Volume 1, No. 2, April 2000

Build CPI (ML) [People’s War] as A Nationwide Bolshevik,
Broad-based, Mass-oriented and Theoretically - Politically - Organisationally Strong Party !!

— A Call Given by Central Committee (Provisional) On the Occasion of 31st Birth Anniversary of CPI (ML) [People’s War]

(Note : The above statement has been received by the office of the People’s March, on March 25th, 2000)

Our Party has gained valuable experience through these entire 30 years, since the 8th Congress, held in 1970. During this period, we have developed the political line by fighting against both ‘Left’ and ‘Right’ deviations. After the Congress, within a very short period, the then central committee disintegrated and various central committees were formed. These failed to gain the confidence of party members and the people and were unable to survive. Of all these central committees, some were in favour of continuing the then existing leftist policies theoretically, politically and organisationally; while others got steeped neck deep in rightist politics in the name of fighting against the leftist politics.

In this background, our Party gradually developed, by fighting against both these trends. We were able to properly solve the problem of armed struggle. We fought back the big set-back in the decade of the 1970s and tried hard to move forward and achieve success from the failures. After that, our party members, cadre, the people’s forces, guerrilla forces and party organisations got steeled in the movement. They gained experience through a process of failures and successes, stepping backward in order to forge ahead, consolidating and expanding. Particularly since the past 20 years, by adopting armed struggle as the primary form of struggle, we began to form guerrilla squads, to develop them into guerrilla forces and into a Red Army. We intensified class struggle in the preparatory areas, expanded the Guerrilla Zones and guerrilla base areas and strengthened these in order to establish base areas. In order to achieve all this, we put in enormous effort and gained a nation-wide model experience.

From Naxalbari to this day, our Party’s history has become the history of the Indian armed struggle, by upholding M-L-M Thought and applying it to the Indian conditions. We achieved this by shedding our blood. In this period, hundreds and thousands of our beloved comrades lost their valuable lives by bravely fighting against the enemy. In the decade of the ’90s, several comrades became martyrs while containing the enemy’s aggression. The greatest loss that our Party suffered was the martyrdom of our beloved leaders, Comrades Shyam, Mahesh and Murali, last year. Even after that we lost several comrades in AP, NT, DK and Bihar. Now, while we are celebrating the 31st birth anniversary of our Party, instead of losing heart with all these losses; our party members, cadre and people are fighting with an even more fierce hatred against the enemy.

We also celebrate the birth anniversary of our beloved leader and world proletariat’s great theoretician, Com. Lenin. On this occasion, let us pledge to build our Party into a nation-wide Bolshevik Party, which is, broad-based and mass-oriented, and, theoretically, politically and organisationally fully consolidated, in order to fight the enemy with greater determination. Let us, on this occasion, pledge to prepare the people to relentlessly build the agrarian revolution and realise the unfulfilled dreams of our beloved martyrs.

In the past, the Andhra Pradesh government has twice failed to wipe us out through an undeclared war on our Party. Now, the meek and faithful lapdog of imperialism, Chandrababu, is continuing the 3rd undeclared war against us, acting on the dictates of his masters at the World Bank and IMF. The BJP-led NDA government at the centre has on this question, extended its complete support to the AP government. The central home minister, Advani, is making preparations, at a fervant pace, to eradicate the revolutionary movement throughout the country. Since the last few weeks, our guerrilla forces have attacked the enemy in the East region of AP, in North and South Telangana, in DK and in Bihar. In the 1st week of March, we killed the former home minister and present Panchayat Raj minister of AP, Madhav Reddy, who also was the convenor of the ‘co-ordination committee’ formed of the five states, to suppress our movement. The action sent tremors amongst the ruling classes all over the country. It forced the central home minister, Advani, and his deputy Vidyasagar Rao, to rush to Hyderabad. They stated that, the suppression of our Party is their main agenda, and called for a meeting of the chief ministers of these five states on 3rd April.

