This kind of challenge is not new to India, in fact it has been a reality through out the independent history of India, if not before it. But the brazenness of the current challenges is unprecedented. The challenge that I’m talking about is not a geographically limited (like the insurgencies in Kashmir) or defined by ethnicity (like in North east India) or religion based (like the Khalistan movt or Jihadi terror). The nature of this challenge has been widely defined and it seeks legitimacy under the banner of an established political ideology. It's has a romantic history which has blossomed in our own land and it's often designated by its place of origin as 'Naxlism'.
With an expandable base of the poor & neglected masses, who have been forgotten in the economic map of India, the RED TERROR under the cover of Marxism or Maoism or Naxalism, will be a predicament that India will face for a long time to come. It is a great contradiction that the Indian State which is directed by its constitution to be Socialistic in its bend, is being challenged by the same masses whom it seeks to serve. There is definitely a compelling reality that has forced this challenge but to believe that the entire challenge is born out of this reality would be foolish.
Like any movement, even Naxalism or Maoism is being run by a small elitist group and the truth is that they are no different from any manipulative politician in regular politics. The unfortunate fact about Marxist ideology despite of its concern for the poor masses is that it can be easily used by a group of ill willed elites to gain legitimacy. Most movements across the globe which have claimed to be Marxist have brewed new classes who are more exploitative than their predecessors. Marxism ultimately legitimizes every gun bearing scoundrel under pretext of revolution. Of course there will be a subgroup amongst these elites who will strongly believe that they are actually fighting for a cause. These are the ‘Romantic fools’ who are in the hegemonic control of the manipulative elites like the Polit bureau in case of CPI (maoist) in India and they will ultimately be sacrificed in the pyre of the so called Revolution.
This isn’t a new analysis that has dawned on the world. In fact even the tribals, untouched by civilization, understand this basic human power politics. But when there is nothing to loose in a perpetual state of neglect, being swayed by the infatuation of the gun is easy. It does give a false sense of power and direction. Of course this will be a small sporadic group of infatuated followers driven by desperation and an Utopian vision built up by the manipulative elites. It’s hard to believe that such committed cadres can’t capture power in a democratic way to make the changes that they want to bring by the gun. But democracy is a long drawn game, how can it stand up to the enticement of having a romance with the 'Gun'?
It’s a delusion to believe that these are revolutionaries in the first case. When stories of an undercover ‘Extortion Industry’ come to light the ‘real colour’ of the RED MAFIA is out in the open. An investigation has pointed to a well established extortion economy worth more than Rs1500 crore in the forested RED corridor. This extortion is coming directly from the mining, plantation and other industries which these Maoist blame as the root cause of underdevelopment. With a flourishing drug industry running under the protection of Maoist how different is it from Under World mafia? In fact this isn’t any revolution but a RED Mafia on the rise and it's all black!
In the Marxist language people like me will be defined as a petty bourgeoisie, a structurally limited middle class satisfied by meager materialistic gains from the skewed society, who will never be able to empathize with the suffering of the tribes in midst of the mineral rich land which is never there for their taking. There is no running away from the demographic reality but lack of development and forced changes which are against the free will of individuals is a reality in every part of our society. This is deplorable but the Maoists are hardly an answer. In fact they are the byproducts of the problem and their survival depends on the perpetual continuation of the problem.
The killing of numerous security officials and more specifically the massacre of 76 CRPF Jawans is a deeply painful fact but it doesn’t indicate that Maoists have gained legitimacy amongst the people that they claim to represent. However it is an indication that they have acquired better strategies and fire power, which also indicates that their Mafia business is flourishing. It’s high time that the Home ministry adopted a prudent strategy which is more than just a linguistically well designed press release (that too in English written in the local script!) and followed by a speech on development which has been packed off to an oblivion till now!
The RED corridor is in deep trouble which can’t wait for democratic consensus amongst political parties who are many a times Maoist sympathizers due to electoral compulsions. If at all there is any appropriate situation to use of Article 356 it is now and get the errant state governments to fall in line and go for the complete kill. Only then will the development have a chance. The ‘grey hound’ way despite of its lacunae is the best way to reestablish the state’s monopoly on the gun! Let the ‘mis-placed’ Human rights advocates (the organic intellectuals in Garmsci’s terminology) rant. Maoism at the end of the day is a self-induced cancer and it requires a surgical removal for a healthy state of development!
6 comments:
Nice post, Vaibhav, and very timely too.
It is true that the Maoist menace has grown too big and needs urgent attention of our political and executive classes. But if any one is to blame for the situation the country finds itself in, it is the successive governments both at the centre and in the affected states. Sure, Maoists are not the solution to the problem of lack of development or deprivation and alienation of the tribal population, but they are not the by-products of the situation. To me, they are the logical outcome of it. I remember reading a very fine piece by a humane Indian economist (what a contradiction in terms!) in The Hindu, in which the author had repeatedly emphasised that the way the Indian economy is growing, making economic disparities ever wider, there's going to be a very real civil-war in the country. What the Naxals are doing right now is quite likely the precursor to such a scenario. In fact, it is surprising that things have only been this bad so far and not worse. But there's a limit to everything and when things reach the tipping point is anybody's guess.
You have rightly remarked that the so-called Maoists are actually only a small bunch of elites claiming to fight a legitimate war on behalf of the tribals. But let's accept the truth: 1. elite rule is inevitable. Even democracies are run by but a small group of political elites. 2. Maoists DO have a huge following among the tribal people. And this is what lends the movement a shade of legitimacy.
Anyway, much has been written and discussed about this threat already. It's time for the government(s) to move into action, before the situation goes completely out of hand.
Btw, if I am not mistaken, it wasn't Marx but Weber who talked of the class called petty bourgeoisie. For Marx, there were only two classes- the bourgeoisie and the proletariat- that is, in a capitalistic society.
Wish you all the very best! Keep more such stuff coming.
Must tell you one more thing. Your choice of titles for your write-ups is awesome. They are crisp and pertinent.
You are right in attributing the term petty bourgeoisie to Marx. Weber used it too, but Marx talked about it much earlier.
'Logical outcome' - Very aptly put .... In fact it explains the entire point you have. I agree 100%.
Thanks for your thought. It would be great to know your identity.
I have re-edited this post and republished it as there were too many grammatical errors in the previous version.
Why did you stop writing?
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