Communist Party of India (Maoist)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Communist Party of India (Maoist)
AbbreviationCPI (Maoist)
General SecretaryNambala Keshava Rao
Founded21 September 2004
Banned22 June 2009
Merger of • Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) People's War
 • Maoist Communist Centre of India
 • Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) Naxalbari
Student wing • All India Revolutionary Students Federation
 • Radical Students Union
Youth wingRadical Youth League
Women's wingKrantikari Adivasi Mahila Sangathan
Paramilitary wings • People's Liberation Guerrilla Army: 9,000–10,000 (September 2013)
 • People's Militia (armed with bows, arrows and machetes): 38,000
Trade union wingSingareni Karmika Samakya
Cultural organisationChetna Natya Manch
Ideology
Political positionFar-left
Colours  Red
Motives
Active region(s)India
(mainly in Red Corridor)
Status
Annual revenue and means of revenueRs. 140 – 250 crores[5]
 • Abductions, extortions of landowners and companies[6][7][8]
Party flag

The Communist Party of India (Maoist) is a Marxist–Leninist–Maoist[9][10] banned communist political party and militant organization[11] in India which aims to overthrow the "semi-colonial and semi-feudal Indian state" through protracted people's war. It was founded on 21 September 2004, through the merger of the Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) People's War (People's War Group) and the Maoist Communist Centre of India (MCCI). The party has been designated as a terrorist organisation in India under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act since 2009.[12][13][14]

In 2006, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh referred to the Maoists as "the single biggest internal security challenge" for India,[6][15] and said that the "deprived and alienated sections of the population" form the backbone of the Maoist movement in India.[16] The government officials have declared that, in 2013, 76 districts in the country were affected by "left wing extremism", with another 106 districts in ideological influence.[17] In 2020, the activities of the party began to increase again in Telangana and other areas.[18] Chhattishgarh is often affected by the party's militant activities.

History[edit]

The Communist Party of India (Maoist) was founded on 21 September 2004, through the merger of the Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) People's War (People's War Group), and the Maoist Communist Centre of India (MCCI). The merger was announced on 14 October the same year. In the merger a provisional central committee was constituted, with the erstwhile People's War Group leader Muppala Lakshmana Rao, alias "Ganapathi", as general secretary.[19] Further, on May Day 2014, the Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) Naxalbari merged into the CPI (Maoist).[20]

Ideology[edit]

The CPI (Maoist) observes that the Indian state is being "run by a collaboration of imperialists, the comprador bourgeoisie and feudal lords."[21] According to the South Asia Terrorism Portal, the two factions of the Party adhered to differing strands of communism prior to their 2004 merger, although "both organizations shared their belief in the 'annihilation of class enemies' and in extreme violence as a means to secure organizational goals." The People's War Group (PWG) maintained a Marxist–Leninist stance, while the Maoist Communist Centre of India (MCCI) took a Maoist stance. After the merger, the PWG secretary of Andhra Pradesh announced that the newly formed CPI-Maoist would follow Marxism–Leninism–Maoism as its "ideological basis guiding its thinking in all spheres of its activities." Included in this ideology is a commitment to "protracted armed struggle" to undermine and to seize power from the state.[19] On May Day 2014, Ganapathy and Ajith (Secretary of the CPI (ML) Naxalbari) also issued a joint statement stating that "the unified party would [continue to] take Marxism-Leninism-Maoism as its guiding ideology."[20]

The ideology of the party is contained in a "Party Programme." In the document, the Maoists denounce globalisation as a war on the people by market fundamentalists and the caste system as a form of social oppression.[22] The CPI (Maoist) claim that they are conducting a "people's war", a strategic approach developed by Mao Zedong during the guerrilla warfare phase of the Chinese Communist Party. Their eventual objective is to install a "people's government" via a New Democratic Revolution.[22]

Location and prominence[edit]

CPI(Maoist) currently operates in the forest belt around central India in the states of Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Odisha. It is present even in remote regions of Jharkhand and Andhra Pradesh, as well as in Bihar and the tribal-dominated areas in the borderlands of Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, West Bengal, and Odisha. The CPI (Maoist) aims to consolidate its power in this area and establish a Compact Revolutionary Zone from which to advance the people's war in other parts of India.[19] A 2005 Frontline cover story called the Bhamragad Taluka, where the Madia Gond Adivasis live, the heart of the Maoist-affected region in Maharashtra.[23] Recently, the Indian government has claimed that in 2013, Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Gujarat, Haryana, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal experienced [ideological] "influence" of "Left Wing Extremism"; while claiming that armed activity by the "Left Wing" extremists was noticed in Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Odisha and West Bengal.[17]

Organisation[edit]

The current General Secretary of CPI (Maoist) is Nambala Keshava Rao alias Basavaraj.[24] He was appointed after Muppala Lakshmana Rao, who uses the alias "Ganapathy".[25] The party hierarchy consists of the Regional Bureaus, which look after two or three states each, the State Committees, the Zonal Committees, the District Committees, and the "dalams" (armed squads).[26] Communist writer Jan Myrdal noted that the CPI (Maoist) also organises events like "The Leadership Training Programme" to endure the forces of the state.[27]

Politburo[edit]

As per the communist party policies the highest decision making body of the CPI (Maoist) is the Politburo, with thirteen or fourteen members, six of whom were killed or arrested between 2007 and 2010.[28] Prashant Bose alias "Kishan-da" and Katakam Sudarshan alias Anand,[29] are the two most prominent Politburo members of CPI (Maoist). B. Sudhakar alias "Kiran" is another Politburo member of CPI (Maoist).[30] Shamsher Singh Sheri alias Karam Singh, who died of Cerebral Malaria-Jaundice on 30 October 2005, was also the party's Politburo member.[31] Between 2005 and 2011, the State captured several Politburo members of the party, which includes – Sushil Roy alias Som, Narayan Sanyal alias N. Prasad, Pramod Mishra, Amitabh Bagchi, Baccha Prasad Singh, Anukul Chandra Naskar[32] and Akhilesh Yadav.[33] Ashutosh Tudu[28] and Anuj Thakur[34] are another two of the arrested Politburo members of the party. Arvind Ji alias Deo Kumar Singh, a politburo member died in heart attack on 21, March 2018.[35] Among those killed, Cherukuri Rajkumar alias "Azad"[36][37][38] and Mallojula Koteswara Rao alias "Kishenji",[38][39] were two past members of the CPI (Maoist)'s Politburo. Politburo member Akkiraju Haragopal alias Ramkrishna died in October 2021 due to illness.[40]

