My morning newspaper reported that Indian Central government is considering various plans for multidimensional operations in all affected states. While reading the news in auto rickshaw, I exhaled with “Fuck Naxalites”.
“Wo log yaha bhi aa rahe hai saab. Bahut jaldi, (they are coming here too, sir. Very soon),” my auto rickshaw driver informed me. In the rear-view mirror, I could only see his eyes. I could see certain confidence… certain surety in those eyes. It scared me and that scariness filled my heart with an instant hatred for him. I wanted to shout back with thousand questions aimed at his understanding on the subject but then decided against it. My only expression in disapproval of his surety was to be rude to him while paying my rickshaw fare.
However, his statement remained in my mind. When I got back home, I Googled “Naxalites” and was led to a wikipage. I was intrigued by its history. Something that started as early as in 1967 has no solution as yet. But then I laugh at myself by the realization that Kashmir issue had started in 1947, and by now we have just adjusted ourselves to live with its horrors, and terrorist events which offshoots from there, in and around our livelihoods.
A movement that started off to omit class-divide it India, or at least voice against it, is now creating more divides than ever and guess what, it has its origin to Communist Party of China (read Maoist), which in itself is originated from the ideas of Marx and Lenin! I am sure China could never use a weapon better than this ‘ideology’ against India. By the way, I must admit the kinda language used on wiki to describe their ideologies is exceptionally out-of-the-world; I had to read and reread entire article at least four times. I wonder, how they explain these high-funda concepts to those illiterate “lower class fighters”! Or do they care to explain anything?
Probably they had a reason to revolt. Probably they were oppressed for so long that they couldn’t take any more. Probably they contained their anger long enough to be contained any more. But probably, they were simply used for some personal and/or political mileage? Who knows?
It is sad to note that this movement started in West Bengal, a state that I and most of my fellow Indians regarded as the state of Intellectuals. The wikipage also has a map which shows various states being or about to be affected by this movement which tells me that the targeted districts includes few from Maharashtra and Eastern U.P.; former my place of residence, later my parents’. It would be interesting to know if Mr. Raj Thackeray has any plan to stop these “outsiders” from infiltrating into Maharashtra, because I am sure the U.P. government has none; she is busy making elephant idols.
Standing in middle of these racing thought-horses at midnight, I feel sorry for the kids from rural areas and Adivasi region where I teach conversational English with some of my colleagues. I wondered with my eyes wide and blank, “This is what we have in future for them?” Then, I smiled to myself, “at least they will be ‘English Speaking’ Naxalites who will be able to read wiki to understand the ideology they will subscribe to.”
P.S.: Two movies on this subject I came across:
1) “Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi” that you may like watching – well made, well acted and with beautiful music.
2) “Red Alert” that you may conveniently avoid – simply, a bad movie.
“Wo log yaha bhi aa rahe hai saab. Bahut jaldi, (they are coming here too, sir. Very soon),” my auto rickshaw driver informed me. In the rear-view mirror, I could only see his eyes. I could see certain confidence… certain surety in those eyes. It scared me and that scariness filled my heart with an instant hatred for him. I wanted to shout back with thousand questions aimed at his understanding on the subject but then decided against it. My only expression in disapproval of his surety was to be rude to him while paying my rickshaw fare.
However, his statement remained in my mind. When I got back home, I Googled “Naxalites” and was led to a wikipage. I was intrigued by its history. Something that started as early as in 1967 has no solution as yet. But then I laugh at myself by the realization that Kashmir issue had started in 1947, and by now we have just adjusted ourselves to live with its horrors, and terrorist events which offshoots from there, in and around our livelihoods.
A movement that started off to omit class-divide it India, or at least voice against it, is now creating more divides than ever and guess what, it has its origin to Communist Party of China (read Maoist), which in itself is originated from the ideas of Marx and Lenin! I am sure China could never use a weapon better than this ‘ideology’ against India. By the way, I must admit the kinda language used on wiki to describe their ideologies is exceptionally out-of-the-world; I had to read and reread entire article at least four times. I wonder, how they explain these high-funda concepts to those illiterate “lower class fighters”! Or do they care to explain anything?
Probably they had a reason to revolt. Probably they were oppressed for so long that they couldn’t take any more. Probably they contained their anger long enough to be contained any more. But probably, they were simply used for some personal and/or political mileage? Who knows?
It is sad to note that this movement started in West Bengal, a state that I and most of my fellow Indians regarded as the state of Intellectuals. The wikipage also has a map which shows various states being or about to be affected by this movement which tells me that the targeted districts includes few from Maharashtra and Eastern U.P.; former my place of residence, later my parents’. It would be interesting to know if Mr. Raj Thackeray has any plan to stop these “outsiders” from infiltrating into Maharashtra, because I am sure the U.P. government has none; she is busy making elephant idols.
Standing in middle of these racing thought-horses at midnight, I feel sorry for the kids from rural areas and Adivasi region where I teach conversational English with some of my colleagues. I wondered with my eyes wide and blank, “This is what we have in future for them?” Then, I smiled to myself, “at least they will be ‘English Speaking’ Naxalites who will be able to read wiki to understand the ideology they will subscribe to.”
P.S.: Two movies on this subject I came across:
1) “Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi” that you may like watching – well made, well acted and with beautiful music.
2) “Red Alert” that you may conveniently avoid – simply, a bad movie.
