Blazing Trail: Journey of the Indian Revolution
11 Comments Published by LeftyHenry on Saturday at 12:46 AM.
This post is a reprinted post (at the author's permission) from revleft.com written by the Abhay, author of the Naxal Revolution Blog.
A Spectre is haunting India, the Spectre of Communism!
Above: Maoist Cadre training
Report and updates on the developing revolutionary situation in India
The revolutionary situation in India today stands at a crucial juncture and events in the next few years could very well decide it's success or failure. India is country with a population close to 1.1 billion but what many don't know is that it is also one of the two countries in the world to have an estimated 100-120 million workers in trade unions and as members of communist organizations. (China being the other one)
They are extremely fragmented, divided and opposed to each other but nonetheless have immense potential. With the rise of the CPI-(Maoist) there is now hope that many of these organizations could consolidate.
Who are the Naxalites?
Naxalite or Naxalism is an informal name given to revolutionary communist groups that were born out of the Sino-Soviet split in the Indian communist movement. The term comes from Naxalbari, a small village in West Bengal, where a leftist section of Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M)) led by Charu Majumdar and Kanu Sanyal led a militant peasant uprising in 1967, trying to develop a "revolutionary opposition" in order to establish "revolutionary rule" in India.
Father of the Indian revolution - Comrade Charu Mazumdar
Majumdar greatly admired Mao Zedong of China and advocated that Indian peasants and lower classes must follow in his footsteps and overthrow the government and upper classes whom he held responsible for their plight. In 1967 'Naxalites' organized the All India Coordination Committee of Communist Revolutionaries (AICCCR), and broke away from CPI(M). Uprisings were organized in several parts of the country. In 1969 AICCCR gave birth to Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist). After the internal revolt led by Satyanarayan Singh in 1971 and the death of Majumdar in 1972, the movement was fragmented into many competing factions.
Since then in the last three decades the movements have witnessed splits,petty ego clashes,recombinations and what has remained constant throughout is the brutal state repression.
Today, there exists a large number of political organizations whose roots are in the AICCCR/CPI(ML). Some maintain and develop Majumdar's concept of armed revolution, whereas others have condemned the excesses of the sectarian epoch. The organizations belonging to the latter category have established legal overground structures (trade unions, student groups, etc.) and started participating in elections.
People's War
The Maoists have spread and grown rapidly from
55 districts in 9 States in 2003 to
105 districts in 13 States in 2004 to
170 districts in 15 States in 2006.
India is divided into 28 states and seven union territories,
and has approximately 600 districts
The above map mainly shows the areas where the CPI(Maoist)
is waging People's War.
-They have around 10,000 armed cadres with 50,000 active supporters and
15 to 20,000 weapons of all makes including AK-47's and INSAS rifles.
-There are 1500 illegal arms manufacturing units in Bihar alone and an
indeterminate number in dense forests of other States.
-A recent study by Amnesty International and OXFAM estimated that out of 75 million illegal arms worldwide, 40 million guns were in central India. The annual budget is approximately Rs 200 crore supported by taxations amounting to Rs 250 crore.
-It is estimated that they run 80 training camps and train 300 Maoists at any one time.
-The people's militia which is currently untrained and does not possess
many weapons easily runs into a couple of millions.
Government of India Response
The ruling classes have been gripped by panic and paranoia.They have unleashed large scale repression. Since the last one year a brutal anti-maoist campaign called Salwa Judum is being carried out in the state of Chhattishgarh
the strong hold of Maoists.
An estimated 75,000 people have been moved out of their villages and are being held in concentration camp like conditions.
Most of these people were formerly maoist sympathisers. Chairman Mao had said the guerilla is a fish in an ocean of people. The Indian government is trying to empty the ocean.
Hundreds have been killed in the last one year alone by government forces
Blazing Trail
As of today civil war like conditions exist in large parts of the country. The state repression is immense and Maoist sympathisers have been jailed and killed in fake encounters,prison cells. Thousands of students have jumped into the movement and slowly the flame shall engulf the entire country. The path of the Indian revolution has been long,
painful and torturous. But the struggle carries on.....
Blazing Trail Documentry
A Spectre is haunting India, the Spectre of Communism!