Central Committee[edit]

The Central Committee of the CPI (Maoist) takes command from the Politburo and passes on the information to its members, and has 32 members. During an interview in 2010, Anand told media personnels that out of the 45 members of the Central Committee of CPI (Maoist), 8 has been arrested and 22 has been killed by the agencies of the Indian government.[41] Anuradha Ghandy, who died on 12 April 2008, was an eminent member of CPI (Maoist)'s Central Committee.[42] Kadari Satyanarayan Reddy alias "Kosa", Thippiri Tirupathi alias "Devuji", Malla Raji Reddy[43] and Mallujola Venugopal alias "Bhupati" are another three cadres and Central Committee members of the party.[44] Madvi Hidma is the youngest Central Committee member of the party. As of 22 September 2011, nine of the Central Committee members were jailed, which includes – Moti Lal Soren, Vishnu, Varanasi Subramanyam, Shobha, Misir Besra, Jhantu Mukherjee, Vijay Kumar Arya.[33][45] One more Central Committee member, Ravi Sharma, was also captured later.[46] Ginugu Narsimha Reddy alias Jampanna surrendered to police in December 2017.[47] Varkapur Chandramouli,[38] Patel Sudhakar Reddy,[38] Narmada Akka,[30] and Milind Teltumbde who were killed by armed forces. Another Central Committee member Haribhushan died due to Covid. Another CC member B.G. Krishnamoorthy alias BGK, Vijay was arrested in 2021 November along with another PLGA Savithri by Kerala ATS.[48]

Publication division[edit]

The CPI (Maoist) has a "publication division". Besides volunteering as a Politburo member of the party, B. Sudhakar alias "Kiran" also works for its publication division.[30]

Military Commissions[edit]

The Central Military Commission (CMC) is the main armed body of the CPI (Maoist), and it is constructed by its Central Committee. In addition to the CMC, the party has also raised state military commissions.[49]: 105, 106  The CMC is headed by Nambala Keshava Rao alias Basavaraj.[50] Anand[51] and Arvind Ji[52] are another two members of the organisation's CMC. Anuj Thakur is an arrested member of the CMC of the party.[34] Kishenji[53] and Chandramouli[38] were also the members of the CPI (Maoist)'s CMC.

Technical Committee[edit]

Central Technical Committee (CTC) is given the responsibility of fabricating weapons and explosives. The Technical Committee consists of few selected members having special knowledge on science and research and works under the direct supervision of the Central Military Commission (CMC) of the Party. Sadanala Ramakrishna, a senior Maoist leader was the Secretary of the Committee who was arrested in February 2012 in Kolkata.[54][55]

Estimated strength[edit]

The military wings of the founding organisations, the People's Liberation Guerrilla Army (the military wing of the MCCI) and the People's Guerrilla Army (the military wing of the PWG), also underwent a merger. The name of the unified military organisation is the People's Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA), and it is grouped into three sections — the Basic, the Secondary and the Main squad.[19] All the PLGA members are volunteers and they do not receive any wages.[56] During his stay in the guerrilla zones, Jan Myrdal noted that the female cadres of CPI (Maoist) constituted about 40% of its PLGA, and held numerous "command positions";[57] but currently, the female members comprises 60% of the Maoist cadres,[58] and women commanders heads 20 of the 27 divisions of the guerrilla zones.[59]

P.V. Ramana, of the Observer Research Foundation in Delhi, estimates the Naxilities' current strength at 9,000–10,000 armed fighters, with access to about 6,500 firearms.[60] The analyses, as of September 2013, suggested that the estimated number of PLGA members has decreased from 10,000 − 12,000[58] to 8,000 − 9,000.[61] But, Gautam Navlakha has suggested that the PLGA has strengthened over the past few years, and has mustered 12 companies and over 25 platoons and a supply platoon in 2013 as compared to 8 companies and 13 platoons of 2008.[59] The People's Militia which is armed with bows, arrows, and machetes is and is believed to logistically assist the PLGA is estimated to be around 38,000.[62]

Medical units[edit]

The Maoists had structured "medical units" in the villages of Bastar,[63] and the CPI (Maoist) operates "mobile medical units."[49]: 101  Rahul Pandita writes:

"In the field of health as well, the Maoists often fill in large gaps left by the state. Their mobile medical units cover large distances to offer primary health care to tribals.... Various training camps are held regularly on preventive measures against diseases such as diarrhoea or malaria. The grass-root doctors in the medical squads can administer vaccines, identify a number of diseases through symptoms, and treat injuries that are not severe. Some can even conduct simple blood tests to arrive at a diagnosis. This is a significant advantage in such areas."[49]: 101–102 

Furthermore, the CPI (Maoist)'s medical services squads also move from village to village and provides "basic medical training" to selected young tribal people which enables them to identify frequently occurring diseases through their presages so that they can also distribute vaccines to the patients.[49]: 102 

Frontal organisations[edit]

The frontal organisations of the party include the Radical Youth League, Rythu Coolie Sangham, Radical Students Union, Singareni Karmika Samakya, Viplava Karmika Samakhya, Porattam Kerala, Ayyankali pada Kerala, Njattuvela Kerala and All India Revolutionary Students Federation,[64] Krantikari Adivasi Mahila Sangathan,[56] and Chetna Natya Manch.[65]

