People’s War: People’s Defence
Two contradictory news items had hit the headlines of mainstream dailies on May 4th 2008. A delegation of the Communist Party of India consisting A. B. Bardhan, Gurudas Dasgupta and D. Raja had called on the PM on May 3 (Hindu front-page) to urge the leader of the coalition government headed by Congress Party to disband the Salwa Judum (Peace Mission) initiated by the BJP government of Chattisgarh.
The other item was about decision of the SPF government headed by Congress in Manipur to arm the people of certain areas of Thoubal district (affected by Meitei and Muslim terrorists) to fight back and restore peace to cluster of villages around Heirok and Chajing. The names, as I said earlier may sound Chinese or Thai. Don’t mind about lack of knowledge about Manipur. The decision was adopted in a cabinet meeting on May 3, 2008.
It is better to quote for the sake of authenticity the news portal Sangei Express (Manipur-03.05.08) in no way considered an India friendly portal:
“The SPF Government’s decision to arm public of Heirok and Chajing to defend them-selves from militants have evoked widespread appreciation…
“People of Heirok and Chajing had been demanding that State Government provide them guns after activists of different armed groups killed four persons some times back.
Conceding to the people’s demand State authorities lobbied with the Central Government representatives and the latter reportedly approved the proposal for one year on trial basis which will include establishment of 500 posts of Special Police Officers (SPOs) out of which Heirok will have 300 SPOs…
“The arm provision would be closely monitored by the Union Home Ministry and if the outcome is positive the period is likely to be extended in phased manner.
Close on the heels of the Cabinet decision to provide arms to the public of Heirok and Chajing, the Director General of Police Y Joykumar made a personal assessment of possible sites for opening up of five posts of the SPO in Heirok area today.
The possible sites for the SPO posts include Ulaimang, Laimayum Welcome Gate and Salam Leirak within Heirok Part-II, Ngarouthel in Heirok Pt-III and Heituppokpi of Heirok Pt-I.”
The CPI, which is a partner in the government (4 MLAs), did not protest the cabinet decision to arm the people, living under shadows of the Meitei and Muslim terrorists. Yet, the CPI is an honourable party and a partner of Congress in Delhi as well.
My intention is not either to support or condemn the movement in Chattisgarh. This is not the first time India has legally and openly experimented with armed volunteer force right from the North East to Punjab.
Way back in 1967-68 Manipur Naga and non-Naga Hills were infested with Naga, Mizo and other underground armies. Army, paramilitary forces were thickly mobilised. The idea of recruiting Naga and non-Naga youths, training them in medium and heavy weaponry use and posting them in fortified camps in highly disturbed areas was known as the Village Volunteer Force. The bucks came from Delhi and the Chief Commissioner and later the Lt. Governor supervised the administration and some Central government Agencies used to direct the intelligence and armed operations. Within four years the districts of Ukhrul. Tamenglong and Mao-Maram were largely rid of the Naga Army activities. The 10th battalion Mizo army commanded by Lalzika Sailo surrendered.
If you have any queries you may contact Mr. Rishang Keishing, Member Rajya Sabha from Manipur. He is a surviving hero of the VVF movement. The nation should be proud of him, late K. Envy and L. Solomon, former ministers in Manipur government. For Nagaland you may contact Hokise Sema and even S. C. Jamir, the two Naga leaders who helped the people to fight the insurgents. They are regarded as the highest patriots.
If you are not bored, look back at Mizoram, grouping of villages and creation of Village Defence Forces. The army alone cannot fight back the so called “People’s War.” It requires “Peoples Participation.” It would take a volume as to how the terrorists control the “masses” and how the governments and People jointly win back the mass psychology. Suffice it say that the government of Peru succeeded in fighting the Sandero Luminiso (Shining Path) movement (ultra-left) only by winning back the confidence of the people and by selectively arming the people against the “People’s War.”
I had the opportunity of handling insurgency/terrorism in Punjab as well. The SPO concept also called Salwa Judum, VVF, VDF was also applied in Punjab. These volunteer corps had helped the regular police and paramilitary forces in accessing the remote villages and eradication the secessionist movement. The unsung story of Punjab SPOs could be authenticated from the hero of Punjab Operations- K. P. S. Gill. Though a fallen hockey hero he still has the fire to fight.
Do I sound pugnacious to the Human Rights Groups, the Left Parties, the Ultra-Left organisations and liberal elites? Without submitting to any brow-beating I have to confess that I started my service life at Naxalbari alongside close friends like Charu Majumdar and Jangal Santhal. We often agreed and often disagreed about the methodology of agrarian revolution in India (please read back-Telengana revolt, Tebhaga Andolan etc). Disagreement did not diminish friendship. Rather I benefited from the new socio-economic policies. At heart I am a Naxalite of the Classic School (Charu).
