Maoism is generally looked at in silos as Urban Maoism and Maoism in Tribal areas. However, both are two sides of the same coin and can not function without each other. Maoist activities with weapons in tribal areas is just tip of the iceberg. It is led and supported by brains from urban areas in a very deceptive manner. The relation between Maoist actions in urban and rural areas and their importance in uprooting existing democratic system is well defined in Maoist Documents – ‘Strategy and Tactics of Indian Revolution’ and ‘Urban perspective: Our work in urban areas’. This article brings eye-opening experience from Bastar and events in Mumbai aligned with these strategies.
Anuradha Ghandy Memorial lecture was organised on Oct 13, 2017, at Mumbai Marathi Patrkar Sangh by Anuradha Ghandy Memorial Committee. Memorial lectures are supposed to be in the memory of those who have contributed positively towards the society. However, Anuradha Ghandy, who was Central Committee Member of the CPI(Maoist), the banned terrorist Organisation, is being glorified through these lectures since last nine years.
The Indian Government banned the CPI (Maoist) under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) as a terrorist organisation on 22 June 2009. CPI (Maoist) ranked fifth globally in the list of organisations for most coordinated terrorist attacks in the world between 2000 and 2014 as per a report by US State Department’s National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism. Similarly, in the year 2012, 2013 and 2014, the Communist Party of India (Maoists) had figured in the top five terror groups. The other four were ISIS, Boko Haram, Taliban and Al-Qaeda in the list. It gives an idea about violent and destructive nature of CPI (Maoist).
Maoism is known as a classical model of fourth Generation Warfare-(4GW). It is the warfare where the enemy is invisible, and the battle is for the control of civil society through coercion or by controlling hearts and minds of people. Maoists’ motto is ‘power flows through the barrel of the gun ‘ and ‘ Lal Kille pe Lal Nishan ‘ (Red flag on Red Fort) is their aim. Maoists do not believe in the electoral process and want to overthrow democracy and bring in so-called ‘revolution’ to this country by establishing their rule. Maoists pretend to be Robinhoods of tribal in Dandakaranya. However, in reality, they are just using the underprivileged tribal as fodder for war against India. The Maoist sympathisers in urban areas have created a false impression that tribal are fighting this war for their rights. The reality is quite the opposite. Two generations of tribal have suffered due to the Maoist menace. Their Human rights are being violated by Maoists from last forty years. Anuradha Ghandy was Central Committee member of such anti-India and anti- Democracy organisation. Vernon Gonsalves, convicted in the past for his Maoist links under sections of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), mentioned on Facebook that ‘The Anuradha Ghandy Memorial public lecture series is conducted every year in honour of Anuradha Ghandy, Central Committee members of the Communist Party of India (Maoist)’. This event is an opportunity for Maoists to honour other Maoists. Interestingly, this is not the only one. Mumbai Marathi Patrakar Sangh also provided their premises to host an event on Oct 8, 2015, in the memory of another Convicted Maoist Sridhar Srinivasan, who died of Heart attack.
During one of my visits to Bastar, I met a surrendered Maoist. Hareram was his name. Hareram used to recruit young tribal for Maoist Dalam, the smallest unit in Maoist organisational structure. He recruited 300 youngsters and worked for Maoist for fourteen years. Hareram was recruited into Dalam by Anuradha Ghandy. She used to visit his home and later recruited him. She used to work as ‘Janaki Didi’, a false identity as all these underground Maoists carry while working in jungles. “she used to carry her weapon and luggage herself and did not ask us to carry it like other Maoist leaders” tells Hareram. Hareram has six siblings. When asked how many of them he recruited into Dalam, his reply was surprising ‘None of them .. My life was already ruined. Why should I spoil their lives?‘ He said. The man who recruited 300 youngsters very well knew that it was not good for them. That is the hypocrisy of this movement, and it is evident at each level. Anuradha Ghandy started ‘Centre for protection of Democratic Rights’ (CPDR) in Mumbai. Her Urban face was that of protecting democracy, in reality, she was working to overthrow the Indian Democracy in the name of “Revolution”. Jyoti Puniyani, Anuradha Ghandy’s friend, wrote an article ‘Memories of a Naxalite Friend’ in Times of India after Anuradha’s death in 2008.