Strategy[edit]

Governance tactics[edit]

The "organising principles" of the Maoists are sketched out from the Chinese Communist Revolution and the Vietnam War. The CPI (Maoist) has organised Dandakaranya into ten divisions, each comprising three area committees; and every Area Committee is composed of several Janatana Sarkars (people's governments). The party says that a Janatana Sarkar is established by the election procedure involving a group of villages, and has nine departments — agriculture, trade and industry, economic, justice, defence, health, public relations, education and culture, and jungle.[66] The Janatana Sarkar provides education up to primary level in the subjects of mathematics, social science, politics, and Hindi, in the "camp schools" using the textbooks published by the party in Gondi. They also use DVDs to educate the children in the streams of science and history.[67]

In their efforts to intimidate their political adversaries and consolidate control, the Maoists tax local villagers, extort businesses, abduct and kill "class enemies" such as government officials and police officers, and regulate the flow of aid and goods.[6] To help fill their ranks, the Maoists force each family under their domain to supply one family member, and threaten those who resist with violence.[68]

The organisation has been holding "Public Courts", which have been described as kangaroo courts,[69][70] against their opponents. These "courts" function in the areas under de facto Maoist control.[71] The Maoists have also taken care to demolish government institutions under their de facto jurisdiction.[72] They have also demolished railroad tracks and school buildings that are often used as temporary camps by security forces.[73]

Military strategies and tactics[edit]

The CPI (Maoist) rejects "engagement" with what it terms as the "prevailing bourgeois democracy" and focuses on capturing political power through protracted armed struggle based on guerrilla warfare.[74] This strategy entails building up bases in rural and remote areas and transforming them first into guerrilla zones, and then into "liberated zones", in addition to encircling cities.[19]

The military hardware used by Maoists, as indicated through a number of seizures, include RDX cable wires, gelignite sticks, detonators, country-made weapons, INSAS rifles, AK-47s, SLRs, and improvised explosive devices.[75] The Maoists condemn the accusations that they manage arms through China, Myanmar and Bangladesh.[76] On the subject, Ganapathy says, "Our weapons are mainly country-made. All the modern weapons we have are mainly seized from the government armed forces when we attack them."[76]

The CPI (Maoist)'s General Secretary says that they keep on appealing to the "lower-level personnel" in the paramilitary and police forces not to attack them, but rather "join hands with the masses" and "consciously" point their guns towards whom the Maoists view as "real enemies." They further claims that "only when the government forces come to attack us [Maoists] carrying guns do we attack them in self-defence."[49]: 48–49  In Jharkhand, the police have also seized posters from various places which read, "Policemen keep away from the green hunt and try to be friends of poor. Police jawan, do not obey orders of the senior officials, instead join the people's army."[77]

Funding[edit]

Some sources claim that the funding for the Maoists comes from abductions, extortion and by setting up unofficial administrations to collect taxes in rural areas where official government appears absent.[6][7][8] Poppy cultivation is another suspected source of funding for Maoists in the Ghagra area of Gumla district in Jharkhand and in parts of Gumla, Kishanganj and Purnia districts in Bihar where security forces claim that opium fields are hidden among maize crops.[8] Reports from Debagarh district in Odisha indicate that the Maoists also support hemp cultivation to help fund their activities.[8]

Legal status[edit]

The party is regarded as a "left-wing extremist entity" and a terrorist outfit by the Indian government. Several of their members have been arrested under the now-defunct Prevention of Terrorist Activities Act.[19][78] The group is officially banned by the state governments of Odisha,[79] Chhattisgarh, and Andhra Pradesh, among others. The party has protested these bans.[80] The Indian government, led by the United Progressive Alliance, banned the CPI (Maoist) under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) as a terrorist organisation[81] on 22 June 2009. On 22 June 2009, the central home ministry, keeping in mind the growing unlawful activities by the group, banned it under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).[82] Earlier, the union home minister, P. Chidambaram had asked the West Bengal Chief Minister, Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, to ban the Maoists following the Lalgarh Violence.[83] Maoist Communist Centre (MCC) and all its formations and front organisations have been banned by the Government of India.[84]

Controversies[edit]

Opposition[edit]

The Party is regarded as a serious security threat by the Indian government.[85] It says it will combine improved policing with socio-economic measures to defuse grievances that fuel the Maoist cause.[68] In 2005, Chhattisgarh State sponsored an anti-Maoist movement called the Salwa Judum. The group, which the BBC alleges is "government backed",[86] an allegation rejected by the Indian government[87][88] has come under criticism for "perpetrating atrocities and abuse against women",[89] using child soldiers,[71] burning people alive,[90] and the looting of property and destruction of homes.[91] These allegations were rejected by a fact-finding commission of the National Human Rights Commission of India, appointed by the Supreme Court of India, who determined that the Salwa Judum was a spontaneous reaction by tribes against Maoist atrocities perpetrated against them.[92][93] The camps are guarded by police officers, paramilitary forces and child soldiers[68][71] empowered with the official title "special police officer" (SPO).[71][94] However, on 5 July 2011, the Supreme Court of India declared the Salwa Judum as illegal and unconstitutional. The court directed the Chhattisgarh government to recover all the firearms given to the militia along with the ammunition and accessories. It also ordered the government to investigate all instances of alleged criminal activities of Salwa Judum.[95] But, the state government did not abide by the Supreme Court's decision. In August 2013, the Supreme Court of India asked the state government to explain that "why its failure to execute the July 2011 order of disbanding the SPOs not considered as contempt of court.".[96] In March 2019, a municipal school teacher, Yogendra Meshram was killed by the Maoists in Korchi, which was vehemently protested by locals. The Maoist leadership later apologized for the killing stating it to be a mistake and that Meshram was innocent wrongly suspected to be a police informer.[97]

International connections[edit]

