Opinion: Urban naxal, a true patriot

For modern state, intelligentsia serves as a channel to become aware of ground realities

By Samudrala VK

Hyderabad: It is axiomatic to state that the current ruling dispensation at the Centre has a knack for not only designing acronyms for government schemes or policies and renaming cities but also for labelling people who are averse to its ideology. One such label that we hear often these days is ‘urban naxal’. Given the terrifying propaganda surrounding the word amid the rightist political environment, a commoner might tend to build several misconceptions.

Do urban naxals wear battle fatigues? Do they carry arms and march Indian cities? Do they venture into homes and rape innocent women like how US-funded terrorists did in war-torn nations of West Asia? Do they bomb civilian homes like how the US forces did in Iraq and Syria? Do they decapitate people like how IS terrorists do in these nations? Do they expunge women of their rights like how the Taliban is doing in Afghanistan? Do they resort to moral policing like how religious fanatics are doing in BJP-led States? Do they lynch people like how rightist mobs do under the guise of cow vigilantism? Do they siphon off the common man’s wherewithal saved in their bank accounts like well-known economic offenders or crony capitalists are doing and go into exile?

An image search of the word ‘urban naxal’ on the internet throws up a bunch of grey-haired elderly citizens holding some placards. And interestingly, none of them carrying munition. Most of them are academics, well-known artists and renowned social activists. Then, what is the motive behind the malicious programme of branding ideological opponents and intelligentsia?

Conflict of Ideologies

Ideology is nothing but a set of ideas or principles shared by a group of individuals to achieve pre-determined social, political and economic goals. Since the dawn of human civilisation, many ideologies or political theories have come to the fore. While some are based on blind faith, others are proposed after thorough analysis, critical evaluation and scientific understanding. Conflict of ideologies or political theories is necessary for the progress of society and is seen as an indispensable thing in human life. It is this tussle among the prevailing ideologies that gives birth to a new political thought thereby paving the way for a new society.

Is it a crime to like an ideology or a philosophical thought of any kind? If that is the case, the present-day world is filled with culprits as most of them like and embrace capitalism, a political and economic ideology. And the greatest culprits are rulers and policymakers as they don’t adopt it in its original form. Along the same lines, are all modern-day or civilised humans criminals as they follow democracy, a political system and philosophical thought? And, the entire populace is deemed as wicked, for they don’t follow at least in its crude form ie, direct democracy. Any ideology is an embodiment of certain ideas or aspirations. One may like a few of them and disagree with others. Further, one may like the ends of an ideology but differ with the means and vice-versa. What is right and what is wrong is a matter of debate.

Inherent Flaws

There is no doubt in quoting that the naxal movement changed the character of the Indian state. It forced it to cast light on inherent flaws of the economic system to which the British Raj and successive governments in independent India turned a blind eye. Contrary to popular perception, naxalism isn’t an imported doctrine. Rather, an ingrown ideology. Though one may perceive it as revolutionary Marxism going by the ideological environment, both at the national and international levels in which it was born, it was the feudal environment in then rural India that gave birth to it. Neither it was inspired by the Bolshevik Revolution of Russia nor China’s Long March. In addition to the agrarian crisis, social and political inequalities plagued then Indian society. However, in due course, it got assimilated into the class theory of revolutionary Marxism.

Revolution needs certain conditions to take wings. The exploitation of natural and human resources, drudgery, atrocities, inequalities and displacement are a few conditions that provide a fertile ground for revolutionary activities. The higher the oppression, the greater the chances of revolution.

Crackdown on Media

If the Centre feels that there is a scope for naxal resurgence, it should address the conditions that are contributing to it rather than suppressing the voice of intelligentsia which does more harm than good. An ideal government always lends an ear to the voice of its citizens. For modern state, intelligentsia serves as a channel to become aware of ground realities. It is worth mentioning here that the oppressed resort to violent struggle or look towards revolutionary elements only when they feel the constitutional ways through which they can put forward their legitimate demands are exhausted. Crackdown on media, pressure groups and NGOs weakens democracy in general and the sanctity of the Indian Constitution in particular.

It also seems farcical on the part of the Centre to assume that today’s youth would be carried away by the naxal ideology. Let alone the knowledge about people like Charu Majumdar, Kanu Sanyal, Kondapalli Seetharamaiah and Chandra Pulla Reddy, most of the millennials don’t even know about naxalism and its goals.

Labelling environmentalists, social activists, research scholars, political analysts and other dissenters as urban naxals does not serve any purpose. It appears that the Centre has developed a programme ‘Operation Intellectual Hunt’ on the lines of ‘Operation Green Hunt’. If an individual is called an urban naxal in present-time India, s/he should take it as a token of appreciation and honour. And, should be proud of it as s/he has the qualities of a true patriot such as the quest for truth, scientific temperament and progressive spirit.