Jyoti wrote: ‘The ‘Naxalite menace’, says Manmohan Singh, is the biggest threat to the country. But, I remember a girl who was always laughing, and who gave up a life rich in every way to change the lives of others.’
Is this what she meant by ‘changing lives’? Isn’t it the fact that Anuradha Ghandy is responsible for spoiling lives of people like Hareram and those 300 youngsters whom she recruited? Who will compensate for permanent losses and damage done to lives of innocent Tribals in the name of “revolution”? We do not know how many more those 300 must have killed. If Anuradha Ghandy is being glorified as Social Activist working for downtrodden, can the Committee explain why she used to carry weapon with her and used to operate with fake identity? Does it not mean that she was part of the Armed cadre waging war against India? There cannot be a better mockery of the word ‘Social Activist‘ or ‘ Robinhood’ if people like Anuradha Ghandy are described so.
Anuradha Ghandy started her political life at Elphinstine College, Mumbai in 1972. She went on to do her MA in sociology and later M.Phil. In the meantime, she also taught first in Wilson College and then at the Jhunjhunwalla College. In November 1977, she married known Maoist leader Kobad Ghandy. He has been facing charges for his Maoist connect. She was involved in Maoist propaganda in urban centres. She is also believed to be the founding member of CPI(Maoist) in Maharashtra. She died on April 12, 2008 due to cerebral malaria.
In a memoir published on behalf of Anuradha Ghandy Memorial Committee by H. S. Shiva Prakash, Professor, School of Arts and Aesthetics, JNU in Aug 2008, it is mentioned that ‘While active amongst students, Anuradha came in touch with the student organisation PROYOM—Progressive Youth Movement—which was inspired by the then Naxalite movement. She became one of its active members, and later one of its leaders.‘
In 2002, Amarnath Chandaliya formed Pune-based Kabir Kala Manch (KKM), an alleged Maoist front for urban areas that was supposedly a cultural platform where those so inclined could study, discuss and raise various social issues through media ranging from literature to drama. In 2011, members of Kabir Kala Manch were arrested for their alleged Maoist links, who are, for now, out on bail. ATS has questioned KKM founder Amarnath Chandaliya, and his statement revealed whom he was dealing with, though he claimed he had snapped his links with them. As reported by The Indian Express, Chandaliya, in his statement mentioned to have met Anuradha Ghandy a few times before she died in 2008 adding she used to give him Rs 4,000 every month, telling him that the money came from “tax” collected by Naxals. Can the Committee explain from where the “tax“ was coming and for what purpose? Chandaliya was introduced to Anuradha Ghandy in 2007 by Sudhir Dhawale, a Mumbai-based writer, arrested by police in 2010 on charges of sedition for his alleged links with the Maoist, later acquitted. According to Amarnath Chandaliya’s statement, Anuradha told him that “Pune is an opinion-making city…Opinions formed in Pune are accepted all over Maharashtra…The views of intellectuals in Pune stand out…”
Bhumkaal, an organisation working in Maoist affected areas in Gadchiroli, Chhatisgarh and Odisha on development, especially the construction of bridges through public participation, has written to Mumbai Police Commissioner in 2014 and 2015 about this event demanding a ban. There was no response. Another organisation, Legal Rights Observatory (LRO), also wrote twice to Home Ministry to ban this program and take actions against concerned organisers. The Anuradha Ghandy Memorial Committee argue that it is not a banned organisation. However, it is difficult to ignore the fact that Revolutionary Democratic Front’s (RDF) secretary Report mentions ‘Anuradha Ghandy Memorial Committee’ as one of the activities undertaken by RDF, a banned organisation run by convicted Maoist G N Saibaba. It is evident that objective of this lecture series is not just to remember Anuradha Ghandy. Do we want more youngsters to take up arms and spoil their own lives and lives of the tribal in the name of revolution?
