VISHWA RANJAN'S "ATIRANJIT VISHWA"

[Sorry I can't translate the title too well. Roughly, it's a play on the words in his name, and means: Vishwa Ranjan's exaggerated universe.]

The Director General of Police in the state of Chhattisgarh, where my brother Dr. Binayak Sen remains imprisoned since May 14, 2007, is reportedly a poet. But Vishwa Ranjan is also known to be a political polemicist who has not allowed his official position to restrain him from expressing his opinions in the media, especially on issues of maoism and human rights. On these issues he is a loyal combatant for the state that he serves.

Some time ago, he poured scorn on activists who had gone on a hunger strike in sympathy for Dr. Sen as "pseudo-Gandhians". More recently, in an article serialized in two parts in the Indian Express on 4-5 September, he has shown his flair for artistic licence as well, especially in characterizing all critics of the state-sponsored Salwa Judum movement as maoist sympathizers. These articles are for some reason not available in the online edition of IE, so I have reproduced them below, thanks to Chhattisgarh Net, a discussion forum on matters relating to the state. Also appearing below is a rejoinder to the article from Nandini Sundar and her co-petitioners in the PIL appeal to the Supreme Court to halt the Salwa Judum. As you will see below, he has  publicly made defamatory accusations against several eminent people - the kind of accusations that have got Binayak thrown into jail, and for which ordinary citizens of Chhattisgarh can be locked up indefinitely under the provisions of the Chhattisgarh Special Public Security Act. So it's no surprise to read in a snippet appearing in the Times of India (see the article titled "An 'inveterate' law-keeper" under the column "Through the Third Eye") that he may now be taken to court for libel. This possibility may have induced the defensive, disingenuous, but nevertheless combative, response from our poetic policeman, which is also reproduced below, courtesy the Save Binayak Forum.

Vishwa Ranjan's main point is that anyone criticizing the state for its anti-naxalite measures is a supporter of the naxalites, even if an unwitting one. By embarrassing the state, the critic undermines its authority and gives comfort to the state's enemies (the maoists in this case), thus playing right into their hands.

This is nothing but a variant of the Manichaean neocon argument that by criticizing the state for the war against terror, and by  not supporting the state in its war against it , an individual automatically becomes an ally of the terrorists.

Tell that to the people in the US and Israel, who will know all about the truth of this claim. 

To gain a more detailed impression of the depths to which the police in Chhattisgarh are capable of stooping in their attempts to uphold the law and impose order, read these entries from the diary of Kavita Srivastav, an office-bearer of the People's Union of Civil Liberties, and therefore also Binayak's colleague. Read her account of her attempts to have Ajay T G released on bail after he was detained for more than 90 days without trial under the Chhattisgarh act and numerous other colonial laws. You will be impressed at the dedication and commitment of the Chhattisgarh police in their fight against extremism under the able direction of Vishwa Ranjan. So dedicated and committed are Vishwa Ranjan's police officials that they think nothing of asking Ajay T G to sign a declaration, as a condition of his release, falsely implicating Binayak and his wife Ilina in criminal association with maoism.

This is also the man who has been invited to the University of California at Berkeley to present Chhattisgarh as a case study at a conference on human rights. Will ironies never cease?

Maoists' secret red book

Pioneer 4 September 2008

by Vishwa Ranjan

The aim of Maoist sympathisers is simple: Demoralise the state
machinery to an extent that its will to fight Maoists is completely
shattered. Meanwhile, Maoist cadre follow the 'Strategy and Tactics
of the Indian Revolution', which guides far-Left terrorism

Understanding the aims, objectives and methodologies of the CPI
(Maoist) does not actually offer problems of any great complexity if
one has gone through their secret documents. The Maoists have,
however, succeeded in establishing a multi-layered network through
open and clandestine channels to deflect attention from their real
motives and obfuscate their real objectives.

Everyone in this network is not a Maoist. There are Gandhians,
genuine civil liberty supporters, writers and artistes who have
inadvertently got linked to the Maoist network. It is astonishing how
successful the Maoists have been in changing the perceptions of so
many people to such an extent that they are unable to see the
violence perpetrated by the Maoists in Chhattisgarh, Orissa,
Jharkhand, Bihar and Maharashtra.

