[Reader-list] Communism and Terrorism: Are They Complimentary

[Pawan Durani]

http://faithcommons.org/communism_and_terrorism_are_they_complimentary

Communism and Terrorism: Are They Complimentary?  : Prof Dr Colonel
(Retired) K Prabhakar Rao

The world has witnessed and is still witnessing the horrors of Communism and
is at present in the grip of terrorism too. In fact terrorism is age old and
existed in all centuries and in all parts of the world in some form or
other. Terrorism in the modern sense is
violence<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Violence> or
other harmful acts committed (or threatened) against civilians for political
or other ideological goals. Most definitions of
terrorism<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Definition_of_terrorism>
include
only those acts which are intended to create fear or "terror", are
perpetrated for an ideological goal (as opposed to a lone attack), and
deliberately target or disregard the safety of
non-combatants<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-combatants>
.

Many definitions also include only acts of
unlawful<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unlawful> violence.
As a form of unconventional
warfare<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unconventional_warfare>,
terrorism is sometimes used when attempting to force political change by
convincing a government or population to agree to demands to avoid future
harm or fear of harm, destabilizing an existing government, motivating a
disgruntled population <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Residents> to join an
uprising <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rebellion>, escalating a conflict in
the hopes of disrupting the status
quo<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Status_quo>,
expressing a grievance, or drawing attention to a cause (1).

According to Walter Laqueur of the Center for Strategic and International
Studies<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Center_for_Strategic_and_International_Studies>,
"*the only general characteristic of terrorism generally agreed upon is that
terrorism involves violence and the threat of violence."*



Terrorism revolves around following:

   1.

   *Political purpose,*
   2.

   *Disguise*
   3.

   *Psychological impact*
   4.

   *Violence*
   5.

   *Wanton killings*

Most of the terrorist acts are the results of political unhappiness,
frustrations and are aimed at achieving some desired changes,
destabilization and drawing attention too. These acts are conducted when the
aggrieved party has no strength, militarily and financially and can not take
up open hostilities. The acts are conducted to create panic and fear and
psychological impact in the minds of people and the government too.
Invariably Terrorists do not identify themselves as military men. Many acts
are done in the garb of civilians. Repress ional acts by armed forces of a
country go unnoticed and are not dubbed s terrorism. Mass murders of Jews in
concentration camps by Nazi Army are not considered as Terrorism. Thus the
real definition of terrorism eludes. Lankan Tigers of Tamil Elam (LTTE) is
waging guerilla war for liberation from Srilanka. Their operations can be
viewed as acts of Terrorism akin to Palestine conflict while their
sympathizers consider them freedom fighters that are waging war of
liberation. LTTE killed Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi at Madras by
engineering a suicide bomb as revenge for interfering in their struggle by
sending peace keeping force that got involved in fighting. Suicide bombers
are clad in civilian attire, mix with general public and blow themselves as
planned causing panic and deaths of innocents around. In all acts of
terrorism violence is essential. Without violence the acts have no impact.
Invariably a small numbers of terrorists hold large groups of people of
various nations to a ransom by their unlawful acts.

Does communism has something to do with terrorism and linked to it? Yes,
there is no doubt about it. Communism is based on totalitarian rule and
forced identification of its people with the will of the State which has
Marxist ideology (2). It is the dictatorship of proletariat. Civil liberties
and fundamental rights are very greatly curtailed; rather do not exist in
real sense*. Communist States believe in the philosophy of destabilization
and undermining of democratic societies based on capitalist or mixed
economies* (3) (4). Communism is the bitterest enemy of the capitalist
societies. Communism thus aims at transforming the world to their line of
thought and philosophy. A communist society can not be established by
peaceful means and it aims at violence, mass uprising resulting in mass
murders and elimination of landed class. Terrorism as practiced by the
present Islamic Wahabi School is too aiming to impose its thoughts on the
other societies in the world. In this context Osama Bin Lindens recent
recorded tape is an example in which the terrorist leader exhorted all
Americans to embrace Islam if they have to escape from the terrorism and
persecution by Laden and his thugs. This is the blackmailing the Americans
with ideology of Islam and terrorizing by the wanton and senseless acts of
destruction, mayhem and murder.

Communists enforce their ideology within their states of influence by the
use of military force and threat of detention; fear of execution,
intimidation, imprisonment, harassment and by terror. The law is enforced by
vigorous pursuit of judicial process (apology for judicial process) and
summary trials. The process is not comparable to that prevailing in
democratic societies where it is long drawn, laborious and frustrating too.
People's will is bull dozed under the might of state power. Killings at
Tienmien square in China during Cultural Revolution in sixties of last
century is the proof for the state sponsored terror on own citizens. Stalin
ruled USSR by terrorizing its people. He eliminated his opponents and
critics ( 5).

