Ranjit Kumar Gupta, former police commissioner of Calcutta, tells Sumanta Ray Chowdhury how the strategy of the Maoists have changed through the years.
Ranjit Kumar Gupta was police commissioner of Calcutta (now Kolkata) and then inspector general of police, West Bengal, from 1971 to 1977. He is credited with wiping out the Naxal terror from the state in the '70s. In 2004, he published his book The Crimson Agenda: Maoist Protest and Terror, on the spread of leftwing extremism in the country. Gupta, now 85, tells Sumanta Ray Chowdhury how the ideology and strategy of the Maoists have changed through the years.
What is the strategic significance of the recent attacks?
Considering the progress the Maoists have made in different states in recent times, incidents like these were bound to happen. I had predicted such incidents in my book.
How different are today's Maoists from the Naxalites you combated during your tenure?
The changes are many. The followers of Charu Majumdar and Kanu Sanyal were not trained in sophisticated guerrilla warfare, which the present day Maoists are. The Naxals I faced used rudimentary country-made weapons, but today the Maoists have access to all kinds of modern weapons and explosives. Most importantly, today they are better organised.
Has there been any major ideological shifts among the Maoists over the years?
The basic tactic remains the same, which is capturing power in the cities from bases in villages. But although they call themselves Maoists, in reality they are following the tactics of Che Guevara. Probably, they call themselves Maoists because Mao Zedong succeeded and Guevara failed. A new feature is the introduction of caste politics. Even in my times they used to play the caste card in certain pockets, but it failed in West Bengal. But now the caste strategy is far more effective and is working in Bihar, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh.
Has the Maoist movement in India gradually transformed itself from a typically urban phenomenon to a strong rural movement?
Not really. Maoists still have a strong urban presence, but they are underground. They will surface once they become fully successful in establishing firm bases in the villages.
Will the Maoists in India establish tie-ups with terrorist groups like Al-Qaeda and Jaish-e-Mohammed?
An ideological link-up will never take place as groups like Al-Qaeda and Jaish-e-Mohammed are fundamentalist organisations whereas the Maoists have social and economic agenda. It is possible when it comes to arms, but even here, considering the type of explosives and weapons the Maoists use and their method of guerrilla warfare, it is evident that they are in touch with the LTTE and the Maoists in Nepal. In northeastern India, they are largely involved in the narcotics-against-arms business via Myanmar.
What is the solution to the problem?
There should not be a military solution to the problem. Neither is banning the organisations a solution. The government should identify villages where the Maoists are yet to firm up their bases. The government should go for full-fledged economic and social development in these areas. By these steps the Maoists will be isolated from the public. Only then should police action against the Maoists follow.
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