Response from a friend, on another list:Quote The State uses any excuse/opportunity to aggrandize its repressive power (a point Sukla has been emphasizing) -- it does not *necessarily* mean that, even in the state's own internal estimation, the threat to it is necessarily particularly great.
In a sense, the State *needs* the CPI(Maoist) to justify its repression/aggression .... Likewise, the Maoists *need* the State's repression to (at least psychologically) self-justify their own draconian tactics. The State and the Maoists each act as the other's enabler in this circular relationship. [Here, the best example is how Saroj Giri is out to brand Chhatradhar Mahato as a "Maoist" as much as Buddhadeb is . And the state-sponsored myth - a statistical fraud - that every fourth Indian district is under Maoist control! . Evidently, even if a corner of a district is affected the whole district is counted in. The Maoists, in turn, gloatingly lap it up and drum up as much as possible. "The Unity of the opposites"! ] What can break the circle -- in fact, the only thing that can break the circle -- is the emergence of a genuine and widespread self-emancipatory mass movement of the toilers .. Unquote Most importantly, no words here on the two fundamental fallacies. One, Lalgarh, or Nandigram, is from the most backward hinterland of India. No typical Indian village. Hence even its best experience - say from November 2008 to mid-June 2009 - has a very limited applicability. Two, how the public embrace of the Lalgarh resistance by the Maoists proved to be its kiss of death! *A seven month long massive resistance crumbled in less than seven days!* Quote It is worth recalling here a highly fanciful report carried by the Hindustan Times, the dateline being as recent as June 10 - that is still less than a month back (and yet lies in another era) - incorporating an interview with a top-notch Maoist leader operating in that area: Quote [Q:] How long can they [the Maoists] defend the area from the might of the state? [A:] “I know an action (sic) is perhaps impending,” said Koteswar Rao, or Kishnaji, the second in command of the Indian Maoists, in an exclusive interview to the Hindustan Times. “But let them try once.. It will be the last time they will eye this territory.” (Emphasis added.) Unquote [Source: < http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/Print.aspx?Id=3e7456f2-6c9e-44c1-9b35-3af9ec746d7e >] This was just before the campaign of violence launched by the Maoists sidelining the PCAPA. It started effectively on June 14. The operation of the Joint Forces commenced on June 18. The Lalgarh Police Station, the Ground Zero, reoccupied on June 20. Unquote *A seven month long massive resistance crumbled in less than seven days!* *Who's afraid of the Maoists? At least not the Indian state. It only uses it as a convenient alibi - a manufactured spectre - to crush democratic resistance.* That eminently suits both. That's how Saroj Giri and Buddhadeb both are on the same side to brand Chhatradhar Mahato as a "Maoist". "The Unity of the opposites"! *Not even a pretence of attempt to address the two fundamental fallacies underlined.* *The deafening silence is only too eloquent.* Sukla On Sat, Jul 11, 2009 at 4:02 AM, sandy bajeli <redris...@gmail.com> wrote: > > > (It seems the specter of Naxalism is haunting the ruling establishment > (from the official left to the right) to such a magnitude that they have > increased the budget of internal (their security) by unimaginable 33% , see > the article,( Lalgarh effect on security kitty, The Telelgraph). It is > perhaps the fear of an increasingly real scenario in the future when the > increasingly politicized and organized masses will rise up in total defiance > of the armed machinery of the state. For the ruling class the threat that > appears in the form of Maoists is apparently real and palpable. Today there > is one Lagarh tomorrow there could be many. So in a bid to “*force > 'ordinary villagers' to restrict their democratic struggle and practices > within the limits set by the state and its agencies, by the limits of > parliamentary democracy, the state wants to target Maoists*”(Saroj Giri) > UAPA is the name of the perfect weapon in thier hands. So anyone who > “helps”, stay in “touch” or “campaign” for the dreaded terrorist, the > Maoists might be charged for abettment of terrorism (or even liable to be > killed in a fake encounters by the outlaws in Khaki). But what is gravely > problematic is how the state will ever going to define and make a clear cut > distinction between “helping”, staying in “touch” or “campaigning” in order > to make a case against such Naxal supporters. It is so blurred and elastic > and so wide in its scope and reach that it is terrifying. In the hands of > the real and more powerful terrorist, which is the state it is becomes an > awesome weapon to put all the dissentors in the jail in the name of fighting > Naxalism. It appears that the crisis ridden ruling classes (the poor CPIM > govt. has no choice but to implement the dacronian law) has to devise newer > and deadlier ways to exterminate the virus of Maoists or any challenge to > its rule. But for how long?) > > sandy > > > > *UAPA has dangerous provisions, says CM* > > 10 Jul 2009, 0255 hrs IST, TNN > > > Print<http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/msid-4760307,prtpage-1.cms> > > > Email > > Discuss > > Share > > Save > > *Comment* > > Text: > > KOLKATA: The Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), which has been > enforced in West Bengal, has dangerous penal provisions, chief minister > > Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee admitted in the Assembly on Thursday. > > One could be arrested for helping Maoists, keeping in touch with Maoists or > campaigning for them. All these offences would attract strict punishment. > Describing UAPA as a "Government of India Act", Bhattacharjee said it had > automatically come into force in the state. But, to ensure that the Act was > not misused, the government had empowered the state home secretary to take a > call where to apply UAPA and where to apply IPC provisions. "The decision > can't be left to district and thana level officers," he said. > > The decision to delegate the responsibility to the home secretary was taken > at a meeting of the core committee of the state cabinet, where discussions > on issues of principle had taken place. > > Since the start of the Lalgarh operations, a total of 39 people had been > arrested, all of whom were Maoists, the chief minister said. Of them, 30 > were arrested in Midnapore West district, five in Bankura and four in > Purulia. Opposition members charged that political adversaries of the ruling > CPM were also being arrested as Maoists, mentioning Ranjit Saha and Raju > Bauri of Birbhum. The chief minister said the two had not been arrested as > Maoists. They had been booked under ordinary provisions of IPC, such as > murder, the Explosives Act and the Arms Act. > > In reply to questions and participating in the debate on the home > department > budget<http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Kolkata-/UAPA-has-dangerous-provisions-says-CM/articleshow/4760307.cms>, > the chief minister gave indications that he planned to pursue a hard line > against Maoists. "I have not said that socio-economic problems are the main > reasons for growth of Maoists," he said in reply to a question of a member, > though he thought these were important factors. He repeatedly referred to > Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's statement that the Maoists were the biggest > internal security threat to the country and to a recent breakfast meeting in > Delhi, where the PM had asked for details of Maoist activities in different > states. > > In Bengal, 18 police stations in about seven districts have been affected > by Maoist activities either fully or partially, the CM said. "The threat > should not be underestimated." According to him, it was more serious than > the threat posed by KLO in North Bengal. > > Policies like "Naba Disha" to resettle KLO activists would not be useful > for Maoists, Bhattacharjee felt. > > To mitigate economic problems of tribals, the government was trying to > extend irrigation facilties in areas dominated by Maoists in accordance with > an action plan prepared by IIT, Kharagpur. Cooperative societies called > Lamps were being activated and given subsidy so that they could purchase > from tribals sal and kendu leaves and babui grass ropes at remunerative > prices. > > > > <http://www.telegraphindia.com/> > > > > Top of Form > > *Lalgarh effect on security kitty* > > NISHIT DHOLABHAI > > *New Delhi, July 6: *Call it a Lalgarh budget for police. > > The Centre has announced an allocation of Rs 33,809 crore for police forces > — a 33 per cent hike from last year’s revised estimate of Rs 25,439 crore — > mainly to counter Left-wing extremism in eastern and central India. > > One lakh housing units for CRPF personnel, risk allowance on a par with the > army and over Rs 2,200 crore for securing international borders summed up > the government’s intent at a time police forces regained control of Lalgarh, > the West Midnapore “liberated zone”, from the Maoists. > > The budget also set aside Rs 100 crore solely to help Naxalite-affected > states to raise “critical infrastructure”. > > The allocation for training CRPF personnel has gone up by 50 per cent to Rs > 208 crore. > > “Not bad, this had to happen,” said a former secretary of RAW, India’s > external intelligence agency, commenting on the increased allocation for > police forces. > > If February’s interim budget more or less concentrated on hiking the > allocation for defence in the wake of 26/11, internal security was the > priority in budget 2009-10 after Lalgarh and Maoist strikes a few months ago > during the elections. > > Home minister P. Chidambaram’s recently released action plan for the first > 100 days also concentrates on anti-Naxalite operations. The ministry, > sources said, hopes to reap dividends over the next 10-odd months as > infrastructure comes up and additional state and central forces are trained > in anti-Naxalite operations. > > In states, including Bengal, paramilitary forces have suffered from poor > infrastructure. The housing units, sources said, are expected to boost > morale and help performance. > > Chidambaram hailed the budget as one “prepared with great skill and wisdom” > though the former finance minister hardly commented on the allocation for > his own ministry. > > But sources said the budget’s overall objective of “inclusive” growth, > increased allocation for the flagship rural