…means strike. Today Nepal has ground to a halt. Why? Well on Friday the police in Southern Nepal began to clear a large number of squatters who had lately taken possession of government owned forest. The government claim that this land is ecologically vital- a green corridor to one of Nepal’s national parks- this is true. The squatters have little, their need is also real.

OK- a traditional clash of two real needs- why a general strike? Well, in the course of clearing the land on Friday tensions boiled over. Violence broke out, reports indicate that people died. This is dreadful, but I have two further problems.

The first is that the Maoists quite literally led the squatters to the forest. It was the Maoists who injected the ideological spark into this tinderbox. I have a great deal of sympathy for the peasantry in that part of Nepal (and I use the term peasant out of a desire to accurately describe their situation, not in a derogatory sense). I understand their need for land. I know that many still struggle with the legacy of the bonded labour and slavery which was prevalent untill the 1970s. I know that their desperation is real.

I have no respect however, for those cold-hearted ideologues who lead the desperate into a battle and let them die. I believe that what happened on Friday was inevitable. The Nepal police have no record for reliability, they have never been a well trained or well disciplined body. If anyone knows this it is the Maoists- they have been fighting them for a decade.

Let me be clear; it is dreadful that such an easy calculation can be made. The justified criticisms of the police are only strengthened by this incident. But for a political party to use the desperately poor as cannon fodder, is disgraceful cowardice and nothing more. It is ironic that many of the Maoist high command are high caste. Those they have used are not. And so in the eternal caste battle of Nepali politics, even the socialists continue the discrimination.

My second point is more of a question. Why has Nepal stopped today? Is it because of the populace’s sympathy for the struggle, or is it because of the retribution which will be extracted against those who don’t close? I’m not certain of the answer- but I know that no political party ever enjoys 100% support and I know the closure is total today.

Because I have today veered into politically charged territory I should be clear- these views are my own. They have no relation at all to the work I do or the organisation I work for. I bear the full responsibility for the accuracy and content posted here.

Maoist supporters rally against the government.

There’s been so much news from Nepal in the past 48 hours I barely know where to begin! Since there’s so much of it it’s possible that I’ll give an incomplete view of some developments, but that’s probably unavoidable. Either way, there’s been a hell of a lot happening and it’s worth keeping up with it.

To start things off, Maoist cadres attacked Finance Minister Surendra Pandey, hurling stones at his car as he attended a function which they disrupted, raising black flags as a sign of protest. The attack was in response to remarks he made earlier in the day at the UML’s party convention. Apparently, he claimed that the Maoists will be unable to destabilise the government as it has earned the support of it’s coalition partners by making all the Madhesi party leaders government ministers, and he was reported as saying “Leave the issue of toppling the government. Homework is being carried out to make all the 26 parties participate in the government”. Considering how unstable a government made up of that many parties inevitably must be, and also considering the new developments in the internal struggle within the UML party (more on that later), this government is a weak and insecure one regardless of how many times it expands it cabinet.

The Maoist-affiliated All Nepal National Independent Student’s Union – Revolutionary (ANNISU-R) has declared an indefinite shutdown of all private “higher secondary” schools in Nepal. The ANNISU – R organises students in high schools as well as universities, and it’s candidates were elected to the leadership of student unions across Nepal recently. It is demanding an increased number of teachers be allocated to public schools rather than private ones, the domain of a privileged few.

The Maoists continue to alternate demands for a national government to be formed under the leadership of their party with threats of revolt if this does not happen (as well as assurances that even the formation of a new national government will only be a means for them to move towards full blown popular revolt). Vice-Chair of the party (which has recently adopted a system of multiple vice-chairs and a more collective form of leadership) Baburam Bhattarai stated that there is “no alternative” to a Maoist-led government. He said that if this does not happen, it will be impossible to move forward with the peace process and the drafting of a new constitution. However, he also stressed that the formation of such a government will be impossible unless President Yadav is “corrected” for blocking the previous Maoist-led government’s move to fire General Katawal, head of the army, which the Maoists have described as unconstitutional and anti-people, and which led to them resigning from government.

It’s worth going into this seemingly simple demand a bit deeper. Since the President blocked the firing back in April this year, General Katawal has actually retired anyway and been replaced by someone else. The Maoists have so far been hazy on the details of how this action by the President can concretely be “corrected”, although they have been consistent in raising the demand that the issues of civilian supremacy this decision raised be debated in the house. So far the government has refused to allow such a debate to take place, and the Maoists have taken to the streets and prevented the sitting of parliament with increasingly militant rhetoric under the general slogan of “civilian supremacy”. Since Katawal has already resigned, the Maoists are obviously not calling for their original move to be carried out – the results it sought have already been achieved. So the question is, why the focus on President Yadav? Why the constant return to this issue? I don’t have any definitive answers, but perhaps the Maoists are using this as part of their strategy to convince the masses that change cannot be achieved solely through the halls of parliament. By focusing on this event, where the President went beyond his mandate to block a move by a democratically elected civilian government that the army disagreed with, the Maoists are trying to convince the masses that under the current form of government and form of society that exists in Nepal, “civilian supremacy” will not be possible. Revolutions do not take place when the leaders of a party just make theoretical demands for “the dictatorship of the proletariat” etc. They happen when a concrete, practical set of demands is put forward which the masses identify with and see for themselves cannot be achieved without revolution. In Russia it was “land, bread, peace”, and in Nepal it may be “civilian supremacy”. Considering the abuses the Nepali people have suffered at the hands of the military, this is a demand with real significance to them.

Bhattarai referred to the President’s move in his speech as a “coup”, and said that the “People’s movement will intensify if the regression is not corrected.” He also condemned the governments moves to import weapons from India, a move he denounced as being against the peace process. He also made some interesting remarks about freedom of the press, saying that “”the press is free when journalists control the press, however, such is not the condition in Nepal.” This is in contrast to the widely held view in the capitalist West that a privately owned press is a free one, as compared to a state controlled and therefore unfree press. Bhattarai is saying that a press owned by wealthy corporations and individuals is not free, as it’s content is determined by and reflects the class interests of it’s owners.

Chairman Prachanda

Similar comments were made by Prachanda in a widely reported speech to a Maoist mass gathering on Saturday. Telegraph Nepal wrote that “Prachanda has said that the stage is set for the Maoists’ led uprising to come to an end,” and reported him as saying that “We are marching along cautiously to bring an end to the Peoples’ Revolution, the stage is set for the final showdown… People are less hopeful that the Constitution will be drafted on time, it is the wish of the people that forced us to take to the streets”.

Kantipur Online reported on the same speech, claiming that Prachanda said “it is high time for a decisive revolution… “Several revolutions done in the past have only resulted in compromise due to the status quoits ideology of some leaders… The protests this time around will successfully conclude the people-oriented revolution.”

