Maoist Communist Centre
Encyclopedia
The Maoist Communist Centre (MCC) was one of the largest two armed Maoist groups in India, and fused with the other, the People's War Group in September 2004, to form the Communist Party of India (Maoist)
.
was founded in 1969, rallying various Maoist
tendencies into a unified organization, some groups retained a separate identity and remained outside of CPI(ML). One such group was nicknamed Dakshin Desh, after the name of its publication. The group had begun publishing Dakshin Desh in along Maoist lines. The group was joined by a sector of trade union
activists.
Dakshin Desh is Hindi
for 'Southern Land' (implied in this naming was that India was the 'Southern land' whereas China
was the corresponding 'Northern land'). Amulaya Sen and Kanai Chatterjee were the leading figures of the Dakshin Desh-group. In difference to CPI(ML), whose policies of armed struggle bordered individual terrorism
, the Dakshin Desh-group upheld that mass mobilisations were requisites for engaging in armed struggle. The group began armed activities in the Jangal Mahal area, Burdwan district, West Bengal
, where Dalit
s and Adivasi
s constituted large sections of the local population. The territory was covered with deep forests, considered ideal for guerrilla warfare. The group formed political militia squads, which moved around in the villages and conducted political activities to mobilise local peasants. The squads were often made up by recruits from Calcutta. The squads looted grain storages, captured firearms and assassinated landlords and perceived police informers. By 1973 it was estimated that the group had 37 squads in the area, with a combined membership of 106.
, and for this purpose an apex Bengal-Bihar Special Area Committee was set up by the MCC.
Chatterji died in 1982. Following his death, MCC was riddled by internal divisions. Chatterji's successor, Siveji, and his deputy, Ramadhar Singh, disagreed over the policy of individual annihilations. Singh broke away and joined Kanu Sanyal
's group instead. In the mid- and late 1980, leadership of MCC was taken over by Sanjay Dusadh and Pramod Mishra. At this point, the influence of the group had spread to the central parts of Bihar. The group now counted with 500 wholetime cadres and 10 000 members. Mass organizations of MCC included Krantikari Kisan Committee (Revolutionary Peasants Committee), Jana Suraksha Sangarsh Manch (People's Defence Struggle Bloc), Krantikarai Buddhijevi Sangh and Krantikari Chhatra League (Revolutionary Students League). The armed wing of the party was called Lal Raskha Dal (Red Defence Force).
In rural Bihar the party had become a major force to reckon with in some areas. In the pockets of its influence the party ran a parallel juridicial system, with a system of people's courts. The expansion of the party occurred as it became one of several caste
-based armed groups in the area. The party mobilized lower-caste Biharis, and frequently clashed with various militia groups defending upper-caste interests. At times it also clashed with other Naxalite groups, such as when MCC militia killed 5 Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation
members in Jehanabad district
on April 4, 1994. Militia activities of MCC reached its peak by 1990.
In September 1993, MCC, Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) People's War and Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Party Unity decided to coordinate their struggles. As a result, the All India People's Resistance Forum was formed, with the participation of cadres from the three parties. AIPRF held a mass rally, with around 100 000 participants, on March 21, 1994.
-based Revolutionary Communist Centre of India (Maoist)
led by Shamsher Singh Sheri
merged. The unified organization was renamed Maoist Communist Centre of India. On May 19, 2003 Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Second Central Committee
merged with MCCI led by Prashant Bose
. CPI(ML) 2nd CC had to withdraw its pro-Lin Biao
stand for the merger to go through.
Communist Party of India (Maoist)
The Communist Party of India is a Maoist political party in India which aims to overthrow the government of India through violent means. It was founded on 21 September 2004, through the merger of the People's War, and the Maoist Communist Centre . The merger was announced to the public on October...
.
Dakshin Desh
When the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist)Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist)
The Communist Party of India was formed by the All India Coordination Committee of Communist Revolutionaries at a congress in Calcutta in 1969. The foundation of the party was declared by Kanu Sanyal at a mass-meeting in Calcutta on the 22nd of April .-History:CPI advocated armed revolution and...
was founded in 1969, rallying various Maoist
Maoism
Maoism, also known as the Mao Zedong Thought , is claimed by Maoists as an anti-Revisionist form of Marxist communist theory, derived from the teachings of the Chinese political leader Mao Zedong . Developed during the 1950s and 1960s, it was widely applied as the political and military guiding...
tendencies into a unified organization, some groups retained a separate identity and remained outside of CPI(ML). One such group was nicknamed Dakshin Desh, after the name of its publication. The group had begun publishing Dakshin Desh in along Maoist lines. The group was joined by a sector of trade union
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
activists.
Dakshin Desh is Hindi
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
for 'Southern Land' (implied in this naming was that India was the 'Southern land' whereas China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
was the corresponding 'Northern land'). Amulaya Sen and Kanai Chatterjee were the leading figures of the Dakshin Desh-group. In difference to CPI(ML), whose policies of armed struggle bordered individual terrorism
Narodnik
Narodniks was the name for Russian socially conscious members of the middle class in the 1860s and 1870s. Their ideas and actions were known as Narodnichestvo which can be translated as "Peopleism", though is more commonly rendered "populism"...
