Trial of alleged Naxal leaders today

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MUMBAI: It is going to be one of the most closely watched court battles in recent times. Alleged Naxal leaders Vernon Gonsalves (49) and Sridhar Srinivasan (50) go on trial in a sessions court from Monday.

The issue to be discussed before the court is whether the duo were dangerous anti-nationals with links to the banned terror group CPI (Maoist), or whether they were being persecuted for speaking out against the policies of the government.

Gonsalves and Srinivasan were arrested by the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) of the city police from Govandi in August 2007. The police said it had recovered detonators, a hand grenade, two firearms, 20 high-explosive gelatin sticks, 106 CDs, a laptop, pen drive, three mobile phones, Rs 6 lakh and “banned literature” from them.

The literature included magazines such as People’s War, People’s March, a short biography of Joseph Stalin and booklets narrating tales of Naxalites and their struggle.

However, their friends and relatives said that the government had falsely implicated them because they had been working amongst the underprivileged in Vidarbha and opposed policies such as the SEZs.

“The entire case against Vernon is fabricated,” said Gonsalves’ brother-in-law, Thomas Abraham.

“If he was such a big threat as the police claim, he would not have been moving around freely in the city and living at a permanent address. Moreover, no arms were ever recovered from him,” he added.

Senior police officers, however, said that both Gonsalves and Srinivasan held top positions in the politburo of banned Naxalite groups and had been active in underground movements for several years under assumed identities. They also alleged that the CDs recovered from them revealed details of Naxal training camps in the state and a list of their financiers.

The court will also have to decide whether Gonsalves was actually arrested with arms from Govandi as the Anti-Terrorism Squad claims or was picked up from near his house in Andheri as his wife, Susan, has been saying all along.

The duo will face trial under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, Arms Act, Explosives Act and the Indian Penal Code.

Several intellectuals had protested the arrests soon after they were made and no less than the home minister had assured them at the time that justice would be meted out in the case.

In fact, a group of concerned citizens of the city, which included a former judge of the Bombay high court, noted lawyers, social activists, writer-directors and journalists had written a petition about the allegations of torture of Gonsalves and Srinivasan in custody.

Kartikeya.tripathi@timesgroup.com

Maoist shot dead in encounter

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KODAIKANAL: In a joint operation, the Q Branch, local police and STF shot dead N. Naveen alias Suresh alias Prasad (25) of Semmanahalli in Dharmapuri district near Moolayar at Vadakaunji, 40 km from Kodaikanal, early on Saturday. Naveen was considered an important functionary of Maoist cadres in Tamil Nadu and was wanted in a couple of cases. A rifle and 30 bullets were seized from him. Three suspected Maoist cadres, who escaped, had grenades in their possession, the police said.

The police team took more than nine hours to carry the body to Kodaikanal Government hospital from the encounter spot. Dindigul SP A. Pari and Theni SP R. Sudhakar led the teams.

Talking to mediapersons, Inspector-General of Police Sanjeev Kumar said six teams had intensified search operation in the lower and upper Kodaikanal hills in the past one month.

They spotted a six to eight-member team, including two women, on the other side of the hill near Vadakaunji hill.

Two of the gang members opened fire at the STF team. They also threw a hand grenade at them. But it did not explode.

The team retaliated and killed one person and injured two others. Other gang members escaped. The operation would intensify in the coming weeks. DIG S. S. Krishnamoorthy is camping at Vadakaunji.

Q Branch SP M. Ashok Kumar said Naveen was a well trained Maoist and skilled in operating all weapons and use of hand grenades. He attempted to establish training camps at Uthangarai in Dharmapuri district, Muruganmalai in Theni and Vadakaunji on Upper Kodaikanal hill. He was arrested and released on bail in May 2002.

The STF had arrested five persons in Varushanadu hills and three persons on Muruganmalai in Periakulam six months ago. According to police sources, specific information on Maoists’ movement in the forests near Kodaikanal was given by the Intelligence Bureau.

