Towards a Base Area in Dandakarnaya
It is the development of the
three magic weapons alone that will facilitate the area-wise seizure of
political power in a backward country like
The Koraput Armoury
Raid
On the night of Feb.6th 2004 at
Without any significant
resistance one after another target surrendered to the Naxalites.
A Jawan guarding the district armoury,
N.Nayak, was shot dead first to seize the Armoury. Another assault batch, which attacked the jail
premises, faced some mild resistance, in which the Jail Superintendent and a
few constables were injured and 20 rifles captured by the Naxalites
from the Jail police. The Jawans in the two police
stations surrendered and handed over their weapons. And at the SP office also
there was no resistance, and the Naxalites did not
give any scope for the demoralised forces to regroup.
Not only this, the news items that appeared so far in the media have written in
black and white that all the higher officialdom of the administration so
panicked by the stunning attack, that they went underground till the fresh
battalions of CRPF arrived and positioned themselves in the city. Every corrupt
official waited with bated breath, apprehending that Naxals
might target him or her. Actually Naxals targeted
particularly the HQ Armoury. When they attacked the SBI’s ATM counter and the district treasury, they did not
touch the lockers, but picked the weapons in the persons of the guards on duty.
This shows the commitment of the guerrillas to stick to the task. According to
government reports, weapons, ammunition, grenades valued at Rs.
50 crore were seized by the Naxalites
of the People’s War. Among them there were 530 weapons of different types
(mostly .303s and some other heavier weapons), along with more than 30,000
rounds of ammunition, a number of Mortar shells and Grenades. To carry all this huge quantity of arms and
ammunition to the jungles the PGA guerrillas picked some vehicles of the govt’s health department and others.
To avoid any interception by the
police, a meticulous plan was chalked out for their retreat according to news
items that appeared in the local media. On their retreat the daredevil
guerrillas attacked 3 police stations at Laxmipur, Narayanpatna and Kakiriguma and a
Dy. Superintendent of Police’s office at Laxmipur. In order to pre-empt retaliation from these
police stations, separate assault batches were deployed and they took control
immediately after the temporary seizure of Koraput. A
CRPF van that tried to approach was ambushed and six jawans
killed.
Throughout the entire 2 hour period of
the take-over of the town centre the guerrillas
broadcast to the people the purpose of the raid and the aims of the Party and
called on them not to be afraid as no one would be hurt, except for the police
who sought to resist.
The Times of
This major action will no doubt act to further
build the PGA to beat back the enemy forces in Dandakarnya
and elsewhere.
The forces of the People’s
Guerrilla Army are divided into three parts – the Principal Forces, Secondary
Forces and the Basic Forces (Peoples Militia). So the Army came into existence
with clearly defined tasks and formulated its constitution. Then the army gave
a call for a ‘Tactical Counter-Offensive Campaign’ against the enemy, first, in
June’ 2001, to intensify the Peoples War in a disciplined manner under the
leadership of the Party. The campaign lasted for four months. After that, in
April 2002, one more campaign was launched, which lasted for four months. A
third campaign was launched during the months of April to June in 2003. These
campaigns against the enemy by the People’s Army, in the form of attacks, was
an important change. In addition to these, on other occasions, in different
divisions and on different problems, a new strategy was devised to coordinate
the attacks against the enemy, by which the People’s Guerrilla Army has
achieved important successes. During the last four years dozens of policemen
were killed by the Red soldiers, and many more were injured. While annihilating
enemy forces the Red Soldiers have seized a lot of arms and ammunitions from
the possession of the enemy to equip its forces with sophisticated arms. The
attack of Sept.’ 2003 on Geedam Police Station in
During these four years important
changes can be seen in the methods of repression by the enemy. Chhattisgarh has been separated from Madhya Pradesh. Now there are 16 districts in Chattisgarh.
The police is worried that in more than half of these
districts the Revolutionary Movement is getting strengthened. The Joint
Operational Command (JOC) comprising of nine states is also focusing on DK to
smash the growing people’s movement and people’s war there.
After 9/11 imperialism, particularly US
imperialism, is depicting terrorism as a main danger in the world and, in the
name of terrorism is carrying out a vicious campaign against the struggling
masses. Imposing a ban on several Progressive and Revolutionary organizations
to root them out, it is implementing the strategy of Low Intensity Conflict
(LIC). In pursuance of this, the attacks have intensified. During 1999-2004 the
deployment of police forces has increased manifold in DK, providing them specialized training, they have been deployed in the
battle field. Central and state police forces are playing havoc in the whole of
DK — atrocities, fake encounters, arrests, torture etc. launched by these
forces have increased even in this region. During the recently held elections
to the Chhattisgarh state assembly and the 14th
Parliamentary elections, police repression crossed all limits of cruelty.
