How do Naxals really operate and what is their manual for annihilation of Class Enemies
- In Current Affairs
- 08:58 AM, Sep 05, 2018
- Bhanu Gouda
Much before that 2002 train burning incident happened in Gujarat- one that gave few journalists nationwide recognition, there was another train burning incident which no one in the media talked about, except for few regional newspapers in Telugu. That other gruesome act did not happen because of religious tensions between Hindu and Muslims. It was not an issue of contention between castes or class. It happened because few Naxalites decided to attack the government. When did it happen? About 12 years before 2002.
Kakatiya express, a daily train between Hyderabad and Warangal was popular among working men and women. This train was a daily commuter for people who lived in Warangal,Telangana and worked in Hyderabad. Most who commuted on the train were working people. That train was also popular for small vendors, local businessmen who have something or the other to deal in Hyderabad. The People’s War Group AKA the Naxalites burnt a second-class compartment killing 40 people to show the government that they can fight and disrupt. Some reports say the number of dead was 80. Their intention was to kill specific people traveling in that compartment. However, it turned out all those in the train happened to be common people minding their own business. They had nothing to do with ideology. They probably never thought that they will be departing this world. It was just another commute to “The City” which ended their lives.
Deaths of innocent people created sympathy even in the hard-core leftists in Andhra Pradesh. There were inquiries, reports but nothing significant happened, few arrests, a case filed and life went on. Much later the Naxals themselves said “Sorry” for killing innocent people. Too late. By early 90s Telangana region had still not fully recovered from the Naxal onslaught which started in the 70s. It was tough time for the police. Many of them died fighting these internal terrorists. While Naxals targeted people who opposed to their ideology, it was the police who were tasked to protect public and fight these armed people in the jungles, villages, towns and cities.
Naxals followed the Maoist model of purging people who opposed them.It was called “Varga Shatru Nirmulana” in Telugu i.e. “'Annihilation of Class Enemies”. They often targeted people who have nothing to do with communism, people with no ideology just minding their own business. If someone became popular in public life, politics, business or just social service, they were asked to stick to the leftist ideology or get killed. This mayhem went on for three decades in Telangana region. Many landlords, politicians and prominent persons were purged in Telangana. Another organization that was their target was Sangh Parivar. It will take few more articles to write about the many Sangh Parivar volunteers who were killed by Naxals. Their system worked like a well-oiled machine during that time.
Some might wonder how did they unleash their fight against the government, because they were not an army with funding or ammunition? These radicalized youth becoming a guerilla fighter is a process. The money support comes from other communist countries. When that channel dries, the Maoists collected from local businessmen, farmers, doctors, lawyers in the name of “Party Fund”. If someone did not pay the “Party Fund” they will be purged.
After the money, the training camps are important. They train the new recruits on using firearms. The newbie naxals slowly graduate to blowing landmines. Thus a newly recruited youth finally becomes a killing machine operating Kalashnikovs and blowing landmines.These trainings happened in the jungles of Telangana and are happening in Chhattisgarh now.
After the funding and training comes the network, the next important piece in the life of a naxal. These naxals built an incredible network using people as couriers. The network existed perfectly between the villages to the towns to the cities with people collecting information and reaching out others in person to share it with the appropriate operative. Every village or town had couriers who would gather information related to anything from police activity to the latest government policies. Think of this as a mega information network with complete human input.
The next important one is planning attacks and executing. They just do not have a plan to kill someone or blow a building, they will have a plan A,B, C .. even the ultimate plan ABANDON if they think they cannot make it. For last minute changes they had people reaching out by any mode of transportation to pass the message. Running through the jungles all night without modern amenities ie. no flash light, no map for direction was pretty common. They roamed in those jungles all their life, they know them well.
They had a unique method of attacking the police. They used to lure police from a nearby town to a village on law order related incident. Often they go to villages for conducting the Public Court. Oh yeah, they do that too. This parallel court system will help them much needed money. They either kill or beat up the culprit during these public courts. Here there is no judge no jury or no appeal. Even the Islamic jihadists have some reference number in Hadith to quote before killing people for crimes. No such thing for these folks, it is all communist style deliver the instant justice.
On these courts, the leader of the Dalam i.e. “The group” will summon all villagers. He gives verdict; and execute the punishment. The villagers often beg them to give them a chance to explain. Rarely they get a second chance. After the “Praja court” i.e. “People's Courts” session is complete, they send a message to the nearby town that a person was killed or attacked. Expectedly the Police will arrive to the village protect the public. The roads were often not paved back in those days. Naxals used to dig and setup landmines on those unpaved roads. The unsuspecting police would cross those landmines getting blown away.
From 90s to 2000, TDP was ruling the undivided Andhra Pradesh. Elimineti Madhava Reddy was a state minister in Chandrababu Naidu’s cabinet. He was the most powerful leader of the Telugu Desam Party from Telangana. He took some tougher actions on Naxals and paid price for that. The Naxals blew his car killing him on the road which connects Hyderabad and Warangal. The fact that the Naxals had every detail of the itinerary for the minister’s trip shows the level of penetration they had in the state government administration. Little after two years the naxals even blew the car of chief minister Chandrababu Naidu’s in Tirupati. Yes, you heard that right, Chandrababu Naidu’s was the target, his car was blown. Thanks to a heavy armoured Ambassador car, which took the hit saving the chief minister.