INTERVIEW WITH BABURAM BHATTARAI

By Prateek Pradhan, Ghanashyam Ojha and Puran P Bista

‘King should leave palace right after CA’s first sitting’

Maoist ideologue Dr Baburam Bhattarai has emerged as the real leader of this country after the Constituent Assembly (CA) polls. He defeated his Nepali Congress opponent Chandraprakash Neupane with a huge margin from Gorkha-2. He says the CPN (Maoist) will not dare to deviate from its political commitments nor will it ever betray the people. He thinks the Maoists have now taken upon their shoulders a greater responsibility, that of restructuring the country and steering it onto the track of economic prosperity.

Dr Bhattarai, a former student of Jawaharlal Nehru University, is not surprised by the results of the CA election. He argues that the CPN (Maoist) has changed the country’s ground realities. Dr Bhattarai spoke with Prateek Pradhan, Ghanashyam Ojha and Puran P Bista of The Kathmandu Post on how the CPN (Maoist) would proceed with its economic and political agenda.

Excerpts: Q: Your party appears to have emerged as the largest one. How would you proceed with your political agenda?

Dr Baburam Bhattarai:

Q: Who will head the CPN (Maoist)? Could you name the captain of your party?

Dr Bhattarai:

Q: How would the CPN (Maoist), being the largest political force, approach other political parties in order to form the government, abolish monarchy and declare Nepal a republic?

Dr Bhattarai:

First, we are going to hold discussions with the major political parties. We would need to seek their opinion and views before forming the government. We would have to work under the Interim Constitution for the time being which would require a political consensus. We shall move forward on this basis. The first sitting of the CA will declare this country a federal republic. For that, we have to develop a political consensus. After that the question would be forming the new government which will be done again on the basis of political consensus. And then we will proceed with the drafting of the new constitution of Nepal.

Besides these issues, there are other political commitments such as the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, rehabilitation of displaced persons and revamping and integration of the security forces. I think there will be several challenges and questions. We have to review four things immediately – security, political structure, the economy and international relation. Such issues require a national consensus.

Q: How do you assess the election results? Did you expect that you would make such a strong showing?

Dr Bhattarai:

Q: Do you think that the people’s support that you have garnered is more than what you expected?

Dr Bhattarai:

We had thought that we would come out as the largest party, and that we might, if we reached a consensus, form the next government. But the manner in which we have clinched victory in the CA polls makes us feel that we have achieved more than what we expected to.

Nevertheless, we did think that the results would be in our favor. I have observed how people’s waves have swept parliamentary elections in India. In 1977, Indira Gandhi was defeated. Similarly, sympathy votes after her tragic death helped Rajiv Gandhi to sweep the 1985 parliamentary elections. I had seen such mass hysteria earlier. I personally visited 22 districts and assessed the situation three weeks before the CA polls. I could foresee a massive wave rising in our support. Unfortunately, the media saw things the opposite way. And we also could not convince the media until the CA results showed that the people had voted for us.

Q: You told a local FM station this morning that you have now been burdened by greater responsibilities. What do you mean by that?

Dr Bhattarai: I take it as a great responsibility because we have to restructure the 250-year-old feudal system. You cannot expect it to happen overnight. Secondly, while restructuring the state, we have to take into account different aspects such as poverty, illiteracy, health and others. We don’t have enough resources and skill to reorganize the country in a way we want to. It may take at least 10-15 years to do it. There are mounting challenges ahead. Q: How can you restructure the state and achieve economic growth in a short span of time?

Dr Bhattarai:

What we need right now is political stability. We cannot think of rapid economic growth sans political stability. Now the CA results have given some hope for political stability. Secondly, there must be a strong leadership. Above all, we have yet to start restructuring the state. So, how can we think of the economy? The 30-year-long panchayat system promised us that it would deliver the people’s needs, but it could not do so as it was a political system imposed by the royal regime to serve its own interests.

The post-1990 parliamentary system created a sort of anarchy. It neither had any clear political vision nor could it deliver anything. During this interim period, it would be difficult to think of economic prosperity. We can only think of economic growth in the post-CA period. This mandate has just opened the door to a future Nepal. Now the job is to garner the support of all the political parties and maintain political stability. This would be the beginning.