Nepalnews also published an article on the speech, writing that Prachanda said the time is ripe for “new communist revolution”. The UCPN (M) Chairman reportedly warned the ruling feudalist and bourgeois parties that the current protest movement the Maoists are leading could turn into a “decisive communist revolution if the parties tried to block the country’s political transformation.” Prachanda went on to say that the Maoists “will create a storm of revolt,” and the current agitation is just a “prelude” to this.

Bhattarai made two other speeches worth taking a look at. During a press conference, he reportedly echoed Prachanda and said that the current protest movement is merely “a preliminary exercise towards yet another revolt.” The Maoist leader stated “this is just the rehearsal of the blizzard that awaits the country”, and claimed “the incumbent government is in a mood to impose war on us, we want things settle amicably, however, they want just the otherwise… they want to declare emergency and rule the country ad infinitum”.

In a seperate speech given to a Maoist mass gathering, he slammed the leaders of Nepal’s parliament as “criminals”, accusing President Yadav of being the “new avatar of [former king] Gyanendra”, and warning that Yadav will have a “fate similar to Gyanendra”.

The Maoists have recently issued the government with a set of 45 demands, in a move echoing the Maoist’s issuing of 40 demands shortly before they launched the People’s War in 1996. So far there do not appear to be any concrete details about what these demands are, but the very fact that they have been issued is significant. In his speech to the mass gathering, Bhattarai reportedly followed his denunciations of President Yadav with a threatening statement reminding the current government that when the Maoist’s original 40 demands were ignored, the People’s War began and the monarchy was destroyed,  and therefore “If they ignore our fresh 45 point demands it is certain that the fate of the parties will be akin to the institution of monarchy.”

He also claimed that the government is “conspiring to dissolve the Constituent Assembly”, which when coupled with the declaration a few days ago by another senior Maoist leader called Gajurel that if the CA was dissolved the Maoist would “capture the state” is a big call to make.

A major political struggle is also beginning in Nepal over how the judiciary will be organised once the constitution is written. The Maoists have successfully sought the support of the Madhesi parties to win a majority vote in a committee set up to put together a document proposing how the judicial system should operate in the New Nepal. In their proposal, My Republic reports that they have put forward “parliament as the final interpreter of the constitution besides also proposing appointment of the chief justice by parliament from outside the judicial service.” Various reactionary parties are aghast at this, claiming that an “independent” judiciary is necessary and that this would open up the judiciary to political manipulation. However, this is a move to ensure democracy. In a nation of extreme poverty very few people are able to attain the education and experience necessary to qualify as a lawyer, let alone a judge, and therefore the judiciary is overwhelmingly made up of people from a privileged, upper class background. By allowing for the elected representatives of the people to appoint (and presumably force from their position) judges, the Maoists are struggling to ensure that the nations laws and the application of these laws will reflect the will and class interests of the working masses, not the privileged few.

I’ve published some reports on the internal struggle taking place in the UML party (a reformist, revisionist CP) over the past few weeks. It should be kept in mind that what knowledge I have of this struggle has been gained through scattered, unclear reports translated into English and filtered through the bourgeois media, but from what I can gather, the struggle appears to be between, on the one hand, a current gathered around party Chairman Khanal and Vice-Chair Gautam, who both are seen as being relatively friendly to the Maoists, and senior party leader Oli, who is closer to the Nepal Congress and bitterly hostile to the Maoists. There has been a round of purges and reorganisations as Khanal tries to undermine Oli’s faction, and there is the possibility of a split.

In this recent news article, Gautam has come out saying that right wing elements have penetrated the UML and are diluting it’s communist ideology (this is kinda old news and has been the case for years, but for the vice Chair of the Party to say it is a big development). Gautam reportedly denied that he is “Maoist friendly”, but made a series of statements which are worth taking note of anyway. Telegraph Nepal wrote in the article that “[Gautam] favoured Communist Unity, saying the new constitution must be a pro-poor one, for which there is the urgent need to unite with the Communists but not with the Rightists.” Gautam was reported as saying that in order to defeat the “Rightist trend” in the UML, an “inner party struggle was necessary to restore pro-proletariat and workers friendly ideology in the party.”

He stated that “continued wrangling between the parties will make sure that the country will not get the Constitution on time, the responsibility for the failure will be that of the UML as it is currently leading the government”, and added that “In that eventuality, the country will be ruled by the Feudal, Rightists and the Imperialists.” He concluded by warning the UML cadres that if the constitution was not drafted on time it would make possible the restoration of the monarchy, and said that the Maoists must be brought back into the “politics of consensus” in order to avoid another civil war.

I’m always wary of making too many comparisons between situations today and Russia in 1917, but I’ll make a tentative comparison here. In Russia at the time of the Bolshevik Revolution, there was a group called the

UML Vice-Chair Bam Dev Gautam

Socialist Revolutionary Party. It split between it’s left wing elements, the Left SRs, who for a time formed a coalition government with the Bolsheviks and cooperated in the revolution, and the right-wing SRs who joined the White Armies and fought to crush the revolution. The UML is similar in many ways to the SRs – it’s a party with many grassroots cadre who do genuinely believe in socialist revolution, despite the petit-bourgeois nature of its leadership and political line. If the UML splits down Left/Right lines, it would have a big impact on the political landscape in Nepal, and could make the Maoist’s task a whole lot easier. I guess we just have to wait and see what happens.

Last but not least, senior Maoist leader Kiran has been reported as saying his party is fundamentally opposed to the parliamentary system and will ensure that the new constitution does not adopt it. Kiran was quoted as saying “Parliamentary democracy is merely the platform for people to chat… We won’t accept the system and will write the constitution to establish the people’s federal republic instead.” He apparently went on to say that the Maoists will write the constitution by “incorporating the best practices of both the democratic and the communist countries”, and concluded by saying that  “Maoists are for establishing the rights of the oppressed rather than those of the ruling class. Our model of constitution will include revolutionary land reforms, national economic management and state restructuring on the basis of ethnicity with right to self-determination.”

All in all, an eventful and exciting 48 hours. The fiery rhetoric of the Maoist leadership continues, a parallel state has been revived, a set of 45 demands have been presented mirroring the ones on the basis of which the People’s War was launched… Things just keep getting hotter in Nepal.

