Maoist violence in India is a major internal unrest. The Indian government recognises it as the greatest threat to internal security since Independence. As I write the Maoists have requested for intellectuals to mediate talks with the nation. The response of the Indian state is awaited.
Violence has no colour. It is self defeating and regressive. Yet let us open this discussion with whether there is any necessity for root cause analysis in dealing with this violence. Suppression of violence by brute force without analysis of background is return by the state to might is right rule of the jungle. At the present day and age when we talk of inclusive and fairer administration – such attempts are oppressive. They have no place in democracy.
Prevalence of inequality and injustice – with no adequate means of expression available
Justice is a dynamic idea. We aspire to establish a just society, in India. In a democratic system this is execution of majority will. Which at its very basic and probably over simplified interpretation is choosing in favour of the majority group against minority desires. This means that in a democratic system it is inevitable for unfulfilled desires to exist. For sacrifices to have been made for “greater good” or alternatively “good of the majority”. In a country as diverse as India with several conflicting points of interest the magnitude of this unavoidable inequality is larger.
So how do we manage this inequality? By facilitating expression of dissent is the easier said than done answer. Even more difficult is provision of accessible and legal frameworks for redressal. In such social fabrics as ours, it is often a challenge to allow expression of less popular view points. And we have so far been discussing only the theoretical difficulties of minority expression in a democracy. So now add to this obstructive factors like the desires of giant corporate organisations - with enough money and might to manufacture public opinion and subvert political will. With enough power to erase expression that it finds unfavourable to its interests.
This is in brief the unavoidable complex root cause of the tragedy of the marginalised indigenous population of India. Their interest is the ignored minority desire of jungle people. For centuries their dissent has not been expressed – let alone redressed. Whatever little their assets have had to be sacrificed for the greater good of the more privileged majority.
The tribal population of Bengal – Bihar(including current Jharkhand) - Orissa at various points in recent past has found themselves on land necessary to the nation for its mineral resources, industrialisation, good roads, power stations and what not. They have hardly ever been recognised as necessary stakeholders when such decisions have been discussed or executed. The price of displacement has been inadequate. This too has been often left to the mercy of corrupt officials, with little attention to monitoring what fraction of the sanctioned money actually reaches the victim. Often the ownership of land in such areas have been more by rote, with no existing formal record. This has made the task of being compensated almost impossible.
This is only a quick snapshot of the systematic state sponsored marginalisation of such communities. The tales of depravity are endless. The displacement has been chronic, and the loss has over decades fuelled subsidization of comfort commodities for privileged urban dwellers. Cheap minerals and land has kept the prices of our air conditioners reasonable – labour affordable. These people have been condemned to be dispensable by governments and clever corporate organisations. As part of a democratic society it leaves blood on your hand and mine. Without our knowledge. Irrespective of our consent.
Salwa Jurm – The Government sponsored civil war. Pitch the hungry against the thirsty.
So how has the government dealt with this so far? This is yet another shocking story.
In the ’70 s this was dealt with a “firm hand” as some would still boast. In exterminating violence the state had assumed the right to erase perpetrators. The details of the cruelty in name of collaterals is not the scope of this discussion. The details have been partly captured in numerous novels, short stories and films from this period. The attempts had secured peace. The quiet that you only hear in open air crematoria. And it had driven deep, a discontent. That was only destined to build up and erupt – decades later. Now.
Perhaps the state had not realised. The tribals owned India. From long before India started existing. Before the Aryans strated percolating down the Indogangetic plains. And since then, they had withstood – Invaders of every size, shape and colour. Theirs was a way of life – designed to last. Not change. In today’s fast moving India, what could be a greater audacity than this? Life that stands resolute. Feet on some of the richest resources, that can fuel the speed of this juggernaut nation. Yet refuse to play. We do not take very kindly to kids that stand by the playground. They who do not want to participate in our games. We forget their right to “not be a part”. They are too few. They do not vote...............they are dispensable!
The state of India woke up to this ingenious plan. Lets arm the villagers with weapons. Lets distribute some ranks to a few too. Then lets leave them to oppose tribals. They called it Salwa Jurm. Let the thirsty fight the hungry. The state can sit at their protected colosseum and watch the twentieth century gladiators battle it out. Who qualified for a rank and an official weapon. Who would be officially a maoist .................was beside the point. Even today after the salwa jurm has been abandoned at most places, we leave the ill equipped state police to lead guerrilla warfare. The inevitable casualties only the prove the point: Maoists are bad, bad people............and I told you so!
