Indian state ‘discovers’ red Naxal village

The CPI(Maoist) has very deep roots among the people, gaining support in areas that the Indian state was, apparently, not even aware of.

The piece originally appeared at the Hindustan Times. Thanks also to The Prison Gates Are Open site for making it available.

By Harinder Baweja
April 22, 2012

Helicopters were kept on standby for casualty evacuation; targets were chosen with care after studying satellite images and the troops were warned — the encounters would be fierce and the naxals could be in the hundreds, even thousands. After weeks of planning, security forces armed with automatic rifles, satellite phones and Swedish Carl Gustav rocket launchers made their very first foray into the dense Abujhmad jungle, straddling the two states of Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh.  Abujhmad, or ‘unknown hill’ — 6,000 sq km of thick forest — has not been surveyed since the British.

As part of the operation, security forces had zoomed in on a map of the area with the help of Google Earth, on to a couple of structures they identified as a ‘naxal camp’. A plan was prepared to go in and take out the naxalites. The mission had a second aim — the stronghold had to be psychologically breached, since it is as much home to the naxals as it is a zone ‘liberated’ of all government control.

Revolutionaries in Nepal hold torch rally against surrender of the PLA

Nepal: When the enemy’s army enters the people’s base camp

Peter Tobin writes from Nepal about the recent takeover of the PLA cantonments by the reactionary army. His comments originally appeared at Democracy and Class Struggle.

This decision of the party establishment indicates either stupidity or treachery

by Peter Tobin

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

I am among the many international supporters of the Nepalese revolution. Ever since the UCPN(M) took the heroic decision in 1996 to launch the People’s War we have watched in astonishment as this party made an important and unique contribution to proletarian history when it appeared that globally communism was on the retreat. The Soviet Union, in Comrade Castro’s words had: “committed suicide’ and China had decisively become state capitalist and so there was no socialist support base to turn to.

Everywhere it appeared that capitalism was triumphant and yet against this tide of reaction Nepalese comrades stood up and launched the first communist revolution of the 21st century. That a small, landlocked country in SE Asia within a matter of years would become the crucible of revolution, that would set an example to oppressed people everywhere was inspirational.

India: An economic analysis of the Nonadanga evictions

Nonadanga residents

Millions of people in India build their homes and shelters on land technically ‘owned’ by the state. In West Bengal, the Trinamool Congress government has been selling off this land to corporations, which means the squatters and slum residents are brutally evicted. All in the name of ‘development’.  Recently officials have set their sites on the Nonadanga slum in Kolkata, attempting to displace residents and jailing all who resist. The following article in Radical Notes provides a useful political and economic analysis of the situation.

Nonadanga is at just a stone’s throw from the eastern metropolitan bypass behind such glitzy corporate hospitals like Fortis, Ruby and Desunand and plans are on to transfer the land at throwaway prices to big real-estate projects by ‘Urbana’ and IT hubs. Obviously, in such a strategic location in a metropolis, they will not tolerate slums and ‘all these dirty people’.

Nonadanga: Against Repression and Arrest

April 11, 2012

by Parag,
Krantikari Naujawan Sabha

Condemn Repression in the name of ‘Development’ of the ‘Beautiful’ !
Demand Immediate Release of Arrested Dissenters !!

The ‘beautiful’ and the ‘developed’ entwined as it is with power, must make war on its underside, the ‘ugly’, the toiling, and demolish it, hide it under the shine of corporate towers and election promises. The brutal violence of the present process of ‘development’ in India comes buttressed with State Repression. This is exposed yet again when the Trinamool-led West Bengal government with its brute police force and Kolkata Municipal Development Corporation (KMDA) bulldozed and burnt the houses of 800 slum-dwellers in Nonadanga, South Kolkata on 30th March 2012 in the name of ‘beautification’. This is backed up with continuous state repression- residents who tried to resist their homes being demolished were beaten, picked up and put into police vans. Picking up pieces from their broken homes, setting up temporary shelters with vinyl sheets and a community kitchen,

India: Support imprisoned slum residents and activists in Kolkata

We have received the following call for solidarity with activists and residents of Nonandanga who were recently arrested while defending the community. We encourage our readers to sign the petition and to seek out other ways of expressing solidarity.

Sanhati is deeply concerned by the West Bengal government’s arrest of seven democratic rights activists and its earlier detention of residents of the Nonadanga slum on April 8, 2012 at Ruby junction in Kolkata. These activists were engaged in a peaceful sit-in demonstration attended by a broad spectrum of left organisations and individuals of good conscience,
demanding rehabilitation of hundreds of residents evicted from the Nonadanga slum of Kolkata on March 30, 2012. The peaceful character of their protest is a matter of public record, documented by various media reports. We are shocked and dismayed at the response of the police forces to these democratic protests.

Kindly read and sign the enclosed petition on the Nonadanga situation.
Click here in order to sign the petition.

You may also read regular coverage of this developing story on our website Sanhati.

Nepal: Baidya faction protests takeover of cantonments

Members of the Maoist PLA

The Royal Nepal Army, along with the Armed Police Force (a group trained and backed by US imperialism), have assumed command of the cantonments occupied by the remnants of the Maoist People’s Liberation Army.

The revolutionary faction is strongly condemning this  move as well, placing the blame on the shoulders of Maoist leaders Prachanda and prime minister Bhattarai, and accusing them of a “serious betrayal of the revolution”. The revolutionary faction also seems to have implemented an extensive protest program, mobilizing the people against Bhattarai’s government.

The following article appeared at My Republica.

Betrayal of revolution: Baidya faction

REPUBLICA

KATHMANDU, April 10: Accusing Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal and Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai of betraying the revolution, the Maoist radical faction on Wednesday evening called on the people to raise voices against the Special Committee decision to let the Nepal Army (NA) take charge of the PLA cantonments and the weapons containers.

“We strongly condemn the decision. We also appeal to the patriots, republicans, self-esteemed people as well as those who want forward looking changes to jump into action and oppose the move,” said Maoist Secretary CP Gajurel after a meeting of the radical faction in the evening.

The hard-line faction led by Senior Vice-chairman Mohan Baidya has termed the move the “height capitulationism and serious betrayal of the revolution in Nepal”.

Nepal: Talk of regenerating rural base areas

This article is from myrepublica.

Be Ready to Encircle Cities – Thapa Tells Cadre

Post B Basnet

Kathmandu, March 28: The Maoist radical faction on Tuesday told party cadres to remain prepared to encircle the cities for an urban insurrection if the country doesn’t see the promulgation of a “pro-people constitution.”

Maoist General Secretary Ram Bahadur Thapa , a key leader from the party’s radical faction, issued the directive from a closed-door session held at Nayabazaar, Kathmandu, to train cadres from the faction.

“We may have to jump into action around May 28 (the constitution drafting deadline). The immediate circumstances will dictate whether such an insurrection will be armed or unarmed,” a participant quoted Thapa as telling the cadres.