Blue is not, as far as I can work out, a colour much adopted by Nepali political parties. Mind you I increasingly realise that it is all fairly arbitrary. This brilliant pasage from Evelyn Waugh’s Scoop comes to mind:

Yes, but it’s not quite as easy as that.  You see they are all African.  And the Fascists won’t be called Black because of their racial pride, so they are called White after the White Russians.  And the Bolshevists want to be called Black because of their racial pride.  So when you say Black, you mean Red, and when you mean Red you say White, and when the party who call themselves Blacks say Traitors they mean what we call Blacks, but what we mean when we say Traitors I really couldn’t tell you.  But from your point of view it will be quite simple.  Lord Copper only wants Patriot victories and both sides call themselves Patriots and of course both sides claim all the victories.  But of course it’s really a war between Russia and Germany and Italy and Japan who are all against one another on the patriotic side.  I hope I make myself plain?

Today for instance a long running disagreement between the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) and the Communist Party of Nepal (United Marxist Leninist) continues. The Maoists were in government but left after they tried to sack a general who the Nepali Congress Party swiftly reinstated. This led the Marxists to form a government in coalition with a few others. They want a a federal state, but not yet. Whereas the Maoists are about to unilaterally declare several regions of Nepal as autonomous. Why? Well partly it’s because they have a longstanding commitment to the rights of Nepal’s ethnicities and partly it’s because after they left the government they started a campaign for ‘civilian supremacy’ (whatever the hell that is) which has necessitated them making trouble wherever and whenever possible. Personally I really dislike this politics of ethnicity. Maybe I’m being a little precious but I feel an intense distrust of anyone who starts to fragment a country on ethnic lines- we’ve seen it happen before and it never ends well.

So if the colour make no sense, how about the symbols? Symbols are big in Nepal. In a country with widespread illiteracy, the voters tend to look for the symbol rather than the name on the ballot paper.

The result is as follows:

The Trees were in power but they got cut down by the Hammer and Sickle’s. The Hammer Sickles then tried to cut out a possible supporter of the Ploughs or the Umbrellas but this made the Trees (and to a lesser extend the Suns) very cross. The Trees reappointed him and then the Suns formed a government. This government included representatives of the Arrows, the Trees, the Torches, the Moons, the Umbrellas as well as (I think) the Teacups. All the while the Hammer and Sickles want civilian supremacy and are trying to stop the Ploughs, the Umbbrellas, the Suns, the Trees, the Torches, the Arrows, the Moons, the Teacups and just about anyone else, from going to parliament.

There you go. Clear as anything.

Full article here.

So, how do you prevent growing tribal grievances and anger by the people left out of India’s recent economic growth from becoming support for the violent and revolutionary hard left..?

“This time, India has to get the mix right. For the tribal people, there will soon be opportunities; for the Maoists, there will be no mercy.”

See Also On This Site:  Martha Nussbaum In Dissent–Violence On The Left: Nandigram And The Communists Of West Bengal

So, where did Marx get his ideas, anyways?  Peter Singer discusses Hegel and Marx

A Few Thoughts On Isaiah Berlin’s “Two Concepts Of Liberty”

RANCHI: Maoist guerrillas have blown up railway tracks at two places and a school building in Jharkhand and called for a two-day shutdown beginning Sunday, police said.

The incidents come ahead of the second phase of assembly polls in the state Dec 2.

The rebels blew up a rail track near Dania railway station in Ramgarh district late Saturday night. Around 10 trains services have been affected and their routes have been diverted, an official said.

In a separate incident, Maoists blasted a track near Bano railway station in Simdega district early Sunday morning, damaging about one metre of the line.

On Saturday night, Maoists blew up a school building in Pipara village of Palamau district. Detonators were used to blow up the building, police said. The rebels also blasted a community centre in the same village.

Maoists have blown up 10 school buildings this month. The rebels have been targeting schools as security forces camp there during elections.

The outlawed Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) has called for a two-day strike beginning Sunday in Jharkhand, demanding that Maoist leader Ashok Mahto be produced either in court or before the media. Police, however, say Mahto has not been arrested.

Maoists claim he was held by the police two months back.

Maoist rebels have also asked people to boycott the five-phased assembly polls that end Dec 18.

In the second phase of elections Dec 2, polling will be held in 14 assembly constituencies, which are situated in Maoist strongholds.

Over the last ten years Nepal has experienced problems with infighting between the government and the Maoists due to conflicting ideas and political disagreement.

Though its a fact that cannot be hidden that people got killed during this conflict but there is no record of any tourists or travellers being injured, killed or involved in anyway. All people in Nepal have a strong belief that guests are equal to God, every Nepal abides by this and offers the warmest of welcomes to all visitors into Nepal.

The much awaited Comprehensive Peace Accord was signed between the government of Nepal and the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoists) formally announcing an end to a decade long armed insurgency by the Maoists. Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala and Chairman of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoists) Prachanda signed the historic Accord promising to chart a new destiny for “peaceful and democratic” new Nepal, and pledging for peaceful coexistence of all Nepali irrespective of caste, creed, religion and gender.

By making the ceasefire permanent, the accord declares the armed insurgency that began since February, 1996 as officially over. Effective immediately, the CPA states that illegal carrying of weapons, their display and any kind of attack, threat, intimidation would, henceforth, be punishable by law.

Overall, travelling to Nepal contains no more risk than travelling in other places of the world, in fact as a traveller you are much safer in Nepal than in other countries in the West. All the major tourist areas of Nepal are policed and patrolled and we have are own branch of the tourist police to assist travellers and keep them safe should a situation arise.

There is an overwhelming peace and tranquillity that prevails throughout Nepal as the Peace accord is signed and Maiost are included in the Government.

Over more than a half decade the Nepalese tourism industry has suffered severely due to the conflicts. Since both the Government and Maoists have committed for free movement of tourists and all Nepali in any part of the country, it will definitely provide a boost to ailing tourism industry of Nepal. The signing of Peace Accord also put full stop to illegal donations collected by Maoists from trekkers in the different trekking routes. Now tourists can go anywhere in Nepal with any problems.

Although not a single tourist had been targeted or harmed by the rebels during a decade long insurgency, the conflict emanated wrong message to world about the safety and security situation of Nepal. With the ending of conflict, all tourism entrepreneurs have expressed their satisfaction and happiness in the hope that it will bring permanent peace in the country which is vital for the growth of tourism industry.

Signing of Peace Accord has given a positive message to the world that Nepalese people are capable of resolving their own problem; and it has set an example in conflict resolution for the whole world. What until recently was dream of all Nepali and peace lovers has now become a reality.

The people of Nepal are truly very happy for tourists to come and visit Nepal and see and experience its beauty, grandeur, culture, arcane temples and monasteries, mountains and jungles of Nepal.

This is definitely the time to go to Nepal and join a tour or go trekking on Mount Everest as the prices are low at the moment and the Nepali people are extremely happy to receive travellers to their country.