The Maoist network usually glosses over the Maoist violence. If the
violence is too gruesome, sometimes oblique references are
apologetically made about them and pontifical one-line advisories are
issued to the Maoists to eschew violence. However, the police, the
administration and the Government are criticised, day in and day out,
for even the smallest act of indiscretion.

To this is added Maoist lies backed by statements of people living in
areas which are totally under Maoist domination. They have no option
but to say what the Maoists want them to say. The aim of Maoist
supporters is simple. Demoralise the state machinery to such an
extent that its will to fight the Maoists is completely shattered and
Maoist expansion is facilitated.

Obviously, most people would not accept these facts. But secret
Maoist documents will bear them out. Unfortunately, no efforts have
been made by intellectuals like historian Ramachandra Guha to procure
these documents from their own sources or official sources. But then,
it seems that Guha has wilfully chosen to surrender the historian's
thinking cap to don a social activist's hat.

Further, he has also become extremely touchy and testy these days.
For, why should he otherwise pick on me in an article he wrote for a
national daily and attribute to me something which I have not said?
His coinage of the term "psychological dupe" seems to me a ploy to
manipulate his readers. One can easily see the arrogance of the elite
slipping through the cracks of Guha's sarcasm. He uncritically
accepts "anecdotes and friendly SMSs" to come to conclusions. He
refuses to critically examine the motives and background of people
who tell him what is happening in Bastar.

Strategy and Tactics of the Indian Revolution has been prepared and
published by the Central Committee of the CPI (Maoist). It can be
considered the Bible for Maoist cadre. This book explains the aims
and objectives of the Maoists and elaborates the details of
strategies and tactics to be adopted for a successful revolution.

"The central task of the revolution is seizure of political power
through protracted People's War," the book says, and quotes Mao: "The
seizure of power by armed force, the settlement of the issue by war;
is the central task and highest form of revolution."

The book goes on to say that to "accomplish this central task, the
Indian people will have to be organised in a people's army and will
have to wipe out the armed forces of the counter-revolutionary Indian
state through war and will have to establish, in its place, their own
state".

Talking about the Maoist party organisation, the book says, "Only
when the professional revolutionaries and part time members are
strong, will the party be really strengthened. Among them the
professional revolutionaries are the core of the party while part-
timers are the base. At the same time, the part-timers should
maintain lively relations with the people to the maximum extent and
while continuing their professions be vigilant not to get exposed to
the enemy."

The book stresses why the party organisation should remain secret "to
coordinate both the legal and illegal activities effectively." It
explains how the party should build underground Revolutionary Mass
Organisations and open or semi-open Revolutionary Mass Organisations
of women, Dalit, youth, cultural artistes, writers, etc, to expand
its base, apart from elaborating on the methodology of penetrating
other mass organisations not directly linked with the Maoists.

The book provides details of why the party should support sub-
national movements in India. It says, "Lakhs of enemy's armed troops
have been deployed since long in Kashmir and the North-Eastern States
alone. More and more nationalities may come into armed confrontation
with the reactionary Indian state... as a considerable part of the
enemy's armed forces will inevitably be engaged against the growing
tide of struggles by the various nationalities, it will be difficult
for the Indian ruling classes to mobilise all their armed forces
against our revolutionary war."

Finally, there is a chapter on 'Party's Work in Urban Areas', dealing
with the importance of setting up bases in urban areas. It declares
urban areas as "one of the main sources which provide cadre and
leadership having various types of capabilities essential for
people's war". It stresses the importance of urban bases for
procuring arms, ammunition, explosives and spare parts, apart from
securing technical help for repair and maintenance of equipment.

Maoists adopt Goebbelsian tactics, repeat lies

Pioneer, 5th Sept 2008

by Vishwa Ranjan

[continued from 4th September 2008]

Thus are they able to garner the sympathy and support of a gullible
intelligentsia and urban elite, writes Vishwa Ranjan

Recently I came across another funny logic in a book of interviews of
Arundhati Roy. In one of the interviews, Roy said that she is aware
of the atrocities committed by Communists and Maoists in the
countries ruled by them but there are no reasons to believe that they
would commit similar atrocities if they come to power in India.
However, Roy said, if they actually start committing atrocities after
they gain power, she would be one of the first to oppose them.

This is a queer logic which actually means -- they were very bad in
other countries but hopefully they will not be bad in India, but if
they prove to be bad in India, she would oppose them and become a
martyr. What happens to other people is of no concern to Ms Roy.