Earlier, they had called for a meeting of the officials of these five states on March 6, to review the incident that took place in February, in Kochvahi village near Narayanpur, of Bastar district in Madhya Pradesh. In this incident, our guerrillas killed 24 policemen including one IPS officer. The enemy formed a co-ordination committee at that meeting and elected Ajoy Kumar as the co-ordinator. They took four decisions — 1) a continuous watch, by satellite, over the movement’s areas, 2) to modernise the government’s forces, 3) training to be given by the AP Grey Hounds to other states’ police forces, 4) allotting one Indian reserve battalion immediately to each state. Along with this, they decided that the Inspector Generals of Police and the civil authorities of these five states will meet regularly every 15 days. They will regularise the co-ordination programme, share information, and will review the overall situation and take the necessary steps. In essence, this meeting took decisions to suppress and completely wipe out the revolutionary movement by using modern technology and are preparing for this on a war-footing. Not only are the trio of Advani, Vidyasagar Rao and Chandrababu, preparing to suppress our movement, but also the chief ministers of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa and Bihar are dancing to the same tune. The situation clearly indicates that these people, though they belong to different political parties, they will unite as one in order to suppress the people’s movements, as various constituents of the ruling classes.

On the occasion of our Party’s 31st anniversary, we have to thoroughly study the tactics that could be taken by the enemy. All Party committees, at all levels, should take initiative to evoke counter attacks. Modern technology will help the enemy only to a certain extent, whereas the deciding factor in this war will be the role played by people’s consciousness. Though their propaganda hype may reach new heights, the enemy can achieve very little. Yet, we should take precautionary measures to prevent our forces and party members becoming a prey to these new tactics of the enemy. We should counter every tactic of the enemy with the co-operation of the people. It is not only in the preparatory and primary Guerrilla Zones of AP, DK and Bihar, that the enemy has been closely observing our Party activities,but, since many years, they have been maintaining a close watch, throughout the country. The situation of the past few months reveals that the enemy’s offensive, at the initiative of BJP-led government at the centre, will intensify further. On this occasion of our Party anniversary, let all party members, cadre, party organisations and people throughout the country, take an oath to counter the enemy’s aggression on us. The respective state committees should study the enemy’s position and their plans in their respective states. To prevent our subjective forces from falling prey to the enemy, we must take every possible precaution, should adopt the necessary counter tactics, and implement measures accordingly.

The CC(P) gave a call to take a Party Membership Campaign throughout the year, in order to strengthen the Party, by developing new party members — as a homage to our three CC members martyred in December, ’99. On this occasion of our Party’s formation and Com. Lenin’s birthday (April 22), we have to review the implementation of this call in all the states.

All the state units are actively persevering to achieve this. These campaigns take place mainly through the various mass organisations, through propaganda campaigns and through special activities; along with general agitation for partial demands. Through this, not only are we able to keep the masses with the movement, amidst the regular repression and attacks by the special squads in the name of counter-insurgency, but also we are able to mobilise the people to fight back bravely. Our Party has been able to reach its present status due to a large politically conscious people who have continued in the battle front since the last two decades thereby gaining experience through the day to day struggles. But, there is a vast gap between the number of people gathering under our leadership and the number of good elements being absorbed into the Party. We have reviewed that the main defect lies with our consolidation. The leadership of our committees should concentrate on the problems occurring in the living functioning of the party cells that were formed with new party members. The experience of world revolutionary movements reveals that it is quite natural that the number of party membership and guerrilla forces increase when the movement is advancing through various phases, and decrease when the movement faces a set back. Till now, we have not grasped this factor of increasing the party membership in accordance with this theory.

In the history of the Communist Party of China, there are several examples of the great efforts made of strengthening the party, by absorbing the elaborate masses within it. Even though they took extensive membership programmes and were successful in achieving large memberships that were involved at the battle front; all these formations were damaged when the enemy got the upper hand. But, based on a regular process of reviving its forces, the CPC always succeeded in strengthening itself and extending these forces in the battlefield. In 1937, the party membership had dropped to forty thousand. Later, in the 1940s, due to the focussed campaigns that took place at all levels and in all sections (based on the resolutions of the Tsunyi Meeting), the membership climbed to eight lakhs. Within three years, there were 2,60,000 new party members. But, during the difficult period of 1941-42, the party membership dropped to half; several base areas collapsed, and there was also a drop in the population under the party’s influence (from 10 crores it came down to 5 crores). The ‘Rectification Campaign’ of 1943, gave fundamentally good results; making the party physically and theoretically unbeatable. It was specifically during these days, that they learned how to examine the past lives of cadres, the infiltration of secret agents within the party, and how to fight them, and thereby achieved good results. As a consequence, party membership reached a figure of nine lakhs by April 1944.