Second, the resources we have include land, water, jungle, herbs and people. I do not think that we run short of resources, but we need external support for technology and skills. We need foreign investments. I am sure if we really work together, we can achieve rapid economic growth in a short span of time.

Q: China has adopted a liberal economic policy. It has achieved remarkable economic growth in the past 30 years. To what extent do you think we can follow China’s model?

Dr Bhattarai:

Q: Currently we are seeing a pattern of capital flight. How are you going to halt this?

Dr Bhattarai: We can’t think of developing this country in the absence of domestic and foreign investments. Technological inputs are of equal importance. So, we will follow the policy of attracting domestic and foreign investments. For that to happen, we have to put an end to political instability. From our side, we have to provide security to investors and create a conducive environment for domestic and foreign financiers. And I also think that we will be able to resolve the differences between labor and management. Unless we resolve such issues, we cannot create a better investment atmosphere. In a nutshell, we recognize the legitimacy of management and the participation of labor in management.

Secondly, we have to identify areas for investment and create the necessary infrastructure. We have to focus on productive sectors. We don’t want to encourage assembly industries. Business activities should raise productivity and generate employment.

Q: You mean the state’s involvement in economic activities will increase from now on?

Dr Bhattarai: The state will play the role of facilitator. The state cannot intervene in business activities. It will encourage investors to raise productivity and generate employment opportunities.

Q: We have seen – especially after the restoration of democracy in 1990 – how political parties rewarded their cadres with jobs in the bureaucracy and other social sectors. How are you planning to restructure the bureaucracy and other sectors?

Dr Bhattarai: We have to, at all costs, restructure the bureaucracy and the judiciary as they have always been tools of the monarchy. But we have to follow certain norms. So let us leave it open. But we have to think of revamping the security forces as integrating the People’s Liberation Army and the Nepal Army is part of the peace process. We can think of starting the restructuring process only after the monarchy has been removed. But it will be open to discussion. We want to reform the bureaucracy and other sectors in a democratic manner.

Q: You once said that Nepal did not need a huge security force. But if you integrate the Maoist combatants and the army, you are going to have a huge security force. Do you think Nepal needs such a large army?

Dr Bhattarai: The strength of the security forces after the two are combined would be roughly over 100,000. Going by the country’s population, such a number may appear necessary. But we have to reduce the size of the army in the long term. I think that instead of having such a huge number of army, we could go for trained militias who would defend the country at times of war. I think it would be useful to train such a force. We should mobilize them during emergencies.

Q: The UML fared badly in the CA polls. Do you foresee a single communist party in the near future?

Dr Bhattarai: Until recently, there were three political forces – royalists, social democrats (who represent the bourgeoisie) and leftists. I think there will be only two forces in the future – the Nepali Congress, which represents the rich, and the left, which represents the poor. The NC has its own political stand. It’s not going to lose its identity as it has a clear vision and policy.

But the CPN-UML does not have any political position. It neither represents the rich nor the masses. It is a eunuch though it continues to be identified as a communist party. It has lost its identity. It can’t stand any longer. Now the CPN (Maoist) has established itself as a communist party. We welcome committed communist cadres of the CPN-UML to our party.

Q: How long will it take to draft the new constitution?

 Dr Bhattarai: It will take roughly two years. But how we proceed will depend on other political forces as well. We must finish the new constitution as early as possible so that we can focus on the economy.

Q: Some still argue that the Maoists may retain the monarchy in a ceremonial form. What do you think?

Dr Bhattarai: What surprises us is why people think that we will retain the monarchy when it has ceased to exist. There is no question of retaining the monarchy.

We did approach some nationalist royalists to join us. That does not mean we are going to keep the monarchy. It is not possible to save it in any form. It has ceased to exist in our minds.

Q: When will the king move out of Narayanhiti Palace?

Dr Bhattarai: The king has to quit Narayanhiti Palace immediately after we declare Nepal a republic. This is the understanding of the Seven-Party Alliance. He should leave the palace immediately after the first sitting of the CA.