It is nearly two years since the Polit Bureau of CPI (Maoist)
resolved to isolate Salwa Judum at all levels so that it can be
crushed. The network continues it's stepped up pressure tactics at
every level. It petitioned the Supreme Court through Nandini Sunder
and historian Ramchandra Guha to ban Salwa Judum.

Just before the Supreme Court commenced its hearing, a news item
appeared in all the papers that the Administrative Reforms Commission
has castigated Salwa Judum in its report. The fact is that the
Administrative Reforms Commission had only stated in its report that
Salwa Judum has been unsuccessful in containing Maoist expansion and
violence and that the poor tribals are being crushed between the
legal power of the State and illegal power of the Maoists. What the
Maoist network did not project was that the same report talks of the
necessity of employing a large number of tribal youth as Special
Police Officers. But how could they have projected this? It would
have knocked out a major portion of their argument in the Supreme
Court. Further, the Maoists know that very few people will actually
go through the report submitted by the Commission.

Soon another report was planted in media by the Maoist network
stating that the expert committee of the Planning Commission has
castigated Salwa Judum. The whole report was planted in a manner that
it looked as if the Planning Commission itself had castigated the
movement. No one noticed that this committee was constituted in 2006
and worked overtime to produce its report in April 2008 just before
the Supreme Court commenced its hearing of the Salwa Judum petition.

An analysis of the reports and the members of the expert team would
reveal that most of the team members had strong Maoist leanings.
Further, the report was primarily based on the written views
submitted by the members in the areas in which they had
specialisation. But the views of two members, who had long years of
experience in matters of national security, was not accepted as they
supported the Salwa Judum movement. Even their 'decent' notes were
not incorporated. The report quoted secondary sources which were
intelligently chosen to prove a particular point of view. It also
displayed a lot of assertions and very little analysis.

The aim of the Maoist network was essentially to influence and
pressurise the Supreme Court. But they failed to understand that the
Indian judicial system is not affected by such pressure tactics.

A senior Maoist, who was arrested in Patna a few years back, had told
me: "We are not Gandhians. We are fighting a war and would not
hesitate to use the weaknesses in the institutions of police,
judiciary, bureaucracy, politics, and academics for our purpose."
After going through thousands of secret Maoist documents, now I know
that what he was saying then was what the Maoists actually believe in.

When the team of National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) toured
Bastar, the Maoist network operating in Chhattisgarh was already
putting pressure on NHRC headquarters to give a report supporting
Maoists' allegations. I have always felt that the problem with social
activists especially of Maoist variety is that they think that
pressure-tactics, lobbying, manipulation etc can get them anything
they want. Nandini Sunder with her team and students from Delhi are
touring villages of Dantewada to persuade people to oppose Salwa
Judum give evidence against it when they meet the NHRC. The students
are doing Press conferences demanding ban on Salwa Judum.

The Maoist psy-war experts still believe in Goebbels who believed
that a lie repeated over and over again can acquire a ring of truth.
But they do not understand a simple truth that one cannot fool all
the people all the time.

-- The writer is Director-General of Chhattisgarh Police. Concluded.

RESPONSE FROM NANDINI SUNDAR, RAMCHANDRA GUHA AND E A S SARMA

6th September 2008

To
The Editor
Pioneer

This is with reference to the signed article by Mr.
Vishwaranjan, DGP Chhattisgarh in the
Pioneer, title Maoists adopt Goebbelsian tactics, repeat lies, published on September 5th, circulated in all the major cities and accessible online from any part of the world.

Mr. Viswaranjan is a member of the Indian Police Service. As
a government servant, he is duty bound to uphold the rule of law. A case is in
process before the highest Court of the land. This case challenges the use of
vigilante violence by the state. Outsourcing sovereign functions like policing,
arming young children, training them to kill and rape rather than go to school
are morally unacceptable, more so when done by the state whose constitutional
duty it is to nurture the citizens and ensure a basic quality of life. This
duty does not cease merely because the state is engaged in other activities
such as policing, or even when fighting terror or insurgency. The Indian
Supreme Court has said this repeatedly would Mr. Vishwa Ranjan say that the
Supreme Court supports terrorism?

