Tags:
Journalism of Courage
HYDERABAD, July 11: The People’s War Group of Naxalites seems to have had a change of heart with the people revolting against Left-wing extremists and the government making concerted efforts to put down the movement. Even as the Central government and five states including Andhra Pradesh are making bids to curb Naxalism, the PWG has asked its cadres to rectify mistakes and mobilise people for an armed struggle.
In a circular (No 2/98) issued recently, the central committee (CC) of the PWG asked its lower-rung committees to refrain from committing “mistakes” which would alienate people from the movement. “With such mistakes, the people will lose faith in us,” the apex body of the Naxalite group said.
The circular comes in the wake of efforts of the newly formed committee of concerned citizens’ (CCC), consisting of retired bureaucrats, civil rights’ campaigners and social activists, to find a solution to the three-decade-old Naxalite problem in the State.
Keeping in view the CCC’s criticism againstthe “mistakes” and “excesses” by Naxalites, the highest-decision making body of PWG admitted that there were several instances where the cadre transgressed the norms fixed by the leadership, thereby attracting the wrath of the people.
The CC felt that the cadres leading the movement in some areas have been committing mistakes due to `lack of proper understanding’, `social backwardness’ and `lack of political consciousness’. Such `blunders’ were likely to tarnish the party’s image.
Though the CCC was described as an organisation of liberal democrats, the PWG leadership appeared to have taken seriously the points raised by it. “It is true that the CCC did not go to the root cause of the issue and ground realities, but such efforts are welcome,” the 16-page circular stated.
The PWG admitted that some of the punishments meted out at “peoples’courts” by its cadre amounted to excesses, violating peoples’ rights. Stipulating that the participation of people should go up in such courts, the CC felt thatfair play ought to be allowed before awarding sentences.
“There should be scope for appeal for getting justice. If the aggrieved one thinks a village cell committed a mistake, he can go for an appeal to the squad area committee (SAC), whose verdict would be ultimate and under no circumstances, death penalties should be awarded,” the CC said.
The PWG leadership advised its cardres not to kill people’s representatives, particularly mandal parishad presidents and sarpanches, indiscriminately. “If their deeds are wrong, let them be exposed before the public,” was its view.
On killing of police personnel, the PWG leadership directed its cadres to concentrate only on those who were directly involved in combing operations, raids or intelligence-gathering, while letting off others who were on other duties.
Taking exception to the indiscriminate killing of “police informers”, the CC felt that there should be differentiation between “hardcore” informers and those who were forced to become “policeagents” under social compulsions. “It is better to leave their (informers’) fate to the people’s judgment.”
On the destruction of public property including burning of buses, the party urged its cadres to maintain restraint. While taking objection to the burning of buses, which are an important means of transport for the poor, it endorsed the attacks on police stations and communication installations.
