Maoists adopts new strategy

Jehanabad, Apr 2: The recent wave of Maoist violence in the country clearly point to a new strategy being adopted by the them.

The hijacking of a passenger train in Jharkhand, attacks on the tribals supporting the Salwa Judum in Chhatisgarh, non government institutions in R Udaygiri town of Orissa and the police in North Bihar signals a shift in their strategy.

According to reports emanating from the Maoist circle, simultaneous coordinated attacks are indications of the new strategy the Maoists have introduced with their strikes in Koraput in Orissa in February 2004 and later in Jehanabad in November 2005.

The Maoists have unleashed a ruthless campaign against those who oppose them and support the state, as is evident in the violence against Salwa Judum supporters in Chhatisgarh.

Intelligence reports also suggest that the Maoists are trying to emulate their counterparts in Nepal, where the decade-long armed struggle has made the Communist Party of Nepal (CPN) so powerful that its writ runs in a majority of the districts.

The Indian Maoists are said to be slightly disappointed over the rusults of their three-decade-long struggle even as the Nepal Maoists have made spectacular strides in just one decade.

The new Maoist strategy has to be understood in the backdrop of the merger of two major revolutionary parties-the MCCI and the PWG to form the CPI (Maoist) of the two. The MCCI was known for its brutal methods while PWG was considered moderates. This moderate approach of the PWG was resented by their own comrades and they had been denouncing the moderate leadership for the near collapse of the movement in Andhra Pradesh.

However, arguments of the hawks in the party in favour of emulating the methods of the Nepal Maoists do not seem to find favour with the top Maoist leadership which counter that Nepalese rebels are succeeding because of local conditions and such strategies are not likely to work in India.

Opinions on this issue, however, continue to differ. It is learnt that the issue is likely come up for discussion at the next plenary session of the CPI (Maoist) to be held this year.

UNI