Casteist, religious differences emerge in Maoist rank and file
* In the review of ‘situation’ and chalking out of ‘immediate tasks’ document, Central Committee of CPI (Maoist) admits to negative impact of casteist and religious cultures
By Kartik Lokhande
After admitting that it is facing a ‘critical situation’, Communist Party of India (Maoist) has now come up with one more admission – caste and religious divides within its rank and file. As part of ‘rectification campaign’, it has laid out plans for party leadership to stay with lower level cadres in the field and self-criticism in every meeting.
Some time ago, the Maoists had admitted to their ‘movement’ weakening in Maharashtra and facing ‘critical situation’ countrywide, following arrests and encounters of its top leaders as well as surrender of field-level cadres in different parts of the country. Many of its cadres had even left the party organisation as they were frustrated with the living conditions as well as differences with leadership. Following this, the Maoists decided to formulate a plan that it named ‘rectification campaign’. The campaign’s details are mentioned in a document released by Central Committee of CPI (Maoist) on the occasion of 9th anniversary of party formation.
In the document, the Central Committee of the Maoists has made a clear reference to ‘rectification campaign’. At one place, it states, “Concrete rectification campaigns where and when necessary, review of our practice and of decisions in every meeting and deep criticism – self-criticism should be taken up as the means to get rid of non-proletarian trends like subjectivism, spontaneity, liberalism, sectarianism, bureaucracy, patriarchy etc that are prevalent at various levels, at various degrees and in various forms in our party. To succeed in these campaigns we should pay special attention to ideological, political, military and organisational education/training and to review of concrete practice at every level including at individual levels.”
It has accepted to prevalence of patriarchal and bureaucratic approaches among Maoist cadres, as well as to ‘negative impact’ of ‘casteist, religious, and imperialist cultures’. “They are not only negatively impacting the people but are also penetrating into our subjective forces in various degrees and numbing their revolutionary consciousness,” states the document while blaming this element for ‘decadence of new democratic and communist values’ in the party and Peoples Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA). It may be recalled here that the division among cadres over caste lines was present among Maoists, but it had not admitted to that so far.
Dubbing this as ‘danger’, the Maoists have chalked out certain measures. These include strengthening of ‘revolutionary cultural spheres’ by way of attempts to increase their voice through various legal cultural organisations in urban as well as rural areas. “Our cultural organisations should take up appropriate forms and play a crucial role in developing revolutionary culture. Study, political classes and lectures relating to cultural matters should be taken up vigorously as a part of Bolshevizing our party. Committees should pay attention to distributing the available revolutionary literature among the cadres. These cultural and literary
efforts should become an integral part of the ideological, political and cultural work that every committee takes up,” the document adds.
Besides, Central Committee of CPI (Maoist) has asked its leadership to stay with lower level cadres in the field to guide them. Following arrests of leaders at various levels, Central Committee has laid emphasis on developing ‘secondary leadership at all levels in a planned manner.’
(Published in The Hitavada CityLine on December 24, 2013)
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