Naxalites not a bunch of anti-social elements - CPI (M) state secretary B V Raghavulu

Reds and Lefts are the common syllables used for regular address of Communists in the country. In the state of Andhra Pradesh, the Reds had a strong foundation long before the formation of the state itself. There are scoring lists of sacrifices of leaders and cadres for the cause of the formation of Andhra Pradesh.

A simple tradition is in profuse use in left organisations. There normally would not exist any situation where in one single man dictates the party activists or principles. Only persons who had put in their best for the betterment of the party right from the student days were awarded and rewarded with higher positions. This phenomenon is totally on the other side of the coin with many political parties, which give top positions to walkers in just like that. Among those personalities who had reached top positions through the ultimate, hard work is the present state secretary of Communist Party of India (Marxist) B V Raghavulu.

From day one of his entry into public life, Raghavulu is known as a straightforward and unbiased man. He never recedes from giving out his opinion about any subject point blank. Well, it should not be taken that he expresses and tries to scrub his opinions on others’ head. Keeping in view the basic principles of the party, he comments about the acts and acts considering only one thing that is people’s welfare. His sincerity and frankness reflects through his thought about naxals and naxalism, which had taken its roots from Communism.

Raghavulu says, “There would not sprout any revolution through naxalism. Eventually, Naxalites are not a bunch of anti-social elements.” He opines that though naxalism basically emerged from communism that ‘ism’ might not be instrumental in bringing justice to one and all in the society.

Hamarashehar.com interacted with B V Raghavulu at length about various issues, especially on the role of Communist Parties in the society. Here are some interesting excerpts from the interaction:

Q: Your party could not achieve the anticipated success neither in the assembly elections nor in the local body elections. Do you consider this to be a failure in creating awareness in people against the Telugu Desam Party policies?

A: It is true that voting percentage for the Communist parties had dropped compared to earlier elections. Apart from West Bengal and Kerala states, Communists suffered a set back in almost all the places of the country. In our introspection many angles surfaced. If we look at few of them, with the capitalist and burjuvah political parties’, money and muscle based canvassing, communal forces had gained strength and ground both at the state and national levels. Moreover, the unity among the communist and socialist outlook parties was not intact during this period. Still, parties like Communist Party of India (Marxist) who are solely interested in the people’s welfare are working to get much closer to the common people of the state and country.

At the grass root level, we are stabilising the foundations of the party through our active participation in agitation's and resentments against the anti-people policies of the rulers. The association with Telugu Desam Party during the past one and a half decade had brought more losses to CPI (M) than any other mileage to the party. The party is very much careful from now onwards. However, it is very much clear that CPI (M) is ready to face any hardship in the due course of fighting for the justice of common people of the society at large. We parted ways with Telugu Desam Party, as it was ignorant of people’s welfare. Our strategies for the near future are being drafted very carefully keeping all the unfortunate consequences that reflected upon being a parley to the Telugu Desam Party.

Q: Communists were always with a ‘one word – one path’ functioning. It seems that even you are into strategizing and counter strategizing politically. The final sufferers are becoming people. When you ought to follow a single formulation through out the globe, how come you are changing it in every state? Why is this happening?

A: The basic principles of the Communist parties will never change. The response from the CPI (M) was always based on socio, economic and political circumstances along with the regional problems. We are on the right track till now and we will adopt the same policies in future too. We are committed to fight against the capitalist, monarchical and communal forces to protect the common interest of the people. Depending on the intensity of the people’s problems, we will always respond.

One more thing, socialism will come one day that is for sure. We do not try to save our face until then and say now that we will solve all the problems then. The present problems are to be taken care of now itself. There is no chance of thinking about a strategy – a state. Due, there is no single governance in all the states and the problems are not alike in the country. Certain problems and issues will be intense in some states and minuscule in others. We administer medicine apt to the disease. How can we risk our lives by using a single medicine to all the ailments?

Q: Is that a single reason that you could not form government in Andhra Pradesh that you always are anti-establishment?

A: Power, formation of government or rule is not in our prime priorities. Our goal is to achieve socialism in the country. We will be striving till then. At every place, we will be anti-establishment. A small exception to this principle is, we portray resentment and agitate against the policies that are against the common interest of the people. Then, we uphold the rulers. In case, a policy is in favour of the people, then we will support those governments irrespective of the party ruling, be it in a state or at the centre level. If we gaze through all the policies, major promulgation's were against the people, as the ruling was and is being done by capitalist and communal ideology parties.