Naxalite insurgency spreading like wildfire in Bharat. Hindustan's Maoist insurgency map. There are secessionist movements in almost every state in "India" encompasisng more than 200 districts. The Naxals have been supported by the Maoists in Nepal. With the Maoist victory in Nepal the Naxals and Maoists of Bharat are increasingly more assertive. There were a 1,591 incidents of Maoist violence resulting in 721 killings; this year until August there had been 1,405 incidents, resulting in 580 deaths spread over 11 states. The situation in the northeastern parts of the country, the prime minister warned, was far from comfortable. "In two of the states, Manipur and Assam, current levels of violence give us cause for concern. According to home minister P Chidambaram, they had presence in 17 states and were responsible for 90 percent of the violence in the country. Bharat Verma says New Delhi and the state capitals have almost ceded the governmental control over 40 % of the Union’s territory to the Naxalites. CNN-IBN reported on Nov 26th 2009 that at least 7000 armed Maoists have spread out across the West Midnapore, Purulia and Bankura district in West Bengal along with East Singhbhum in Jharkhand. Naxals collude with north-east insurgents. Clearly, the Maoists are preparing for a new surge. This time their target is West Bengal and their increased alliances with north-east insurgent groups of India will make it more difficult for the security forces to fight the Red terror. In Bengal, they are being assisted by hard-core rebels from Manipur's insurgent group, People Liberation Army, who are training tribal villagers living inside these forests.

Naxals collude with north-east insurgents. India fails in fight against Maoists: PM Singh

A CNN-IBN exclusive report has discovered that the collaboration between the Naxals with the North-East insurgent groups runs well beyond the supplies of arms from the latter. The Naxalas also get on-spot help from the NE insurgents.

Maoists camps dot the Jharkhand Bengal border. From these camps, Maoists launch one attack after another, increasing the area they control in India. The Red Corridor has seen progressive increase in terms of area and coverage.

CNN-IBN has now learnt that at least 7000 armed Maoists have spread out across the West Midnapore, Purulia and Bankura district in West Bengal along with East Singhbhum in Jharkhand.

In Bengal, they are being assisted by 50 hard-core rebels from Manipur’s insurgent group, People Liberation Army, who are training tribal villagers living inside these forests.

Sources have told CNN-IBN: 

Just two months ago the Maoists acquired more weapons from illegal arms-suppliers in south-East Asia.

The weapons were originally meant for the now-decimated LTTE.

The arms were supplied by an elaborate network that is run in North-East India by the Naga insurgent group NSCN (IM).

The arms were smuggled in through two routes: Burma and Bangladesh.

The arms include 850 AK-47 rifles, 4000 small weapons and several hundred grenades.

They also include cheaper Chinese copies of weapons such as the American M-16 rifles and Russian Kalashnikovs – AK-47s and AK-56s.

Maoists are also trying to establish links with the ULFA.

They want ULFA to supply arms from Yunan province of southern China through the insurgents in Myanmar.

Clearly, the Maoists are preparing for a new surge. This time their target is West Bengal and their increased alliances with north-east insurgent groups of India will make it more difficult for the security forces to fight the Red terror.

 http://ibnlive.in.com/news/red-alert-naxals-collude-with-northeast-insurgents/105466-3.html?from=search

NEW DELHI: Admitting that the government had “not achieved much success” in containing left wing extremism, which he described as the “gravest

internal security threat”, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday also maintained that infiltration through various routes was going up.

Addressing state police chiefs on the second day of their three-day conclave, Manmohan Singh at the outset pointed to the increasing influence of Maoist rebels in vast swathes of India. According to home minister P Chidambaram, they had presence in 17 states and were responsible for 90 percent of the violence in the country. 

“I have consistently held that left wing extremism is, perhaps, the gravest internal security threat we face. We have not achieved as much success as we would have liked in containing it. It is a matter of concern that despite our efforts, the level of violence in the affected states continues to rise,” the prime minister said. 

“As I have stated before, dealing with left wing extremism requires a nuanced strategy – it cannot be treated simply as a law and order problem. Despite its sanguinary nature, the movement manages to retain the support of a section of the tribals and the poorest of the poor in many areas. It has influence among sizeable sections of civil society, the intelligentsia and the youth.

“It still retains a certain elan. All this adds to the complexity of the problem. I expect you to keep this in mind as you devise newer and better strategies to deal with the problem.” 

“But there are certain developments that are worrisome. Infiltration across the Line of Control and also via other routes such as Nepal, Bangladesh and the sea is going up. Encounters with armed militants have become more frequent in recent weeks and months,” he said. 

“Secessionist and militant groups within the state are again attempting to make common cause with outside elements and have embarked on a series of protest movements. The intention apparently is to create an impression of widespread turmoil in the state. We must not allow such a situation to develop. It is imperative that these efforts are contained and checked.”

The situation in the northeastern parts of the country, the prime minister warned, was far from comfortable. 

The Naxals and Maoists occupy about 20 states of India which are not in the control of the Central government. 

“In two of the states, Manipur and Assam, current levels of violence give us cause for concern. In addition, extortion and intimidation have become a menace across most of the states in the region. It should be possible, I believe, to bring about a substantial improvement in the situation if there can be better security management,” he said.

The prime minister also called upon the police chiefs of the seven northeastern states to achieve higher levels of professionalism from the forces they commanded. 

“Firm but compassionate handling of law and order matters can certainly bring about substantial improvement in the prevailing state of affairs.”

Chidambaram had pointed to the large scale diversion of development funds to militants, giving them easy access to critical resources and helping them recruit new cadres as well as procure arms. Fight against Maoists failing, admits PM. IANS 15 September 2009, 05:00pm IST. India failing in fight against Maoists: PM Singh

An Interview with Rana Bose – 13m24s

Click Arrow to Play:

Subhashish Mohanty /
Source: DNA

Thursday, November 26, 2009 0:20 IST Email

Bhubaneswar: It’s not AK-47 and .303 rifles but land mines that are turning into a lethal weapon in the hands of Maoists, particularly those active in bordering areas of Orissa, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Andhra Pradesh. “Yes, they are using it extensively, either killing policemen or blowing up trains,” said I-G (operations) Sanjeeb Marik

Police officials in anti-Maoist operations point out that the Maoists prefer these mines to inflict maximum casualty. Mostly, they use the impoverished land mines “though they also have Chinese weapons.”

To make these bombs, they collect gelatine sticks and dynamites from mining areas or attack vehicles carrying explosives for mining purpose. Most of the gelatine sticks are produced in Gomia, Jharkhand. They even procure explosives from the Indian Explosives and Detonator Limited factory in Sundergarh district. It’s no big deal, the factory does not have a boundary wall.