Over the years, academics, professionals and ordinary
citizens have intervened to ensure accountability and uphold the rule of law.
It is not uncommon in such situations for pejoratives to fly, such as equating
opposition to the death penalty with support for crime, or describing
opposition to extra-ordinary laws as support for terrorism. But common though
this may be, such low tactics generally emanate from unthinking people,
virtually off the street. There are, however,
reasons why Mr. Vishwaranjans remarks cannot be dismissed as merely
unintelligent and ill informed.

For one, he is factually incorrect in labelling the
petitioners, Nandini Sundar, Ramachandra Guha and EAS Sarma, as acting on
behalf of the Maoists, even though he is in possession of the records. The writ
petitions as well as the rejoinder make a categorical assertion that Maoist
violence is insupportable and condemnable but Salwa Judum violence is equally
illegal and further, foments Maoist violence. In their individual capacities,
the petitioners have also condemned Maoist violence on several occasions. He is
also purposely misleading the public when he alleges that the Planning
Commission was seeking to influence the Court in the timing of its report,
since it was reported only on the 28th of April after the last
hearing by the Court.

Second, Mr. Vishwaranjan is deliberately hiding the truth
when he omits to mention the scathing indictment of Salwa Judum criminality by
the National Commission for the Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) and the
National Commission for Women (NCW), as well as the other recommendations of
the Administrative Reforms Commission. The team sent by the NCPCR included Mr.
JM Lyngdoh, former CEC. A government servant in possession of the records
commits a serious misdemeanour when he misleads the public, by deliberately
going to the press like this.

Third, Mr. Viswaranjan has made serious criminal charges
against the petitioners, as well as against the Planning Commission for its
constitution of the Expert Group on Development Challenges in Extremist
Affected Areas, as well as against members of the group itself. The Chairman of
the Expert Group, Mr. D. Bandopadhyay, is a well known former civil servant as
are several of the other members. Members of the group include the current
Chairman of the UGC, Prof. Sukhdeo Thorat,
former Chairman of the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes, Mr. Dilip
Singh Bhuria and a former VC of Ranchi University, Mr. Ramdayal Munda. Support
for the Maoists is an offence under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act. Is
it a measure of the impunity that Mr. Vishwaranjan has that he makes openly
defamatory statements?

The Planning Commission Committee fulfilled their brief. The
petitioners took responsibility for their statements by moving the Supreme
Court, which has seen fit to order an enquiry. Instead of meeting the case in
the Court, Mr. Vishwaranjan has chosen to launch defamatory broadsides. The
timing is significant, as the case was to be heard on the 5th of September, the
day his article was published. There is clearly a method in Mr. Vishwaranjans
misdemeanours, including defamation and contempt of court.

Nandini Sundar
Ramachandra Guha
EAS Sarma

REPLY BY VISHWA RANJAN TO ABOVE RESPONSE

Maoists flourish because of civil rights activists            

Vishwa Ranjan, Director-General of Chhattisgarh Police, points out how Maoists are emboldened by those who refute the harsh truth

Mr Ramachandra Guha and others have responded partly to the last of a series of four articles by me published in The Pioneer on September 2-5. I would have liked them to respond to the entire series. In the other articles I have shown how the psy-war machinery of the Maoists works. The fourth article unfolds from the first three articles.

Mr Guha and the others have wrongly castigated me and attempted to show me my place. In the transformed caste hierarchy of modern India, new castes have emerged after the Constitution banned discrimination on the basis of caste, creed or religion. In the new caste-system, a policeman is a 'Shudra'. I am a policeman and hence a 'Shudra' who must be shown his place. How dare I respond or challenge the 'Brahmins' of the transformed caste hierarchy!

Let me assure Mr Guha and the others that I am aware of my duties and responsibilities as a police officer and citizen of India. Had he gone through the various articles I have written and interviews I have given, he would have realised that I am an unabashed admirer of the Constitution and judicial system. I have acquired this genetically. So if the Supreme Court has made an obiter dicta that civilians cannot be armed, I am in total agreement.

But the obiter dicta was in response to an allegation. The State of Chhattisgarh had yet to file a counter-affidavit to show that the allegation was false and that only Special Police Officers, appointed under the Police Act, have been armed. So my pointing out that this is not a judgement is not contempt. It is the depiction of it as a judgement by interested groups that is contempt.