job-guarantee scheme NREGA and > better housing for the rural poor would help the security forces in > Naxalite-infested areas. > > Bottom of Form > > > > Here, Saroj Giri takes recourse to two major fallacies, or tricks – in > plain language. > > I. > It (implicitly) presents the "Lalgarh model" (of radicalisation) as > universally desirable/applicable (perhaps at least subliminally following > the Lin Biao thesis of "encircle the cities with villages"?). > Deliberately overlooking that Lalgarh is too backward and too little > integrated making the strategy of "liberated zone", of course, only in a > limited sense, applicable. (That was also the difference between Singur and > Nandigram. Singur, in no way could have had cut itself off and barricaded > in.) > Let alone constantly expanding towns and cities, Lalgarh, or for that > matter even Nandigram, is not a typical Indian village. A typical Indian > village transacts with the world outside in a number of ways on day to day > basis for its survival and upkeep. > > II. > He tries to make us overlook and forget that June 14, or thereabout, > constitutes a watershed - a sharp dividing line - in the "history" of the > mass resistance that had started in last November: > It is on June 14 last, Lalgarh transcends Nandigram and becomes “Lalgarh” > that Saoj Giri is talking of and so gaga about (despite the very obvious > disaster). From Chhatradhar Mahato, it transits to Koteshwar Rao. > > Most illustrative is his logical acrobatics to show that Chhatradhar Mahato > is a Maoist, albeit under cover. > It again, typically, conceals three things. > One, Chhatradhar Mahato was associated with the Trainammol Congress, in the > recent past. > Two, even in April-May, the PCAPA actively negotiated with the state > administration in getting election booths installed just outside the limits > of the “liberated zone” to ensure voting by the villagers while the Maoists > were going (literally) full blast with their election boycott campaign. > And lastly and most importantly, the PCAPA never claimed they had tried to > kill the Chief Minister, it never declared that it aims to wrest the state > power, it had never resorted to the type of violence that the Maoists > subsequently resorted to since June 14. > In branding Chhatradhar Mahato as “Maoist”, Saroj Giri stands shoulder to > shoulder with Buddhadeb Bhattacharya. > > What, however, is of essence here is that the popular resistance, triggered > by police brutalities in the wake of mine blast aimed at the state Chief > Minister and a Union Minister, which had held for long seven months since > November last crashed in less than seven days after the Maoists came > overground, (fraudulently) claimed the authorship of the resistance (just > about a month or two back, the PCAPR was busy negotiating setting up of > election booths just outside thebarricaded territory to ensure maximum > voting without allowing the administration in while the Maoists were going > full blast (rather literally) with the election boycott campaign), proudly > asserted (Bikash and Koteshwar Rao) before the TV cameras - with rifle slung > on the back for good effect - that they had tried to kill the Chief Minister > and do it again, and, to top it all, went on a violent spree including gory > murders. > > The corpse of a slain adivasi youth, an agricultural worker, belonging to > the CPI(M) - Salku Soren - was made to rot in the open for days as an > example for others to see. > > The formidable moral ballast that had come up in the wake of Nandigram - > caused by strong popular revulsion at the state-cum-ruling party brutalities > - immobilsing the coercive apparatus of the state stood tragically > demolished. > > This becomes even more striking in the context of the bluff and braggadocio > of Koteshwar Rao: > > It is worth recalling here a highly fanciful report carried by the > Hindustan Times, the dateline being as recent as June 10 - that is still > less than a month back (and yet lies in another era) - incorporating an > interview with a top-notch Maoist leader operating in that area: > Quote > [Q:] How long can they [the Maoists] defend the area from the might of the > state? > > [A:] “I know an action (sic) is perhaps impending,” said Koteswar Rao, or > Kishnaji, the second in command of the Indian Maoists, in an exclusive > interview to the Hindustan Times. “But let them try once.. It will be the > last time they will eye this territory.” (Emphasis added.) > Unquote > [Source: < > http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/Print.aspx?Id=3e7456f2-6c9e-44c1-9b35-3af9ec746d7e > >] > > This was just before the campaign of violence launched by the Maoists > sidelining the PCAPA. It started effectively on June 14. The operation of > the Joint Forces commenced on June 18. The Lalgarh Police Station, the > Ground Zero, reoccupied on June 20. Without any reported loss of life on > either side.. The Operation continues. No loss of life reported as yet. > Reports of police barbarities of course galore. > > The Maoist embrace of Lalgarh resistance has truly and clearly proved to be > its proverbial kiss of death. > No amount of logical fallacy or acrobatics can hide that. > > Sukla > --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Green Youth Movement" group. 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