Lalgarh: Some thoughts...

The operation to reclaim Lalgarh is on its last leg. Its fair to say that the Naxals are close to being beaten comprehensively in Lalgarh. So what does India think about this? That after Singur and Nandigram, Lalgarh has emerged as the next hot-bed for anti-CPMism in Bengal? Thus, that CPM’s days are numbered in Bengal? That people are finally fed up of the Left Front?

Questions like these are doing the rounds not just in political circles, but also in the media. But, I feel these are a long way off the reality of the situation in Lalgarh.

I don’t know whether CPM’s days are numbered, or if people in Bengal are fed up with the Left, but I’m sure that Lalgarh has nothing to do with Singur and Nandigram.

            Such comparisons are false and quite ignorant. The situations are completely different. Singur and Nandigram were people’s protests against what they perceived as anti-people policies of the Left Front govt. such protests, are frankly, not alarming. They only reflect some unpopular policies, these are problems that can be solved.

            But Lalgarh is deeper. It strikes at the very heart of India’s authority over its own territory. And Lalgarh is only the tip of the iceberg, there are many more Lalgarhs waiting to happen. In fact, the Naxals have already made vast areas unreachable to the govt. The Naxals are quite simply, India’s biggest threat to internal security. And I’m glad the govt has woken up to this menace. But this is only one side of the story.

            The Naxals are just the symptoms; the disease itself is deeper, and more entrenched. It is the failure of successive governments in places like Jharkhand, parts of orissa, chattisgarh, it is a failure of the state, to integrate the tribals, adivasis to the economic mainstream of the nation.

            Just consider, Jharkhand is one of India’s richest states, in terms of mineral wealth, yet the state has been left impoverished. Jharkhand’s the closest India has to Africa… rich, used and impoverished.

            It’s true that Naxals originated in Bengal, from Naxalbari. But successive and successful implementation of Land Reforms by the Left Front governments removed many of the problems faced by these people. Indeed, over 70% of the land in Lalgarh and surrounding districts is owned by adivasis themselves. There is no doubt that these land reforms were, by far, Left’s greatest achievement in Bengal. It’s a pity that such policies could not be implemented in other parts of the country, by other state governments. The effect of these land reforms were so good that, they alone were reason enough for the people to vote the Left back for 6 consecutive terms! Thus, in the absence of such under-development and impoverishment, the Naxal ideology failed to take hold in Bengal.

But it found resonance in nearby Jharkhand, and Orissa, where colonial,feudal structures of power hadn’t yet evolved, where the riches of the land weren’t shared, where the land made a few people richer, and left the others untouched. Indeed, “Rich got richer, Poor got poorer!!!”

Such abject poverty and deprivation attracted missionaries, ministries and churches. To them, they were good fodder, and mass conversions were organized, with negligible change in their economic standing. None the less, the missionaries’ efforts on improving the healthcare, and educational infrastructures in these areas can’t be ignored. As these missionaries’ reach and influence grew, the “Hindutva” forces became alarmed, and they too came and did similar work. Thus, while I congratulate these religious groups for improving the lives of these people, by a small extent, they have hijacked the issue to suit their religious agendas. To them, the issue is no longer of mass-poverty, but of showing off their “religious superiority”. And in this battle, were trapped the lives of most of the tribals.

Then, of course is the shameful failure of the political class to show any sort of leadership, any sort of interest in the lives of the adivasis. They conveniently got involved in the “battle of religions” described above. Have no doubts about this, events like Kandhamal are a national shame, and are a result of such a brand of politics. Thus, the conditions are ripe for the continued support for these Naxals, in these states, for there is very little effort being made, to address their concerns. When was the last time Jharkhand had a functional government? The Chattisgarh govt goes even further, coming up with “novel ideas” of fighting the Naxals without the state police, but with the Salwa Judum. Such illegitimate organizations perpetuate the feudal structures of power, thus blinding the govt to the real issue, while creating newer problems.

Yet, this battle is not a lost cause. We have the power to transform these areas. Concepts like the NREGA, RTI, etc are landmark policies, which can change their lives for the better. These areas, are desperately crying out for effective implementation of these Acts. The importance of their implementation can’t be exaggerated. If we’re serious in our fight against the Naxals, this has just, got to be done. If not for these people, at least for giving meaning to India’s authority over its own territory…