Mr. Pawar, let action against urban Naxals speak

 

 

 

SHARAD Pawar, the architect of ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) Government in Maharashtra comprising Shiv Sena, his party Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), and Congress, has done a great service to nation by acknowledging the threat of ‘urban Naxalisation’. So far, Pawar’s partymen and leaders of some other parties were critical of even the use of the expression ‘urban Naxals’. Now that NCP supremo has spoken about the threat of urban Naxalism, it is hoped that the MVA Government will do a follow up by initiating action against modules and supporters of Maoist terrorists in urban areas. Actually, Pawar’s statement evoked surprise on social media, especially from the rights activists and self-proclaimed public intellectuals.

 

There is a reason too for this reaction. If one refers to news reports dating back to December 23, 2019, when MVA was newly throned to power and NCP leaders were actively pursuing the cause of certain persons arrested by investigating agencies in connection with Bhima-Koregaon and Elgaar Parishad cases. Then none other than Sharad Pawar had hinted at ‘reinvestigation’ in Bhima-Koregaon case by State Government. Pawar’s brief was that people could not be arrested merely because they possessed some books on Naxalism. Again, as per the media reports dating back to January 25, 2020, Pawar had stated that those who spoke against social injustice could not be branded as ‘urban Naxals’. This statement he made a day after his partyman Anil Deshmukh, who was then Home Minister of Maharashtra, had condemned Centre’s decision to transfer Bhima-Koregaon case to National Investigation Agency (NIA). Against this backdrop, it was obvious that many viewed Pawar’s recent statement made at Gadchiroli cautioning against ‘urban Naxalisation’ with surprise. Pawar also said that ‘some such forces’ were active in Nagpur, Pune, Mumbai, and such big cities and in parts of Sahyadri ranges.

 

He expressed special concern that ‘a section’ was trying to create public opinion and hatred ‘against the Government’. “Urban Naxals are the ones instilling a feeling of disappointment and discontent among people against the establishment. Such forces will have to be handled carefully,” he said. The statement of four-time Chief Minister came close on the heels of Gadchiroli Police eliminating 27 Maoists including a top Maoist leader Milind Teltumbde. Interestingly, Teltumbde was an accused in Bhima-Koregaon case. In 2011, Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad arrested Milind Teltumbde’s wife Angela along with her accomplices including a few artists of Kabir Kala Manch, a Pune-based cultural group, on allegations of links with CPI (Maoist). Angela was residing in Pune. According to police, Milind had organised a 15-day ‘residential’ Naxal camp in Pune. In fact, on one occasion, NCP leader Dilip Walse-Patil (who was Speaker of Legislative Assembly then, and is now Home Minister), had asked R R Patil, the then Home Minister, to make a statement on reports that Teltumbde had conducted a camp in Khed. Patil had confirmed the reports. Further, more recently, during ongoing investigation into Bhima-Koregaon, Elgaar Parishad case, NIA told a court that Milind was inspired by his activist brother Anand Teltumbde, also an accused in the case, to join Maoist movement. To add to the story, Central Committee of CPI (Maoist) recently issued a press release that has been in wide circulation on social media.

 

The press release eulogises Milind Teltumbde as the one who worked in trade union, organised workers, students, and youths ‘in towns’, and also played ‘a key role’ in 2005 in developing Chandrapur as a strong base for workers, students, and youth movements. The student and youth movements referred to in this press release refer to Deshbhakti Yuva Manch, of which the activists were arrested from Pune. So, Milind Teltumbde’s work stretched from urban areas like Pune to forested areas like Gadchiroli. As the modus operandi of Naxalite/Maoist terrorists is simple -- to operate clandestinely from within social movements -- the tall political leaders like Pawar will have to guide his partymen to note the difference between genuine social movements and Maoist-radicalised ones. Not only that, he must guide his party leaders and MVA constituents as well as the Opposition parties to stay united while taking tough action against ‘urban Naxals’, who are nothing but urban operatives of Maoist terrorists. To be honest, if political leaders fail to lend moral support to investigating agencies in probe into such sensitive issues, merely acknowledging the threat of ‘urban Naxalisation’, like what Sharad Pawar did, will be of no help.