Through out its ideology, any capitalist party is against the interests of the working, employee, and people. Any line in any page of the history clearly carries this message. For some implementations, if the rulers were temporarily successful in presenting them as public beneficiary as the time passes by, the coated colours will start fading presenting their true colours. Therefore, here comes the need for going anti-establishment all the time.

Q: In August 2000, you launched the anti-power tariff hike agitation on a massive scale. Many people lost their lives and a score of people were injured in the Challo Assembly programme. Government simply wiped the tears of people declaring different slabs of the tariff. You were observing commemoration days, conducting meetings and rallies. Is this fair on Communists who were branded as peoples’ agitators?

A: It is totally Congress who has to shoulder the failure of the electricity agitation. They are the persons who diluted the intensity of the agitation. We, before hand advised them not to resort to indefinite fasting. This we had done since they do not understand the real meaning of the indefinite fasting. It means that either the persons sitting in the camp should sacrifice life for the reason or should come out of the camp only after the problem was solved. We also warned them failure of the fasting camp would totally shatter the spirit of the agitation. Phmmm…obviously, this will be the outcome when non-standard persons try to do some thing that needs commitment and sacrifice of self.

The Congress once again proved that they are more interested in persons than people at large. Infighting, groupism and coteries were responsible for driving the Congress legislators from the fasting camp. If we look at our angle of perception, we are about to launch a massive and unparallel agitation for the cause very soon. The people will soon understand the commemoration days, meetings and rallies that they were curtain raise background music for the main agitation.

Q: Recently you launched agitation against the irrigation water and electricity meters. Earlier, you were on to minimum support price, acquiring agricultural produce. Both the agitation's witnessed ryots losing lives and blood shed. Are these for making people feel your presence and nothing beyond? What did people achieve be this?

A: There is a wide difference between Communist and other political parties. The other political parties remember the people’s problems when they are in opposition. The moment they take to power they intend to forget the issues for which they agitated too. In addition to this, those issues do not seem to be a problem at all and they add adversary to those agitation's.

CPI (M) or any other communist party responds to the people’s plights sincerely. They take to agitation with commitment and take the government to task. We only react to the people’s plights. For other general issues, we express our condemnation and resentment as part of people and as a political party. It means we should understand that 90 percent are resentments and 10 percent are agitations. If we say it is an agitation, we mean it. We bear any loss and continue to sacrifice until we achieve solution to the problem.

People should not be dazzled that we bowed out of the agitation, when some agitations appear to have been stalled. With multiple strength, we will surface again. I challenge any one in the political arena, can they promise such a commitment to the people?

Q: Formation of states was on language and culture criterion. Recently, smaller and newer states were formed. What reasons do you see for the failure of the decade old multi phased separate Telangana statehood agitation?

A: Yes, it is true that language and culture were foundations for the formation of states. If we take a closer look at the Telangana issue, every one who spoke or shouted a slogan in favour of it was all with selfish motto. All the time the ‘so called’ agitations for the statehood to Telangana by the ‘said’ leaders were either to blackmail their respective party leadership or anticipating some or the other berths. No leader in the society is committed and dedicated to achieve separate identity to Telangana region, that too especially when they were affiliated to the capitalist and burjuvah political parties. Neither the present ones has it nor the future ones would emerge exclusively for it.

Q: How do you grade TRS Chandra Sekhara Rao, BJP Narendra and organisations like Telangana Legislators Forum?

A: I reiterate that neither these leaders, the former who had professed that they would achieve separate statehood never had and never will have commitment for the cause. How can people believe them when they hoist one coloured flag in the morning, one in the noon and another flag that fades by the evening on their caps? I can strongly say that these people are not sincere. If they were dedicated and committed with sincerity for achieving Telangana, they should take role models duch as Potti Sri Ramulu or any among the communist leaders who sacrificed their lives for the cause of Andhra Pradesh.

The present and former leaders and it is also definite that the ones to come in the future will raise the issue when they are not given a berth in the cabinet, or when they are to take vendetta against some party levels. It should and will be taken by people, as they understood the political high, melo drama that these leaders were out on a time pass or childish play spree.

When it comes to the national level burjuvah parties, they seem to wake up whenever someone yells about the issue. From the deep slumber they feel like waking up, which they never do. With all the day dreaming symptoms once or twice they open their mouth and go to snoring again.