Above: Maoist Cadre training
Report and updates on the developing revolutionary situation in India
The revolutionary situation in India today stands at a crucial juncture and events in the next few years could very well decide it's success or failure. India is country with a population close to 1.1 billion but what many don't know is that it is also one of the two countries in the world to have an estimated 100-120 million workers in trade unions and as members of communist organizations. (China being the other one)
They are extremely fragmented, divided and opposed to each other but nonetheless have immense potential. With the rise of the CPI-(Maoist) there is now hope that many of these organizations could consolidate.
Who are the Naxalites?
Naxalite or Naxalism is an informal name given to revolutionary communist groups that were born out of the Sino-Soviet split in the Indian communist movement. The term comes from Naxalbari, a small village in West Bengal, where a leftist section of Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M)) led by Charu Majumdar and Kanu Sanyal led a militant peasant uprising in 1967, trying to develop a "revolutionary opposition" in order to establish "revolutionary rule" in India.
Father of the Indian revolution - Comrade Charu Mazumdar
Majumdar greatly admired Mao Zedong of China and advocated that Indian peasants and lower classes must follow in his footsteps and overthrow the government and upper classes whom he held responsible for their plight. In 1967 'Naxalites' organized the All India Coordination Committee of Communist Revolutionaries (AICCCR), and broke away from CPI(M). Uprisings were organized in several parts of the country. In 1969 AICCCR gave birth to Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist). After the internal revolt led by Satyanarayan Singh in 1971 and the death of Majumdar in 1972, the movement was fragmented into many competing factions.
Since then in the last three decades the movements have witnessed splits,petty ego clashes,recombinations and what has remained constant throughout is the brutal state repression.
Today, there exists a large number of political organizations whose roots are in the AICCCR/CPI(ML). Some maintain and develop Majumdar's concept of armed revolution, whereas others have condemned the excesses of the sectarian epoch. The organizations belonging to the latter category have established legal overground structures (trade unions, student groups, etc.) and started participating in elections.
People's War
The Maoists have spread and grown rapidly from
55 districts in 9 States in 2003 to
105 districts in 13 States in 2004 to
170 districts in 15 States in 2006.
India is divided into 28 states and seven union territories,
and has approximately 600 districts
The above map mainly shows the areas where the CPI(Maoist)
is waging People's War.
-They have around 10,000 armed cadres with 50,000 active supporters and
15 to 20,000 weapons of all makes including AK-47's and INSAS rifles.
-There are 1500 illegal arms manufacturing units in Bihar alone and an
indeterminate number in dense forests of other States.
-A recent study by Amnesty International and OXFAM estimated that out of 75 million illegal arms worldwide, 40 million guns were in central India. The annual budget is approximately Rs 200 crore supported by taxations amounting to Rs 250 crore.
-It is estimated that they run 80 training camps and train 300 Maoists at any one time.
-The people's militia which is currently untrained and does not possess
many weapons easily runs into a couple of millions.
Government of India Response
The ruling classes have been gripped by panic and paranoia.They have unleashed large scale repression. Since the last one year a brutal anti-maoist campaign called Salwa Judum is being carried out in the state of Chhattishgarh
the strong hold of Maoists.
An estimated 75,000 people have been moved out of their villages and are being held in concentration camp like conditions.
Most of these people were formerly maoist sympathisers. Chairman Mao had said the guerilla is a fish in an ocean of people. The Indian government is trying to empty the ocean.
Hundreds have been killed in the last one year alone by government forces
Blazing Trail
As of today civil war like conditions exist in large parts of the country. The state repression is immense and Maoist sympathisers have been jailed and killed in fake encounters,prison cells. Thousands of students have jumped into the movement and slowly the flame shall engulf the entire country. The path of the Indian revolution has been long,
painful and torturous. But the struggle carries on.....
Blazing Trail Documentry
Very interesting. Of all the countries in the World today, India has indeed the most favorable conditions for a Communist revolution - high economic growth, combined with a relatively liberal government unwilling to be too oppressive and the democratic process hijacked by ultra-nationalist forces (just like Russia in the 1910's). All is needed is a big defeat in a major conflict (like Russia during WWI) and all those extreme nationalists will flock under the Communist banners and will seize power, just like the Bolsheviks did in 1917...
Afterwards, all the genuine Communists will be killed in the purges, law and order will be imposed, and 1.1 billion of Indians will live in slavery until a genuinely progressive Solidarity-like organization will emerge, decades later...
It's déja vu all over again...
Left Henry,
What do you know about the chance that the communists could win an election? Are they participating in the political game? Are there any leaders or popular figures associated with the communists?
