Is the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) — which was formed by the merger of Telugu-dominated Peoples’ War Group (PWG) and Bengali-founded Maoist Communist Centre (MCC) — heading for a split?
The Maoists’ Bengal-line and Andhra-line had been divided for quite some time mainly on the division in the area of authority, says a joint report prepared by the Intelligence Bureau and the West Bengal Intelligence Branch.
A copy of the report has been submitted to both Union home minister and West Bengal home department.
The extremist hardliner PWG faction, led by underground leader Koteshwar Rao alias Kishenji, is keen on following “those who are not with us are against us and their total elimination” policy.
Leader of the MCC faction Prashanta Basu alias Kishanda, on the other hand, believes that indiscriminate killing of civilians is justified because their anti-Maoist affiliations would send a wrong message about the ultra-Left ideology.
Another point of contention is the division in the area of authority and leaderships for different Maoist corridors in the country.
MCC wants the red corridor of a particular state to be led only by leaders of that state, whereas PWG doesn’t want it to be state specific.
West Bengal Police had been sensing a rift in the ultras since the state Criminal Investigation Department (CID) arrested underground leader Telugu Dipak from Kolkata in March 2010. Besides a timely tip-off, the factor that helped CID to nab the Maoist leader was the infighting in the West Bengal state committee of CPI(Maoist).
Bengal director general of police Bhupinder Singh had also pointed out that there was a sharp division in the Bengal unit of CPI(Maoist) ever since Sandip Chanda alias Kanchan was made the state secretary, ignoring the claims of Dipak. Kanchan was appointed after the arrest of former state secretary Shomen.
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