The growing resistance was
particularly marked by the continuous counter-attacks on the paramilitary
forces during the election campaign, by both the regular forces as also the
militia. In this military resistance during just the Assembly elections
(reports of the Lok Sabha
elections have not yet come in) the PGA killed one CRPF Jawan
in South Bastar, in West Bastar
6 Jawans were killed in an ambush, and in North Bastar 3 police. In all one AK-47 rifle, 5 SLR, one
wireless set and some ammunition were seized. Media reports say that the number of attacks during the Lok Sabha elections were even higher.
In the wake of the assembly
elections held in November 2003 in Chhattisgarh, all
the three districts –
In fact a full nine months before the
elections, in March 2003, three battalions of the CRPF were sent to the area.
The then Congress government began a big campaign of repression. Besides
picking up hundreds for questioning, arresting many in false cases they also
resorted to firings in villages to create an atmosphere of terror. Women were
molested and in areas where clashes with the PGA occurred the repression went
beyond limits. For example, in North Bastar Division,
where a clash occurred, they immediately killed two innocent peasants working
in the nearby fields, calling it an encounter. In the Bairamgard
region of
Inspite
all these forces the government forces and the political parties could not do
their campaign except in the big villages along the roadside. The police spread
rumors that if people did not cast their vote they will be bombed from the air,
that naxalites are preventing development works, that
they are violent and are terrorists. Vajpayee too
said the same thing when he came on his election campaign to Jagdalpur. Money flowed like water during their campaign,
and inspite of police presence the campaigners did
not dare to enter any of the naxalite effected areas
like Mard, Kishtaram, Barsagudda, Usoor, National Park,
Konta, Mirtur, Ganglur, etc. etc. On the other hand the PW formed campaign
teams and widely campaigned for boycott with speeches, posters, handbills and
song and dance programmes.
In Mard division 10
such teams were formed with hundred people. In North Bastar
Division it was held in three phases. Here 25 campaign teams comprising 300
people from the KAMS (women’s organisation) and the
DAKMS (peasant organisation) were formed. This
included a team of ten children of the children’s organisation.
In the West Bastar Division the campaign went on for
three months in which 16,000 people participated involving all the mass organisations. In South Bastar
Division 63 DAKMS teams and 23 KAMS teams were formed to campaign and at the
village level 15 CMS (cultural organisation) teams,
comprising 150 people were formed. The campaign spread to 366 villages in this
division.
Even with such large enemy forces
deployed here, and whatever atrocities they did, even then voting did not
happen according to their wishes. The police forces increased the percentage of
voting by pressing the buttons of Electronic Voting Machines in flying
helicopters. But the people got better experience of the war. Varieties of
police and para military forces they saw in front of
their eyes, which they had never seen before. They also saw the cruelty of the
Punjab Commandos. They saw that even the Mortar shells, hand grenades, flair
and helicopters of the police forces could not boost up the morale of the
rulers. Definitely, the people’s war in Dandakarnya
created havoc in the hearts of the enemy. But during these four years, the PGA
had lost many of its heroic leaders and fighters, including Coms.
Sukhdev, Raju, Ramdas, Bhaskar, Mahender, Swarupa etc. Taking
inspiration of their supreme sacrifices, the Peoples Army has been advancing
the Peoples War.
In this boycott election
campaign, in addition, hundreds of people’s militia were
also mobilized. In two places they destroyed the helipads. They dug up the
roads to prevent enemy movement. In just the month of December they did 50
actions to harass the enemy. Earlier, in the couple of months till December 3,
the entire PGA (three forces combined) had done over130 actions on enemy
forces. It became a hell for the enemy force that were
brought in large numbers to conduct the Assembly elections.
As a result of the boycott campaign:
In Mard
Division of the 40 Election Centres, in 10 not a
single vote was cast, in 20 centres because of police
threats there was little voting, and in the main centres
there was some voting. In other words, of the 300 villages in Mard, in 75 there was no voting, in 150 there was 5-10%
voting and in the balance 75 villages there was some 25% voting. But, the
collector of the region announced that there had been a big number of votes
cast.
In South Bastar Division there
were 80 Election Centres. Except for the 45 centres that were on the main road and in the towns all
other centres there was a total boycott. In 10
villages the people’s militia and mass organisation
people seized the voting machines.
In West Bastar Division there
are 95 Election Centres. Of these in 30 there was a
full boycott, in 40 centres there was negligible
voting and in 25 Centres where the police were in
force the voting was about 25%. In 13 Election Centres
the people (together with the militia) seized the voting machines. In Bijapur election centre alone 35
voting macgines were confiscated.