I do not totally disagree when friends like Dipankar Bhattachariya (Secretary General CPI-ML) shouts “disband Salwa-Judum and other sate backed private militias” (ML-Update vol 11, No. 15 dated 8-14 April 2008). He has a case. He bases his argument on the basis of a Supreme Court judgment which was passed on a PIL by Chief Justice K. G. Balakrishnan and Justice Aftab Alam which said, “You (state government) cannot give arms to somebody (a civilian) and allow him to kill. You will be an abettor of the offence under section 302 of the Indian Penal Code.” (All italics are from quoted CPI-ML flyer). If the Apex Court of the country takes such a view the State has to sit up and has to reexamine the boundaries of People’s War and People’s Defence.
Earlier The Asian Council of Human Rights said: As on March 2006, a total of 45,958 Adivasi villagers from 644 villages in 6 blocks of Dantewada district were brought under Salwa Judum programme. In many cases, the mobilisations have reportedly been forcible. Human rights have also been violated in various other ways, according to human rights orgnizations.
This view was fortified by the report based on team study by People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) Chhattisgarh, People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) Jharkhand, People’s Union for Democratic Rights (PUDR) Delhi, Association for the Protection of Democratic Rights (APDR) West Bengal, and Indian Association of People’s Lawyers (IAPL). The Left and seemingly progressive groups have consistently pleaded that private citizen should not be mobilised in Group Centres (camps) and they should not be armed with sophisticated weapons to kill the Left armed raiders and guerrillas. However, these groups do not spell out the role of the State in fighting “People’s War.”
People’s War is not a new concept. First given formal shape the new social revolution strategy was devised by Chairman Mao Zedong with a view to persuade, force and mobilise the people’s support for his revolution. Originally conceived by Lenin this strategy was used Che Guevara, Fidel Castro and the heroic warriors of Uncle Ho in Vietnam. .
Another name of People’s War is “mass control” i.e. controlling the minds and thoughts of the people through political activities, armed struggle and eroding the faith of the “People in the State and the tools of governance.” This is the universal weapon used by the revolutionaries/terrorists all over the world-Lenin to Mao to Nelson Mandela to Cstro to Uncle Ho to the Maoist leaders of Nepal.
The State cannot restore People’s confidence and “mass support” only through military and paramilitary operations. If that were true Afghanistan and Iraq would have licked Bush’s boot and Osama would have been hanged soon after 9/11. If a “People could be won back” by Army alone India would have not have a lingering Kashmir problem. If this was correct the Maoist political parties in Nepal would not have swept the elections and usher in an era in the lives of the Bahun, Chhetri and Kirat peoples of Nepal. In modern times Nepal is the glaring example of brilliant combination of revolution through the barrel of the gun and the silt in the ballot box.
Where does this argument take us?
A brief answer to this cannot be scripted in this article. Volumes have been written and billions of words have been used in juxtaposition to tons of human blood and millions of lethal rounds. The People’s Movement (read generic Naxalite) has killed the People not submitting to their “mass control: tactics and the uniformed tools of the State have killed a lot of the revolting People and lost hundreds of their ranks.
What war is being fought in the jungles and hills of West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Chattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh? Is it a People’s War as conceived by Chairman Mao? Is this a historical continuation of the Telengana Revolt, Tebhaga Andolan and violent response of the deprived, oppressed and depressed people of the most neglected parts of the country?
There are divergent views.
The existing social, economic conditions of the country, destroyed condition of rural and agrarian economy, progressive deprivation of the lower strata of the people. Bias against castes and communities and miserable failure to connect India’s global economic policy with the semi-urban and rural areas have created sever paradoxes. The movement started by my friends, way back in 1965-67 again looms large as a historical reality. Steadily the “mass control” mechanism is tilting in favour of the warrior’s of the People’s War.
Where does the State turn to?
Heaps of Acts, Manuals and administrative directions are there to tell that the State is entrusted by the Constitution to maintain order and restore the law. These provisions empower the State to use force. Application of force in vacuum of negative public support is termed as “state sponsored war or terrorism.” If the organisations like PUCL, PUDR etc and my friend Dipanakr Bhattachariya are to be believed the attempt of Chattisgarh government is an anti-people concept which constitutes serious violation of Human Rights. I agree to regretfully disagree with them.
A People’s war is supported by history as in the case of French Revolution, American War of Independence, Lenin’s Bolshevik revolution and Mao’s People’s War. People’s War end up in real warlike situation in which the rebels kill people for “Mass Control”, territorial expansion, establishment of authority and immobiliasation of existing governing and political system The State, whatever state it is in, is empowered to use force to recover back the “Mass Control” mechanism.
In addition to the State any individual or a group of individuals have been empowered by the India Penal Code to exercise matching violence by equal proportion of use of force. Killing a man for committing theft is murder. Taking up weapon voluntarily to defend the self, family and the community when they are mortally threatened and actually becomes victims of violence is Self-Defence in the eye of the law.
The cruces of the problem to briefly examine if the Classical Naxal movement started in 1965-67 and the garlanding events of organised armed violence in different parts of the country in the name of Maoist Revolution constitute ingredients of People’s War. Any student of Indian political, economic and social history would say loudly that vast sections of the Indians are deprived and the quantum of deprivation, both urban and rural, are increasing by leaps and bound. Social and economic disparity between globalised India and medieval India rotting in village, caste, class and community clusters appear too unbridgeable.