The CPI (Maoist) maintains dialogue with the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre) who control most of Nepal in the Coordination Committee of Maoist Parties and Organisations of South Asia (CCOMPOSA), according to several intelligence sources and think tanks.[19] These links are, however, denied by the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist-Centre)[98]

While under detention in June 2009, a suspected Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) operative indicated that the LeT and the CPI (Maoist) had attempted to co-ordinate activities in Jharkhand state.[99] But, Ganapathy has denied any links between CPI (Maoist) and LeT, stating that the allegations are "only mischievous, calculated propaganda by the police officials, bureaucrats and leaders of the reactionary political parties" to malign the Maoists' image with the aim of labeling them as terrorists in order to justify "their brutal terror campaign against Maoists and the people in the areas of armed agrarian struggle."[25] Kishenji also criticised LeT for having "wrong" and "anti-people" policies; though he said that the Maoists may consider backing up a few of their demands, if LeT will halt its "terrorist acts".[100]

Reports in 2010 indicate that the Communist Party of the Philippines, Southeast Asia's longest-lived communist insurgent group, has been reported to have engaged in training activities for guerrilla warfare with Indian Maoists.[101]

The Indian Maoists deny operational links with foreign groups, such as the Nepalese Maoists, but do claim comradeship.[102] Some members of the Indian government accept this,[103] while others argue that operational links do exist, with training coming from Sri-Lankan Maoists and small arms from China.[104] China denies any suggestion that it supports foreign Maoist rebels, citing improvements in relations between India and China, including movement towards resolving their border disputes. Maoists in Nepal, India, and the Philippines are less reticent about their shared goals.[105]

Indian Government's paramilitary offensive against the CPI (Maoist)[edit]

In September 2009, an all-out offensive was launched by the Government of India's paramilitary forces and the state's police forces against the CPI (Maoist) is termed by the Indian media as the "Operation Green Hunt".[106]

On 3 January 2013, government issued a statement that it is deploying 10,000 more central paramilitary personnel in Bastar, Odisha and some parts of Jharkhand.[107] On 8 June 2014, the Minister of Home Affairs officially approved the deployment of another 10,000 troops from the paramilitary forces to fight against the Maoists in Chhattisgarh.[108] The count of personnel from State Armed Police Forces involved in counter-Maoism operations in the Red corridor is estimated to number around 200,000.[61] Along with firearms, the armed forces' personnel use satellite phones, unmanned aerial vehicles and Air Force helicopters.[61]

In 2011, the Indian Army while denying its direct role in the offensive operations accepted that it has been training the paramilitary personnel to fight against the Maoists, however, the Maoists have objected to the Army's stationing in the Red corridor.[109] On 30 May 2013, the Indian Air Force's Air Chief Marshal declared that apart from the currently operating MI-17 helicopters, the Indian Force has decided to induce a unit of MI-17V5 helicopters to "provide full support to anti-Naxal operations."[110] In August 2014, the Ministry of Home Affairs had stated that 2,000 personnel from the Nagaland's Indian Reserve Battalions (IRB) were deployed in counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism operations against the Maoists in Bastar.[111]

Since the start of the operation: 2,266 Maoist militants have been killed, 10,181 have been arrested and 9,714 have surrendered.[112]

Notable attacks[edit]