Q: Communist influence in backward Telangana region is high. Naxalism born from Communism is also deeply rooted there. Even then, you are not for separate Telangana, do you have any strong political reasons for not backing up the movement?

A: We always worked for people’s rule in united Andhra Pradesh. We never wished to scissor through the state and shrink its horizons. Eventually, if the state were to be bifurcated it would only benefit the capitalists, none else. The people would lose their freedom. I wish to put a straight question to all those who were advocating the separate identity. Do you have any concrete, implementable and workable plans for developing the region? What do the deprived and downtrodden people get if the state were to be formed? What do you achieve besides augmenting the communal disturbances and crushing the poor far below the poverty line? The most you can do is to approach for loans and advances from organisations like World Bank. Out of which, maximum percentage would be pocketed by the middle men. Do you have anything other than this?

If you have a proper policy behind your slogan for the separate Telangana state, come let us go the people and discuss in detail and in depth. Let the people themselves analyse the merits and demerits of the statehood and then decide over their identity whether they should belong to Andhra Pradesh or Telangana states. I sincerely suggest all of you not to disturb the peace of the people for your selfish motives and scrub your viewpoints on innocent.

Q: Every time there is a change in government, the policies towards naxalism are changing. The present government is inviting them to join the mainstream, shedding arms. What exactly is your stand towards naxalism?

A: Naxals are not a bunch of anti-social elements. We differ with ways they are adopting. Revolution is not possible with naxalism. A strong hard and groundwork is needed to bring about a change in the sociological, economical and political manifestations. Situation of people had transformed into a sandwich position when it comes to their approach regarding naxalism.

Every one in the society wishes the society to change. However, people are not totally inclined towards the naxal movement, as their ways and means to achieve this is wrong. Even though, if people wish to extend their support they are stepping aside keeping in view the after effects of doing so. Hence, they are playing a spectator role. Few individuals who are stepping ahead and joining hands with them are facing harassment and troublesome situations amid police machinery and naxal outfits.

For a revolution, people should voluntarily and actively participate in the struggle. They should not be restrained either to a sandwich position or a spectator role. The procedure and system of the agitation and revolution should be compliant to all and agreeable. A handful people from a remote hamlet or a village would not be instrumental in bringing about the revolution thought by the intellectuals. A common parlance and a via media fighting system should be evolved out so that every human, every sufferer can walk straight into the fight.

Q: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu had been advocating that good results are definite to come with the economic reforms. How do you differ with him?

A: Foremost thing the Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu should remember is that, people would do their work whether or not he is in the Chief Minister’s post. Development will never cease from coming, whether he is there or not. All the time he plans and executes policies in favour of richest and capital communities. For example, if we take a look at the information technology and tourism etc., they are exclusively for the benefit of the rich and richer classes rather elite community. He only should know how spending of thousands of crores of rupees on these sectors would benefit the people who are below and far below the poverty line.

It is not economic reforms, which are needed. Land reforms should be implemented first. Can he deny that over 90 percent of the formers are lease holders and not land holders. They transform their blood into sweat and toil for the whole year. What is the final result? They are stuck in burdening credits. Every time the Chief Minister and his persons refer to countries like China. Why are they not daring enough to follow the promulgation's there for the benefit of the people? In India, maxim harvest per hectare is six tonnes. Where as, it is at 15 to 17 tonnes per hectare in China. The reason is very simple. There are no ‘big’ farmers there. Every person is given a squared and common acreage of land. Every one works hard there. What should I say about the prevailing situation here? Hundreds of acres of land are in few hands with benami names. The lessee is not protected by any legislation. Chandrababu Naidu should first learn to stand on land, if he tries to fly without a proper launcher, he is definite to lose the ground.

He should think of land reforms first and implement them properly. A society without any communal crisis can protect people from being hallucinated by the political parties and being misused for their selfish motives. Arrangements should be made to protect the health of people. If one wants to do all these, they should stand by the people and rebel against the rich and wealthy classes. I can say without any hesitation, no burjuvah political party including the present ruling Telugu Desam has those guts.

If we look at the financial status of the state, Andhra Pradesh is topping the list of states that have more credits. We are the seventh, when it comes to his brainchild project information technology. We are also to note that Andhra Pradesh is way behind the states that had taken far less loans from international monetary organisations. The present governance is now mature in only burdening people day after day. Let the government tell people what it has done, besides delivering speeches, publishing advertisements and getting hoarding stands on either side of the roads.