From this, we can assess the process of the growth and fall of party membership that took place in the 1937-44 period of the CPC. The continuous changes in the situation was the main reason for this flux. Party cadre should always act according to the situation and the higher committees should provide prompt and proper guidance. Both these reactions should be immediate.

Let us learn from this experience of the CPC. As we are able to gather lakhs of people around us, it is not impossible to make hundreds and thousands of them into party members. To achieve the ability to develop the thousands of party members into lakhs and to build our party into a nation-wide strong Bolshevik party.... is the main task before us. Due to the surrender of the ruling classes to imperialism, and the resulting crisis developing within the socio-economic and political system, as well as the internal crisis within the ruling classes, the spontaneous struggles of the masses are growing. Even the 24 constituents of the NDA, are being forced to, at least, give statements opposing the policies of the BJP, for fear of getting isolated from the people. From this, we can clearly assess in which direction change is taking place. We have to exploit this situation effectively in order to strengthen our party throughout the country. It is only through this, that our party members and cadre will be able to build a strong underground party and will be able to perform their duties properly. So, we have to work out our programmes in such a way as to make the membership campaign a success; to courageously extend the party and yet take precautions not to allow unwanted elements into the party.

We had earlier decided to develop NT and DK from the primary stage of Guerilla Zone to the higher stage of Guerilla Zone, and had begun building the necessary organisational structures. In 1999, the CC(P) reviewed this and made new essential decisions. We decided that different types of armed formations would be needed in order to meet the organisational as well as military necessities of the Guerilla Zone. Though the two armed formations (i.e., organisational and military) would continue, and, in fact, expand by resisting the enemy, there would be a difference in their construction. While the local guerilla squads would concentrate mostly on building the organisations; for the military tasks, special squads and platoons were needed. In this way we would have to take forward the self-defence war to counter the offensive war of the enemy forces, that have targeted us in AP, NT, DK and Bihar. Along with these guerilla squads, we have to develop the people’s militia (GRDs, ARDs and other armed formations). We should continue to damage the enemy’s morale by studying the enemy’s movements and the concentration of their forces — and attack them. While continuing regular minor attacks, we must also strike at their main target, depending on our convenience.

In 1998 and ’99 we lagged behind in fighting back the enemy. In 1997, though temporarily, we were able to contain the enemy initiative, by constantly attacking them, utilising new methods. In 1998-99 we did not get sufficient time to fulfill the military tasks, as we concentrated on theoretical-political-organisational matters. As a result, neither our guerilla squads, nor our mass armed formations were able to stem the initiative of the enemy that rampaged through our areas with intensified attacks. Through this experience we realised that it was impossible to perform twin responsibilities simultaneously. As a result, our movement has developed towards the formation of different types of squads, for the fulfillment of the organisational and military tasks. Platoon formation has now become the general form.

Since the past three to four years, the enemy’s weaponry and training has improved a lot, due to continuous modernisation. During this period, we were unable to provide sophisticated weaponry to our forces, through either of our two sources - i.e., from the enemy or through purchases. So, our fire-power on the battle ground got reduced considerably and we faced several losses. Recently, by successful raids on the enemy, we have gained at least 100 weapons, of which two-thirds are auto/semi-auto weapons. The weapon the enemy uses in our struggle areas, should become our general weapon. For this, we have to continue the raids, and should adopt it as a part of our policy.