Mr Guha and the others have not cared to find out the truth that around 3,250 SPOs were discharged on various grounds of indiscipline. A few among them have also been sent to jail for criminal acts. Mr Guha should have at least known of two such cases as they were registered on the information of a person who sends him 'friendly SMSes'. Even criminal cases have been registered against some policemen and Salwa Judum activists. Mr Guha visited the area for only a few days. This is also the case with many study teams visiting Bastar.

Mr Guha has wrongly claimed that I have called him, Ms Nandini Sunder and Mr Sarma supporters of Maoists. What I suggested was that it is possible they may have been used by the Maoists. [Emphasis mine. Compare with his original statement above. - GP] Maoist documents talk of the necessity of getting petitions against Salwa Judum filed in High Courts and Supreme Court. Mr Guha should know how Goebbels had managed to influence the best brains of Europe. Even Ezra Pound was duped into supporting Nazism and Hitler.

It has been wrongly alleged that I have made criminal charges against the Planning Commission. I have made some comments on the working of expert committee which was nominated by the Planning Commission. These cannot be considered, by any stretch of imagination, as comments on the Planning Commission. Some members of the expert group have been named. I know they are not supporters of Maoists and I respect them. But I can also name a few who have Maoist leanings, some of whom I know well and also respect.

Further, having Maoist leanings is not an offence under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act. Being a member of CPI(Maoist) or its front units is. As long as you show allegiance to the Constitution, you can believe in any ideology. [But in Chhattisgarh, you can be arrested even without having any Maoist leanings under the CSPSA! The only condition is you should be critical of government actions to a point beyond an invisible line of tolerance. - GP]

In the first three parts of my series, I quoted in detail from Maoist documents to show their intention to penetrate civil liberty bodies in such a manner that they are not exposed as Maoist cadre. Such cadre have been instructed to gain position in such organisations so that they are able to direct the activities of the organisation, at least to some extent. While this does not make every civil liberty organisation a Maoist front, the possibility of contamination cannot be ruled out.

As for Salwa Judum , I quoted from a Maoist Polit Bureau document to show its intention of isolating the movement. The directions include inviting national and international fact-finding teams to Bastar. After the Polit Bureau decision, there was a spate of visits to Dantewada and Bijapur by study teams.

A historian of Mr Guha's caliber should reassess his opinions instead of advising me to fight in the Supreme Court while he continues to attack Salwa Judum in various articles. As I said, it is immaterial what the truth is. The evidence of a 'Shudra' has no value in the eyes of the elite.             

Comments

[Vishwaranjan]

DGP CHHATTISGARH'S REJOINDER

Nivedita Menon's write-up in Kafila (ans another webzine)based on account sent by Aravinda Pillalamarri have various misrepresentation of facts. Firstly, I did not sign any postcard demanding the release of Dr. Binayak Sen. When the post card was given to me I returned it writing on it that they are giving it to a wrong person and that they are free to petition the government. This happened after the conference when I was discussing with a group of students after the seminar I had said that since the police is convinced they have charge-sheeted the case. However, since the trial has already commenced and the matter sub-judice I can not discuss evidence here. The supporters of Dr. Binayak Sen had gone up to Supreme Court but could not get relief. They can again move the trial court if they want or petition the government if they so desire.
The reference of what I said about Ajay TG is also misleading and mischievous. I had only stated that the police did not press charge-sheet because it wanted to verify certain facts brought to my notice by the wife of Ajay TG and the police wanted to check the veracity of those facts before taking a decision. Not preferring to file a charge sheet does not mean closing the case.
What the write-up did not carry mischievously or unfortunately was that people participating or attending to the seminar objected to the behavior of the protestors and demanded that I may be allowed to complete my presentation.
The psy-war machinery of Maoists believes that a lie is stronger than truth. It seems Goeble continues to be one of their heroes.

Vishwaranjan
DGP
Chhattisgarh
Raipur
India

[Fil Munas]

Chhattisgarh's Police Chief Vishwa Ranjan's polemic would be quite amusing if it was not so mind-boggling. The sheer enormity of Mr. Ranjan's jingoism is breathtaking. He cobbles together high-sounding and disparate concepts that he poorly understands into an Orwellian masterpeice, even accusing the miserable victims of calling him a "Shudra."

Heaven help the good people of Chhattisgarh who have him as their police chief!