Ammonia or urea manure is mixed to the gelatine to make it deadlier. The explosive is put inside a container, the upper portion of which is made air-tight. In the lower portion, they make a hole and place a detonator connected with wires. The land mine is placed near causeways. When a vehicle passes by, they trigger an explosion from a comfortable position. “50 gms of explosive is enough to kill a man, 10 kg can toss a vehicle to 25 feet,” said a senior cop.

Forces are vulnerable to these mines as the Road Operating Party fails to clean the road before movement of forces.

Naxalite insurgency is spreading like wildfire in Bharat. Hindustan’s Maoist insurgency map shows the level of insurgency in Bharat. There are secessionist movements in almost every state in “India” encompasisng more than 200 districts. The Naxals have been supported by the Maoists in Nepal. With the Maoist victory in Nepal the Naxals and Maoists of Bharat are increasingly more assertive. There were a 1,591 incidents of Maoist violence resulting in 721 killings; this year until August there had been 1,405 incidents, resulting in 580 deaths spread over 11 states. The situation in the northeastern parts of the country, the prime minister warned, was far from comfortable. “In two of the states, Manipur and Assam, current levels of violence give us cause for concern. According to home minister P Chidambaram, they had presence in 17 states and were responsible for 90 percent of the violence in the country. Bharat Verma says New Delhi and the state capitals have almost ceded the governmental control over 40 % of the Union’s territory to the Naxalites. 

Naxalite insurgency spreading like wildfire in Bharat. Hindustan's Maoist insurgency map. There are secessionist movements in almost every state in "India" encompasisng more than 200 districts. The Naxals have been supported by the Maoists in Nepal. With the Maoist victory in Nepal the Naxals and Maoists of Bharat are increasingly more assertive. There were a 1,591 incidents of Maoist violence resulting in 721 killings; this year until August there had been 1,405 incidents, resulting in 580 deaths spread over 11 states. The situation in the northeastern parts of the country, the prime minister warned, was far from comfortable. "In two of the states, Manipur and Assam, current levels of violence give us cause for concern. According to home minister P Chidambaram, they had presence in 17 states and were responsible for 90 percent of the violence in the country. Bharat Verma says New Delhi and the state capitals have almost ceded the governmental control over 40 % of the Union’s territory to the Naxalites.

NEW DELHI: Admitting that the government had “not achieved much success” in containing left wing extremism, which he described as the “gravest

internal security threat”, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday also maintained that infiltration through various routes was going up.

Addressing state police chiefs on the second day of their three-day conclave, Manmohan Singh at the outset pointed to the increasing influence of Maoist rebels in vast swathes of India. According to home minister P Chidambaram, they had presence in 17 states and were responsible for 90 percent of the violence in the country. 

“I have consistently held that left wing extremism is, perhaps, the gravest internal security threat we face. We have not achieved as much success as we would have liked in containing it. It is a matter of concern that despite our efforts, the level of violence in the affected states continues to rise,” the prime minister said. 

“As I have stated before, dealing with left wing extremism requires a nuanced strategy – it cannot be treated simply as a law and order problem. Despite its sanguinary nature, the movement manages to retain the support of a section of the tribals and the poorest of the poor in many areas. It has influence among sizeable sections of civil society, the intelligentsia and the youth.

“It still retains a certain elan. All this adds to the complexity of the problem. I expect you to keep this in mind as you devise newer and better strategies to deal with the problem.” 

India map: Naxalite Maoist insurgency map of India map : More than 89 insurgencies rage in India 

A day earlier, Chidambaram had said that last year alone there were a 1,591 incidents of Maoist violence resulting in 721 killings; this year until August there had been 1,405 incidents, resulting in 580 deaths spread over 11 states.

While maintaining that levels of violence had come down appreciably in Jammu and Kashmir and was at its lowest level since the beginning of insurgency in the late 1980s, the prime minister said there were other worrying signs. 

India’s Naxalites insurgency and the Assamese “Seven Sister” states of the Northeast are in open rebellion. 

Assam map: Indian insurgency map: Seven sisters and Assam support Naxalites. ULFA'S AIM & OBJECTS: To liberate Assam, (a land of 78,529 square K.M.), through a national liberation struggle from the clutches of the illegal occupation of India and to establish a sovereign Independent Assam. ULFA represents: ULFA represents, as its name implies, not only the Assamese nation but also the entire independent minded struggling peoples, irrespective of different race-tribe-caste-religion and nationality of Assam. The struggle for national liberation of Assam never is a seperatist or secessionist movement: Assam was never a part of India at any point of time in history. The fact is independent Assam has been occupied by India, and deploying occupation forces they are oppressing our peoples and persecuting them. ULFA itself and all freedom fighters of Assam are neither planning nor conspiring to break up India! We are not conducting any armed operation inside India. Freedom fighters of Assam are only trying to overthrow Indian colonial occupation from Assam.

“But there are certain developments that are worrisome. Infiltration across the Line of Control and also via other routes such as Nepal, Bangladesh and the sea is going up. Encounters with armed militants have become more frequent in recent weeks and months,” he said. 

“Secessionist and militant groups within the state are again attempting to make common cause with outside elements and have embarked on a series of protest movements. The intention apparently is to create an impression of widespread turmoil in the state. We must not allow such a situation to develop. It is imperative that these efforts are contained and checked.”

The situation in the northeastern parts of the country, the prime minister warned, was far from comfortable. 

The Naxals and Maoists occupy about 20 states of India which are not in the control of the Central government. 

“In two of the states, Manipur and Assam, current levels of violence give us cause for concern. In addition, extortion and intimidation have become a menace across most of the states in the region. It should be possible, I believe, to bring about a substantial improvement in the situation if there can be better security management,” he said.

The prime minister also called upon the police chiefs of the seven northeastern states to achieve higher levels of professionalism from the forces they commanded. 

“Firm but compassionate handling of law and order matters can certainly bring about substantial improvement in the prevailing state of affairs.”

Chidambaram had pointed to the large scale diversion of development funds to militants, giving them easy access to critical resources and helping them recruit new cadres as well as procure arms. Fight against Maoists failing, admits PM. IANS 15 September 2009, 05:00pm IST. India failing in fight against Maoists: PM Singh

By: TimesOnline

World Agenda: BJP in the frame

for Babri mosque massacre

In the midst of such dysfunction, function is necessary. That is what Raju would have said. His voice still rings deep in her consciousness, as she climbs down the muddy staircases down the hill in that hot sunny afternoon. The white clouds are misty and slowly dancing around up in the sky, but she is sure they will dare not meddle with the sun up in her village and down in the well she’s going to. The ‘staircases’, she notices, have lost their structure in some places -  it must have to do with the haphazard scramble-up-the-hill moves the Maoists were forced to last night. The grasses, on the sides, are also uprooted at some places. She finds a chunk of grass uprooted in one of the bends downhill, and puts her gagri* down by the path and bends down with the hope that she would be able to see one of the bullets. The mud is dry and wet. The grass, green and shiny. She pokes her finger around the hole. She even bends over to see if she finds any hole that will ease her search. But she doesn’t see anything. Tired and unsuccessful, she bends back and leans against the terrace to see all rice paddies and the beautiful trees down by the river and her friends’ house way in the distance. The sun is really on today, she thinks, as she lays her feet flat on the path and soaks up the heat while trying to rip up some of the grass beside her.