In North Bastar
Division of the 250 villages, in 136 villages the people fully boycotted the
elections.
Even as the people had not got
over the terror of the assembly elections, the declaration of the 14th
Parliamentary elections struck them once again. This time Gadchiroli
district also came under the cover of police surveillance due to the ‘democratic’
election. Police bandobast for the parliamentary
election was even more than during the assembly election. The bandobast was only aimed at terrorizing the people by
increasing the police forces and nothing else. Their only aim was to protect
parliamentary democracy by terrorizing the voters at the point of a gun or if
necessary by killing them. And exactly the same took place here also. Near
Dharma Village of Bhairamgarh taluka,
the CRPF jawans after raping an innocent adivasi girl, Budhri, shot her dead.
An adivasi youth Chaituram
of Palli village, was beaten to death. Two other
women were gang raped. These peoples were declared as Naxalites.
More reports are yet to come in.
On the whole the masses in these areas rejected the
existing system an lent support for the new power that
is emerging in the DK.
In this region you will find how
people are building their own government to end atrocities and exploitation
which have taken place for centuries. People in Dandakaranya
call the new power as the “Jantana Sarkar” in their language. That means, like every
revolutionary war this revolutionary war is being fought for state power.
During these four years, there have been some important changes in methodology
of working of these embryonic forms of government. In the advancing
revolutionary movement, with the clear vision of base areas, these units are as
precious to the people as their lives. These are the roots of real democracy.
And, in the process, in the whole of Dandakaranya
while strengthening the people’s power, organs of the exploitative government
are being smashed. To understand this, the news of the resignations of sarpanchas and other so-called peoples representatives
during September’ 2003 to March’ 2004 is enough, which challenged the sham
democracy and made ripples in the parliament. The government was in dilemma for
six months. People had rejected them by saying, “you are not our
representatives. You have been created by the government. We have no need for
you people.” Unable to answer the people’s question more than 1100 Panchayat representatives tendered their resignations to
the government officials. But the government didn’t accept even a single
resignation. If the government had accepted these resignations, it would be the
murder of their own defined democracy by their own hands. Till these
resignations are not accepted, these shameless so-called representatives were
not willing to leave. There was a strange situation. Finally they left their
resignations before the officers and bowed their heads before the people. It
was a great example of people’s victory. Though it may be a technical question
whether the resignations were accepted or not, the exploitative government now
has to take a decision on this. But here, in the villages, what is going on is
the rule of the “Jantana Sarkar”.
The new “Jantana
Sarkar” is adjudicating justice, developing
welfare measures, organizing production more fruitfully and undertaking various
measures that the so-called government never did for decades. They say that the
naxalites are against ‘development’, but the people
of these regions for decades have seen no development only exploitation and
humiliation. For the first time ever they can stand up upright with
self-respect and confidence.
Let us look at the question of
the justice system. This is related to the law and order situation in villages.
Generally policemen are known as security personnel..
But there is not a single instance, where they provided security to people. But
in the DK in places where the Jantana Sarkar is being formed, it is providing security to the
people. Due to the ongoing Revolutionary movement since the last 25 years, in
many Police Stations of DK the number of reports has been cut down. Particularly
in the places, where the Jantana Sarkar exists, no matter goes to the police, including
murder cases, etc. When people have no faith on this exploitative security
system and Judiciary, then why should they go to them? In the Golapally PS, which was opened for repression of Naxalites, no matter has been reported there since the last
20 years. In May’ 2003, the first matter was reported there, and that was
related to kidnapping of police persons by the Naxalites.
It indicates, on whom the people’s faith is growing. In this area, people in
thousands demonstrated for the removal of these exploitative Police Stations.
In fact, one day these police stations will have to be removed.
Also the govt. formed by the
people are implementing people’s welfare measures and
agricultural development with a long term view and in a systematic way.
Irrigation systems have been given priority in the agriculture sector. The area
is rich in water resources, but due to negligence of the present exploitative
govt., crops of people fail every year. Feeling the acute need of correcting
this situation, the people’s govt. is specially preparing and sending
agricultural activists. Training classes are being organized to train them. The
people’s govt. is striving to transform agriculture fundamentally, which has
been going on in a traditional way and has remained away from any development.
According priority to indigenous seeds is a part of their democratic politics.
The People’s Govt. prefers to replace many types of chemical fertilizers and
pesticides with compost. Since the people consume very low amounts of
nutritious foods such as pulses, milk etc., the people’s govt. has decided to
give first priority for agriculture of vegetables. The People’s govt. is
introducing other crops also. Inspite of acute
shortage of economic resources here, mainly basing on the labour
power of the people and on their mutual co operation and their growing
consciousness, the foundation of a new people’s economy is being built.