Q: The conglomeration of the nine left parties that had professed to struggle for the welfare of people untiringly is breaking away during every election. Is that an inherent thirst towards power or…

A: Definitely it is not the thirst for power. All nine of us communists are presently united on the platforms exclusively for taking up people’s plights. Efforts are on for uniting politically too. Very soon we might come strong and united for the betterment of people. When it is to the issue of power or power mongering mentalities, definitely communists are not for it. People know this pretty well. We will not give any opportunity to point towards us in this regard.

Q: “World Bank / I.M.F. Loan – State people to groan” is the slogan of state left parties. For that sake, even West Bengal is also in the list of loan takers. Why don’t you ever refer to this?

A: Firstly, it is negative that West Bengal borrowed huge loans from either World Bank of the International Monetary Fund. Let me explain, World Bank advances three types of loans such as project loan, policy loan and structural adjustment loan.

Project loan is to take up or complete any project, while structural adjustment loan is given to government for implementing any public welfare scheme or plan. Where as the nature and purpose of policy loan is different. If one needs to raise this loan they should surrender to the World Bank and implement the project given by it irrespective it will turn out finally to be for the welfare of the people or against them.

West Bengal never stretched for taking policy loan, as it clearly analysed and understood the evil impacts of such loan in the long run. Calculating all these, the West Bengal government stopped itself to the other types of loans but stood aloof of policy loans. If we sum up all the loans, they would not cross hundreds of crores.

The situation of Andhra Pradesh is contrary to this. It had risen thousands of crores through policy loans. The net effect of those borrowings by the Telugu Desam government is that the World Bank is having a strong hold over the government directly and people indirectly.

There were severe criticisms from members of the ruling party that West Bengal had privatised the power sector. This is a senseless and baseless argument. If we look at the fact, Calcutta Electrical Corporation is under the ownership of Tatas. The organisation is functioning right from pre-independence period and is supplying power to the state. Though it is in private hands, the West Bengal government strictly monitors the tariff of the power supplied through it. The government there is letting it function, keeping in view the future of thousands of workers and employees working in it. Misrepresenting the issue in people reflects the narrow mindedness of the Telugu Desam.

Q: You are not in good terms with the Congress party in the state. Every time you try to shake ‘hands’ during convening meetings with them. After the meeting, a statement will be given that standard understandings were not reached upon. What is the actual issue behind this?

A: We wish to shake ‘hands’ with Congress purely on peoples’ problems, as they are the main opposition in the state legislature. We never have a thought to maintain a political level understanding with them. Because, they do not have a clear thought about any issue. State Congress party is suffering without a proper direction and guidance. When some Congress Legislature Party members stated that they are for united Andhra Pradesh, same day the Pradesh Congress Committee president at some other place had delivered speech in favour of separate Telangana state.

They even do not have unity of thought regarding economic, religious and other people’s problem. This is because they are not independent in functioning. They should be permitted from the high command either to take up the issue or not. Even in the case where in they take up some or the other issue, they are bound to drop from middle of the agitation if the high command loses interest in the ‘game’.

Parties like this who claim to be democratic are actually under monarchical high command. They are bound to obey all the sayings of high command, not knowing what freedom is. How can there be political understandings and handshakes under these circumstances.

Q: Keeping the party names aside, atrocities on women and dalits are recorded during every government. Scores of Acts are in the Law books to eradicate or check such incidents. Every opposition party is criticising the government every time such incidents happen. Are the opposition parties junked only to hold meetings and descend on the governments?

A: The government, opposition and the voluntary or non-governmental organisation, is repeatedly doing the same mistake. If we forget to implement the Acts sternly, everyone reacts only after an incident has occurred. Opposition parties and others are demanding for compensation after an atrocity or harassment is done, they demand for booking the culprits. Government reacts to this and washes its hands either by constituting an enquiry commission or by releasing a sum to the sufferer. There ends the matter. Again the same process continues when another incident happens.

Instead, an attempt should be made to prevent them. As the government is unable to take up the task, the opposition parties should create awareness among people about their Constitutional rights and duties. Concentration is needed on literacy and land reforms. The reference and importance of land reforms comes in vitally. Over 95 percent of the people in remote localities are either ryotu coolies or lease holders. When there is a rift between the forward communities and dalits, the latter were being excommunicated from work and other civic amenities. The Dalits will be protected if they are assured of standing on their own feet. Protection comes from adequate land to till on the own.