Our experience has proved that arming of the people, expanding of the armed struggle continuously, and continuing it as the main form of struggle, is the only guarantee for the survival of the People’s War Party, of the Indian proletariat and vast masses of the people, and for the development of the revolution. During the last two decades of the Indian revolution we have seen that those groups and parties that are not ready for armed struggle in practice, have either deteriorated or exist only nominally. The parties that speak of elections along with the armed struggle, and who, in practice give priority to elections, have almost abandoned the armed struggle. They only link Marxism-Leninism to their names in order to deceive the people, while, in practice, they have, for a long time, been living together with the CPI and CPI(M). It was only by continuing the armed struggle after Naxalbari, that we have been able to attain the present strength. During this entire period, it will be difficult to understand the political line and the organisation of our party, if we de-link it from the armed and guerilla struggles. Over the last 20 years (in the background of the setbacks of Naxalbari and Srikakulam ... and after; and from 1980 when we began building up these struggles) our party has learnt a lot about armed struggles, and is yet to learn much. Acting according to the situation, we worked out the tactics of building Guerilla Zones, with a view to develop these into base areas. We defined Guerilla Zones, as being ‘preparatory’, ‘primary’ and of a ‘higher stage’. But we have no dogmatic understanding, that Guerilla Zones can only develop in this manner, in the future. Keeping in view the subjective conditions of the revolutionary camp, the state of the enemy, and the national and international developments, we evolved our line as the specific application to the particular conditions in the country, and accordingly set our targets. And, in this way we marched forward, by defining several regions throughout the country as being at a preparatory, primary, or higher stage of Guerilla Zone.

In the past, some rightists and revisionist parties launched attacks, dubbing us as ‘mere shouting about Guerilla Zones’. Recently one of our brethren parties began vile propaganda through the media. If they bring out certain shortcomings in our approach to the formation of Guerilla zones, either theoretically, or politically, or organisationally or militarily, we would think it over, and try to rectify the flaws. But if our exasperated friends merely seek to deceive people, by shouting at us impatiently, it is quite surprising. It is only by adopting the Marxist-Leninist-Maoist methods, in defining relationships, and in giving suggestions, advices, criticisms and sharing, etc., that we can become a part of those who practised the great traditions of the world proletarian parties. Those parties who are conducting people’s war, and wage armed struggle by applying it to the specific conditions of Asia, Africa and Latin America, with the task of building Guerilla Zones and Base Areas, should strengthen the people’s war in their respective countries. At the same time they must accept as their task, the sharing of each other’s experience in order to strengthen the world socialist revolution.

As a part of fulfilling this task, the Communist Party of the Philippines, the Communist party of Turkey/M-L, and the Communist Party of India (ML)[PW] started to work together, and are trying to bring those parties together, who are either waging or backing ‘people’s war’. As part of this, they began publishing the magazine ‘Vanguard’. So, we, the CC(P), on the occasion of the 31st birth anniversary of our party, appeal to comrades all over the world in general, and in Asia, Africa and Latin America in particular, to advance the armed struggle further. We also appeal to them, to adopt as their international task, the task of sharing with their brethren parties, their experiences, practice, analysis, and understanding in the building of Guerilla Zones and Base Areas, in order to capture political power.

The party, the Army and the United Front — these are the three main aspects of the Indian revolution. It is only by understanding the inner-link between these three, and by applying it to the Indian revolution, will it be possible to provide able leadership to ensure success and take the revolution along the correct path. On the occasion of our party’s 31st birth anniversary, let us clearly understand the inter-relation amongst these three aspects and thereby solve the problems we face in our practice.

It is through building a strong, broad-based united front with like-minded elements, against imperialism and feudalism, that we can solve the root contradictions — that between feudalism and the vast masses, and that between imperialism and the Indian masses. The hold of imperialism on our country, particularly that of US imperialism, is growing rapidly. Against the visit of Bill Clinton to South Asia, particularly his five-day stay in our country, rip-roaring agitations shook the country, stretching from Delhi to Hyderabad — describing Clinton as the No.1 enemy of the world people and of world peace. Both, the BJP-led government at the centre and Chandrababu in AP, imposed oppressive measures from Sec. 144 to ban orders, and officially stated that they were not going to allow even a peaceful demonstration before the President. Inspite of the hard bargaining of Harkishan Singh Surjeet, the central home minister refused permission to the CPI and CPI(M)’s protest agitation.

The CPI(M) and the Congress have been practising almost similar policies. The NDA’s Murasoli Maran, who attended the WTO meet at Seattle on behalf of India, and the Congress and CPI(M) who also attended, played similar roles and sang the same tune. While thousands protested outside the meeting hall, the CPI(M) applauded imperialism, along with the NDA, inside. In India, they have now begun chanting ‘Clinton go back’, only out of fear of getting isolated from the Indian people. While even minor parties like the Forward Block and RSP fearlessly declared that their MPs would boycott Clinton’s speech to parliament, the CPI(M) announced that their MPs would not attend, as they were ‘busily engaged’ in protests outside the parliament. This was a good example of how the CPI(M) was performing its duty as a ruling class party, and how it was deceiving the people, utilising the garb of the Red Flag.