 

---

China eliminated the feudal system during Mao’s regime. It established a solid foundation for economic growth. We could have thought of making rapid economic progress had the country been liberated from the age-old feudal system. When you inject new technology after the foundation for economic growth has been established, you can achieve such development. We don’t have such a foundation now. Once we restructure the state and involve the private sector, it will be possible to achieve rapid economic growth. We would implement a transitional economic policy during such an interim period which involves public and private partnership.

The people were looking for total change. We advanced the political agenda for total change during the decade-long people’s war. We have people from different castes, ethnicities, genders and people from different regions. The main agenda of the people’s war was to restructure the state. It took 10 years of the people’s war to establish our political agenda. The people felt that the country’s socio-political and economic structure needed a complete overhaul. So we couldn’t look at things through our old lenses. The media and the elite missed the picture. As a result, the CA results surprised many. The ground realities had changed and they helped us to emerge as the largest party. I can’t tell you right now. We have to discuss and decide who should be the leader. We have to prepare a draft of the new political system. We have to decide the fate of the monarchy. And only then we can think of who will head the CPN (Maoist). Our intention is to establish a presidential system. But we can’t be sure as we have to discuss the matter with other political forces too. We must reach a political consensus because the constitution would need to be amended to set up a presidential system. Unless we have a political consensus, we can’t amend the constitution. So, we can’t simply go for an executive president. In case of political differences, we may have to follow the present form of governance. We had always pushed for the CA election, which was finally held last week. During the interim period, the Seven-Party Alliance government had already made certain political commitments. One of them was that we would reach a political consensus to form the government. All the political parties that have participated in the CA polls will join the government. Now, the question is who will head it. Obviously, the largest political party will lead the new government. So, naturally, the CPN (Maoist) has to head the coalition government.

CONGRATULATIONS.

RECIEVED VIA MAIL

The Leading Committee of the Communist Organization of Greece (KOE)

 

To Comrade Chairman Prachanda

and the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist)

 

Comrades!

 

There are times that the formal messages are unable to express the enthusiasm and inspiration of the communists and of the progressive popular masses. Your great victory, which unfolds in all its extend day by day as the results of the CA polls become known all over the world, created such unique moments these days among the communists and left people in Greece and all over the world. Against enemies and fake “friends”, repulsing the reactionary provocations and the plots of the old, rotten world, the popular masses of Nepal stood up once more and vigorously made their aspiration for a new Nepal heard: a Federal Democratic Republic, where the people will be the master of its own fate!

 

The electoral triumph of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) provokes an ever-growing explosion of joy and pride all over the world, as it heralds the future revolutionary victories of the 21st century. It became possible thanks to the theoretical and political elaborations, the correct strategy and the ingenious tactics of the CPN-M under the leadership of Chairman Prachanda. The concrete analysis of the concrete situation and the exemplary struggle of your Party, through the heroic People’s War, the popular uprising of 2006 and the subsequent agreements for the transitional government and parliament, opened up wide the path towards the building of a new Nepal.

 

We know that we must control our enthusiasm, as the battle is not yet over. We are aware that the local reactionaries together with their imperialist masters will try to obstruct the democratic process and to prevent the realization of the popular aspirations. At the same time, we are confident that the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) shall once more cut short these attempts and impose the popular will, which was again confirmed in the CA polls. As far as we are concerned, we will fulfill our internationalist duty through the intensification of the efforts to build a broad, effective movement of solidarity with the Nepalese People and its vanguard, the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist).

 

Long live the Nepalese People!

Long live the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist)!

 

Athens, 14 April 2008

 

The Leading Committee of KOE

India hit by two Maoist attacks

 

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Maoist rebels in the Indian state of Bihar have attacked a railway station, killing five policemen and a porter, officials say.

Police say that the rebels surrounded a police railway outpost at Jhajha railway station in Jamui district.

The rebels also looted arms and ammunition in the attack, police say.

