This is not a matter of pride, but of pain.
In one of my Malayalam novels, “Indiayude bhupadam” (The map of India) which was published in April 2007-its spade work actually started in 2006 and manuscript completed in the same year and one of my characters, Aarati Verma, a journalist by profession was talking painfully, shockingly about the state of affairs across India especially Chattisgarh, Jharkand, Orissa, Bihar, Bengal, Assam and fast growing discontent among the deprived sectors and the appearance of CPI (Maoists) on the scene, resulting in the formation of militant movement under whose umbrella, the exploited ones consolidated and learnt about their fruits of labour being robed away by corporate miners. The character in the novel was foreseeing a catastrophe with the Maoists gaining strength day by day even eclipsing the main stream communist parties, communist party of India (Marxist) (ignore the splinter ones) in the long run.
Their lack of presence a nominal presence so to say in the Hindi belt with the emergence of regional chauvinists wresting power from the Indian National Congress (GoP) and Bharatiya Janata Party forming governments in the Hindi spoken States. Alas, even grass root level organizing in the Hindi belt getting up more and more difficult due to the mindset of masses they had already begun to tread the lines of casteism, tribalism. Sheer common sense needed to arrive of a conclusion that if left unchecked, even the Delhi throne would shake like an earthquake with revolutionary spirit escalating among the deprived ones. But both central and state Govts playing safe took the emergence of a “red-corridor” in the difficult terrains of the North Indian states keeping their eyes shut otherwise call it ‘selective amnesia’. The trouble with them was not ignorance but of looking at serious things lightly. Otherwise “yes, we can very well rein in the Maoists, at any point of time’ we deem fit” and went on with their new era reforms. With P.V.Narasimha Rao sworn in as Prime Minister and his red carpet welcome to an eminent economist from World Bank, Dr.ManMohan Singh and entrusted in him Finance portfolio, a virtual non-entity as Finance Minister in the world of politics, agree, now he has come of age as politician now, straight away opened up the economy inviting massive investments by Indian corporate world and multinationals from abroad. When the economist Finance Minister showing no interest in measuring or reading the pulse of the masses went on with introduction of neo-liberal reforms and massive globalization spree and succeeded in creating two worlds. The worlds of haves and have-nots. A perfect setting for a class struggle. Fortunately with the main stream communist parties on a weaker wicket Narasimha Rao and Man Mohanji declared from the top of the world “ economic reforms are irreversible.” Now it has already become ‘irreversible with the leftists left with crying foul whenever they are free, care free. A protest rally, a picket, a hartal, okay they turn happier.
The Maoist didn’t go after power still not going after power might be thinking that the time is not ripe. Power must come from the barrel of the gun and for that they are waiting for more time to consolidate. In the meanwhile they unpredictably strike at soft spots like gunning down of CRPF personnel, blowing up rail tracks making commuting fearsome and tedious, blowing up mobile towers and making communication impossible robbing away explosives, substances like ammonium nitrate, ad weapons from paramilitary and police personnel, killing “informers” and ‘salwa judum’ actvists out of revenge ruthlessly, coldbloodedly and with full intention. The ones who started their fight using bows and arrows, now possess lethal weapons like guns, grenades, bombs, mines, adding more vigour to their fight and resistance. If the Goverments of the day, both the centre and the states had kept an eye on the threat ball without waiting for the showdown reach its zenith through negotiations with agitating tribals and assured them of their overall welfare, dwelling, education, health, food, water, employment more development with the help ands concurrence of representatives of the tribals and taken the steps on a war footing.
Instead a policy of suppression, fake encounter deaths and all sorts of retaliatory steps let loose by concerned state and central governments.
As Sidharth Varadarajan of ‘The Hindu’ daily put it mines and bullets won’t solve the ‘internal security threat no.1’ (Courtesy:Dr.Manmohan Singh). The Governments launching operation Green Hunt has already rebounded and provoked Maoists on a daily basis go on with lethal strikes leading to more murders and devastations. Both Maoists and the Govt’s in power should share the blame for all that happened in the past two or three weeks. Calling army and airforce are not at all a solution in this late hour and it would only help in aggravating the situation. People everywhere are peace-loving they have dreams and aspirations like me and you and to provide them maximum help – confrontation and annihilation must be stopped as early as possible. It is for the Governments to take the initiative.
People with autocratic bend of mind, always preach violence to kill violence, gunning down, bombardment with an iron fist.
Even America’s military might got shattered in Vietnam, Iraq and new Afghanistan though will hesitate to admit it. The fact everyone knows If India were to go the American way here the only difference is it all happened in the so-called ‘red corridor’ within the nation itself. Centre and State Govts are likely to meet America’s fate.
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