What about any socialists, anarchists?
India has always had a couple states who looked as though they were beginning to lean more towards socialism. Their states are more sectarian than even ours!
India's population problem could be solved by bringing women's rights, democracy, and adequate living conditions to the people; in other words socialism. That's the one variable all of these population experts have missed.
Che Bob, there are many communist parties in India. of those parties, there are three types. Reformist Parties, Revolutionary parties, and parties that mix both tactics. Communist Parties are often successful on local levels but other than that they enjoy little success. The revolutionary parties are more successful considering that the liberated providences are run in a socialist (and democratic) fashion.
Dave, I couldn't agree more.
Sonia, your humor never ceases to amaze me.
Leftyhenry,
your humor
Indeed. But notice that we never argue about values or tactics, only about facts....
A discussion about values would be if YOU would argue that slavery was bad and I would argue that slavery was good.
A discussion about tactic would be if YOU would argue that the best way to eliminate slavery would be by killing the slave owners and I would argue that a better way would be passive resistance like Gandhi's way.
But we don't have disagreements about that. I agree with you that slavery is abominable and that the only way to eliminate it is by killing the slave owners without mercy.
Our disagreement is that for you, the worst slave owners are Bush and other capitalist leaders and corporations. For me, they are Chavez, Mugabe, Assad, Kim and other Third World dictators...
Naxalites maintain the Maoist guerilla strategy, ignoring and being hostile to urban organizing, even urban culture.
They would sell out in power, as quickly as their friends in Nepal.
You forget that Comrade Mao also emphasised work in the cities and urban areas.In India this has been a weakness that was neglected in the Charu Mazumdar era where he called for abndonment of trade Unions.From the mid-1970's Inian Marxist Leninst Organsiations have been organising trade Unions,including constitient organsiations of the C.P.I.(Maoist).In that sense the group led by Chandra Pulla Reddy made a significant contributio particularly in the 1970's and 1980's.The one time revlutionary C.P.I.(M.L)Red Flag also strssed on how laeding Maoist Organsiatiosn neglected trade Union Work.However it is still astrong weakness in the movement in India particularly after the era of globalsation where the working class sections have been retrenched after closure of factories and dispersed.The working class has to be organised to lead the peasntry as it is the vanguard class in the revolution and their revolutionary political platforms have to be built.(cores of advanced political workers)Today genuine revolutionary forces are struggling to resolve this contradiction.At one time very commendable work was done by Comrade Sunder Navalkar in Maharashtra who to this ady brings out the revolutiunary paper 'Jasood'.Workers i the construction field were brilliantly organised and meetings wee held supporting the Russian REvolution(When East European revisionist regimes collapsed) and the Naxalbari Movement.Today there is astrong trend of legalism within the Maoist Movement particularly amogst groups that participate in the elecrions like Kanu Sanyal and New Democracy Groups.
Comment spamming below:
In the coming weeks I'm challenging myself to take on questions of white supremacy and white privilege as a central focus in all forthcoming posts. I'm extending this challenge to others in our corner of the blogosphere. I remember Villa Villekula's call for bloggers to make "classim" the topic en vogue this past Labor Day; and in this vein I propose a very specific form of the aforementioned challenge.
Let's take the MLK holiday as an opportunity to blog against white supremacy.
A broad topic indeed, but one that is so foundational to any other conversation we might have, whether we are talking about patriarchy, capitalism and class structure, popular culture, etc. Plus many, many folks already do this daily. But the idea is a more coordinated effort to flex out collective muscles. If others agree with this idea, spread the call far and wide. Everyone has a solid 6 days to get a story worked out. At the very least transcribe a good theory piece and put together a decent intro. Get friends who don't blog involved. I'm always amazed at the shear number of folks on MySpace - get friends to post something there in the blog section or even as a bulletin. It doesn't matter, just lean on them to do it.
Drop a comment on this post back at my blog if you are up for it. I will start keeping a list of co-conspirators on the side-bar along with a post early next Monday with a list of blogs to follow that day.
-Nelson H.
In India it is avery complex study on the Maoist Movement.Basically,it is divided into 3 trends.The first of the C.P.I.(Maoist),the second of the C.P.R.C.I.(M.L) and the third of groups like The C.PI.(M.L)Kanu Sanyal and New Democracy Groups.The C.PI.(M.L)Liberation gtoup has already capitualted to the revisionsit Camp.
