Author: Sanjay Basak
Publication: The Asian Age
Date: May 31, 2008
Introduction: Kangaroo courts dispense justice;
school denigrate Gandhi, Nehru
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."
