Maoists Move to Stop Nuclear Power Plant in West Bengal

One of India's 234 nuclear power plants

This article was published in The Telegraph on December 28, 2009.

Maoist bid to nuke project

Maoists have entered Haripur in East Midnapore to fan a movement on the lines of Nandigram against a proposed nuclear power plant, intelligence reports say.

In Nandigram, the Maoists had allegedly worked with Trinamul Congress leaders after a spontaneous local protest against an acquisition notice. Mamata Banerjee has disowned Maoist claims of assistance, but it is widely believed that the guerrillas had helped cut off the administration from Nandigram in 2007, much the same way as they did in Lalgarh last year.

The intelligence bureau report, which has been forwarded to the Union home ministry, warns the state that it has to be prepared to confront Maoist-fired protests if the proposed central project is to be implemented in Haripur.

Maoist Groups in Kerala Unite vs. Operation Green Hunt

This article was published in Express Buzz on December 28, 2009

Maoist groups to fight against anti-naxal drive

KOZHIKODE: The CPI (Maoist) and the CPI-ML (Naxalbari) have decided to join hands against the massive drive launched by the UPA Government against the Maoists in different parts of the country.

After a meeting of the leaders of these organisations at an undisclosed place in Kerala on December 23, Kiran Kumar, the state secretary of the CPI-ML (Naxalbari) and Mohan, the state organising secretary of the CPI (Maoist), issued a joint statement exhorting the people to put up a militant resistance against the state repression.

Both these outfits, which uphold the path of armed struggle, have been working independently in the state. The CPI-ML (Naxalbari) has prominent frontal organisations like Porattam, Viplava Yuvajana Prasthanam and Viplava Sthreevadi Prasthanam. Revolutionary People’s Front (RPF) is the major frontal organisation of the CPI (Maoist).

There had been several rounds of discussion between the two outfits in the recent past to decide on possible merger. A need was felt among these groups that ‘revolutionary forces’ should merge to strengthen the people’s war in the country. The coming together of these two Maoist parties is seen as a first step towards merger. Even while upholding the Marxism-Leninism-Maoism, both these outfits had major difference of opinion, the most important being the stand on the developments in Nepal. The CPI (Maoist) has branded Nepal Maoist leader Prachanda’s stand as right deviation, while the Naxalbari believe that it is only tactical move.

Supporters of Telangana State Shut Down Andhra Pradesh

This article was published on the BBC on December 30, 2009.

India hit by new state protests

Large parts of the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh (AP) have shut down in a strike called by the supporters of a new state.

Strict security has been imposed in 10 districts of the state and more than 100,000 security personnel deployed. Fearing violence, the authorities have cancelled 9,000 buses and 165 trains. The strike, called for the creation of a separate Telangana state out of AP, is also supported by students groups and the outlawed ultra-Left Maoists.

Earlier this month the government announced that it would allow the creation of Telangana – irrespective of opposition. But last week, the authorities said that decision would be considered after consultation with all parties. An estimated 35 million people will live in the proposed new state.

K Chandrasekara Rao of the Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS), which is spearheading the protest for a Telangana state, has resigned from the lower house of parliament, along with two other MPs from the region. Fifty lawmakers from the Telangana region and belonging to the Andhra Pradesh assembly have also handed in their resignations.

Nepal: Which Side is the Army On?

This article was published in Telegraph Nepal on December 28, 2009.

Nepal Army may support Maoist’s next revolt: Pokharel

If there will be yet another Peoples’ revolt, Nepal Army will in all likelihood support the Maoists’ Party. Such a hair-raising statement was made by one of the Unified Maoists’ Party leaders in the district of Bardia, December 26, 2009.

Lila Mani Pokharel of the Maoists Party added, “The Nepal Army has the clear idea as to who were traitors and who were the real nationalists”, said Pokharel addressing the first district convention of the Young Communist League, YCL, in Rajapur of Bardia on Saturday December 26, 2009. Pokharel also urged the youth to remain committed to safeguard the country from foreign interference.

“Unequal treaties and unequal relations with India should be the major concern of the youth population and remain committed to safeguard Nepal’s National Independence.”

Prachanda Calls for Defense of National Independence as Top Priority

This article was posted on My Republica, December 28, 2009

‘National independ-ence’ top priority in Dahal’s proposal

KATHMANDU: The issue of national independence will get top priority in the Maoist agendas in the days ahead in the wake of growing “Indian interference” in the country. Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal made a political proposal in this regard at the party’s politburo meeting on Monday. “The party’s strategy will change in the days ahead with the issue of national independence coming into prominence,” said Maoist Vice-Chairman Narayankaji Shrestha.

The UCPN (Maoist) had been launching struggle for five main agendas: civilian supremacy, national independence, peace, new constitution and Maoist-led national unity government. Now the issue of national independence has come to the forefront of the Maoist agendas, and the party’s move will be the formation of a larger coalition incorporating the leftist, republican and nationalist forces. The party’s main slogan will be: “Let’s all nationalist and republican forces unite, let’s protect the national independence”.

The political proposal “An Analytic Proposal on the Current Political Situation” presented by Dahal stressed the need for “national independence” as India has always played a decisive role in forming and toppling of the successive governments in Kathmandu. “The proposal states that a large coalition is the need of the hour to counter the Indian interference in virtually every sector including political and military,” said Maoist politburo member Devendra Paudel.

The political proposal also states that the Maoist party should move ahead sincerely for the completion of peace process and constitution writing. “We are for moving ahead committed to completing the peace process and constitution-writing and to stepping up pressure from the people’s level to defeat the conspiracy against the peace process and for writing a new constitution from outside the Constituent Assembly,” said Shrestha.

The Maoist party will also move ahead while remaining committed to the integration and rehabilitation of the Maoist army. “We will not let the conspiracy prevail at any cost,” Shrestha added.

The Maoist chairman has also concluded that the talks with the ruling coalition did not pay off as the latter wanted the Maoists to be “submissive”, dissolve the Maoist army and quit the party’s socio-political agenda of change including a forward-looking restructuring of the state.

Maoist leader Top Bahadur Rayamajhi, Krishna Bahadur Mahara and Netra Bikram Chand had commented on Dahal’s proposal on Sunday. The politburo meeting will continue Monday. The Maoist chairman’s proposal will have to be endorsed by the central committee.