Comments on VOXINDICA: Enemies of the State or ‘Gandhians with guns’?

Thanks for the acknowledgement Sir. Yes, with no c...

2011-09-03T23:02:54.242+05:30

Thanks for the acknowledgement Sir. Yes, with no cadre having any knowledge of fundamentals of its ideology whatsoever, CPI (M) has flourished in Kerala and now is a force to reckon with. However, as you rightly pointed, the larger menace is the Jihadi terrorists that seem to mushroom at the expense of the divide created by the CON /CPI(M) / BJP politics. They have grown extremely with 'Gulf' contributions in both cash and kind and are armed with an ideology that preaches violence.

Perhaps, we should talk about this by a different post.

Yes Prashantji, there is a little known Kerala pha...

2011-09-03T22:28:17.399+05:30

Yes Prashantji, there is a little known Kerala phase too to the Naxalite/Maoist movement. We are all aware about the case of Rajan, a student of the REC, Calicut who was arrested as a Naxalite, tortured and killed in a police 'encounter' during IndiraG's infamous Emergency. Rajan's father Prof. Echara Warrier (a Hindi Professor) fought legal battles for a long time seeking justice for his son's extra-judicial murder. I don't remember what had come of it in the end.

Eventually the Naxalite/CPI (Maoist) movement lost steam in Kerala but the regular CPI (M) cadres gradually occupied the militant space. Today, it has a running feud with the “right wing” BJP/RSS/VHP which has been trying to gain a foothold in Kerala. But in the last decade, a new deadlier, radical movement entered Kerala politics in the shape of jehadi terrorism. Youth who have gone to the Persian gulf countries in search of livelihood were indoctrinated there and sent back as ‘sleepers’ or full blown terrorists to wage war on the Indian state. This is the more worrying anti-national insurgent movement than Naxalism/Masoism – as far as Kerala is concerned, because it has international ramifications. This of course means India has to contend with three menaces, Naxalism/Maoism in some states (the red corridor), insurgencies in the North-East and jehadi terrorism in some states like Andhra Pradesh, Kashmir, Kerala Uttar Pradesh West Bengal etc.

Excellent review Sir! A wonderful education on the...

2011-09-03T16:22:04.216+05:30

Excellent review Sir! A wonderful education on the origins of the Naxal movement in India. Certainly, political parties did at some point or the other, coax and cajole this movement to its benefit, for the ever so cheap vote bank politics. This has fueled the movement and at present, it remains a formidable enemy within.

With the rather defunct policies and procedures presently in place, and with the nonchalance with which CON led GOI is approaching the menace leaves much to be desired. Whilst a formidable policy of 'destroy & rehabilitate' should have been undertaken, the Government of the day has safely played it into the hands of the aggressors. With almost one third of the territory in Naxal hands, wonder when our Home Minister will find it adequate enough to proceed with sterner action to neutralize them. Let us Hope!

Just to mention a point you did not quote, Sir, was that the same menace was endangering the State of Kerala in the late 1960s. A assiduous, aggressive and brutal confrontation by the State machinery saw to its complete eradication. Many were killed, some were put behind bars, some were rehabilitated. But the positive attitude of the State Machinery (the only one I credit that State with) brought out wonderful results to a menace that would have been equally detrimental as it is now in AP, Bihar, Orrisa, WB etc.

Thanks to you for a superb and educative post.