some combatants are there who were the commanders in PLA. But we have not kept this any secret.
Karan Thapar: These combatants who have joined the young communist league—are they indulging in violence? Because the Prime Minister has gone on record to say that the Young Communist League is like a ‘young criminal league.’
Prachanda: I am sure he must have been out of his mind when he said such a thing. It is a serious charge that they have made. Later on when we discussed it with the PM he said he was sorry for the comment.
Karan Thapar: Did he apologise to you? Did he actually used the word ‘sorry’?
Prachanda: Not exactly. But by his explanation he sounded apologetic. He said it was due to an emotional outburst and the given situations that he said such a thing.
Karan Thapar: Its not just the PM who accuses the Young Communist League of indulging in violence, extortion and intimidation. Sher Bahadur Doeba also says similar things. Many of the members of the Seven Party Alliance too feel the same. Are you using the Young Communist League to intimidate or to threaten?
Prachanda: In my opinion people are exaggerating the whole issue.
Karan Thapar: By saying they are exaggerating, you are hinting that there may be little truth, but they are exaggerating it.
Prachanda: There may have been small incidents, but we are trying to minimize any kind of violence.
Karan Thapar: So do you accept there have been such instances?
Prachanda: Yes.
Karan Thapar: You also told Former President Jimmy Carter that you would correct the ‘mistakes’ of the Young Communist League. So that means you clearly accept those mistakes?
Prachanda: When we were there at the Central Community meeting, I myself said that we will have to minimise such kinds of incidents. But mainly and basically what communist league is doing is correct because they are building roads, plating trees and doing much public work.
Karan Thapar: People say, Prachanda if orders about returning seized land, Maoist leaders disregard him. Do your local cadres disregard your orders?
Prachanda: No it is not the case. Returning the land is a very sensitive question. We have initiated from the Western districts of Nepal. But we still have to settle the question of settlement of peasants.
Karan Thapar: Can people trust Prachanda to do what he says.
Prachanda: They trust and they should trust. We have initiated the process and this is again a very sensitive issue that we have to decide the settlement of peasants.
Karan Thapar: So what you are saying is: Give me time, I will surrender seized property.
Prachanda: It needs some time.
Karan Thapar: But you will fulfill the commitment to surrender seized property? Is that a promise?
Prachanda: Yes that’s a promise.
Karan Thapar: And you will also ensure that the Young Communist League do not indulge in violence, that’s another promise.
Prachanda: Yes that’s a promise. But you should also see that many a times provocation leads to such things. Like it happened in the Tarai region of the Madhesis, when our comrades were provoked into violence.
Karan Thapar: But will you exercise control, now? Will you keep telling them not to indulge in violence?
Prachanda: Yes, very much.
Karan Thapar: My last question is, when the elections to the constituent assembly take place, if you don’t get a majority, will you accept a minority role or will you boycott the Assembly.
Prachanda: We will respect the decision. We may be in the minority and we will struggle ideologically and politically.
Karan Thapar: But will you accept the minority position if that is the outcome.
Prachanda: We must have to accept it.
Karan Thapar: Thank you Mr Prachanda for this candid interview.
Tapasi Malik 16 - A strong willed girl and one of the youngest
LEGAL TANGLE 