Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) People's War

2022-10-18T09:56:44Z

2405:201:C013:1999:608C:D1C3:DE55:802E:

{{Short description|Communist party faction}}
{{Cleanup rewrite|date=January 2020}}
{{Use Indian English|date=October 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2020}}
{{Infobox political party
| country = India
| name = Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) People's War
| native_name = People's War Group
| colorcode = Red
| logo =
| leader = [Nambala keshav rao]
| foundation = 1980
| split =
| merged = [[Communist Party of India (Maoist)]]
| ideology = [[Communism]] <br /> [[Marxism–Leninism–Maoism]]
| position = [[Far-left politics|Far-left]]
| regional = [[Coordination Committee of Maoist Parties and Organisations of South Asia|CCOMPOSA]]
| headquarters =
| membership =
| domestic =
| international =
}}

'''Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) People's War''', usually called ''' People's War Group''' (PWG), was an underground [[communist party]] in India. It merged with the [[Maoist Communist Centre of India]] to form the [[Communist Party of India (Maoist)]] in 2004. [[Ganapathy (Maoist)|Muppala Lakshmana Rao]] ('Ganapathi') was the general secretary of the party.<ref>Szajkowski, Bogdan, and Florence Terranova. ''[https://books.google.com/id=ncoZAQAAIAAJ Revolutionary and Dissident Movements of the World]''. London [u.a.]: Harper, 2004. p. 161</ref> The ideology of the party was [[Marxism-Leninism-Maoism]].

The party was a member of the [[Coordination Committee of Maoist Parties and Organisations of South Asia]] (CCOMPOSA).<ref>International Workshop on International Terrorism in Southeast Asia and its Likely Implications for South Asia, Wilson John, and Swati Parashar. ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=cAE-bxSXayMC&pg=PA113 Terrorism in Southeast Asia: Implications for South Asia]''. Delhi, India: Pearson Education (Singapore), Indian Branch, 2005. p. 113</ref>

==History==
The party was founded in Andhra Pradesh in 1980, by [[Kondapalli Seetharamaiah]]<ref>Ramana, p. 13</ref> and Dr. Kolluri Chiranjeevi.<ref>{{cite news |title=Cruel killer? Not me, says Maoist leader Kishenji |url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2010-02-17/india/28132453_1_kishenji-telangana-region-freedom-fighter |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131212082158/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2010-02-17/india/28132453_1_kishenji-telangana-region-freedom-fighter |url-status=dead |archive-date=12 December 2013 |first=Caesar |last=Mandal |date=17 February 2010 |newspaper=[[The Times of India]] |access-date=17 November 2013}}</ref> It emerged from a re-articulation of Naxalite activists in the [[Telangana]] region.<ref name="p86">Öberg, p. 86</ref> The party had its roots in the Andhra Committee, that had broken away from the [[Central Organising Committee, Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist)]] in 1976. The new party was formed by the merger with the Kothandaraman grouping in [[Tamil Nadu]]. The new party resolved to continue armed struggle whilst engaging in mass movements. The party renounced participation in electoral politics. It upheld the legacy of [[Charu Majumdar]].<ref name="karat">[[Prakash Karat|Karat, Prakash]]. ''[http://www.cpim.org/marxist/198501_marxist_naxalism_Prakash.htm Naxalism today]''.</ref> The party analysed Indian society as semi-feudal and semi-colonial.<ref>Mohanty, Manoranjan. ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=q1j6iu8E3vQC&pg=PA29 Class, Caste and Gender: Readings in Indian Politics]''. New Delhi: SAGE, 2004. p. 29</ref> The party was initially largely confined to the Telangana region, but later expanded to other areas of Andhra Pradesh as well as [[Maharashtra]], Madhya Pradesh, and [[Orissa, India|Orissa]].<ref name="o81"/>

==Recent history==
In August 1998 [[CPI(ML) Party Unity|CPI (ML) Party Unity]], based in [[Jehenabad]], [[Bihar]], merged with CPI (ML) PW.<ref>[http://www.wpb.be/guests/india.htm Joint declaration by Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) People's War, and Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Party Unity]</ref> CPI (ML) Party Unity had been based in Bihar, and after the merger CPI (ML) PW expanded its geographic scope of operations significantly. It began establishing state committees in states like [[Kerala]], [[Haryana]] and [[Punjab, India|Punjab]].<ref>http://www.ecoi.net/file_upload/1788_1296734113_ind30585.pdf {{Bare URL PDF|date=March 2022}}</ref>

In October 2002 CPI (ML) PW issued a declaration containing death threats against the Chief Minister of three Indian states; [[Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee]], [[Chandrababu Naidu]] and [[Babulal Marandi]]. Exactly a year later, the organization conducted an assassination attempt against Chandrababu Naidu.<ref>Öberg, p. 77</ref>

On 21 September 2004 CPI (ML) PW merged with the [[Maoist Communist Centre of India]] to form the [[Communist Party of India (Maoist)]].<ref>Dash, Satya Prakash. ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=3eDaiaDwcNgC&pg=PA132 Naxal Movement and State Power: With Special Reference of Orissa]''. New Delhi: Sarup & Sons, 2006. p. 132</ref>

In November 2004 a mass rally of some 150,000 people was held in [[Hyderabad, India|Hyderabad]] in support of CPI (ML) PW<ref name="p86"/> (the merger into CPI (Maoist) had not yet been made public at this point).

