[Assam] poem and news : The true story about encounters with Maoist in West Bengal

[Chan Mahanta]

Excellent point.

Bot  Ram and Kamal have mouthed off about democracy and communism,  
without having a clue about what they are:

	:Democracy a political system in which the supreme power lies in a  
body of citizens who can elect people to represent them
	:Communism is a social structure in which, theoretically, classes are  
abolished and property is commonly controlled, as well
		as a political philosophy and social movement that advocates and  
aims to create such a society.

The above are some of the MANY definitions of the two. There are other  
definitions, but for all practical purposes, they are in the same track.

Therefore the two are NOT mutually EXCLUSIVE. Communism can co-exist  
WITH democracy. A communist system of governance CAN
ELECT their representatives in government democratically. The  
fundamental difference between a communisitic system and a  
capitalistic one lies in PROPERTY RIGHTS.

Now if we look at ONE of the ROOT CAUSES of the Naxalite movements of  
Central India, it IS about PROPERTY RIGHTS, except it it is in the  
complete OPPOSITE of what Ram and Kamal have been wailing about. The  
indigenous people of these regions are fighting to preserve THEIR  
property rights
over their ancestral land and mineral rights, that the Indian  
government has USURPED and then given them away to CORPORATIONS to the  
detriment of the people who have lived on from time immemorial.









On Jun 25, 2010, at 9:14 PM, Dilip and Dil Deka wrote:

> Kamal,
> Yes, I believe you are way off the mark.
> "Aren't communism and democracy the opposite sides of the same coin?  
> It
> means that both of them are diametrically opposite. Or,am I way way
> off the mark?"   ------ When you say same coin- what is the coin?  
> Please define the coin. Dictatorship and Democracy are diametrically  
> opposite but not Communism and Democracy.  Is Communism the same as  
> Dictatorship - I don't think so. It happens that way in many cases  
> but it was not designed to be that way.
> The idea of communism was to share as is Democracy's. It is the  
> interpretation and execution of the principles that created the  
> transformations.
> So, it depends on whether you are a purist or  not, to support one  
> form of ideology or the other.
>
> Remember I am a fundamentalist when it comes to political thoughts.
>
> Dilipda
>
>
>
> ________________________________
> From: kamal deka <kjit.deka at gmail.com>
> To: A Mailing list for people interested in Assam from around the  
> world <assam at assamnet.org>
> Sent: Fri, June 25, 2010 7:01:41 PM
> Subject: Re: [Assam] poem and news : The true story about encounters  
> with Maoist in West Bengal
>
>>>> But, I was wrong, actually the Communists would be worse than  
>>>> Indira. IG
> gave up her PM seat after she lost the election. There was at least  
> a hint<<<
>
> RS,
> Well done.
>
> You know, Indira Gandhi was the darling of the nation when she whacked
> Yahya Khan and dismembered Pakistan in 1971. There was no doubt that
> she had nerves of steel. But it all came to nought when she imposed
> the dictatorial Emergency four years later, in flagrant defiance of
> the public mood.  Durga became a demon overnight and the electorate
> turned its back on her. The Congress was booted out and she herself
> was defeated. India said No to Mrs Gandhi and her politics of the
> Emergency.
>
> Aren't communism and democracy the opposite sides of the same coin? It
> means that both of them are diametrically opposite. Or,am I way way
> off the mark?
> KJD
>
>
>
>
> On Fri, Jun 25, 2010 at 8:58 AM, Ram Sarangapani <assamrs at gmail.com>  
> wrote:
>> Uttam,
>>
>>> Could anyone use/ incite Rameswars if they were otherwise  
>>> comfortable?
>>> Could you hatch chicken from stones?
>>
>> The argument could have been valid, IF Rameshwar's life was  
>> improved. Not if
>> if the actions of these 'saviours' (Naxals or for that matter ULFA)  
>> makes
>> the situation worse, and in many cases causing death/injury to the  
>> very
>> people they purport to be saving. With friends like these Naxals or  
>> ULFA
>> (for the Rameshwars of the world), who needs enemies?
>>
>>> Second, why do you have to think that Naxals and Maoists would be  
>>> like
>> Indira, the dictator?
>>
>> Right!. IG was elected, and then became a dictator (at least during  
>> the
>> emergency), and these groups, use violence as a means to achieving  
>> their
>> Communist agenda.
>>
>> But, I was wrong, actually the Communists would be worse than  
>> Indira. IG
>> gave up her PM seat after she lost the election. There was at least  
>> a hint
>> of democracy in her. She could have just stated she wasn't giving  
>> up the
>> throne, and most people who matter in India would have been singing  
>> praises
>> and writing poems.
>>
>> And you think, once the Naxals get a hold of power, they are going  
>> to give
>> up that easily. They get their power thru violence, and what makes  
>> you think
>> they would NOT use violence again to hold on to it? This is the same
>> argument that goes against the likes of ULFA.
>>
>>> The Chinese Communists have become good capitalists, even lending  
>>> the US
>> money albeit to make the bubble burst?
>>
>> Don't know where this fits in? BUT Lending money to the US - yes,  
>> through
>> USD holdings. The US has been giving the Chinese MFN (Most Favored  
>> Nation)
>> status to export goods/services for a long time. The US market is  
>> flooded
>> with Chinese made goods. The MFN is one of the most coveted awards  
>> the US
>> dishes out. That alone, it can be argued, can catapult a country  
>> like China
>> into prominence and an economic power - and today, they are EVEN in a
>> position to help the US.
>>
>>> The Maoist Prachanda (who raged a armed rebellion) has given up on  
>>> arms
>> even to let others rule
>>> even when his is the single largest party, in conformity with  
>>> democratic
>> norms, not usually followed by our BJPs/ Congresses.
>>
>> I don't know this person. But what on earth is a Maoist doing  
>> following
>> Democratic norms? So, from this example, we ought to just let let  
>> violence
>> these groups perpetrate go unabated - hoping (against hope) that  
>> they all
>> give up arms, let others rule, and even follow democracy?
>>
>> C'mon Uttam... does this really make sense? :-)
>>
>>> Pray, why this prejudice, the knee-jerk reaction? The days of iron/ 
>>> bamboo
>> curtains are quite over.
>>
>> Not really. Look at some history. Through numerous trials and  
>> errors, the
>> world has generally accepted democracy as a true and tested form of
>> governance. There are a few different forms of democracy (the  
>> British and US
>> systems differ, and so does Japan), but in general, most countries  
>> follow a
>> system close as possible to democracy.
>> Yes, there are problems, specially in a country like India, and it  
>> takes
>> time, and a nation and her people often needs to mature. India's  
>> experience
>> with democracy is only 60 odd years - compared to the Brits and the  
>> US.
>>
>> As far as those other systems go - those have been successful, only  
>> if one
>> thinks that the people in China, Vietnam and Cuba are a free people  
>> with
>> independent thought and action? Otherwise, they are total failures.
>> As for these ultra groups, their goals, methods, and promises, the  
>> less
>> said, the better.
>>
>> If any of the other isms you cite were that good, the world over  
>> people
>> would have been embracing them. Those systems can be enforced only  
>> by force.
>> Do we want that?
>>
>>> The Naxals/ Maoists may turn out to be good democrats, who knows?  
>>> Else they
>> will lose the fight,
>>> due to lack of people's support; if they are wrong PC does not  
>>> even have to
>> raise a finger. They will
>>> crumble due to their own foibles that you so clearly find in them.
>>
>> I don't where we are headed?
>>
>> Naxals/Maoists are perpetrating all this violence, so that they can
>> establish a good Democracy? You are kidding, right?
>>
>> Why don't they just become 'democrats' to start with :-)
>>
>> --Ram da
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> On Fri, Jun 25, 2010 at 4:49 AM, UTTAM BORTHAKUR <uttamborthakur at yahoo.co.in
>>> wrote:
>>
>>> Ram Da,
>>>
>>> Could anyone use/ incite Rameswars if they were otherwise  
>>> comfortable?
>>> Could you hatch chicken from stones?
>>>
>>> Second, why do you have to think that Naxals and Maoists would be  
>>> like
>>> Indira, the dictator?
>>> The Chinese Communists have become good capitalists, even lending  
>>> the US
>>> money albeit to
>>> make the bubble burst?
>>> The Euro communists are not demonic the way you paint the  
>>> communists.
>>> Our CPM is quite docile; even supports the UPA.
>>> The Maoist Prachanda (who raged a armed rebellion) has given up on  
>>> arms
>>> even
>>> to let others rule
>>> even when his is the single largest party, in conformity with  
>>> democratic
>>> norms,
>>> not usually followed by our BJPs/ Congresses.
>>> Pray, why this prejudice, the knee-jerk reaction? The days of iron/ 
>>> bamboo
>>> curtains are quite over.
>>> The Naxals/ Maoists may turn out to be good democrats, who knows?  
>>> Else they
>>> will lose the fight,
>>> due to lack of people's support; if they are wrong PC does not  
>>> even have to
>>> raise a finger. They will
>>> crumble due to their own foibles that you so clearly find in them.
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> assam mailing list
>>> assam at assamnet.org
>>> http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org
>>>
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