Meanwhile police in the state of West Bengal say that three members of the ruling Marxist party have been shot dead by Maoists in a remote region.

The three leaders were killed in broad daylight in the state’s remote Salboni region bordering the state of Jharkhand on Sunday.

Police said that a squad of 10 to 12 Maoists kidnapped seven political activists from Garmal village and took them to nearby jungle.

Three of those captured escaped, one was severely beaten up and the others – including a Communist Party of India (Marxist) branch secretary – were shot dead.

The CPI(M) has called for a day-long strike in the Salboni area to protest against the incident.

‘Combing operation’

Police in Bihar told the BBC that Maoists attacked the railway police post on Sunday evening.

They say extra personnel have been rushed to the area and a “massive combing operation” is now underway.

Maoists have a presence in about 22 districts of Bihar as well as in the neighbouring state of Jharkhand.

Analysts say that they operate in 182 districts in India, mainly in the states of Jharkhand, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and West Bengal.

The rebels say they are fighting for the rights of poor peasants and landless workers.

 

Naxal’s hunger strike: Stalemate continues

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NAGPUR: The issue of reported hunger strike of the 12 inmates held for their alleged association with the Naxal movement at the city’s central jail is likely to take centrestage on Monday when state deputy chief minister R R Patil would be in the city. While the state anti-naxal operation cell is yet to begin the probe in full swing, the jail administration seems to be puzzled over the issue. Patil, who recently ordered a probe into the charges framed against the Maoists and their sympathisers, is likely to take stock of the situation. Sources in the government security agencies had earlier indicated that the developments in Central Jail mirrored a Naxal strategy to create modules inside the prison to ensure a steady recruitment drive and continuous building of pressure on the government through protests in the jails. Recently, a two-day convention had taken place in Northern India where frontal organisations had met to discuss the issue of freeing political prisoners from jails all across the country, sources told TOI. ANO chief Pankaj Gupta has claimed that he was kept in the dark regarding the ongoing protest by naxals and their demands. “It seems that the Naxal inmates in the jail have formed some groups and are trying to mount pressure on the administration,” said Gupta. “The ANO should have been informed earlier about the demands and developments of the Naxals in prison,” added Gupta. Meanwhile, jail authorities have claimed that the protesting Naxals are refusing to take their regular meals.

Debt-ridden farmer jumps into pile of burning hay

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Mumbai: A debt-ridden farmer in the Vidarbha region of Maharashtra on Friday immolated himself by leaping into a pile of burning hay.

 

Baban Jeughale was unable to repay a loan of Rs 1.75 lakh rupees, which he had taken to cultivate his 10 hectares of land.

 

“He committed suicide because he was worried about repaying his loan,” Baban’s brother Tulsiram Jeughale said.

 

Only farmers with five or less hectares of land come under the purview of government’s much-touted 65,000 crore-rupee farm waiver.

 

But with cases like Jeughale’s on the rise, questions on who exactly is eligible for the waiver and demands for a more inclusive approach are getting louder.

 

 

 

 

“Till the Centre doesn’t give the funds to the bank they will not waive off the loans, so the impression amongst farmers is that such measures are just empty promises,” Shiv Sena MLA Gulabrao Gavande said.

 

The Prime Minister’s 3,750 crore-rupee relief package and the Union Budget’s farm waiver, the largest in the country, has done nothing to stem the suicides.

 

This year alone, the Vidarbha region has seen over 250 farmer suicides, bringing the total toll in this region alone to over 1500 since 2005. The numbers for the rest of the state are much higher.

 

At least nine Vidarbha farmers have ended their lives in this region over the last week alone.

 

Experts blame drought, a fall in crop prices and rising input costs for the suicides. They add the loan waiver is of little help to farmers as less than half of the marginal and small farmers, owning up to two hectares, are expected to benefit.

 

In Vidarbha, of the 63 families, only 13 qualify for the government’s loan waiver.

 

The rest have more than five acres of land and debt ranging from Rs 15,000 to 20,000.