The C.PI.(Maoist)'s formation in 2004 (merging of Peoples War Group with the M.C C)is of historic importance and it is waging aheroic armed struggle in Bihar,Andhra Pradesh and Dandkaranya.However it is still implementing the line of annihilation of the class enemy and still does not adopt the correct policy of practice within mass organsiatios deploying them as major front organsations.Several of their armed actions are not based on the people's movements and infact substitute them.True there are heroic action slike Jehenabad jailbreak and Madhuban actio in Bihar but overall acorrect military line has not been developed.In Earlier phasr mass oragnsiation like the Mazdoor Kisan Sangrami Samiti in Bihar gave outsatnding practices of mass line.
The C.P.R.C.I.(M.L) foromed in 1994 is the most correct group in theory and practice and has led an outstanding movement in Orissa and Punjab.In Orissa it has led a great movement in the Malkangiri district where tribals have formed their own revolutinary mass organsation to defend their rights to their forsests and land and even resisted multinational companies.Outstanding struggles have been led in self -defence and for protection of rights over bamboo trees.It implemented the most outstanding agrarian revolutionary practice seen in India and democratic functioning.In Punjab it has formed a bigd revolutinaty political platform and led some outstanding peasnt struggles of both the landed and landless peasants. Historic struggles were led in Balahar Vinju in Bhatinda district of the landlesss labourers opposing their land being auctioed and of middle peasnts in Jethuke in Bhatinda district.The mass political platform with mass oragnsiations led 3 historic election campaigns opposing tactics of active boycott and participation and graetly aroused the masses.Earlier constitient oragisnatin sof the C.P.R.C.I.(M.l)namely the C.C.RI.and the C.T.(C.PI.M.L)Led a historic movement against Khalisatni terrorism where they developed a mass revolutionary front which gave outstanding mass revolutionary resistance against the Khalistani forces like in Moga on JUly 10th .The same trend i the 1970's led the hsitioric movement of the Punjab Students UNion and the Naujavan Bharat Sabha,one of the largest youth movements.A historic rally was led in protest agaisnt the murder of Prithipala Singh Randhawa in 1979.THere was alos a famousMoga Sangram rally led in 1974.The origin of this line is with the struggle for mass line of Tarimala Nagi Reddy and DV.Rao agaisnt the adventurist Charu Mazumdar lin,eventually forming the U.C.C.R.I.(M.L).Even the Central Team Group formed in 1977led by Mahendra Singh made a significant contribution.(Even Comrades like Darsha Singh Dosanj and Sunder Navalkar)Later through efforts of Comrades to struggles agaisnt the revisinist trends within the U.C.C.R.I.(M.L) the C.C.R I.was formed in 1988.Comrade Anand and Comrade Harbhajan Sohi made the biggest contribution in this formation mymerging their own U.C.C.RI.factins within the new organsiation.However a mass military line has not been built in startegic areas like Bihat ahnd Andhra Pradesh and an all India level movement has not been built.A sufficient protracted campaign has not been carried defending Mao Tse Tung Thought or Maoism.The greatset contribution of this trend is adopting the correct relationship of the party with mass organsiations which are indispensable in the movement.
In the 3rd trend at one time outstanding work was done by gtoups led by Chandra Pulla Redy and Vinod Mishra)Liberation group).THe Liberation group led ahuge mass peasnt movement in Bihar and form,ed arevolutionary mass front,However it adopted an erroneus tactic of using non revolutionaty parliamentary tactics and eventually succumbed to revisionism.The same was the case with Chandra Pulla Reddy(now mainly represnted by New DEmocracy Group) who led an ouitsatnding movement in Andhra Pradesh .Eventually when Janasshkati Group was fotrmed the revisinsit trend emerged.THe Erstwhile C.P.I.M.L.)Red Flag at one time did outsatnding work in Keral and in defending Mao Tse Tuing thought but succumbed to parliamentarism after adopting open functioning which was capitulatinsit.THey did not differentiate between Mass and Part Platforms.