It is also to be examined if a revolution like the present Maoist strife is blessed by the “mass quantity of the people,” if they are ready to change the system through violence and if the State has conclusively failed. A close look would tell that the Maoists are acting as angry ideologues, like their classic leader Charu and have not been able to sell their ideology to the People, convince them that a time has come for violent system-change. They are acquiring guns, terrorizing the very deprived people whom they aim to serve and expanding very little of territorial hegemony. They are neither a hegemon of ideas and nor sovereign of People’s mind. Their war cannot destroy the present State of India. They likely to end up in increasing the miseries of the People, impose serious burden on the pockets, whatever pockets are left, of the deprived people.
The same questions had arisen and were examined in Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, Assam, Punjab and Kashmir. It was concluded that it not possible to usher in a violent revolution for a system-change. The India society, the State and the Constitution and Laws and overrunning systems are so resilient that these can accommodate almost demanding situation to considerably win over the “mass quantity of people.”
Reality being what it is, with great reverence to the Apex Court and my friends in Classical and Neo-Peoples War, I beg to differ with them The People have a right to defend themselves, either on their own or in conjunction with the State. It has been done in the past and will in vogue simply because the People enjoy both the rights: People’s War and People’s Defence. It is matter of fine segmentation of Time and Situation when one of the forces overtakes the other.
Therefore, I would disagree with the hypocritical CPI, Human Rights Agencies and my friends in the Maoist movement. However, when, how and with what strategy the Peoples would use the self-defence would cardinal point to consider. Having trodden most of the killing field in India I would recommend empowering the People by the State to defend themselves.
The only alternative for my Naxal friends is that they may consider, like the Nepal Maoists to abandon the guns and penetrate the system to change it with People’s mass support. They should remember that they have no right, under present circumstances of the India State. To kill and the People have the right to defend themselves by whatsoever means possible.
May 31st, 2008 at 4:59 pm
A fine analysis of strategy to fight terrorism. The author has insight.
June 7th, 2008 at 5:47 pm
I am unable to understand the political and operationsl philosophy enuncitd by Dhar. Does he want civil war? Or would like to enlighten us more on the theory and practice of mass control?
June 16th, 2008 at 9:07 am
I read the article with interest. A student in Cornell University studying intelligence related subject I wonder if Mr. Dhar would like to enlighten us on the concept of Mass Control. We have some course materials on that but very sketchy ground level experiences are shared with us. It is fascinating subject and is most applicable in areas affected by insurgency and terrorism
July 5th, 2008 at 9:05 am
Dhar behaves as an agent of the government. Marxist-Leninist-Maoist revolution is the only weapon to free India from the clutches of Congress+Caste Baron parties. Our war would continue
July 5th, 2008 at 9:07 am
We are warriors of destiny. Dhar has a romantic approach to Naxalism. Things have changed Old Boy. We are determined to fight and gain freedom.
August 14th, 2008 at 11:33 am
Hello Friends,
Please dont make personal comments about Mr Dhar. This is a forum for discussion and bring ideas together and reform them. Every one has their limitations. Understanding and Visions has limitations. So does Mr Dhar. I think Mr Dhar was part of Government appratus has way of thinking from government perspective.
I was a child when India’s Army invaded Golden Temple. I have seen how Army acted during those days. I was in a bus from Amritsar to Taran Taran when Army stopped the bus and asked all Amritdhari’s to come down. Amritdhari’s were favourite hunt of Army in those days.
Lets ask Mr Dhar to reflect about greatest devil that existed in India. Mr Dhar, Do you have any single Case registered against Bhindranwale in whole of India? If you have please scan it and put it on your website as well. People should know in what crime he was wanted. Please also scan the warrant that were issued by court to arrest him that police couldnt execute so Army has to go in.
Oh one more thing Just prior to invasion of Golden Temple Deputy Commssioner of Amritsar was Gurdev Singh. Did he asked Army to come and help him?
You are quite famous in revealing hidden truths. Why dont you tell readers who started terrorism in punjab? Does Mr SK Sinha lies when he says Indian Army was preparing to launch Operation Bllue Star since early 1983? MR SK Sinha is a retired Lt General of Indian Army. Bhindranwale was no where close to Golden Temple at that time?
Who smuggled Arms into Golden Temple? Was Bhindranwale controlling entire BSF, Punjab Police, Indian Army as well?
Do you want to know how this single event has changed relationship of Sikhs with India? In 1961 War with Pakistan entire western border saw Sikh officers. Now Sikhs are quitely skipping to join Indian Armed Forces and they are begging Prince Charles to raise Sikh Regiments? Do you see where history is leading us to ??????
We dont know where history will lead us to but please Stop lieing. That might come handy later on.
August 14th, 2008 at 3:50 pm
Author speak: For Arwinder Singh.
DEar Arwinder. Would you please read my books Open Secrets and Fulcrum of Evil and Black Thunder to understand my onterpretaion of the Punjab problem? After that you are welcome to get back to me at my mail address maloy39@gmail.com
Best wishes.