==Tactics==
{{expand section|date=August 2011}}
The armed squads of the party consisted of ten persons. The squads used encounters and landmines in confrontations with security forces.<ref name="o80"/>

==Bans==
The party was banned in Andhra Pradesh in May 1992, under the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act. In February 1992 the national Home Ministry requested the states of [[Maharashtra]], Madhya Pradesh and [[Orissa, India|Orissa]] to ban the party. The party remained unbanned at the national level, though.<ref name="o81">Dash, Satya Prakash. ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=3eDaiaDwcNgC&pg=PA81 Naxal Movement and State Power: With Special Reference of Orissa]''. New Delhi: Sarup & Sons, 2006. pp. 81–82</ref>

In 2000 CPI (ML) PW launched the People's Guerilla Army, which integrated previously autonomous units. The party had thousands of activists organized in 'dalams', small guerrilla units. CPI (ML) PW and PGA were mainly active in [[Andhra Pradesh]], Orissa, [[Jharkhand]], Bihar and the [[Midnapore]] district in [[West Bengal]].

In 2001 the party held its first congress, although it counted this as the second because the CPI (ML) PW claimed to be a continuation of the original [[Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist)|CPI (ML)]], which had had its first congress in 1970.

On 23 September 2004 the Andhra Pradesh state government declared they would be holding peace talks with CPI (ML) PW and [[CPI(ML) Janashakti|CPI (ML) Janashakti]].

In December 2004 CPI (ML) PW and all its front organizations were banned as a 'terrorist organization' under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Amendment Act, 2004.<ref name="books.google.com">Human Rights Watch (Organization). ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=G5fAj03qJA4C&pg=PA20 "Being Neutral Is Our Biggest Crime": Government, Vigilante, and Naxalite Abuses in India's Chhattisgarh State]''. New York: Human Rights Watch, 2008. p. 20</ref>

==Regional units==

===Andhra Pradesh===
During the first two decades of its existence, the policies of the Andhra Pradesh state government vacillated in its approach towards the party. At some points, the state cracked down heavily on the party, at other points its approach was more conciliatory.<ref name="p86"/> The party was able to exploit the political conflict between the two main political parties in Andhra Pradesh during the 1980s to its advantage, and both of these parties would seek support from CPI (ML) PW in times of local elections. The CPI (ML) PW would provide such help in exchange for release of prisoners and laxed pressure on the movement from the security forces. Moreover, the party was strengthened economically through "taxations" of forest contractors.<ref>Öberg, pp. 91–92</ref>

In 2004 CPI (ML) PW as part of peace talks with the Andhra Pradesh state government.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.cpiml.org/liberation/year_2004/september/rejoinder_PWG.htm|title=The Emerging Politics of the People's War Group}}</ref>

===Orissa===
In February 1998 a police officer was killed in southern Orissa by CPI (ML) PW guerrillas. This was the first attack against Orissa Police by CPI (ML) PW fighters from neighboring Andhra Pradesh.<ref>Dash, Satya Prakash. ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=3eDaiaDwcNgC&pg=PA42 Naxal Movement and State Power: With Special Reference of Orissa]''. New Delhi: Sarup & Sons, 2006. pp. 42–43</ref>

Between 2000 and 2001 there were several killings in conflicts between CPI (ML) PW and MCC in Orissa. However, in September 2002, CPI (ML) PW and MCC signed an agreement to coordinate activities in the state. At the time Santosh was the head of the CPI (ML) PW unit in the state.<ref>Dash, Satya Prakash. ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=3eDaiaDwcNgC&pg=PA62 Naxal Movement and State Power: With Special Reference of Orissa]''. New Delhi: Sarup & Sons, 2006. p. 62</ref>

At the time of the April 2004 state assembly elections, CPI (ML) PW ran a boycott campaign in its strongholds in the state (the Malkangiri and Rayagada constituencies). However voting increased significantly in these constituencies in spite of boycott calls from CPI (ML) PW, leading to speculations whether the influence of the party was waning in the region.<ref name="o80">Dash, Satya Prakash. ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=3eDaiaDwcNgC&pg=PA80 Naxal Movement and State Power: With Special Reference of Orissa]''. New Delhi: Sarup & Sons, 2006. p. 80</ref>

==See also==
*[[2004 Lahsuna massacre]]
*[[Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Bibliography==
{{Refbegin|2}}
* Ramana, P. V. ''The Naxal challenge: causes, linkages, and policy options'' Pearson Education. 1 December 2008. {{ISBN|978-81-317-0406-6}}
* Öberg, Magnus. ''Resources, governance and civil conflict'' Routledge. 1st ed. 30 August 2007. {{ISBN|978-0-415-41671-9}}
{{Refend}}

==External links==
*[http://peoplesmarch.googlepages.com/ People's March – Voice of Indian Revolution], publication close to PW
*[http://www.satp.org/satporgtp/countries/india/terroristoutfits/PWG.htm People’s War Group (PWG)], from South Asian Terrorism Portal
*[http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-9187072564744509494&sour Documentary on the history of the PWG] (video)

{{Terror outfits}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) People's War}}
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Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) People's War