[Reader-list] Alleged Maoist Atrocities

Wed May 19 13:01:16 IST 2010

Dear Rashneek,

I agree with you that NO cause is worth human lives. This does not  
mean that I am advocating non-violence, I believe that violence can  
be resorted to, morally and ethically, in self defence. Were the  
armed power of the Maoists always used in Self Defence and in the  
defence of the communities they say they represent, when faced with  
the violence of the state, I would have no hesitation in supporting  
it. But the policy of 'Protracted Peoples War' is not self defence.  
And blowing up a bus with unarmed civilians in it, is not self  
defence. These are offensive demonstrations of armed might designed  
to coerce a population and is in my view indefensible.

I am in principle opposed to the policy of war, even a 'People's War'  
because I believe that militarization and the formation of armies is  
in all instances a counter-revolutionary measure.

Ramanna, the spokespersons of the Maoists said today that he 'regrets  
the killings of the civilians' that happened in the bus bombing in  
Cchatisgarh. That is like Madeleine Albright regretting the death of  
Iraqi civilians as 'collateral damage'. The CPI(Maoist) has taken  
responsibility for the massacres. So there can be no doubt about who  
did what. Their actions are totally worthy of condemnation, and they  
must be combatted politically. I also agree with you that the  
Ikhwanis and the Salwa Judum may have people who joined them for  
their own motives, just as those who join the separatists and the  
Maoists also have people who join them for their own reasons.

That does not mean that these organizations (like the Ikhwanis and  
the Salwa Judum) are not on occasion either set up or run, or  
amenable to becoming instruments of the state, and when that is the  
case, they must be treated as instruments of state policy.

Having said that, I think that organizations must be judged according  
to the consequences of their actions, not according to the  
motivations of their members. I have no hesitation in saying (now  
that we know that the Maoists were responsible) that the consequences  
of the recent actions undertaken by the Maoists are deplorable. No  
ifs, no buts.

best

Shuddha

On 19-May-10, at 10:44 AM, rashneek kher wrote:

> Dear Shudda,
>
> I have just a small point to make here.Before I do that I must say  
> I dont trust the state neither do I hold a brief for the Indian  
> state which I believe is hugely responisble for my homelessnes.
> If people can become separitists by themselves or join them or  
> become Maoists or join any other force which isnt on the side of  
> the state why dont we accept that in the same manner people can  
> join Ikhwanis or Salwa Judum.Both groups(though undoubtedly  
> supported or even run by the state) have the same"sons of soil" as  
> their opponents like Hizb or Naxalas have.
> Anyone who uses violence as a means of achieving any goal no matter  
> howsoever noble needs to be despised(even if it is the state).
> NO cause is worth a human life.
>
>
> Best Regards
>
> Rashneek
>
> On Tue, May 18, 2010 at 6:09 PM, Rajendra Bhat Uppinangadi  
> <rajen786uppinangady at gmail.com> wrote:
> Dear Shuddha,
>
> how intellect can be lulled by your post to think that maosists are
> genuinely working for the poor, under privileged and tribals,  
> indeed, it is
> posts like these which deflect the disgust against the atrocities of
> naxalites.
> Your words,
> "The presence of 15 special police officers in the bus that was bombed
> cannot be offered as a justification for the bombing, because a large
> number of people who were harmed in the attack had nothing to do with
> any arm of the state, they were just ordinary passengers. This is a
> simple and disgusting act of terrorism. It cannot be explained away
> in any sense as part of a campaign of liberation."
> Are the special police officers not the citizens of this nation,  
> who are
> employed by the stste to maintain law and order and to contain the
> deviants.?Have they got no families , wife and children, for whom  
> they are
> toiling in dangerous terrains of deviant domination.?
> Naxalites have only one goal, to capture power for the leadership  
> and their
> sympathisers, who are cowards, who can not contest any election and  
> seek
> public mandate, nor are they having guts to own the actions, unlike a
> Bhagath singh whom they invoke when caught, for BHAGATH Singh did  
> not run
> away and hide, faced the system, went thru the trial and prosecution,
> claimed if he is born again, he will again act the same way of  
> actions to
> seek freedom for the society and nation from the british rule. look  
> at the
> Kobads and varavara, who live in hiding, meet only "friendly'  
> journalists
> and order executions of "informers." Naxalites killing the  
> innocents is not
> stste action of act against deviants, if they want, they can change  
> the
> "system" by democratic process but not by violence, if they do not
> understand that they are the deviants in the democratic rule of laws,
> deserve the prosecution by apprehending of the deviants.Naxalites  
> have used
> the words of war and enemy not the state, rule of laws in democracy  
> demands
> that the deviants be brought under the contained deviation, if  
> necessary by
> force in the present circumstances, as rabids have to be put to  
> sleep, so
> are the naxals and such deviants.
> regards,
> rajen
> On Mon, May 17, 2010 at 9:50 PM, Shuddhabrata Sengupta  
> <shuddha at sarai.net>wrote:
>
> > Dear All,
> >
> > While I have on several occasions expressed my disgust at the way in
> > which the Government of India is conducting it's 'Operation Green
> > Hunt', I have to say that the news of the attacks by alleged Maoists
> > in Chattisgarh, in which 6 villagers have been killed, and more
> > recently a bus, with several civilians (and some special police
> > officers)  has been bombed, is deeply disturbing.
> >
> > It is a totally different matter from attacking men in uniform,  
> (such
> > as the CRPF jawans who were attacked not so long ago, resulting  
> in 76
> > casualties). Though I do not support any war, including the Maoist
> > initiated 'Peoples War' or for that matter, the Government of  
> India's
> > 'Operation Green Hunt',  in any war, armed men in uniform in a  
> combat
> > zone are fair targets. The death of the 76 CRPF jawans, though
> > regrettable, is not in any way different from the death of any
> > guerrila soldiers in the PLGA in any combat operation. I refuse  
> to be
> > blackmailed into thinking of such an event as an evidence of Maoist
> > 'atrocities'.
> >
> > But by no stretch of imagination can the same principles of  
> combat be
> > extended in operations that involve unarmed civilians, (such as the
> > incidents that have come to light today) no matter who conducts  
> them.
> > Regardless of whether the state or the Maoists conduct such
> > operations, they must be condemned by all sensible people in the
> > harshest terms. The Maoists, and the state must be compelled,  
> through
> > relentless civic pressure, to publicly abide by the Geneva
> > Conventions in the matter on the treatment of non-combatants in a
> > conflict situation. (And yes, there are conventions that shape the
> > conduct of non-state actors, or the conduct of the state in relation
> > to non-state actors)
> >
> > The presence of 15 special police officers in the bus that was  
> bombed
> > cannot be offered as a justification for the bombing, because a  
> large
> > number of people who were harmed in the attack had nothing to do  
> with
> > any arm of the state, they were just ordinary passengers. This is a
> > simple and disgusting act of terrorism. It cannot be explained away
> > in any sense as part of a campaign of liberation.
> >
> > If it is true that these attacks have been carried out by the
> > Maoists, then, it is clear that they want to ratchet up the general
> > intensity of violence in the regions where they have a presence.  
> They
> > want the government to unleash a military style offensive, because
> > nothing would serve their purpose better. There can be no other
> > explanation for the manner of these attacks. This is a disastrous  
> and
> > cynical policy, which will wreck havoc with the lives of the people
> > of the area and cannot be justified by any means whatsoever. If the
> > government of India responds by increasing the level and  
> intensity of
> > the conflict, it will become an accessory of the Maoists design to
> > totally militarize the areas of central, southern and eastern India
> > where they currently have a presence.
> >
> > If nothing else, this shows how the policy of 'Protracted People's
> > War' is bound to degenerate (and in fact is already degenerating)
> > into an orgy of random violence, exactly as it did in Peru and
> > Colombia, where the 'Sendero Luminoso' ('Shining Path') and 'FARC'
> > rebels competed with the state and right-wing militias in a sad
> > spiralling descent into armed chaos and brigandage that did nothing
> > to fulfil any revolutionary goal. If anything it strengthened the
> > might of the state and the right wing militias in Peru and Colombia.
> > The Maoists actions (attacks on unarmed civilians) cannot bring  
> about
> > any other results either. The ultimate and only beneficiary of this
> > process will be the state and the corporations who want total  
> control
> > over the forests of Central India.
> >
> > However, we must not rush to conclusions. If the Maoists disclaim
> > responsibility for these attacks, then we will have to see  
> whether or
> > not such a disclaimer has any objective basis. Independent
> > investigations will have to be carrired out. If, by any means, it is
> > possible that these attacks are 'false flag' operations,  
> conducted by
> > rogue elements of the state machinery, or even endorsed by the  
> state,
> > then the responsibility for the violence will lie squarely on the
> > state. It must, however, be understood by the Maoists (even if they
> > have not perpetrated these massacres) that the style of their
> > politics can and does ennable the state to conduct precisely such
> > 'false flag' operations. If there are any amongst the leadership of
> > the Maoists who are sensitive to the possibilities of forging an
> > alternative radical politics they must begin considering the
> > necessity of abandoning the disastrous method of 'protracted peoples
> > war' and explore ways to an open, transparent, militant and public
> > politics that does not involve the endless cycle of retreats and
> > massacres.
> >
> > Wherever the truth may life, this is a very sad day indeed,
> >
> > best
> >
> > Shuddha
> >
> >
> > Shuddhabrata Sengupta
> > The Sarai Programme at CSDS
> > Raqs Media Collective
> > shuddha at sarai.net
> > www.sarai.net
> > www.raqsmediacollective.net
> >
> >
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>
>
>
> --
> Rajen.
> _________________________________________
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>
>
> -- 
> Rashneek Kher
> http://www.kashmiris-in-exile.blogspot.com
> http://www.nietzschereborn.blogspot.com

Shuddhabrata Sengupta
The Sarai Programme at CSDS
Raqs Media Collective
shuddha at sarai.net
www.sarai.net
www.raqsmediacollective.net