  • On 12 June 2009, at least 29 members of the Indian Police were killed[113][114] in an ambush attack by Maoist rebels in Rajnandgaon, 90 km (56 mi) from Raipur (India's Chhattisgarh state).[115]
  • On 15 February 2010, several of the guerrilla commanders of CPI (Maoist), all of whom are believed to be female, killed 24 personnel of the Eastern Frontier Rifles at Silda in West Bengal.[49]: 97–98  The attack was directed by Kishenji,[116] and after the Maoist raid at the paramilitary camp, Kishenji addressed the news media saying, "We have not started it (violence) and we will not stop it first. Let us see whether the central government is honest about a solution and we will definitely co–operate.... This is the answer to Chidambaram's 'Operation Green Hunt' and unless the Centre stop this inhuman military operation, we are going to answer the Centre this way only."[117]
  • On 6 April 2010, the Maoists ambushed and killed 76 paramilitary personnel who fell into a trap laid by the lurking Maoists. The CPI (Maoist) described the incident as a "direct consequence" of the Operation Green Hunt stating that "We have been surrounded by paramilitary battalions. They are setting fire to the forests and making adivasis (tribals) flee. In this situation, we have no other alternative (but to stage attacks)."[118]
  • On 25 May 2013, the CPI (Maoist) ambushed a convoy of the Indian National Congress at Bastar, and killed 27 people including Mahendra Karma, Nand Kumar Patel and Vidya Charan Shukla.[119] While regretting the death of a few "innocent Congress [INC] functionaries" during the incident, they hold the Bharatiya Janata Party and Indian National Congress' policies which they view as "anti-people" in nature, as directly responsible for the attack.[120] Later, 14 Maoist who had allegedly participated in the ambush[121] were gunned down in Odisha by the Special Operation Group with the assistance of Border Security Force.[122]
  • On 3 April 2021, twenty-two soldiers were killed in a Maoist ambush on the border of Bijapur and Sukma districts in southern Chhattisgarh. Those killed included 14 Chhattisgarh policemen and seven jawans of the CRPF, including six members of its elite CoBRA unit, specially trained to take on Maoist guerillas.[123]
  • On 4 January 2022, CPI (Maoist) attacked former BJP MLA of Manoharpur Gurucharan Nayak in West Singhbhum district of Jharkhand. Nayak escaped but the Maoists slit the throat of his two bodyguards, snatched their AK-47 rifles and fled. The two bodyguards died in the incident.[124]
  • On 16 January, 2024, guerrillas in Bijapur district attacked the Central Reserve Police Force camp in a three-hour raid. As many as 35 police officers were killed and more than 40 people were seriously injured. This is another unprecedented large-scale attack since 2010.[125]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Myrdal, Jan (5 May 2014). "Appendix–III". Red Star Over India: As the Wretched of the Earth are Rising: Impressions, Reflections, and Preliminary Inferences. Kolkata: Archana Das and Subrata Das on behalf of Setu Prakashani. pp. 183–184. ISBN 978-93-80677-20-0. OCLC 858528997. The Dandakaranya Janathana Circars of today are the basis for the Indian People's Democratic Federal Republic of tomorrow.... In any social revolution, including the Indian New Democratic Revolution, the most crucial, central and main question is that of (state) power. Our party is striving to establish area wise power by mobilising people politically into the protracted people's war, building the people's army (in the form of guerrilla army) and destroying the state machinery of the enemy–ruling classes. It is a part of this revolutionary process that it is establishing Janathana Sarkars in Dandakaranya.
  2. ^ Myrdal, Jan (5 May 2014). "Appendix–III". Red Star Over India: As the Wretched of the Earth are Rising: Impressions, Reflections, and Preliminary Inferences. Kolkata: Archana Das and Subrata Das on behalf of Setu Prakashani. pp. 183–184. ISBN 978-93-80677-20-0. OCLC 858528997. The Dandakaranya Janathana Circars of today are the basis for the Indian People's Democratic Federal Republic of tomorrow.... In any social revolution, including the Indian New Democratic Revolution, the most crucial, central and main question is that of (state) power. Our party is striving to establish area wise power by mobilising people politically into the protracted people's war, building the people's army (in the form of guerrilla army) and destroying the state machinery of the enemy–ruling classes. It is a part of this revolutionary process that it is establishing Janathana Sarkars in Dandakaranya.
  3. ^ Myrdal, Jan (5 May 2014). "Appendix–III". Red Star Over India: As the Wretched of the Earth are Rising: Impressions, Reflections, and Preliminary Inferences. Kolkata: Archana Das and Subrata Das on behalf of Setu Prakashani. pp. 183–184. ISBN 978-93-80677-20-0. OCLC 858528997. The Dandakaranya Janathana Circars of today are the basis for the Indian People's Democratic Federal Republic of tomorrow.... In any social revolution, including the Indian New Democratic Revolution, the most crucial, central and main question is that of (state) power. Our party is striving to establish area wise power by mobilising people politically into the protracted people's war, building the people's army (in the form of guerrilla army) and destroying the state machinery of the enemy–ruling classes. It is a part of this revolutionary process that it is establishing Janathana Sarkars in Dandakaranya.
  4. ^ "CPI (Maoist) included in list of terrorist organizations to avoid any ambiguity". Press Information Bureau.
  5. ^ Tikku, Aloke (20 July 2013). "Maoists raise Rs. 140–250 crore a year through extortion, protection rackets". Hindustan Times. Archived from the original on 20 July 2013. Retrieved 10 November 2013.
  6. ^ a b c d Robinson, Simon (29 May 2008). "India's Secret War". Time. Archived from the original on 2 June 2008.
  7. ^ a b Zissis, Carin (27 November 2008). "Backgrounder: Terror Groups in India". Council on Foreign Relations. Archived from the original on 9 February 2010. Retrieved 29 January 2010.
