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 or other harmful acts committed (or threatened) against civilians for political or other ideological goals. Most definitions 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.
Many definitions also include only acts of unlawful violence. As a form of 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 to join an uprising, escalating a conflict in the hopes of disrupting the status quo, expressing a grievance, or drawing attention to a cause (1).
According to Walter Laqueur of the 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

* Naxalites… Armed cadres of Communists from CPI ML. Maoists