In essence, not only the CPI(M), but also the Congress, BJP and regional parties like the TDP are all comprador bourgeois and feudal parties. We have to build issue-based joint action forums against these parties. In order to achieve this, party branches in all the states, should work accordingly. In addition the militants of the nationality movements are continuously fighting against the centre. To achieve their right of secession, they are marching forward through armed struggle, withstanding army concentration and repression, with outstanding sacrifices. Since the past one year, there has been an enormous increase in army attacks in Kashmir, Assam and Manipur. Working together with these militants is one of our tasks. The imperialist-feudal combine is breaking the backs of the peasantry, by continuously increasing the exploitation of these people. The central and state governments are cutting or totally lifting the agriculture-related subsidies. Yeshwant Sinha’s budget for the year 2000, weighs heavily on the backs of the people. Keeping these realities in mind, we have to build a strong people’s resistance. Depending on the strength of the movement, to that extent we can defeat the enemy. We have to build these united fronts based on the slogan ‘unity-struggle’ against the ruling classes, who are isolated from the people.

At the same time, we have to build strong alternative organs of people’s administration in the Guerilla Zones. These have to be developed qualitatively and quantitatively. We have already built some GRCs in AP, NT and DK. We can establish the alternative administration, through forming GRCs in at least half the villages within our struggle area. Through this alone, can we build a strongly anti-feudal, anti-imperialist united front at the village level, and advance the Guerilla Zones to the higher stages. We should form more GRCs in Magadh, Koel-Kaimur regions of Bihar, Nallamala of AP, and in South Telangana. To cultivate a proper political understanding of the seizure of political power all over the country, to make all sections of the people understand the necessity of the united front, and to continue political propaganda on these issues, are one of our tasks.

In 1999, the special plenums of the AP and NT states, gave a call to fight against non-proletarian trends that were developing in party cadres, and preparations were made to take this campaign up to the lower levels of the party and to the people. The party decided to rectify the wrong trends within a certain period of time. The Punjab and Maharashtra state committees also gave a similar call. The other state units are also ready to fight the wrong trends that have come forward in their respective state units. They continue discussions and are preparing to take decisions on it. We can correct the whole party only by recognising and rectifying the wrong trends in time. It is significant that economism, legalism and liberalism find place at various levels of our party. The roots for these wrong trends existed long time back, and have been further strengthened. So, while taking account of the past and present, and adopting corrective measures, we should not allow them to continue in the future. It is only through the prompt correction of the party, that we can develop party members, cadres and party organisations as the true inheritors of the proletariat. It is only amidst struggle that we can rectify these evils. It was this process that was adopted by the CPC under the leadership of Com. Mao. Even though they took up rectification campaigns promptly, and continued these from the higher to the lower levels of the party, and even though the Great Cultural Revolution was a success, the capitalist roaders managed to enter the party and government, and later dominated these bodies.

That is why a relentless education must continue, based on M-L-M Thought to cultivate awareness amongst party cadre and the people. The rightist and leftist trends irrespective of their levels, should be terminated. We hope that our party will achieve this task, by depending on experienced senior party members, on the youth, on energetic new PMs, on the strong guerilla forces and on the vast progressive masses.

As never before, the centre is launching direct attacks on us, by bringing together the five states. Much earlier, it already formed a unified command to suppress the seven North-Eastern states. Similarly, it is commanding the direct surrender of Kashmir, from the PMO. It now wants to introduce fascism and military rule throughout the country. The RSS is already laying the grounds for this fascist rule by attacking all fields of history, art, literature and education. It is bound to attack us in the future. It is clear that the ruling classes will back these attacks, and will actually lead them in those states where they are in power. They will intensify repression even further.

It is undoubtedly our main task to protect the party and revolution. Though the intensity of repression and attacks may reach new heights, leading to unimagined losses, the party must make preparations to resist any emergency situation. It is the duty of all party members to take lessons from previous mistakes made in history, particularly from our own history. We should be very careful and prevent the recurrence of these mistakes in our party. While preparing for this, and courageously fighting for the success of revolution, let us pledge to build a nation-wide Bolshevik revolutionary party, on this, the 31st birth anniversary of our Party.

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