Watch this surreal video to see the footage.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=9EUFzVPJ8Dc
For two decades Naxals urged the public to boycott the democratic elections. It was very difficult even to campaign in Telangana region. Congress Politician Mr.Marri Chenna Reddy had to make truce with the Naxals for winning the state elections in 1989. During his time as Chief Minister,Naxalite movement in Andhra Pradesh got some leniency. Emboldened by the informal understanding they had with the Chenna Reddy, their activities spread into cities. During the same congress rule, they ventured into Hyderabad city killing the legendary IPS Officer Vyas inside the Lal Bahadur Shastri Cricket Stadium. This incident happened in broad daylight, just a few feet from the Police Control Room in Hyderabad !!.
However, successive governments of Andhra Pradesh under TDP and Congress with the exception of Chenna Reddy’s rule continued the fight against Naxals. Eventually the issue was put to an end during chief minister YS Rajashekhar Reddy’s time somewhere between 2006-2008 period. Chief Minister YS Reddy initiated formal talks with the Naxals. The Naxals came out of Nallamalla Forest into Hyderabad city to a grand reception by the state government. They stayed in Government guest houses for the talks. The talks however failed because the naxals refused to abandon gun. They were sent back to the jungle with police protection. Post the failed talks, a decisive police action in the forest resulted in deaths of most naxals. Those survived left Andhra Pradesh for Chattisgarh. They continue to operate now in that region.
So where does people like Varavara Rao fit in? He is a writer and belongs to “Viplava Rachayitala Sangham” aka “Revolutionary Writers Association”. The association was tasked with writing highly radical literature used as a recruitment tool. The violent Naxal operations are not something Varavara Rao can do. Maybe he can pull the trigger if needed, but not the type of guy who can kill police in action inside deep jungles. But he is more important than the guy who pulls the trigger, because he is the one who help recruits such people.
The next important job for people like Varavara Rao is facilitating legal help to the Naxals when they get caught by the police. Most of the time the Naxals will be put in jail while the court case continues. That is the time these Urban Naxals (Love that term, thank you Vivek Agnihotri for popularizing it ) come out of the woodwork. They come out in the form of civil liberty unions or writers association or some group in the name of protecting human rights. Their aim is to protect the arrested Naxal, Help them get the bail. Help them get out of the legal framework back into jungle to continue “The Fight”.
These urban naxals protest in front of a police station or call for a “Bandh”. They have their buddy journalists to bring the issue in the media front and center. They help mobilize communist party sympathizers for more protests till those in the jail gets the bail.These Maoists have in-house attorneys who work on everything related to legal system. The framework includes local politicians too. Because they need a good word from politicians to get bail.
How someone in the public life, living among people in the cities and towns suddenly start helping the criminals who killed police and citizens without being associated with them? Remember those were the days of no mobile phone and internet. These Urban Naxals meet the real ones in person. They have physical contacts and communication using humans carrying messages. It doesn’t take an Einstein to figure out where the rubber meets the road. These urban naxals are the public front of the real Naxals in the Jungle.They know about all of the Naxal activities. Media never questions them on why these Urban Naxals have contacts with someone who blows buildings or kills police or extorts money.
The Maoists do not believe in ballot deciding the fate of people. For them it is always the bullet which helps the poor.The bullet will establish the world order. So when the police or other law enforcement personnel use the same bullet, miraculously their left brains start working. Suddenly it occurs to them that India is a democratic country and the rights of the citizens must be protected. The UrbanNaxals are mere tools to protect them legally when they get caught.
Many in the Indian leftist media are making a big deal on the arrest of urban naxals.In reality, for Varavara Rao and his ilk, such arrests are not new. Mr.Rao has been arrested many times in the past few decades. He was jailed as well.These folks are adept at living a frugal life while telling good stories of how the poor are helped by the Naxals. While some of these earned money beyond their means, those with simple lifestyle will gain sympathy from the youth.They have operated when there was little technology. For them it is single goal, help the Naxals out of the legal system and recruit more youth.These guys have experienced arrests, seen the jails.The most important thing is to stop these guys from operating in the civilized world. How ?
When arrested, these folks use the “freedom of expression being violated” thing. Fair enough. But the same freedom of expression is used to recruit Naxals.In other words, they are responsible for the mayhem the real Naxals unleash, because these UrbanNaxals create them in the first place. So far the state and central governments never really used legal system in a strong way to put cases alleging them to disrupt national security.It is about time for the Indian government irrespective of which party is in power to document every activity these guys are involved in. If it means tracking them electronically, so be it, with the court’s permission.A framework with court permission will help deter violence.
Such tracking with individual state governments sharing the data with central government and vice versa will help tighten the noose. We are in Big Data days; Indian government should grab the technology to the fullest advantage. India lost two prime ministers Sri Rajiv Gandhi and Smt Indira Gandhi to violence. Imagine what could have happened if the law enforcement knew about the perpetrators beforehand.
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