Mahato's murder shows Naxal upsurge in J'khand
Monday, March 5, 2007
Is the murder of JMM MP Sunil Mahato the first signs of an upsurge in Naxal violence in the states where the cadres are active?
The Union Home Ministry in fact said on Monday that Mahato's gunning down could have been a retaliatory action against the state government's recent crackdown on the ultra-left Naxals, also known as CPI (Maoist).
What could give impetus to a renewed bout of naxal violence is their recently concluded 'Unity Congress (9th Congress) of the CPI (Maoist) – A Turning Point in Indian Revolution'. The Congress was held amid secrecy somewhere near the borders of Jharkhand, Orissa, and Chhattisgarh and was apparently attended by more 100 core naxal cadres from 16 states.
In the post-Congress communiqué to the press, the Maoists had reaffirmed their faith in violence. In the Congress, the organisation of the group was reviewed and changes were put in place.
"It passed resolutions on the important political issues of the day – both international and national – and made the necessary organisaitional changes and elected a new central committee," the release said, adding that functioning of the new party was reviewed as well. It called upon youth to join 'armed struggle' against the government.
The CPI (Maoist) party was formed after the People's War and the CPI (ML) merged into a single entity in 2004.
A senior police officer from Chhattisgarh, which has seen the bulk of naxal violence in the last two years, said that even though the claims of the Maoists as far as attendance in the congress could be an exaggeration, it is possible that the extreme group could step up violence in new areas.
"The Home Ministry too is gearing up to tackle the menace with a new cell having been set up. The naxals could then resort to more violence as a reaction," the police officer who did not wish to be named said.
Meawnhile, left parties and CPI (M) and CPI have condemned Mahato's killing. The CPI said that it was time that Naxals learn from their counterparts in Nepal. CPI (M)'s Prakash Karat said that his party was at the receiving end of naxal violence in West Bengal and asked for more central assistance to states to curb the menace. Hindustan Times
posted by Resistance 3/05/2007 11:15:00 PM,
