SUMMARY
The Communist Party of India – Maoist (CPI-Maoist) is an armed rebel group fighting against the government of India. The group was formed in September 2004 by the merger of the People’s War Group (PWG) and the Maoist Communist Centre (MCC); India’s two largest and most active communist rebel groups. The merger was a result of years of talks and proposals regarding the unification of India’s many communist groups. Through the 1990s the talks were marred by infighting and turf wars between the groups before the movements managed to find common ground.
The CPI-Maoist is sometimes referred to only as a “Naxalite group”, a term used to categorise the many communist movements that have, and continue to, oppose the government of India. The term was phrased following on the communist uprising in Naxalbari (in the state of West Bengal) in 1967. In line with the objectives of its two constituent parts, and the movement’s ideological inspiration Mao Tse Tung, the goal of the CPI-Maoist is to oust the government of India through the waging of a “people’s war” and the installation of a “people’s government” in its place. The CPI-Maoist completely rejects partaking in the parliamentary processes in India, claiming that the institutions of the Indian government cannot be reformed but must be destroyed before truly representing the people’s interests. Earlier ideological differences between the PWG and the MCC have been ironed out, with the Maoist line of the MCC prevailing over the Marxist-Leninist leanings of the PWG. In the context of this “people’s war” the CPI-Maoist has carried out one-sided violence as well as attacks on the army and security forces.
The group controls pockets of territory throughout Bihar, Jharkand and Andhra Pradesh states, where it has created a parallel administration complete with tax and court systems. The group has also had a presence, ranging from minor to major, in 13 other Indian states. In terms of organisation the group is run by a Central Committee, but also operates through a large number of political fronts, such as labour, women’s and youth organisations.
The armed wing of the CPI-Maoist is referred to as the PLGA (Peoples Liberation Guerrilla Army) and is thought to be, around 2004 to 2008, composed of somewhere between 6500 - 9500 cadres, mainly carrying small arms. Members of the various front organisations number in thousands more.
It is clear that the CPI-Maoist has had close links to the CPN-M (Communist Party of Nepal – Maoist) in neighbouring Nepal, as well as being a member of the regional communist organisation CCOMPOSA (Coordination Committee of Maoist Parties and Organizations of South Asia). While CCOMPOSA has mainly bestowed moral support on the CPI-M it has been reported that the CPN-M has conducted joint operations and training together with the Indian communists. The Indian government has also claimed, albeit with no large amounts of evidence, that the CPI-Maoist has received weapons from ULFA (United Liberation Front of Assam) and other types of support from Kashmiri insurgent groups.
In terms of leadership it was announced at the time of the formation of the CPI-Maoist that the PWG’s Chairman Muppala Laxman Rao (a.k.a. Ganapathi) was to become the leader (General-Secretary) of the movement.
The CPI-Maoist has been involved in the intrastate and one-sided categories of UCDP organised violence.