Maoist leader wins seat in Nepal election as former rebels take lead in early returns

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KATMANDU, Nepal: The former leader of Nepal’s bloody Maoist insurgency captured a seat Saturday on a new assembly that will chart the Himalayan country’s future, election officials said.

Prachanda, who goes by one name, led what appeared to be a powerful Maoist showing in Thursday’s election. He won a seat in a constituency in the capital, Katmandu.

The former rebels have taken 12 out of 22 constituencies where vote counting has been completed in the election for Nepal’s Constituent Assembly, which will draft a new constitution for the country, election officials said.

Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, whose Carter Center sent 62 observers to monitor the election, said it indicated a major transition for Nepal.

“If the Maoists do gain a substantial share of power I hope the United States will recognize and do business with the government,” Carter said at a news conference in Katmandu.

Carter described the election as one of the “most profoundly important” of the 70 he has witnessed because it marked the end of a decade of political violence and the probable transformation of Nepal from a Hindu kingdom to a democratic republic.

The assembly will write Nepal’s new constitution, which is widely expected to do away with Nepal’s centuries-old monarchy.

Election official Devendra Parajuli said Prachanda won 23,277 votes — almost twice the total for his closest competitor.

Early results from Thursday’s vote indicated that the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) — members of which ended a 10-year insurgency in 2006 — could also be set to win control in 61 other constituencies where counting was still going on, the Election Commission said.

The election has been touted as the cornerstone of the 2006 peace deal struck between the government and the Maoists. The agreement followed months of unrest that forced Nepal’s king to cede absolute power.

Scattered shootings and clashes that killed two people on election day and eight others in the days leading up to the poll did not deter millions of Nepalis from casting ballots in the Himalayan country’s first election in nine years.

Of the 21 constituencies counted by Saturday afternoon, the Maoists had 11 seats while the Nepali Congress and the United Marxist-Leninists secured four each, the commission said.

Another small communist party, the Nepal Workers and Peasants’ Party, won two seats.

A complete count of votes in all 240 constituencies was expected to take several weeks.

Members of Nepal’s Maoist movement — still considered a terrorist group by the United States — were already predicting victory in the election for the 601-seat Constituent Assembly, which will be responsible for writing Nepal’s new constitution.

“We will get a clear majority in the final results,” said Hisila Yami, a senior member of the Maoist party and a minister in the coalition government.

“People have chosen us to lead the country,” she said. “This is a reflection of the people’s desire for a republic that our party has always stood for.”

None of the 54 parties vying for seats in the assembly was expected to win a landslide, and with 20,000 voting stations spread across the mountainous country — some a seven-day walk from the nearest paved road — officials have said it could be several weeks before a complete tally is ready.

The Election Commission said that there would be re-polling in at least 60 locations because of voting irregularities, and that the number could rise as election complaints are investigated. Several candidates have claimed their supporters were barred from voting by rival groups and have complained of election fraud.

Haitians riot, loot over soaring food prices

Will this happen in INDIA, with rising inflation and depending on other food sources the situation that has occured in Haiti can occur in India if the RULERS mind remains as now. Our Sharad Pawar doesn’t know the correct wheat storagein India ,he is busy sitting with criceters and IPL.
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Wednesday, April 9, 2008 (Haiti)
Hungry Haitians stormed the presidential palace on Tuesday to demand the resignation of President Rene Preval over soaring food prices and UN peacekeepers battled rioters with rubber bullets and tear gas. Rioters were chased away from the presidential palace but by late afternoon had left trails of destruction across Port-au-Prince. Concrete barricades and burned-out cars blocked streets, while windows were smashed and buildings set on fire from the capital’s center up through its densely populated hills.Outnumbered UN peacekeepers watched as people looted businesses near the presidential palace, not budging from the building’s perimeter. Nearby, but out of sight of authorities, another group swarmed a slow-moving car and tried to drag its female driver out the window.”We are hungry! He must go!” protesters shouted as they tried to break into the presidential palace by charging its chained gates with a rolling dumpster. Moments later, Brazilian soldiers in blue UN helmets arrived on jeeps and assault vehicles, firing rubber bullets and tear gas canisters and forcing protesters away from the gates.Food prices, which have risen 40 per cent on average since mid-2007, are causing unrest around the world. But nowhere do they pose a greater threat to democracy than in Haiti, one of the world’s poorest countries where in the best of times most people struggle to fill their bellies.For months, Haitians have compared their hunger pains to ”eating Clorox” because of the burning feeling in their stomachs. The most desperate have come to depend on a traditional hunger palliative of cookies made of dirt, vegetable oil and salt.Riots broke out in the normally placid southern port of Les Cayes last week, quickly escalating as protesters tried to burn down a UN compound and leaving five people dead. The protests spread to other cities, and on Monday tens of thousands took to the streets of Port-au-Prince.