Recently there was some
development in education and health works too. Not only has there been an
increase in the number of people’s schools and people’s health centers but a
rational and scientific syllabus has been included in the education system. The
syllabus has been prepared in Gondi for kids. For
teaching this syllabus children are not locked in closed rooms. Generally some
international organisations allege that Naxalites and other militant organisations
play with the future of children by putting guns in their hands. In contrast to
this, the facts depict some different picture in this region. Teachers here are
educating the children with education related to labour
and liberation from exploitation of labour. Children
also, if necessary, take part with their family in labour.
In the remaining time they take education in the schools run by these people’s
governments.
While the dacoit government is
propagating about, “primary education in the mother tongue”, but the facts are
something else. Millions of adivasi children of the
country have no opportunity to get education in their mother tongue. But now in
Dandakaranya, the foundation has been laid for
primary education in their mother tongue — gondi. This may be treated as a major change in the
development of education.
The Party has given a call for
people’s doctors; “doctors, go to patients” and not vica-versa.
People’s doctors are playing a commendable role by devoting full time among the
local adivasi peoples, who are leading a most
backward cultural life. It is a fact that even today superstition is widely
prevalent. People are more dependent on the local ‘Vadde’
(witch-doctor). But side by side, the people’s health system is also growing.
Though there are lots of problem in collecting medicines, health activists of
the party by moving from village to village distribute the medicines to people
so that they could be protected against the epidemic of malaria and other
communicable diseases. In cases of emergency, seeing the condition of the
patient, these activists are providing their services by living in their houses
and serving them with full responsibility. Though these centers are yet less in
number, by serving the people in real People’s health centers, they are laying
the foundation of a new health system.
While the foundation of a new
system is being laid through revolutionary reforms at the ground level, on the
other hand the dacoit governments, mainly with the help of repression, are
intensifying false economic reforms to smash this new system. Let us take the
example of Gadchiroli only. Here the adivasi population is not more than 5-6 lakhs,
yet the Govt. is showering reforms by flowing in more than Rs.
50 crores yearly. Implementation of these policies is
very fast mainly in the areas of the Revolutionary Movement. With the purpose
of distancing people from the Revolutionary Movement, by giving economic
bribes, these reforms are being implemented. The promptness may be estimated by
the fact that in the towns, where weekly haats are
held, the lower level government officials are handing
over cheques to peasants. By implementing numerous
schemes such as – distribution of Solar Lights, Cycle, sanction of funds for
Pools-Dams, giving hybrid seeds in the name of providing agricultural
equipments, chemical fertilizers and pesticides which are essential for these
seeds, and by providing money to a big chunk of the society they are trying to
corrupt them. It is one of the important suggestions given by the NGOs to the government
that Naxalism can be wiped out by speeding the
developmental programmes. They think that instead of
seeing the problem of Naxalism as a Law and Order
Problem, the government has to understand the economic, political and social
view and try to solve it.
An important aspect of
revolutionary reforms is the growing conscientisation
of the people. Take the question of women and their struggle against
patriarchy. Every year, especially on the occasion of March 8th
women are mobilized on a large scale. On the occasion of International Women’s
Day 2004 women had raised their voice against the attack of Hindutva
on adivasi culture. A Women’s Week was held all over
with numerous conventions. At these conventions women discussed the issues and
the conclusions reached were carried to the women in the villages by those who
attended. Last year in October 2003 a patriarchy abolition campaign was taken
where the issue was carried to thousands of women. In a meeting organized in Ganglur 3,000 women had taken part. The main aspect of
these meetings was to identify how patriarchy still manifested in the movement
and how to counter it — and also how it was hampering the movement. In fact the
party leadership presented its self-criticism before the KAMS (Krantikari Adivasi Mahila Sangathan) and the people,
thereby sowing the seed for the new ideas and giving confidence to the women to
struggle against all forms of patriarchy, no matter from whom it emanates.
Women are challenging both patriarchy within the family and the patriarchal
violence perpetrated by the state.
Also the peasants are being
educated to support the struggles of other sections of the people. In an
unprecedented action the peasants of DK came out in support of the demands of
the teachers when 28,000 of them went on strike in August 2003. Also campaigns
are taken out against imperialist attacks worldwide and particularly the
So, the New People’s Power in Dandakarnaya is advancing and consolidating towards the
formation of a Base Areas based on the leadership of the Party, and the
mobilization of the vast masses in the people’s guerrilla army and a wide
united front of all oppressed sections of the population — including teachers,
health workers, employees and even petty traders.