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

[Chan Mahanta]

Not only are you NOT off the MARK, the explanation betrays an abject  
lack of understanding
of the difference between an ideology and a system of governance. That  
simple!





On Jun 25, 2010, at 10:05 PM, kamal deka wrote:

> As I understand,in the field of politics,communism and democracy are
> two different idealogies.
>
> to put it simply, communism as Marx envisioned it is a kind of  
> democracy.
>
> But Communism in practice results in a dictatorship in which a few  
> rule
> over the many and the many have no say in who the few are and how they
> rule.In communism, the power is vested in a group of people who decide
> the course of action. Democracy is a rule by the people and the
> elected representatives are bound to fulfil the wishes of the society.
> In communism private ownership is not allowed whereas in democracy
> it is allowed.
> Am I still beside the mark?
> Kamal
>
>
> On Fri, Jun 25, 2010 at 9:14 PM, Dilip and Dil Deka <dilipdeka at yahoo.com 
> > 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.
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