Naxal Income worth Rs 1000 crore

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NEW DELHI: The Naxalites-sponsored Terror Inc’s rogue chest is loaded with a whopping Rs 1,000 crore. The discovery of the Naxalites’ Rs 60-crore budget for weapons procurement during 2005-07, made during the interrogation of arrested Maoist leader Misir Besra in Jharkhand, was only the tip of the iceberg. Intelligence agencies’ estimates put the overall annual budget of CPI(Maoist) well over Rs 1,000 crore, with Bihar contributing Rs 200 crore, Chhattisgarh Rs 150 crore and mineral-rich Jharkhand an even bigger sum. The agencies’ estimates are based on inputs regarding actual spending of Maoists. For example, while the expenditure of the polit bureau may not be too high, the central military commission, R&D wing, arms procurement wing, information and publicity wing, state committees and dalams spend big money to arm the CPI(Maoist) with intelligence and sophisticated arms and ammunition for killing security personnel and civilians. A good chunk is spent on publicity, both through the net as well as in-house publications. For example, one of their main publications, Awam-e-Jung, has a good circulation — comprising the 10,000 cadres and many more sympathisers — despite no advertising revenue to fall back upon. Significantly, the Naxalites depend in a big way on their urban network to source and transport weapons, fight court cases for arrested leaders, arrange medical care for the ill and wounded cadres, source uniforms and material for IEDs and run cyber and psychological campaigns. The Chhattisgarh Police, as part of its recent crackdown on the urban support network of Maoists, seized the account books of urban wing of the state which puts the total outlay at Rs 5.43 crore. Not only this, the Chhattisgarh Police, as part of their urban crackdown over the last couple of months, seized 82-84 small arms, 60 motorola sets, uniforms enough to clothe six battalions and 81 GB worth of Naxal material that they are yet to scan. The urban network of the Naxalites in Chhattisgarh consisted not only of lawyers, tailors but an entire travel agency under whose cover 10-12 Naxal supporters were ferrying Maoist leaders from Raipur to camps in the interiors and transporting arms consignments and other material. The travel agency has since been busted and a good part of its staff arrested for abetting Naxal activities. The main source of Naxals’ funds are extortion from road contractors, tendu patta contractors, mining companies, illegal mining activities and other industrialists having operations in the Naxal-infested areas. In Jharkhand, in particular, the Naxalites extort significant amounts of money from illegal coal miners. The estimated Rs 1,000-crore annual budget of the Naxalites is an obvious source of worry for the Centre as it matches the police modernisation funds that it has been disbursing to the states. It also goes against the Union home minister Shivraj Patil’s recent assertion in Parliament that the threat of Naxalism was being exaggerated by the Opposition. After all, with a generous budget of Rs 1,000 crore, the Naxalites are now no longer relying on weapons and ammunition looted from the police for their firepower. As evident from some of the independently-procured AK-47s seized recently, the Naxalites are now actually buying these sophisticated arms from around the world and having the consignments shipped clandestinely to India or picked up from the north-eastern borders. According to sources in Chhattisgarh Police, interrogation of arrested urban supporters of Maoists have thrown light on an aborted bid to buy AK-47s from Australian dealers and have them illegally shipped to India via Malaysia. Similarly, West Bengal police have confirmed the despatch of an arms consignment from the north-east, via West Bengal.