  8. ^ a b c d Srivastava, Devyani (2009). "Terrorism & Armed Violence in India" (PDF). IPCS Special Report. 71. Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies: 7–11. Archived from the original on 26 July 2011. Retrieved 22 March 2023.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  9. ^ Deepak Kapoor (2009). South Asia Defence And Strategic Year Book. Pentagon Press. pp. 62–63. ISBN 978-81-8274-399-1.
  10. ^ Dahat, Pavan (10 September 2017). "CPI (Maoist) commander Hidma promoted to Central Committee". The Hindu. Retrieved 27 April 2019.
  11. ^ (Marxist), Communist Party of India (October–December 2005). "Maoism: An Exercise in Anarchism". cpim.org.
  12. ^ "Maoists fourth deadliest terror outfit after Taliban, IS, Boko Haram: Report". The Times of India. 16 September 2016.
  13. ^ "Most terrorists in India are Hindus, the ones whom we have conveniently labelled 'Maoist' instead of 'Hindu'". 4 April 2015.
  14. ^ "Most extremists in India are not Muslim – they are Hindu". 6 April 2015.
  15. ^ "India's Naxalite Rebellion: The red heart of India". The Economist. London. 5 November 2009. Retrieved 30 January 2010.
  16. ^ Lancaster, John (13 May 2006). "India's Ragtag Band of Maoists Takes Root Among Rural Poor". Washington Post Foreign Service. Retrieved 30 August 2013.
  17. ^ a b "India: Maoist Conflict Map 2014". New Delhi: SATP. 2014. Retrieved 26 October 2014.
  18. ^ "The return of the Maoists in Telangana". The Hindu. London. 8 August 2020. Retrieved 31 August 2020.
  19. ^ a b c d e f g "Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist)". South Asia Terrorism Portal. Institute for Conflict Management. Retrieved 19 January 2010.
  20. ^ a b "CPI(ML) Naxalbari, CPI(Maoist) merge". The Hindu. The Hindu. 1 May 2014. Retrieved 3 May 2014.
  21. ^ Bhattacharya, Snigdhendu (19 September 2013). "Several leaders in jail, Ganapathy had to address his fighting men". Hindustan Times. Kolkata. Archived from the original on 19 September 2013. Retrieved 15 March 2014.
  22. ^ a b Anand, Vinod (2009). "Naxalite ideology, strategy and tactics" (PDF). Studies & Comments 9 – Security in South Asia: Conventional and Unconventional Factors of Destabilization. 9. Munich: Hanns Seidel Foundation: 19–32. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 May 2012. Retrieved 19 January 2010.
  23. ^ Guerilla zone Archived 21 February 2009 at the Wayback Machine, Frontline, 22(21), 8–21 October 2005 DIONNE BUNSHA in Gadchiroli
  24. ^ "CPI (Maoist) gets a new leader". indiatoday.in. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
  25. ^ a b Pandita, Rahul (17 October 2009). ""We Shall Certainly Defeat the Government" — Somewhere in the impregnable jungles of Dandakaranya, the supreme commander of CPI (Maoist) spoke to Open on issues ranging from the Government's proposed anti-Maoist offensive to Islamist Jihadist movements". Dandakaranya: OPEN. Retrieved 1 June 2013.
  26. ^ Mohan, Vishwa (7 April 2010). "A band of eight that calls the shots". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 27 January 2013. Retrieved 7 April 2010.
  27. ^ Myrdal, Jan (5 May 2014). "The Negative Possibility". Red Star Over India: As the Wretched of the Earth are Rising: Impressions, Reflections, and Preliminary Inferences. Kolkata: Archana Das and Subrata Das on behalf of Setu Prakashani. p. 138. ISBN 978-93-80677-20-0. OCLC 858528997. Yes, that The Iron Heel will use its murderous might in India to trample down any threat to its power as it has in so many other countries these last centuries is clear. Of-course, I hope that the Communist Party of India (Maoist) will be able to survive this onslaught. The statements of the General Secretary and what I read in texts such as, The Leadership Training Programme gave me some hope.
  28. ^ a b Das, Ashok; Bhattacharya, Snigdhendu (21 March 2010). "Will take revenge if Azad is harmed". Hindustan Times. Archived from the original on 31 October 2013. Retrieved 8 April 2010.
  29. ^ Bhattacharya, Ravik (23 November 2012). "Hardline strategist to replace Kishenji". Hindustan Times. Kolkata. Archived from the original on 24 November 2012. Retrieved 31 May 2013.
  30. ^ a b c Maitra, Pradip Kumar (27 December 2012). "Woman naxal leader killed in Gadchiroli". Hindustan Times. Archived from the original on 1 January 2013. Retrieved 31 May 2013.
  31. ^ "2005-12-15 – document – CPN-M". Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. 15 December 2005. Retrieved 29 August 2013. Comrade Shamsher Singh Sheri, alias comrade Sher Shing Sheri, alias com. K.S., a Central Committee and Polit Bureau member of Communist Party of India (Maoist), has passed away from us by dangerous diseases Cerebral Malaria-Jaundice. He attained martyrdom on Oct.30, 2005. It is not only a great loss of CPI (Maoist) but also a great loss of the whole proletarian's revolution. The untimely demise of comrade Karam Singh has caused a serious loss to the ongoing revolutionary struggles in India and the world as well.
  32. ^ "Police arrest Maoist politburo member in Assam". Firstpost. 10 May 2013. Retrieved 29 July 2019.
  33. ^ a b Jain, Bharti (22 September 2011). "Ganapathy, Kishanji on top of government's most-wanted Maoists list". The Economic Times. New Delhi. Retrieved 1 June 2013.
  34. ^ a b Mishra, Alok K. N. (29 May 2013). "Maoist politburo member arrested, girlfriend flees". The Times of India. Ranchi: The Times Group. Retrieved 22 August 2013.
  35. ^ "Jharkhand's top Maoist commander Arvindji died of heart attack: Police". hindustantimes.com. 21 March 2018. Retrieved 9 April 2018.
  36. ^ Kumar, G. Arun; Paithari, Raghu (3 July 2010). "Maoist No. 3 Azad killed in Andhra". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 29 October 2013. Retrieved 26 October 2013.
  37. ^ "Azad's killing: Some unanswered questions". Rediff. Retrieved 31 May 2013.
  38. ^ a b c d e Bernard D'Mello (3 December 2011), Indian 'Republic Killing Its Own Children' – Kishenji Fought for a Better World, Monthly Review Foundation, retrieved 12 April 2014
  39. ^ "Thousands bid farewell to Kishenji". The Hindu. Peddapalli: The Hindu Group. 28 November 2011. Retrieved 12 June 2013.