“Mira! What are you upto?”, she hears.

“Oh, Ram daju*! I was just enjoying the sun a little bit. How are you doing today?”

“I am okay. I just wanted to see how my daughter is doing.”

“Oh. Ramila didi* is fine. I met her earlier while I was getting ready to cut the hay for the cattle. She said that Ravi and Raghav were crying all night long. I couldn’t sleep way till the morning myself,” she said.

“Neither could we! We could hear the gunshots and that blast. That even shook our house. I am pretty sure police station is black and white now.”

“I guess so. My brother used to say that that would be the first thing he and his friends would go after. I thought he’d stop by the house last night. But, I guess not when there are bullets flying everywhere. Our front wall has two of such bullet-holes. But I just hope that Raju’s not hurt.” She added, “But yeah. I am not sure how many people died in the attack. Papa said that the Maoists took all their casualties in big baskets and sacks, and that there are only like three policemen who are really hurt.”

“So, technically, no one knows how many are dead?”

She slightly nods her head in affirmation.

“Ok, I guess, I will go meet Ramila now. I will see you later Mira.”

“See you Ram daju!”

Mira could feel her feet soaking up the heat. Up in the sky, however, the clouds were mischievously getting closer to the sun which was itself trying to hide from her behind the tall trees up in the hill.  She scrambles herself up, dusts off the back of her kurta*, and continues her journey down holding the gagri by the fingers.

The well was down at the foot of the hill, with the trees giving it a very cool shady feel. As she got close to the water, and dipped her gagri down in the water, she noticed that the water looked very unusual and different. In fact, against the bright tingles in her eyes, she could tell that it looked a little red. Then, she got scared. She blinked hard and fast trying to wash the tingles away. When she tried to gaze at the water again, she saw it. A dead body – flat on the ground just by the water. She couldn’t see the face, but she could see that his left arm on top of the bamboo stump was red and had blood dripping all the way down to the fingers and onto the water. Although, she wanted to freak out and run, she walked around the water close to the body. The left side of the face was flat on the mud; but thankfully, from the other half, she knew that it was not his brother. She didn’t know who he was. But, she couldn’t stand the sight any longer. She turned back, grabbed her gagri and then ran up the same path she came from.

She still remembers telling Raju not to join the Maoists. “Think about your family,” she had said. “What would dad do without you? We don’t want to lose you.” She knew what Raju was going to say: “My country is my family now. My brothers here in the village and the towns afar need my support. We have had enough with this shitty government. Ever since there has been democracy here, people are getting poorer and the bureaucracy is rotting every minute. We need communism. I cannot watch my brothers suffer and die alone. I have to help them. You will see the change yourself sister, come 10 months.” It hadn’t even been more than three months that she last heard those words from her brother. She was getting scared as she swiftly climbed the muddy staircase to tell her father of what still remains of the terror last night.

************The End*************

Legend:

*gagri = It is  a special type of water urn, that (nepali) women use to carry water around.

*daju = nepali word for brother (not necessarily own relative)

*didi = nepali word for sister

*kurta = a special light outfit worn mostly by women in Nepal. (Men also wear them in the south of the country and in India).

Operation Green Hunt is the name assigned to the concerted efforts by the government against the Maoist rebels in the states of Chattisgarh, Jharkhand, Orissa and Andhra Pradesh.

In the first phase of the operation in November in the Kanker district of Chhattisgarh and Gadchiroli in Maharashtra, the objective was to cover the 6,000 sq km swathe of forest called the Abuj Marh, hold the territory and to help and assist the government agencies to initiate developmental work. The seven-phase operations are expected to last for two years. The Central Paramilitary Forces along with special action group (SAG), anti-Naxal special action squads (C-60) of the state security agency and Commando Battalion `for Resolute Action (CoBRA), specially trained in jungle warfare, were deployed for the operation.

According to Home Minister Chidambaram, Operation Green Hunt is purely an invention of the media. The Central Government is just providing assistance by way of central paramilitary forces, intelligence-sharing and technical help.

But what made the government to take such extreme measures against its own citizens? And what has forced these people to take weapons and fight against the state? The unanswered question is whether this problem could be solved by military operations?’

 Maoists are the members of the banned CPI (Maoist), a descendent of the CPI (Marxist –Leninist) that led the Naxalite uprising in 1969 and was liquidated by the government. ‘ They believe that the innate, structural inequality of Indian society can only be redressed by the violent overthrow of the State.’ The Maoists’ guerilla army mostly consists of desperately poor tribal people who are denied the benefits of development and have been mercilessly subjected to exploitation for decades.

The problem of Maoist Naxalism is to be addressed immediately and their destructive activities brought to an end. The Naxalite activities have spread to 90 districts across 10 States in the country. But a military solution to suppress and eliminate the Naxalites and their supporters will never succeed. The root cause for the resistant movements and the people’s agitation should be sorted out which requires genuine efforts on part of the state and central governments.

Studies show that 85 of the country’s 100 poorest districts are in seven of those 10 states. In these ‘disturbed areas’, 32% of the population is below the poverty line. The state governments have a terrible record of delivering public goods and services in these districts. Only 68% of homes in these districts get safe drinking water while in other areas the number is 74%.

The people living in these areas are mostly tribals who never receive the special rights and privileges they are entitled to but are instead subjected to exploitation and caste discrimination.

Even after 60 years of independence they don’t have access to education, healthcare or even drinking water facilities. It is in their desperation and frustration that these people resort to violent protests. For them it is a fight to sustain their life because the government had failed to provide them the basic necessities.

Instead of trying to find a solution to these issues, government has decided to take military action against them. “Chidambaram is not alone in this decision; he represents the interests of the entire ruling class of the country, which constitutes not just the cabinet or the parliament or corporate,” Gandhian activist Himanshu Kumar of the Vanvasi Chetna Ashram in Dantewada who has been working in the area for the past 17 years said at a convention in Banglore on November 7.

