me with the maoist soldiers in chhattisgarh jungleMaoists' form revolutionary government in Chhattisgarh (Pix by Ranjan Basu, photo editor, The Sunday Indian)
Taking control of the entire tribal belt stretching from Abujhmar, Bastar and Dandakaranya, the Maoists in Chhattisgarh have announced the formation and functioning of their first-ever parallel "revolutionary government". This "government" has also announced the formation of "ministries" of agriculture, finance, judiciary, health, school and culture and forests.
The Chhattisgarh government appears to have completely lost control of this remote tribal-dominated region, over which soldiers belonging to the dreaded People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA) hold sway. While the Maoist health ministry is creating awareness on family planning and hygiene, the education ministry has come up with its own version of "revolutionary history." Attacks on the government-sponsored "Salwa Judum" movement is a part of the "red" syllabus.
A top central committee member, Comrade Sonu, told this newspaper: "We have rejected imperialist history and are teaching tribals about the revolution and of great heroes from their tribes." The outfit plans to set up similar revolutionary governments in other Maoist-infested states like Jharkhand and Orissa. Though there is no "foreign ministry" as such, the highest policymaking body, the central committee, maintains links with the coordination committee of Maoist parties and organisations of South Asia.
In a telephonic conversation from Raipur, Chhattisgarh’s director-general of police, Mr Vishwa Ranjan, said, however, that the state police had been successful in "smashing" the Maoist bases and that the Naxalites were on the run. He claimed that the "so-called parallel government" had been made "defunct" by the police onslaught. He said that apart from forming a special task force, the state police was also coordinating with the Greyhound force of the Andhra Pradesh police in its battle against Maoists.
Running short of arms and ammunition, the Maoists are now planning another strike on the lines of its February raid on the police post at Noigarh in Orissa. During this attack, the militants killed 13 policemen and fled with a huge cache of arms, including AK-47s and light machine-guns.
It is learnt that the Maoist agriculture ministry had taken complete control of forest products, the main source of livelihood of tribals. Even the prices of the "tendu patta" (tobacco leaves) are being fixed by Maoist leaders. "Private contractors have been paying a higher price for the leaves to the tribals than had been fixed by government contractors," the Maoist leader said.
The Maoist "judiciary" controls the kangaroo courts, where "justice" is delivered by self-styled Maoist "judges". "We let local people decide punishments for culprits," he said. The culture ministry teaches children revolutionary songs, such as "Take the bow and arrow, and axe and finish the imperialist government."
The Maoists claim to have set up at least 100 primary schools, from kindergarten to Class 5. Besides Mangal Pandey, children are also taught about "Babu Rao Sarmek" a tribal hero who rose against the British during the 1857 uprising. The children are also trained in armed combat by the Maoist-controlled "Adivasi Bal Sangathan (tribal children forum)." In history class they are taught that "Gandhi and Nehru had misled people" and that "true patriots are Maoists."
A state committee member said the Gonds, the dominant tribe in Chhattisgarh, are being told that they were named "gond" by the government since they "ate cow meat." Tribals living in Abujhmar are told that since the government considered them "idiots (abhuj)", the region is called "the land of idiots."
The Chhattisgarh government appears to have completely lost control of this remote tribal-dominated region, over which soldiers belonging to the dreaded People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA) hold sway. While the Maoist health ministry is creating awareness on family planning and hygiene, the education ministry has come up with its own version of "revolutionary history." Attacks on the government-sponsored "Salwa Judum" movement is a part of the "red" syllabus.
A top central committee member, Comrade Sonu, told this newspaper: "We have rejected imperialist history and are teaching tribals about the revolution and of great heroes from their tribes." The outfit plans to set up similar revolutionary governments in other Maoist-infested states like Jharkhand and Orissa. Though there is no "foreign ministry" as such, the highest policymaking body, the central committee, maintains links with the coordination committee of Maoist parties and organisations of South Asia.
In a telephonic conversation from Raipur, Chhattisgarh’s director-general of police, Mr Vishwa Ranjan, said, however, that the state police had been successful in "smashing" the Maoist bases and that the Naxalites were on the run. He claimed that the "so-called parallel government" had been made "defunct" by the police onslaught. He said that apart from forming a special task force, the state police was also coordinating with the Greyhound force of the Andhra Pradesh police in its battle against Maoists.
Running short of arms and ammunition, the Maoists are now planning another strike on the lines of its February raid on the police post at Noigarh in Orissa. During this attack, the militants killed 13 policemen and fled with a huge cache of arms, including AK-47s and light machine-guns.
It is learnt that the Maoist agriculture ministry had taken complete control of forest products, the main source of livelihood of tribals. Even the prices of the "tendu patta" (tobacco leaves) are being fixed by Maoist leaders. "Private contractors have been paying a higher price for the leaves to the tribals than had been fixed by government contractors," the Maoist leader said.
The Maoist "judiciary" controls the kangaroo courts, where "justice" is delivered by self-styled Maoist "judges". "We let local people decide punishments for culprits," he said. The culture ministry teaches children revolutionary songs, such as "Take the bow and arrow, and axe and finish the imperialist government."
The Maoists claim to have set up at least 100 primary schools, from kindergarten to Class 5. Besides Mangal Pandey, children are also taught about "Babu Rao Sarmek" a tribal hero who rose against the British during the 1857 uprising. The children are also trained in armed combat by the Maoist-controlled "Adivasi Bal Sangathan (tribal children forum)." In history class they are taught that "Gandhi and Nehru had misled people" and that "true patriots are Maoists."
A state committee member said the Gonds, the dominant tribe in Chhattisgarh, are being told that they were named "gond" by the government since they "ate cow meat." Tribals living in Abujhmar are told that since the government considered them "idiots (abhuj)", the region is called "the land of idiots."
(The article is published in Asian Age on 31 May, 2008)
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