On May 25 1967, an armed rebellion by the peasants under the leadership of Charu Mazumdar took place in the Naxalabari village of West Bengal. It happened because of attack on a tribal who had judicial order to plough his land but the goons of landlords did not allow him. This heated the situation and tensed the atmosphere. The tribals retaliated by capturing their lands back. The CPI (M)-led United Front government brutally cracked down the uprising. In seventy-two days of the uprising a police sub-inspector and nine tribals were killed. The Congress government at the Centre also supported the crackdown and did nothing to solve the grievances of tribals. The incident had a major impact all over India and thus naxalism was born.
So many years have passed and with time a lot has changed. What started as an armed struggle for tribal rights has transformed into anti-establishment revolution to topple the government and end democracy. Maoists or Naxals as you may call them have pursued extortion, kidnapping and violence without any kind of fear or regret. They live in dense jungles and conspire to expand ‘Red Corridor’ from there. They manufacture discontent in tribal areas by raking up controversial issues and instigating villagers against the government. Then they recruit cadres from those tribes and brainwash them to perpetuate ruthless and mindless violence. On 24 April, 2017 twenty five brave hearts were martyred in a cowardly attack on CRPF by Maoists (CPI-M (Maoist)). Naxals follow the ideology of Mao Zedong who was personally responsible for the death of more than 45 million in China.
A condolence meet for the CRPF martyrs was organized at JNU by assistant professor Dr. Buddha Singh. No wonder he had to pay the price for organizing condolence meet in the infamous red bastion.
The professor’s home was pelted with stones and his car was vandalized. Although, he did not name anyone but it’s pretty clear and if you are still wondering who all are behind this mishap either you are too naive or a fool. The professor posted pictures of his shattered windshield of his car on twitter.
My Car vandalized & Stone pelted @home @midnight as a reward of Organizing condolence meet @JNU 4 Sukma & Kupwara Martyrs.Huge mass gathered pic.twitter.com/xhX51iLq3V
— Dr.Buddha Singh (@BuddhaSinghJNU) April 29, 2017
It is well evident that the students and professors in JNU have sympathy for their counterparts who use violence to achieve their goals. Why there is no sympathy for our martyrs in these universities? Why there is no space for alternate view? Why again and again students of these universities indulge in ‘Breaking India’ activities? These questions are grave and demand some serious thought.
The Naxal violence majorly a rural phenomenon has slowly and steadily made inroads in urban areas. Naxals although do not believe in democracy, have created many fronts in urban areas to facilitate expansion of their movement through democratic means. Most of the organizations are given the shape of NGO and led by students and professors with firm belief in Maoist doctrine. They act as farce to cover the violent nature of Maoist Ideology. The main tasks of these NGOs are recruitment of cadres in the name of serving tribals, raising funds, creating urban shelter for underground cadres, providing legal assistance to arrested cadres and mass mobilization by agitating over issues of convenience.
Not all Naxals dwell in forests many of them live among us in concrete jungles. There’s a strong presence of what is known as ‘Urban Naxals’ in our universities. Student leaders of JNU were booked under sedition charges for participating in Anti-national Activities like raising slogans against the nation. The anti-India slogans are common to those of naxalite organizations which aim to overthrow the Indian state by arms.
Recently, Delhi University professor GN Saibaba was sentenced to life imprisonment by a session’s court in Maharashtra for indulging in anti-national activities with Maoists who propagate left-wing terror. The link between Saibaba and Maoists were established after Hem Mishra (JNU student) confessed that he acted as a courier between the professor and Maoist leader Ganapathy. In 2010, students in JNU held a night-long celebration of the massacre of 76 CRPF personnel by Naxals in an ambush at Dantewada.
In the past villagers of Kumakoleng, Nama and Soutnar in Bastar district had submitted a hand-written complaint at Darbha police station after a visit by JNU professor Archana Prasad (Centre for Informal sector and labour studies), Delhi University professor Nandni Sundar (who travelled under the alias Professor Richa Keshav), Vineet Tiwari from Joshi Research Institute and CPI (Marxist) leader Sanjay Parate who instigate innocent villagers against the government. According to the complaint, JNU professors told the villagers, “State administration will not provide anything. If you don’t listen to Naxalites your life and property will be in danger. Call back those who have surrendered. If police will camp here, your sisters and daughters will not be safe. Naxalites will take care of you.”
Unfortunately, instead of condemning such activities, the mainstream media and self-proclaimed intellectuals play the victim card and make them heroes. Such open and shameless support by the media helps Naxals in propagating their agenda by demonizing Indian government.
There is no doubt that Naxals are less concerned about the welfare of tribals. If they are really so concerned about tribals welfare then why do they target schools, road construction, railway tracks, hospitals etc.? Maoists instill fear in tribals which prevents them to come into mainstream and take advantage of government programs.
This results in non-development of tribals and serves as ammunition for Maoist guns.
The problem is that the war with guns can be fought. Our paramilitary forces are capable of eradicating Naxals once given free hand by government but how to fight the morbid fascination with Maoism that corrupts today’s youth? How to tackle this endemic that is spread through professors in our colleges? The fight is not limited to guns now and the threat is real. The virus of Maoism must be eradicated before it paralyzes whole nation.
