Walking withe Comrades

I just read an essay by Arundhati Roy which is based on her travels in jungles of Chhattisgarh alongside armed Maoists.This essay "Walking with the Comrades" featured in the March 29 issue of Outlook. This is not a critic on the essay or Arundhati, for I feel I am nobody to judge. Some might think of her as anti-national(as a supporter of Maoists) or hypocrite for not accepting the Maoist proposal of mediating between them and the government of India, all I have is praise for her courage. She was invited by Maoists for such a trip, a sealed letter slipped under her door and she accepted this offer with alacrity. The essay describes Dantewada, a small town, epicentre of the Maoist's war as "Here the Police wears plain clothes and the rebels uniforms, jail superintendent is in jail and the prisoners free.Women who have been raped are in police custody, rapists give speeches in the bazaar".The Maoist controlled area is called "Pakistan" by police. She recalls her interactions with the members of "People's Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA)", "Krantikari Aivasi Mahila Sangathan", and "People's War group (PWG)". Another highlight of the essay is a brief history of PWG's struggle from the time they arrived in this region from Andra. How they organised tribals and led them to strike for their rights (to demand a rise in the price they are being paid for beedi leaves, for rise in price of bamboo), and how it developed into a armed movement.Tribals always supported PWG and believed that only it can relieve them of their grievance, like in the essay it says 'Lohandiguda was never a Naxal area, the comrades moved in when graffiti saying "Naxali aao, hamein bachao" began appearing on the walls' The people told her about the atrocities of the Forest Department. The forest dept. officials prevented the tribal from ploughing their fields, collecting firewood, plucking fruits, leaves, grazing their cattle, in the name of law. Even I know that all these activities in the forest area are illegal, but what about the poorest of India, who have nothing,only forests,for their needs and they have lived here for centuries. The Law is just not understandable. A friend of mine told me that nowadays there is "Forest Right act" which secures the rights of the tribals living in forests, but is this properly implemented, I can't say.
The Maoists controlled region is administered by people's government on the the principles of Chinese revolution and Vietnam war. They hold elections and the government has different departments just as the government in any state. . A rebel told Arundhati "They want to crush us, not only because of the minerals, but also because we are offering the world an alternative model.". In addition to the plight of tribals, their armed rebellion, the essay also presents a very beautiful account of a tribal festival (which she attended), their culture and beliefs.
I, personally, don't approve of violence of any kind and by anybody, but as Arundhati has put it what should one suggest them, go to court, do a dharna, do a rally,hunger srrike ......These people, the poorest and weakest of India, suffered so much at the hands of landlords, Corporate groups, Police, Forest Department, and of course the Salwa Judum. Their houses were burnt, their women raped, men killed. They have seen democracy failing everyday. I believe that an armed rebellion is not a solution, so is the Operation Green Hunt.