Indian Defence Review

Given the external linkages of the Maoists, the security situation in the country is going to further deteriorate and the state apparatus is going to look even more helpless”¦

On the contrary, in many areas the state apparatus willfully traded a certain percentage of the writ, because in such a situation, official patronage can be selectively given for monetary and other favours. It ensures that the people remain at the mercy of the state apparatus. The public servants to maintain their misplaced notions of power, pelf and superciliousness, deliberately allow the state’s writ to function below par, how much below – is a measure of how patronizing, negligent and corrupt the system is willing to become.

It is a sad commentary that people have to bend backwards or put their self respect at stake for their legitimate entitlements, rights and security. A government official even if he is a relative or a known person, when approached with legitimate problems, behaves as if he is dispensing favour, while crooks of every variety have unhindered access to every level of power. Rather, power has become a tool to rollback the writ of the state.

The space of writ conceded was initially filled by third rate politicians, third rate bureaucrats, third rate police officials, criminals, and various mafias, which includes the mining mafia. In the Red Corridor, all these have been supplanted by the Maoist. The difference is that in the former case, the mutual beneficiaries were the government functionaries and those who had appropriated the writ of the state, in the later case; it is exclusively the Maoist leaders and their vast network of professionals, ideologues, and international benefactors.

International Face of the Maoists

The real face and international dimension of this network was in evidence recently. The members of the international network were present in the High Court in Chattisgarh, when Binayak Sen bail application had come up for hearing. International Human Rights Organizations portray Sen as a great saint, engaged in providing medical succor to the tribal. The prosecution blew up the facade by pointing out that Binayak, the pediatrician, was engaged in every activity other than attending to sick children and not even once he organized a medical camp for children in his long stay in Chhattisgarh. The national and international face of the Maoists was visible in the candle-light rally held at India Gate to press for release of Binayak Sen’s release.

Also read: Changing Face of Terror

Indians should not be surprised, if this support finally manifests in Noble Peace Prize to Binayak. The sanctity of the Noble Peace Prize is being compromised with every passing year, and more than recognition, it has become a tool of international diplomacy and intervention.

Significantly, the Times of India, in an article, ‘Support for Naxal Goes Global’ (dated 24 February 2011) has quoted a statement by International Committee to support peoples war in India to the effect that a week long international campaign to sustain “the peoples’ war in the country will be held from April 2 – 9, 2011 across the nation”. The statement further states, “This campaign is the expression of proletarian internationals and advancement of unity of international proletariat, of revolutionaries, democratic forces, and oppressed peoples around the world.” Posters have been made in French, Spanish and other languages to support the cause of the Maoists. The training of some Maoist cadres in China’s Yunan province and Maoist – ULFA – KIA (Myanmar) – China military links is now established beyond doubt.

Why the recent abductions?

The timing of the abduction of IAS officer, when seen through the prism of international benefactors of the Maoists, is significant. The life-imprisonment of Binayak Sen, the fact that one-third of the top Maoist leadership is in jail, the decision of setting up of an army training camp in the Abujmarh forests in the epicenter of Red Corridor in Chhattisgarh, the mixed success of Op. Green Hunt, and the challenge within the Maoist rank to the Andhra leadership in Maoist hierarchy – has rattled the underground and over-ground Maoist leadership. Recently, in Chhattisgarh after the release of five abducted policemen in Chhattisgarh Comrade Prabhat, a top Maoist leader, said: “We did not hurt these jawans because they were not our main targets. The message was for the government to …. abandon Op Green Hunt and stop installation of army base in Maoist territory”.

The space of writ conceded was initially filled by third rate politicians, third rate bureaucrats, third rate police officials, criminals, and various mafias, which includes the mining mafia. In the Red Corridor, all these have been supplanted by the Maoists.

They are seen to be activating every national and international leverage to put the Indian state into the back-foot. The internal security situation in the country has become grim. Powers that be in Delhi may not feel so because of the sheer size of India, but the tentacles of the Maoists are quite visible and increasingly making their presence felt in the capital as never before. Without internal security, no country can hope to have a robust external security.

Given the external linkages of the Maoists, the security situation in the country is going to further deteriorate and the state apparatus is going to look even more helpless because it is this very state apparatus which traded the state’s writ and therefore has no moral and physical authority to reclaim it. The run-away corruption impacting the country can be attributed to the same factor. To reclaim India, the imperative is a new and dedicated state apparatus. The current state apparatus does not appear to be in a position to even protect the functioning by government functionaries, otherwise the IAS officer RV Krishna known for his integrity and hard work would not have been kidnapped.

Internal face of the Maoists

Internally, the Maoists have the most intriguing and elaborate network, comprising lawyers, doctors, saffron clad religious activists, professors, so-called intellectuals, media personnel, and film personalities; all working under the guise of human rights organizations, and civil right groups. These people are the actual white-collared criminals acting in the forefront of the entire Maoist movement, some of them now for almost three to four decades, since the time when the Maoists movement had no tribal colour. There is one thing common that these white-collared criminals are invariably rich, irrespective of their profession.

Also read: Chinese incursions and India’s flawed response

This author has met a large number of Maoist leaders, who provide the most scintillating rags-to-riches story. There are some universities and media houses in the national capital, which are catering exclusively to the Maoist agendas. When 73 CRPF personnel were killed in Dantewada, some students of that university organized a party, wherein booze flowed. A television channel, which has taken up the cudgels on behalf of Binayak Sen, is conspicuous by its relative indifference on the abduction of RV Krishna.