INDIA: Condemn the witch-hunting of anti-imperialist activists and Trade Union leaders by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and other state and central police agencies at the behest of brahmanic hindutva fascism and mining corporations. Release all political prisoners immediately.

 

             COMMUNIST PARTY OF INDIA (MAOIST)

Central Committee

Press Release

25 October, 2024

Condemn the witch-hunting of anti-imperialist activists and Trade Union leaders by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and other state and central police agencies at the behest of brahmanic hindutva fascism and mining corporations.

Release all political prisoners immediately.

The Central Committee of CPI (Maoist) condemns in strong words the arrests of social activists and raids on their houses by the fascist state machinery-NIA, which is infamously known for its notorious means and other central and state police agencies. To prosecute well-known people's centric writer, Arundhati Roy in 14 years old case is highly condemnable. In the past few months, particularly after the Lok Sabha elections the NDA government under the leadership of Hindutva RSS- BJP has unleashed a new wave of attacks on the democratic and revolutionary forces Trade Union and mass leaders. In fact, this has intensified with the commencement of genocidal war on the indigenous people of central and eastern India in the name of "Operation Kagaar".

      On September 3, 2024, the NIA conducted a series of raids in Narayanpur district of Chhattisgarh. It has impacted 35 adivasi people in a fabricated case of having links with CPI (Maoist). Among those charged is Lakma Korram, leader of the Maad Bachao Manch. Earlier they have arrested Com. Surju Tekam, a well-known tribal leader in May, 2024. The organization is a democratic organization that follows the Indian constitution and works for the rights of the adivasi people in Maad region.

     On 5 September, 2024, NIA abducted labour rights activist Anirudh Rajan while he was traveling from Bangalore to Chennai to meet his family friend. He was booked under draconian UAPA on dubious charges of fundraising for CPI (Maoist). The allegations are completely false and is a cooked story by the Indian state to target Anirudh Rajan for his efforts for the rights of the working class. He has played an instrumental role in the organizing workers in Manesar under the banner of the Manesar General Mazdoor Sangh. Along with Anirudh Rajan, Ajay Kumar was also booked under UAPA for having links with the CPI (Maoist). He is All-India Convenor of Visthapan Virodhi Janvikas Andolan (VVJVA), which has turned to be a grass-root platform for anti-mining, anti-displacement and people-centric development model across the country. Advocate Ajay Kumar is working for people since more than last 20 years. His illegal arrest by the Indian state is a clear sign of intensification of the repression on the movements that firmly stand against corporatization and militarization.

On 19 September, 2024 Com. Karthik Naik, a mass leader who was leading a struggle against the multinational corporate house Vedanta's bauxite mining in South Odisha was arrested from Kashipur of Raygada district by the Police. The region of Kashipur of Raygada district and Thummal Rampur of Kalahandi district are largely inhabited by adivasis and dalits which comes under the Fifth Schedule of the Constitution. The region has large reserves of bauxite in the mountains. But the Indian state leashed the bauxite reserves of Sijimali and Kutturumali of Raygada district to Vedanta and Adani group, respectively. The villagers of the region are being heroically and unitedly resisting the proposed mining activities in the region. To crush the anti-mining mass movement, the Odisha government which has a tribal chief minister, at the behest of the mining company arrested Com. Karthik Naik. He is a member of Maa Maati Maali Surakhya Manch, organization steering the anti-mining protests.

In the early hours of 1st October, 2024 in Kolkata the NIA conducted raids on the homes of about 11 mass movement, trade union activists, journalists, student leaders and human rights activists for having association with the CPI (Maoist) which is completely a figment of mind. It was a joint-operation by the NIA and the STF, the special anti-Maoist wing of the West Bengal government.

After coming to power for the third time, brahmanic hindutva fascism has spread its tentacles to entangle the democratic and revolutionary mass movements leaders. Though this is not a new phenomenon at all. But the intensity of the attacks on anti-imperialist, anti-mining and anti-corporate movements leaders in the regime of brahmanic hindutva fascism is quite different from the earlier ones and PM branded them as Aandolanjeevi. While attacking these social political activists the brahmanic hindutva fascism is hoping to conflate it with the issue of "terrorism".  On several occasions, Narendra Modi himself has spoken in public that his regime will not show any leniency towards those who comes in its path of "Vikasit Bharat" which is based on big corporate houses which supports Brahmanism for their class interests. In suppressing the revolutionary people's democratic movements, the brahmanic hindutva fascism is aimed to establish the dominance of its fascist ideology with the unflinching support of imperialist and comprador bourgeoisie.

Such attacks and arrests of mass movements leaders and social activists resembles the McCarthy-era tactics that sees social and political democratic movements equivalent to terrorism. It wants to quell every protest movement and resistance against finance capital which is in deep crisis. The exploitative ruling classes of the country are so horrified that it sees every resistance to big corporate capital and brahmanism as Maoism.  Therefore, the ruling classes are very eager to eliminate the revolutionary movement which is going on under the leadership of CPI (Maoist).

The Indian state particularly Indian Prime Minister barks on the international forums that India is a country of peace and development and nothing will be achieved with war. But, in practice, nowhere else he or his government have put affords to stop the wars. Instead of it, since the beginning of war between Russia and NATO supported Ukraine war, the Indian ruling classes are earning enormous profits by purchasing oil and gas from Russia. Another side in our country when the food production is about 332 billion tons in the year 2023-24 and at the same time staggering 200 million undernourished people, then how it is possible to silence the people, without suppressing and repressing them with brutal state violence on the name of peace and development?  How can there be peace and development in the rotten system that punishes, kills and displaces oppressed people and oppressed social communities for simply raising their voices for their existence and fundamental rights. The super-rich are enjoying luxurious life while the toiling masses are struggling to even cover their body. There can be no real peace and development unless the oppressed people capture the political power by overthrowing the rotten system.

The Central Committee of CPI(Maoist) gives call to all democrats, progressives, workers and peasant organizations, writers, lawyers, intellectuals and human-rights activists to build broad militant mass movements to against the arrests and NIA raids including for the release of all political prisoners in the country. Paraphrasing Walter Benjamin we state that: "the state of emergency in which we live is not the exception but the rule".  The country and its oppressed people need them the most at a time when fascism has become the general political system of the country. Let us remember what Karl Marx said in Reflections of a Young Man on the choice of Profession: "If we have chosen the position in life that allows us to most effectively work for mankind, no burdens can weigh us down, for these sacrifices serve the greater good; our joy will not be selfish but will belong to countless others."

Abhay,

Spokes person,

Central Committee,

CPI (Maoist).