Q: A severe criticism is in air that Communist driven trade unions are responsible for the industrial crises. How do you react to this?

A: I should remind the critics about the ‘Czekov’ Russian story in this regard. Rachakonda Vishwanadha Sastry translated the same into Telugu titled ‘Tommy…Tommy’. The capitalists fed intellectuals are attempting just to sling mud on the Communists. There is nothing beyond this.

Q: Strikes and Dharnas organised by the workers’ and employees’ unions were always with demands such as pay hike, more liberty and other issues. Not a single strike and dharna was held for the welfare of the people. Why is that so?

A: Workers and employees are not responsible for this. Successive governments were successful in suppressing the workers and employees of both public and private sector and are crushing them with various policies. Under these circumstances, they are incessantly striving for maintaining their own liberty and identity. Unfortunately, though the workers and employees do recognise their responsibility towards the society, they are not given enough elbowroom so that they could do this. If they wish to think about the people’s welfare they should enter into political arena.

It would be apt if I say governments were successful in refraining the workers and employees from entering into this sector. It is not long, when all the worker and employee organisations unite and fight against these iron boot systems of the governments. Of course, some more gestation period is needed for their unification.

Q: During every industrial crisis, there is a tradition of comparing domestic progress with that of a distant country's development. An argument is also coined that domestic strikes would result in stalling production while in other countries it means excess manufacturing. Don’t we have responsibilities other than rights?

A: A strike means the same in any country on the planet. May be these new argument formulators were referring to countries of distant planets. Those who argue like this should first open their eyes and watch what exactly is happening in this world. These arguments and speeches would reflect the persons’ idiocy open to the world. There would not be any constructive strikes in other countries and destructive strikes in our country. A strike is a strike that’s all.

Q: What are your proposals and planning towards society, people and their plights as the state secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist)?

A: The state of Andhra Pradesh is drowning under the control of World Bank and the rule of Telugu Desam government. Communist Party of India (Marxist) is heading for the common well being of the people through its implements and strategic planning. The chauvinistic forces like Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, Bhajarang Dal and Vishwa Hindu Parishad are spreading under cover in the society and are destroying the communal harmony in the state.

With the untold agreements between the Telugu Desam and the BJP led NDA, state government is not bothering about the spreading communal disease. On the other hand, the central government is not bothered in looking into the affairs of the state, which are destroying the state’s health. We are working out to fight against unemployment, graft, globalisation and chauvinistic forces, taking tomorrow’s citizens, as the next day belongs to them and they should protect it right from today.

Profile:

CPI (M) state secretary Bodapati Veera Raghavulu was born to Venkata Subbaiah and Punnamma couple in Pedamopadu village of Prakasham district.

B V Raghavulu completed his schooling at Kandukuru. Later, he joined Andhra Christian College in Guntur for intermediate standard. Then, he went to Bapatla and joined into Bachelor of Science at Bapatla Agricultural College. For various reasons, he was compelled to drop out of the course.

Afterwards, he joined Kavali College for Bachelor of Arts course. When he was pursuing his final year course of graduation, emergency was declared in the country. Finally, after appearing the final examinations, he left for Nellore as a fulltime activist of the party. During the emergency period, many top leaders of the party were either arrested or went underground themselves. This gave an opportunity to Raghavulu to manage the party office at his best. The party later, during emergency period itself, sent him to Visakhapatnam. There he founded the student movement. While he was at Visakhapatnam, he completed a diploma in English and enrolled for Master of Arts in history.

Upto December 1981, he was the office bearer for Student Federation of India. Completing his M.A. in distinction, he joined for a research in economics as scholar. Meanwhile, party secretary of the Visakhapatnam unit expired succumbing to ill health. Very shortly after his death, the new secretary was dead in a road accident. It turned on Raghavulu to take over as secretary checking his research. In 1994 he was elected as state Centre for Indian Trade Unions (CITU) secretary. At the state conventions of the party in December 1997, Raghavulu was named as state secretary of the party.

Raghavulu married S Punyavathi, one of his co-activists while he was doing his research at the Andhra University in Visakhapatnam. Mrs Punyavathi is now state president of the Mahila Sangham. The couple are blessed with a daughter, who is pursuing her Master of Arts course currently.