The mineral wealth of these ‘disturbed zones’ explains the sudden spurge in the military action against Naxalite movements. A  number of multinational mining and steel companies are waiting to get hold of mineral rich land in these areas. It is quite interesting to know that Chidambaram was a non-executive director of ’Vedanta’, one of the biggest players in this game which has a track record of human rights violations and gross environmental damage.

As Arundhathi Roy had pointed out there are bauxite deposits worth 4 trillion dollars in Orissa alone. There are millions of tons of high quality iron ore in Jharkhand and Chattisgarh and 28 other precious minerals like uranium, limestone, coal, tin, granite, marble, copper, diamond, gold, quartzite,corundum, beryl, alexandrite, silica, fluorite and granite. The power plants, dams, highways, steel and cement factories and other infrastructure projects that would be built include hundreds of MoU’s that have been signed already.

Salwa Judum- the people’s militia in Dantewada to fight against the Maoists was formed soon after an MoU was signed by the Tata Group, and was followed by the setting up of a Jungle Warfare Training School in Bastar. The government is alleged to have sanctioned 1,40,0000 hectares of prime land to industrialists for more than 300 Special Economic Zones and was forcibly acquiring lands in the name of public purpose to give it to private corporations.

In the name of counter-insurgency operations, other resistance movements against the state will also be named as Naxalism and swept off. For example in Lalgarh, the Pulishi Santrash Birodi Janasadharaner Committee (People’s Committee against Police Atrocities), a people’s forum separate from Maoists but sympathetic to them is constantly referred to as another wing of CPI(Maoists). All these are clear indications of the nexus between the government and the corporates and their well-planned strategy to silence protests by the people.

 See Also:-

On war footing 

Naxalbari to Nalgonda

The road from Naxalbari

Naxalbari(1967) : The Naxalite movement in India

Operation Green Hunt is the name assigned to the concerted efforts by the government against the Maoist rebels in the states of Chattisgarh, Jharkhand, Orissa and Andhra Pradesh.

In the first phase of the operation in November in the Kanker district of Chhattisgarh and Gadchiroli in Maharashtra, the objective was to cover the 6,000 sq km swathe of forest called the Abuj Marh, hold the territory and to help and assist the government agencies to initiate developmental work. The seven-phase operations are expected to last for two years. The Central Paramilitary Forces along with special action group (SAG), anti-Naxal special action squads (C-60) of the state security agency and Commando Battalion `for Resolute Action (CoBRA), specially trained in jungle warfare, were deployed for the operation.

According to Home Minister Chidambaram, Operation Green Hunt is purely an invention of the media. The Central Government is just providing assistance by way of central paramilitary forces, intelligence-sharing and technical help.

But what made the government to take such extreme measures against its own citizens? And what has forced these people to take weapons and fight against the state? The unanswered question is whether this problem could be solved by military operations?

’ Source: http://sanhati.com/cartoons/

Maoists are the members of the banned CPI (Maoist), a descendent of the CPI (Marxist –Leninist) that led the Naxalite uprising in 1969 and was liquidated by the government. They believe that the innate, structural inequality of Indian society can only be redressed by the violent overthrow of the State. The Maoists’ guerilla army mostly consists of desperately poor tribal people who are denied the benefits of development and have been mercilessly subjected to exploitation for decades.

The problem of Maoist Naxalism is to be addressed immediately and their destructive activities brought to an end. The Naxalite activities have spread to 90 districts across 10 States in the country. But a military solution to suppress and eliminate the Naxalites and their supporters will never succeed. The root cause for the resistant movements and the people’s agitation should be sorted out which requires genuine efforts on part of the state and central governments.

Studies show that 85 of the country’s 100 poorest districts are in seven of those 10 states. In these ‘disturbed areas’, 32% of the population is below the poverty line. The state governments have a terrible record of delivering public goods and services in these districts. Only 68% of homes in these districts get safe drinking water while in other areas the number is 74%.

 The people living in these areas are mostly tribals who never receive the special rights and privileges they are entitled to but are instead subjected to exploitation and caste discrimination.

Even after 60 years of independence they don’t have access to education, healthcare or even drinking water facilities. It is in their desperation and frustration that these people resort to violent protests. For them it is a fight to sustain their life because the government had failed to provide them the basic necessities.

Instead of trying to find a solution to these issues, government has decided to take military action against them. “Chidambaram is not alone in this decision; he represents the interests of the entire ruling class of the country, which constitutes not just the cabinet or the parliament or corporate,” Gandhian activist Himanshu Kumar of the Vanvasi Chetna Ashram in Dantewada who has been working in the area for the past 17 years said at a convention in Banglore on November 7.

The mineral wealth of these ‘disturbed zones’ explains the sudden spurge in the military action against Naxalite movements. Scores of multinational mining and steel companies are waiting to get hold of mineral rich land in these areas. It is quite interesting to know that Chidambaram was a non-executive director of ’Vedanta’, one of the biggest players in this game which has a track record of human rights violations and gross environmental damage.

There are bauxite deposits worth 4 trillion dollars in Orissa alone. There are millions of tons of high quality iron ore in Jharkhand and Chattisgarh and 28 other precious minerals like uranium, limestone, coal, tin, granite, marble, copper, diamond, gold, quartzite,corundum, beryl, alexandrite, silica, fluorite and granite. The power plants, dams, highways. steel and cement factories and other infrastructure projects that would be built include hundreds of MoU’s that have been signed already.

Salwa Judum- the people’s militia in Dantewada to fight against the Maoists was formed soon after an MoU was signed by the Tata Group, and was followed by the setting up of a Jungle Warfare Training School in Bastar. The government is alleged to have sanctioned 1,40,0000 hectares of prime land to industrialists for more than 300 Special Economic Zones and was forcibly acquiring lands in the name of public purpose to give it to private corporations.

In the name of counter-insurgency operations, other resistance movements against the state will also be named as Naxalism and swept off. For example in Lalgarh, the Pulishi Santrash Birodi Janasadharaner Committee (People’s Committee against Police Atrocities), a people’s forum separate from Maoists but sympathetic to them is constantly referred to as another wing of CPI(Maoists). All these are clear indications of the nexus between the government and the corporates and their well-planned strategy to silence protests by the people.

A collective of 18 human rights and media organisations in India has called upon the Indian government to immediately repeal the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) that had been in force since 1958 as the most repressive tool, providing the armed forces and other para military organisations working in tandem with the armed forces, to even kill on suspicion.

This Act has led to gross civil and political rights violations including enforced disappearances, extra-judicial execution, torture, inhuman and degrading treatment, rape and other forms of sexual violence against women, arbitrary arrest and detention, says the unanimous resolution adopted at a deliberation of HR organisations along with other groups who are in solidarity with the issue, held in Delhi from 12 to 14 November, this year. 

