In this blog post, we will discuss what is Naxalites. Here we focus on the establishment of Naxalites and the Political parties CPI and CPIM. If you want to little more about what is Naxalites then this post is for you.
What is Naxalites
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In the history of Indian communism, as time went on, the interest in promoting unity between CPI and CPIM became stronger. Both the parties sought a United Front in the state Government of West Bengal.
The search for United Front Ministry in West Bengal was not supported by some of the radicals/extremists of the CPIM. This led to the rise of the Naxalite Movement.
Soon after the United Front Ministry in West Bengal, the Minister promised the distribution of the surplus land. But there were many legal problems and the Government could not implement that.
At the same time, some of the CPIM leaders like Charu Mazumdar and Kanu Sanyal told their friends; that this small land distribution policy would be dangerous for the Peasants’ movement. Their point of reason is, a small number of peasants might become satisfied with the small land distribution and would not like to proceed on for getting more land for more people.
On March 3, 1967, the Peasants’ conference was organized at Siliguri (West Bengal) and it called for the end of Monopoly of Landlords. Charu Mazumdar and Kanu Sanyal told that the time had come to end the ownership of landlords and to bring in re-distribution of land among all people.
They advocated the use of violence to achieve this goal. Their policy was to distribute the land and the property of the landlords to the peasants. This Peasant Conference was the root of the Naxalite movement.
Survey
In surveying the, one has to remember the incident of Telengana just after Indian Independence. Andra Pradesh communists had already adopted a Chinese approach during the years between 1948 & 1951.
At the 1964 conference of CPIM, some radical members wanted to create an underground armed; – forces to work in conjunction with the overground party organization.
But such a proposal was defeated when the CPIM resolved to participate in the United Front Ministry in West Bengal and Kerala.
Establishment of Naxalites
The first uprising in the line of Peasant’s Conference decision took place at Naxalbari; a village of Siliguri sub-division in Darjeeling district in the month of May 1967. The peasants tried to forcibly occupy the land; thus began the ‘land-grab movement’.
The armed peasants, who prepared themselves so well for some years, tried to destroy even the residences of the landlords. Land was occupied; records were burned; even the Tribunal/Tribune, a paralleled administration of Government was set up.
But there was a lot of opposition from the United Front Ministry leaders. The police and the Naxalites were involved in many clashes. The CPIM condemned the action of the police and supported the Naxalite movement.
At that time, the Peking radio approved the movement and declared: “Since, ‘like pre-liberation China, India is a semi-colonial and semi-feudal country’; the Indian people, in order to liberate themselves, ‘must proceed along the path pointed out by Comrade Mao, the path carved out by the Chinese people ….”
Also, the Chinese radio condemned the United Front Government in West Bengal. On July 20, several leaders of the Naxalite movement were arrested; some had surrendered themselves; and the hostility was suspended for the time being.
One of the failures of this movement was the lack of people’s support. Such a movement needed the basis of powerful mass support. In spite of its failures, its consequences spread all over the country. It inspired rural poor people to start their struggle for land occupation.