Mallojula Venugopal Rao, the ideological head and chief spokesperson of the Communist Party of India (Maoist), has issued a second letter, stating that it is time for “cessation of armed struggle” to “save the party”. Rao alias Sonu (70), who hails from Peddapalli in Telangana, has attached his latest photograph with the letter. The letter, written in Telugu, is the latest chapter of a saga that started with a letter on August 15, which was released on September 12, on the same subject. Sonu’s first letter was widely discussed and criticised by the party ranks, with a section of the Central Committee and Telangana State Committee of the party condemning his approach and even calling him a “traitor”. As reported by The Indian Express, the Maoists are divided on whether or not to surrender. The new letter appears to be a response to Telangana State Committee spokesperson Jagan’s letter dated September 19, which advocated continuing the armed struggle. In the latest one, Sonu says, “The statement I made on August 15 was discussed step by step within the party ranks and finally released on September 12 after discussions ended. The letter was released without any changes to it.” A Telangana intelligence officer said Sonu appears to be “claiming that he has the support of the majority of CC members and other top ranks of the party”. “He seems to be claiming that Jagan’s letter (which condemns cessation) was written in consultation with just a few CC members. This confirms the split in the Maoist party, with one section in support of joining the mainstream,” the officer said. The Central Committee and Politburo are the top decision-making bodies of the Maoist party. Sonu also undercut another tall leader of the party, Thippiri Tirupathi alias Devuji, who is currently believed to be its general secretary. Its former general secretary, Nambala Keshava Rao alias Basavaraju, was killed in May this year in an offensive led by the security forces in Chhattisgarh. Sonu’s letter read, “The media created the hoax that Devuji was elected as the party general secretary.” In his latest letter, Sonu also gives a timeline of events which led to “the decision of cessation of armed struggle”. He writes that his letter was in continuation of the Politburo circular issued in August 2024. The Indian Express had earlier reported that the PB circular of 2024 had stressed the need for the party to “retreat” because it is “weak”. He says that the temporary ceasefire and cessation of arms is the only option for the party to save itself because peace talks are not an option, and neither is surrendering. Sonu claims in his letter that the slain general secretary of the party was in favour of “cessation of armed struggle”. “While issuing the statement of cessation of armed struggle, I apologise to the people who have served (the Maoist party) for so long,” he writes. In continuation with the PB circular of 2024, which claimed that the party does not enjoy a mass base anymore, Sonu writes, “Let us change according to the changing circumstances. Let us go among the masses and strengthen the public base.”