India and Nepal are the live examples to be quoted for communist sponsored
terrorism. Communist party of India (CPI) was established in India after
Bolshevik revolution in Russia during last century and was allowed to
continue after India gained independence. The stalwarts of independence
movement like Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime minister of India and others
were obsessed with socialist form of society and rubbed shoulders with USSR.
There was no question of banning Communist party in India. The fun is that
in Pakistan its next door Communists have no place.CPI had good hold in the
Telangana region of former Hyderabad princely state under Mir Osman Ali Khan
Bahadur ( Brave) Fateh jung ( Victor of battles), Nizam ul mulk Asif Jah 7,
the seventh ruler of Asifjahi dynasty. CPI launched armed struggle in the
State at the closing years of the state and murdered several land lords and
took up to terrorist actions. Once India gained independence, the Nizam
chose to be independent. His government committed grave atrocities on Hindu
population in the State duly abetted by the Razakar (Volunteer) Armed force
under the leadership of self styled Field Marshal Kasim Razvi of Majlis
Ittehad ul Muslimeen party (MIM). Countless Hindus were killed and women
were raped while children were butchered as the government looked upon. The
king became a puppet in the hands of Kasim Razvi who was amply supported by
Deen yar Jung, the chief of state police.

Having no options, India after several warnings to Nizam conducted Military
action (Infact called police action) against the State. Forces of Indian
union along with armor invaded Hyderabad State from four directions and
after brief resistance, Nizam surrendered on 18 Sept 1948. Several Razakars
were killed in action along with State forces. Military government was
established in Hyderabad under Major General Chaudhray and this government
crushed the Communist cadres subsequently and established law and order in
the state. At last CPI withdrew its agitation and took part in first General
elections held in 1950 (6). Consequently, CPI split on ideological grounds
into Communist party Marxist (CPM) and Communist Party Marxist and Leninist
(CPI (ML)). In West Bengal State at Naxalbari, Communists again rose in
revolt in 1968 and committed many crimes including mass killings and
destruction of property and terrorist acts. The Armed communists again took
up to terrorist activities and killings of land lords and destruction of
property in the agency areas of Parvateepuram in sri kakulam District of
Andhra Pradesh during 1969 and this was crushed ruthlessly by the State
government ( 7). The terrorist activities are still continuing in the state
of Andhra Pradesh by the communists armed cadres and this activity has
spread to the newly formed northern state Jahrkhand and Bihar too. It also
has strong base in Orissa and Eastern Maharashtra States. The armed cadres
of Communists are now called Maoists and they have made a link from Andhra
Pradesh to Nepal along the Eastern corridor of Andhra Pradesh. Maoists have
committed many terrorist acts in Jahrkhand by blowing up Police teams,
convoys, police stations and committing mass murders of innocent civilians
in the villages. The State property is destroyed such as telephone
exchanges, railway stations and post offices. Some have also looted banks.
Thus it is seen that in India in certain States Maoists are active and are
resorting to violence, killings of police officers and leaders from village
level to the members of legislature and even ministers. They want to create
panic, fear and terror in the minds of people and in the government. Maoists
are clinging to the outdated Maoist philosophy of Power flowing through
barrel of a gun. They also resort to killings of their own informers,
suspected spies and betrayers. They are no different from terrorists. They
claim political cause. Resort to violence, destruction of government
property, indiscriminate killings, bombings and even suicide squads which
are the basic actions of terrorists world wide (8) ( 9) (10).

In Nepal, Maoists made headway and paralyzed the government. It succeeded in
coming to some terms with the other parties and formed a government. Nepal
being a very small country with little resources, Maoists could create havoc
in the country. Their terrorist actions were successful although they claim
it as a liberation movement from the feudal princely rule. Thus we see that
Communism believes in terrorism to achieve its ends although they claim
their actions as Guerilla warfare. There is a very thin line between
Guerilla war and terrorism and this line in fact has disappeared in the
modern days. Thus communists and terrorists can be considered complimentary
in many aspects of consideration..



Bibliography

*1. Terrorism, Wikepedia*, *
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terrorism#Official_definitions*

2. Prof Dr Colonel (Retired) K Prabhakar Rao, *Fascism and Communism*, *
www.faithcommons.org*, January 31, 2007, 09:04

3. Prof Dr Colonel (Retired) K Prabhakar Rao, *Leninism** and Marxism not
yet dead. *New Swatantra Times, Hyderabad, India, Volume V, No.11, Oct 1992,
PP 24-25. ,

4. Prof Dr Colonel (Retired) K Prabhakar Rao, Can* militancy succeed in
India?* New Swatantra times, Hyderabad, India, Volume VII, No 10, Oct 1994,
PP 23-24

5. *Joseph Stalin, Historic figures*,
http://72.14.235.104/search?q=cache:JzojhtNbYTEJ:www.bbc.co.uk
/history/historic_figures/stalin_joseph.shtml+joseph+Stalin&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=4&gl=in

6. Prof Dr Colonel (Retired) K Prabhakar Rao, *Pressures and prospects of
communism in democratic India*, Ph D thesis in Political science, The
International University, Independence, USA, 1988, PP

7. Prof Dr Colonel (Retired) K Prabhakar Rao, *Militants should join the
main stream*, New Swatantra Times, Hyderabad, India, VolXI, No 1, Nov 1998,
PP12and 15

8 Prof Dr Colonel (Retired) K Prabhakar Rao*. It is time the Naxalites* and
Govt turn to negotiating tables*, New Swatantra Times, Hyderabad, India,
VolXIII, No 1, Jan 2002, PP 37-38

9 Prof Dr Colonel (Retired) K Prabhakar Rao, *Resume talks with Naxals**,
New Swatantra Times, Hyderabad, India, Vol XIV, No 11, Nov 2003, PP 32-33

10. Prof Dr Colonel (Retired) K Prabhakar Rao*. Should the Naxalites* be
banned? *New Swatantra Times, Hyderabad, India, Vol VII, No 2, June 1995, PP
32-33