This call for the total repeal of the AFSPA comes in the wake of the first anniversary of the Mumbai 26/11 terror attack that is now being hyped in the Indian media, for stricter national security measures and stronger military and intelligence interventions, even across borders.

Following is the Joint Statement from 18 human rights organisations in India

New Delhi
14 November 2009

RESOLUTION

We the civil society groups from Jammu and Kashmir and the North East affected by militarisation and Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) and other organisations in solidarity, having come together from 12 to 14 November 2009 at New Delhi and deliberated on the issues of AFSPA,

Taking cognizance of the prolonged imposition of the Act in one part or the other since 1958 and its adverse impact on the democratic rights of the peoples of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura and Jammu and Kashmir,

Concerned that AFSPA continues to be the most important repressive tool of the Indian state that empowers even a non commissioned officer of the armed forces of union to kill on mere suspicion and provide legal immunity from prosecution, thereby causing untold misery and agony among the peoples of the affected regions,

Concerned over the importance being given to AFSPA on the part of the state in the context of the increasing militarisation of the society in the sub-continent especially after 9/11 and the growing communalisation of the polity in India as a whole,

Concerned over the way the media is reporting incidents of violence in J&K and the North-East by and large ignoring the assault on human rights by the guardians of law and order and broadly endorsing, in the name of ‘national security’, those policies of the state that militate against democratic norms and humanitarian principles.

Noting that this Act has led to gross civil and political rights violations including enforced disappearances, extra-judicial execution, torture, inhuman and degrading treatment, rape and other forms of sexual violence against women, arbitrary arrest and detention,

Further noting that the imposition of AFSPA also has severe economic, social and cultural cost including erosion of civil administration, lack of access to education, basic health care, destruction of properties and sources of livelihood, and environmental destruction,

Further noting that the continuation of the ‘disturbed area’ status under the AFSPA in many part of the country is illegal in view of the violation of the mandatory six monthly periodic directed by Supreme Court in its 1997 Judgment.

Further noting that the climate of impunity entrenched in these areas have led to the complete failure of the Rule of Law including non-registration of cases against the armed forces, and even if the few cases where investigations are completed the criminal prosecution is pending for want of sanction from the Central Government on the application send by the State governments,

Recalling the Government of India’s own B.P. Jeevan Reddy Committee (2005), Administrative Reforms Commission headed by Veerappan Moily (2007) and Working Group on Confidence-Building Measures in Jammu and Kashmir headed by Mohammad Hamid Ansari (2007) have consistently recommended the repeal of AFSPA,

Further recalling that different committees and commissions set up by different State Governments into specific incidents of violence have also acknowledged the unbridled power the security forces enjoys under AFSPA.

Emphasizing that the regions where AFSPA has been imposed, there exist suppressed democratic aspiration of people and the prolonged imposition of AFSPA has resulted in deepening the cycle of violence, repealing AFSPA will open up the necessary democratic space for addressing the root causes of the political instability.

Therefore the collective unanimously:-

- Calls upon the Government of India:

1. To repeal immediately
- The Armed Forces (Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura) Special Powers Act, 1958 (as amended in 1972), and
- The Jammu and Kashmir Armed Forces Special Powers Act, 1990

2. To refrain from inserting any part of the Acts into any other legislation granting unbridled powers to the armed forces of the union or the State police.

- Calls upon the people of India to support the ongoing campaign for the repeal of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act and resist the increasing militarisation of democratic spaces.

Participant organisations:
1. Association of Parents of Disappeared Persons (APDP)
2. Boro Women Justice Forum (BWJF)
3. Borok People’s Human Rights Organisation (BPHRO)
4. Borok Women’s Forum (BWF)
5. Campaign For Peace & Democracy (Manipur) (CPDM)
6. Centre for Law Development (CLD), Srinagar
7. Human Rights Alert (HRA)
8. Indian Social Action Forum (INSAF)
9. Jammu & Kashmir Trade Union Centre (JKTUC)
10. Karbi Nimso Chingthur Asong (KNCA)
11. Manipur Students’ Association Delhi (MSAD)
12. Muslim Khawateen Markaz (MKM)
13. Naga People’s Movement for Human Rights (NPMHR)
14. Naga Women Union Manipur (NWUM)
15. New Trade Union Initiatives (NTUI)
16. Saheli Women’s Group (NWG)
17. Samindar Karbi Anime (SKA)
18. The Other Media (TOM)

There is a slightly breathless and overly-generalized, yet consequently readable, post at China Matters regarding Sino-Indian competition in the northeast Indian border regions.

Or perhaps you prefer rather stunning footage of a Maoist demonstration in the Nepali capitol:

On June 25, 2009, Qin Gang had this reassurance:

Q: Are you expecting the newly-elected Nepalese Prime Minister to visit China in the weeks to come?

A: China and Nepal are friendly neighbors that share a peaceful and friendly boundary. We’d like to strengthen high-level exchanges with Nepal, deepen our cooperation in various fields and further promote our good neighborliness and friendly relations. As for Nepalese Prime Minister’s visit to China, I don’t have any confirmed information yet, when there is, we’ll release it in due course.

Isn’t it good to share peaceful and friendly boundaries?  China has indeed been ramping up its soft-power activities in Nepal, and with good reason.  India, and concern about Tibet, are major players in perceptions of the PRC.  Thus this rather interesting tour/exhibition to eastern Nepal for the PRC ambassador there last month, to “sing high of the dramatic development of Tibet Autonomous Region of China after it initiated the democratic reform in 1959.”

If you think China isn’t worried about the implications of India’s rise, read Qin Gang’s November 20 press conference at the PRC Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Here we have very little Obama, but quite a few questions surrounding India which are worth reading.  They are along the lines of this Xinhua editorial which evokes Indian apprehension at the recent Sino-U.S. joint statement signed by President Obama:

Those uneasy about closer Sino-US ties are not only conservatives back home who are critical of Obama. There are pressures from elsewhere, too. On the eve of the Indian Prime Minister’s state visit to the US, New Delhi has shown itself to be wary of the China- US Joint Statement issued last week. Japan has also revealed its fear of being neglected, and Europe, a passenger in the front seat, is worried at being pushed to a rear seat.

And the Huanqiu Shibao crows about India’s nervousness that India is being surpassed by China in statistical terms of English speakers.   As further evidence of the fact, the newly-minted Global Times, the usually-sanitized version of the Huanqiu Shibao, will be carrying the linked story in its English version of November 23 (not yet published or translated, however).

In the meantime there is this Global Times assurance (replete with untranslated map) that China isn’t interested in breaking off chunks of Kashmir:

Xinhua's bizarre caption: "The experts stress that China criticism of India for extending an invitation to the Dalai Lama has nothing to do with the border dispute." !!!