  40. ^ Ramu, Marri (15 October 2021). "Maoists' Central Committee confirms Ramakrishna's death". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 26 October 2021.
  41. ^ Radhakrishna, G. S. (7 April 2010). "Portrait of 'mastermind'". The Telegraph. Kolkata. Archived from the original on 17 June 2013. Retrieved 31 May 2013.
  42. ^ Pandita, Rahul (26 September 2009). "The Rebel – She was born into privilege and could easily have chosen the easy life. But Anuradha Ghandy chose guns over roses to fight for the dispossessed". OPEN. Retrieved 31 May 2013.
  43. ^ "Maoist leader a prize catch". The Times of India. 19 December 2007. Retrieved 9 April 2019.
  44. ^ Reddy, K. Srinivas (6 April 2010). "Maoists from Andhra Pradesh may have planned Chhattisgarh ambush". The Hindu. Hyderabad. Retrieved 1 June 2013.
  45. ^ "Top Maoist leader arrested in Jharkhand". Zee News. 22 September 2007. Retrieved 5 July 2019.
  46. ^ Sen, Abhijit (18 August 2013). "Jailed Red leader's wife gets bail". The Times of India. Hazaribag. Archived from the original on 28 September 2013. Retrieved 28 August 2013.
  47. ^ "Who is Jampanna, the top Maoist leader". 24 December 2017. Retrieved 15 April 2019.
  48. ^ "Kerala Anti-Terrorism Squad arrest 'senior Maoist leader' and a 'commander' from Wayanad". The New Indian Express. 9 November 2021. Retrieved 18 March 2022.
  49. ^ a b c d e f Pandita, Rahul (2011). Hello, Bastar: The Untold Story of India's Maoist Movement. Chennai: Westland (Tranquebar Press). ISBN 978-93-80658-34-6. OCLC 754482226.[permanent dead link]
  50. ^ Reddy, U. Sudhakar (2 June 2013). "Top Maoists' assets seized". Deccan Chronicle. Hyderabad: Deccan Chronicle Holdings Limited. Archived from the original on 9 April 2018. Retrieved 22 August 2013.
  51. ^ Janyala, Sreenivas (9 April 2010). "The men who run Dandakaranya". The Indian Express. Hyderabad: Indian Express Group. Retrieved 22 August 2013.
  52. ^ "Chatra cops likely to seek Paswan's custody". The Times of India. Ranchi: The Times Group. 20 August 2013. Retrieved 22 August 2013.
  53. ^ "Who was Kishenji". Hindustan Times. Kolkata: HT Media Ltd. 24 November 2011. Archived from the original on 30 September 2013. Retrieved 22 August 2013.
  54. ^ "Arrest of top leader hobbles Naxals". deccanherald.com. March 2012. Retrieved 22 April 2019.
  55. ^ Reddy, K. Srinivas (2 March 2012). "Maoist weapon units busted in Kolkata, Mumbai". The Hindu. Retrieved 22 April 2019.
  56. ^ a b Roy, Arundhati (29 March 2010). "Walking with the Comrades". Outlook. Archived from the original on 15 October 2013. Retrieved 15 October 2013.
  57. ^ Myrdal, Jan (5 May 2014). Red Star Over India: As the Wretched of the Earth are Rising: Impressions, Reflections, and Preliminary Inferences. Kolkata: Archana Das and Subrata Das on behalf of Setu Prakashani. ISBN 978-93-80677-20-0. OCLC 858528997. Young women represent about 40 percent of the Guerrilla Army of the People's Liberation. Many of them have command positions. Photo: Jan Myrdal
  58. ^ a b Majumdar, Ushinor (19 September 2013), Top Maoist Leader Ganapathi Admits To Leadership Crisis In Party, Tehelka, archived from the original on 16 October 2013, retrieved 10 October 2013
  59. ^ a b Navlakha, Gautam (30 March 2014). "Ambush amplifies a struggle". Sanhati. Retrieved 16 May 2014.
  60. ^ "A spectre haunting India", the Economist Volume 380 Number 8491 (19–25 August 2006)
  61. ^ a b c Krishna Das, R.; Makkar, Sahil; Basak, Probal; Satapathy, Dillip (27 September 2013). "Reds in retreat". Business Standard. Retrieved 10 October 2013.
  62. ^ Kumar, Kamal (August 2013). "Analysis: India's Maoist challenge". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 8 April 2014.
  63. ^ Satanāma (2010) [2003]. "Walking through the jungle". Jangalnama: Inside the Maoist Guerrilla Zone. Translated from Punjabi by Vishav Bharti. New Delhi: Penguin Books. p. 99. ISBN 978-01-43414-45-2. OCLC 634661617.
  64. ^ "Andrapradesh: Ban on CPI Maoist and front organisations extended for one more year". Indian Vanguard. 10 August 2009. Retrieved 26 April 2012.
  65. ^ "In Pictures: India's Maoist heartland". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 28 October 2014.
  66. ^ Roy, Arundhati (27 March 2010). "Gandhi, but with guns: Part Two". The Guardian. Retrieved 2 May 2014.
  67. ^ Dasgupta, Debarshi (17 May 2010). "My Book is Red: The word is Revolution". Outlook. Retrieved 18 May 2014.
  68. ^ a b c "Caught between Rebels and Vigilantes". Reuters Alertnet. 27 August 2008. Retrieved 30 January 2010.
  69. ^ "The Telegraph – Calcutta (Kolkata) – Jharkhand – Maoists behead youth". Archived from the original on 13 September 2012. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
  70. ^ Deccan Chronicle, 27 August 2009 Archived 7 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine
  71. ^ a b c d "The Adivasis of Chhattisgarh: Victims of the Naxalite Movement and Salwa Judum Campaign" (PDF). Asian Centre for Human Rights. New Delhi: 42. 2006. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 March 2010. Retrieved 12 April 2010.
  72. ^ Maoists use guns to enforce poverty Daily Pioneer – 1 November 2009
  73. ^ "Naxals blast rail tracks, school in Jharkhand". IBNLive. Archived from the original on 2 December 2009. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
  74. ^ "The forgotten war". The Hindu. Retrieved 26 February 2017.
  75. ^ Shah, Alpa (2018). Nightmarch: Among India's Revolutionary Guerrillas. Hurst. ISBN 978-1-84904-990-0.
  76. ^ a b Sethi, Aman (10 November 2010). "Maoists consolidating control, says CPI (Maoist) leader". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 13 November 2010. Retrieved 26 May 2013.
  77. ^ "Naxal Violence: Is the CPI (Maoist) Fading?", Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies, New Delhi, 22 November 2013, retrieved 10 April 2014
  78. ^ Article on CPI_M,MIPT Terrorism Knowledge Base Archived 30 December 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  79. ^ Eastern Indian state bans communist rebel group,The China Post
  80. ^ Maoists plan stir,The Hindu
  81. ^ "::Ministry of Home Affairs::". www.mha.nic.in. Archived from the original on 28 September 2010.
  82. ^ "Centre declares Maoists as terrorists, CPM differs". Zee News. 22 June 2009. Retrieved 22 June 2009.