No organsiatin is implementing Comrade Mao's mass line completely and today within the REvolutionary Camp there are only 3 major organsiatins namey the C.P.I.(Maoist),the C.P.R.C.I.(M.L) and the C.P.I.(M.L)New DEmocracy.Other regional organsations exist like C.P.I(M.L)Naxalbari in Keral,R.C.C.I.(M.L)in Punjab and faction sof Janashkati Group.(had split into 6 organsations)Of thes e the Communist Party RE-Organisation Cenre of India(Marxist Leninist) C.P.R.C.I.(M.L)is closest in Practice to Comrdae Mao's taechings.
Theoretically regarding the Internatinal line the greatset contribution has been made by Harbhajan Sohi which refuted the 3 word theory of Deng Xiaoping and the same treand today opposes the formation of a Communist International today.In the overall mass line Tarimal Nagi Reddy made the graetset contribution.In India we hace to study te line of the 1946-51 Telengana Armed Struggle where mass protracted armed struggle was carried out and genuine peoples democratic power was formed.
There are different communist parties in India CPI, CPIM, Forward Block and so. In these CPI and CPIM are involved in the present government; they are giving the Congress government a support from outside. They are not involved in any ministry but they hold a kind of veto power. (Namesake)
Naxalites (Maoists) will rarely succeed in India at this point of time and if they do, they will be able to make a red corridor, which is stretching from Nepal to Andhra Pradesh (A state in India). There is vehement opposition against the armed struggle they are carrying out in different states. Indian national congress or congress as they are known, rule most of the states in which there is a considerable presence of Maoists. They are torched and butchered by these congress governments which rule these states. The irony is that the biggest factions of communists in India (CPI and CPIM) support the congress government at the center. Maoists in India are concentrated in states which are relatively backward in their development and social structure. They fight against the feudal lords in these places and has tight grip over many districts, but they are vulnerable and they have been attacked ruthlessly by state governments and they are classified under the “terrorist” category. Being an Indian; I don’t personally subscribe to the idea of an armed revolution intended at egalitarian system. We have a democracy which is fairly transparent and many people led agitations against the government. Now, this has to be said with a disclaimer, in states which are considerably well off in social indices democracy is transparent and in other it is opaque, in simpler terms- anarchy. Land lords and money lenders rule the roost in rural India. Utterly incoherent budget allocations (After liberalization and the IT boom) towards agriculture has forced the hinterlands of India in to utter poverty and farmers suiciding. Andhra Pradesh, where the Naxalite movement is very strong has the maximum number of farmer suicides in India, Another state Orissa – The poorest among Indian states (but the richest in terms of natural resources).
The worlds first democratically elected communist government also came in India, in a sate called Kerala. Land distribution and a welfare system that included medical and educational incentives helped this state to achieve a considerable or may be a great status in terms of social indices. Not many years before kerala had a medical system which was only next to Cuba according to UN. The communists in this state have started imitating china for the worse and many of the leaders are mired in corruption. Then there is West Bengal, Communists have been ruling this state for nearly 2 decades (no land distribution done, all the old kind of dogmas linger here)by an astute leader called Jyoti Basu. The exit of him (old age) pushed some young blood in to the helm, who are inevitably following the market socialism preached by China and the obvious is happening- land grabbing from poor farmers to set up a car plant by the TATA’s ( biggest automobile manufacturer) and so on. Kerala though rides on the foreign money that comes from the Middle East where many of its people are working seems to be riding an easy journey. But west Bengal is boiling due to unrest by farmers and the poor.
Now, fantasizing an armed revolution by the Maoists which is going to topple the Indian democratic set-up is very unlikely or it will remain as an obscure dream. Kerala for sure is not going to be a part of that struggle coz people are eased out, Bengal might be a part of such a revolution. Still, the middle class in India is growing fast relying on an IT boom, they shop and flaunt, they for sure is not going to take part in such a revolution unless and until this country is forced in to an economic recession; that will affect the middle class. The poor in India have no address, they media never address them nor do the middle class approve them. It is very unlikely that this bulky nation will go through an armed struggle.
Harsh Thakor and Clash,
thanks for your post. It's always great to hear from people inside or near the situation. Thanks to both of you for clarifying what the political situation of communist parties in India is like.
Clash,
you bring up some great points, but I think you are wrong about India being a democracy. Democracy literally means "people rule" and do you think the people rule in India where millions live in abject poverty? To paraphrase Lenin, Democracy in Capitalism will always be the same: Democracy for the slave owners. What the Naxalites and Nepalese Revolutionaries are doing is breaking the dogmatic mold and advancing towards a Communist future in the 21st century. BTW, I am linking to your blog : )