  83. ^ "Centre declares Maoists a terrorist organisation". The Times of India. 22 June 2009. Archived from the original on 25 October 2012. Retrieved 22 June 2009.
  84. ^ "Banned Terrorist Organisations". National Investigation Agency, India. Archived from the original on 19 January 2014. Retrieved 23 January 2014.
  85. ^ Mishra, Alok K N (4 July 2014). "Maoists gun down CRPF deputy commandant in Bihar". The Times of India. Retrieved 4 July 2014.
  86. ^ "Indian state 'backing vigilantes'". BBC News. 15 July 2008. Retrieved 12 April 2010.
  87. ^ Hearing plea against Salwa Judum, SC says State cannot arm civilians to kill The Indian Express, 1 April 2008.
  88. ^ SC raps Chhattisgarh on Salwa Judum Rediff.com, 31 March 2008. Archived 7 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  89. ^ "Report recommends withdrawal of Salwa Judum". The Hindu. Chennai, India. 19 January 2007. Archived from the original on 21 January 2007. Retrieved 12 April 2010.
  90. ^ Jain, Prakhar (7 April 2012), "His Brother Was Burnt Alive", Tehelka, vol. 9, no. 14, archived from the original on 28 September 2013, retrieved 24 September 2013
  91. ^ "Salwa Judum victims assured of relief". The Hindu. Chennai, India. 16 December 2008. Archived from the original on 26 December 2008. Retrieved 12 April 2010.
  92. ^ 'Existence of Salwa Judum necessary' The Economic Times, 6 October 2008.
  93. ^ "NHRC justifies Salwa Judum operations". dna. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
  94. ^ Zemp, Ueli; Mohapatra, Subash (29 July 2007). "Child Soldiers in Chhattisgarh: Issues, Challenges and FFDA's Response" (PDF). Other India Press. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 July 2011. Retrieved 12 April 2010.
  95. ^ Venkatesan, J. (5 July 2011). "Salwa Judum is illegal, says SC". The Hindu. Chennai, India: The Hindu Group. Retrieved 26 November 2011.
  96. ^ Bhardwaj, Ashutosh (26 August 2013). "Grey areas in anti-Naxal operations". The Indian Express. Retrieved 24 September 2013.
  97. ^ "Killing Maharashtra Teacher Was Mistake, Maoists Wrote In Apology: Police". NDTV.com. Retrieved 26 March 2019.
  98. ^ "Nepali Maoists Deny Ongoing Links with Indian Counterparts" by Jason Motlagh, World Politics Review. 6/12/08 Archived 21 June 2010 at the Wayback Machine
  99. ^ "Madni revealed LeT links with Maoists: Police". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 25 October 2012. Retrieved 17 July 2015.
  100. ^ Mittal, Tusha (21 November 2009), "I Am The Real Desh Bhakt", Tehelka, vol. 6, no. 46, archived from the original on 28 September 2013, retrieved 23 August 2013
  101. ^ Jerome Aning. "RP Reds now train Maoist rebs in India". newsinfo.inquirer.net. Philippine Daily Inquirer. Archived from the original on 20 July 2015. Retrieved 17 July 2015.
  102. ^ "Naxalites to host Nepalese Maoist leader in Kolkata". Thaindian News. Archived from the original on 16 November 2018. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
  103. ^ "C3s » The Maoist Insurgency in India". Archived from the original on 21 July 2015. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
  104. ^ "Asia Times Online :: South Asia news, business and economy from India and Pakistan". Archived from the original on 13 November 2009. Retrieved 7 December 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  105. ^ Nepal Maoists, India & China – by B.Raman Archived 2 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine
  106. ^ Sethi, Aman (6 February 2013). "Green Hunt: the anatomy of an operation". The Hindu. Retrieved 30 October 2013.
  107. ^ "Incidents and Statements involving CPI-Maoist: 2013". New Delhi: SATP. Retrieved 27 February 2014.
  108. ^ Dahat, Pavan (12 June 2014). "Chhattisgarh gears for 'result–oriented' approach against Maoists". The Hindu. Raipur. Retrieved 13 June 2014.
  109. ^ Thottam, Jyoti (27 June 2011), "Indian Army Raises the Stakes in Its War Against the Maoists", Time, retrieved 30 August 2013
  110. ^ "Air Force to lend support for anti-Naxal operations". The Hindu. The Hindu Group. 30 May 2013.
  111. ^ Sharma, Aman (19 August 2014). "Government to send 2,000 para-military men of Naga unit to fight Maoists in Bastar". The Economic Times. Retrieved 21 August 2014.
  112. ^ "Datasheet-terrorist-attack-surrender".
  113. ^ "Ambush kills 29 Indian policemen". 13 July 2009. Retrieved 5 September 2021.
  114. ^ "20 police die in apparent rebel attacks in India". NBC News. 12 July 2009. Retrieved 5 September 2021.
  115. ^ "Breaking News, World News and Video from Al Jazeera". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 5 September 2021.
  116. ^ "Who is Kishenji?". NDTV. Retrieved 13 March 2014.
  117. ^ "Kishenji claims responsibility for attack". The Times of India. Press Trust of India. 15 February 2010. Archived from the original on 11 August 2011. Retrieved 13 March 2014.
  118. ^ "Chhatisgarh attack 'consequence' of Green Hunt: Maoist leader". HT Media Limited. Indo-Asian News Service. 6 April 2010. Archived from the original on 28 December 2013. Retrieved 13 March 2014.
  119. ^ "Maoists say Bastar attack was to punish Cong leaders". Hindustan Times. 28 May 2013. Archived from the original on 21 August 2014. Retrieved 13 March 2014.
  120. ^ "We punished Karma for launching Salwa Judum: Maoists". India Today Group. 28 May 2013. Retrieved 13 March 2014.
  121. ^ "14 Maoists killed in encounter in Odisha". NDTV. 14 September 2013. Retrieved 15 October 2013.
  122. ^ "'Don't enter Odisha', DGP warns Maoists from other states". HT Media Limited. Press Trust of India. 14 September 2013. Archived from the original on 20 October 2013. Retrieved 13 March 2014.
  123. ^ Sood, Sanjiv Krishan (7 April 2021). "Chhattisgarh Maoist ambush shows leadership failure – both by security forces and the government". Scroll.in. Retrieved 7 April 2021.
  124. ^ "Jharkhand: Maoist Attack On Ex BJP MLA Leaves His Two Bodyguards Dead". outlook. 4 January 2022. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
  125. ^ Telangana Today (22 January 2024). "35 security personnel killed in attack on CRPF camp in Chhattisgarh on Jan 16: Maoists". Telangana Today. Retrieved 25 January 2024.

External links[edit]