, the Dakshin Desh-group upheld that mass mobilisations were requisites for engaging in armed struggle. The group began armed activities in the Jangal Mahal area, Burdwan district, West Bengal
West Bengal
West Bengal is a state in the eastern region of India and is the nation's fourth-most populous. It is also the seventh-most populous sub-national entity in the world, with over 91 million inhabitants. A major agricultural producer, West Bengal is the sixth-largest contributor to India's GDP...
, where Dalit
Dalit
Dalit is a designation for a group of people traditionally regarded as Untouchable. Dalits are a mixed population, consisting of numerous castes from all over South Asia; they speak a variety of languages and practice a multitude of religions...
s and Adivasi
Adivasi
Adivasi is an umbrella term for a heterogeneous set of ethnic and tribal groups claimed to be the aboriginal population of India. They comprise a substantial indigenous minority of the population of India...
s constituted large sections of the local population. The territory was covered with deep forests, considered ideal for guerrilla warfare. The group formed political militia squads, which moved around in the villages and conducted political activities to mobilise local peasants. The squads were often made up by recruits from Calcutta. The squads looted grain storages, captured firearms and assassinated landlords and perceived police informers. By 1973 it was estimated that the group had 37 squads in the area, with a combined membership of 106.
MCC
In 1975 the group took the name Maoist Communist Centre. However, in spite of several years of political and armed activities, the group failed to make a breakthrough in the Jangal Mahal area. In 1976 it decided to expand its activities to other parts of the country. Soon it began activities in eastern BiharBihar
Bihar is a state in eastern India. It is the 12th largest state in terms of geographical size at and 3rd largest by population. Almost 58% of Biharis are below the age of 25, which is the highest proportion in India....
, and for this purpose an apex Bengal-Bihar Special Area Committee was set up by the MCC.
Chatterji died in 1982. Following his death, MCC was riddled by internal divisions. Chatterji's successor, Siveji, and his deputy, Ramadhar Singh, disagreed over the policy of individual annihilations. Singh broke away and joined Kanu Sanyal
Kanu Sanyal
Kanu Sanyal, , was an Indian communist politician. In 1967, he was one of the main leader of the Naxalbari uprising...
's group instead. In the mid- and late 1980, leadership of MCC was taken over by Sanjay Dusadh and Pramod Mishra. At this point, the influence of the group had spread to the central parts of Bihar. The group now counted with 500 wholetime cadres and 10 000 members. Mass organizations of MCC included Krantikari Kisan Committee (Revolutionary Peasants Committee), Jana Suraksha Sangarsh Manch (People's Defence Struggle Bloc), Krantikarai Buddhijevi Sangh and Krantikari Chhatra League (Revolutionary Students League). The armed wing of the party was called Lal Raskha Dal (Red Defence Force).
In rural Bihar the party had become a major force to reckon with in some areas. In the pockets of its influence the party ran a parallel juridicial system, with a system of people's courts. The expansion of the party occurred as it became one of several caste
Caste
Caste is an elaborate and complex social system that combines elements of endogamy, occupation, culture, social class, tribal affiliation and political power. It should not be confused with race or social class, e.g. members of different castes in one society may belong to the same race, as in India...
-based armed groups in the area. The party mobilized lower-caste Biharis, and frequently clashed with various militia groups defending upper-caste interests. At times it also clashed with other Naxalite groups, such as when MCC militia killed 5 Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation
Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation
Communist Party of India Liberation is a communist political party in India.Communist Party of India was formed in 1969 by the All India Coordination Committee of Communist Revolutionaries, who had split from Communist Party of India in 1967...
members in Jehanabad district
Jehanabad District
Jehanabad district is one of the thirty-eight districts of Bihar state, India, and Jehanabad town is the administrative headquarters of this district. Jehanabad district is a part of Magadh Division. This district is 45 k.m nearby of Patna, the capital of Bihar.Jehanabad is located on the...
on April 4, 1994. Militia activities of MCC reached its peak by 1990.
In September 1993, MCC, Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) People's War and Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Party Unity decided to coordinate their struggles. As a result, the All India People's Resistance Forum was formed, with the participation of cadres from the three parties. AIPRF held a mass rally, with around 100 000 participants, on March 21, 1994.
Mergers with RCCI(M) and 2nd CC
In January 2003 the MCC and the PunjabPunjab (India)
Punjab ) is a state in the northwest of the Republic of India, forming part of the larger Punjab region. The state is bordered by the Indian states of Himachal Pradesh to the east, Haryana to the south and southeast and Rajasthan to the southwest as well as the Pakistani province of Punjab to the...
-based Revolutionary Communist Centre of India (Maoist)
Revolutionary Communist Centre of India (Maoist)
Revolutionary Communist Centre of India , was a communist group based in Punjab. RCCI was formed in 1995, as the Revolutionary Communist Centre of India was divided into two...
led by Shamsher Singh Sheri
Shamsher Singh Sheri
Shamsher Singh Sheri, alias Karam Singh was a communist leader in India.Sheri was born in the village of Khokhar Kalan, in the Sangrur district, Punjab. Soon after his birth his father died. He was married to Harbans Kaur in 1951...
merged. The unified organization was renamed Maoist Communist Centre of India. On May 19, 2003 Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Second Central Committee
Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Second Central Committee
Communist Party of India Second Central Committee, was an naxalite communist party in India. The party emerged in 1972, as the CPI was divided into pro- and anti-Lin Biao factions ....
merged with MCCI led by Prashant Bose
Prashant Bose
Prashant Bose, commonly known by his nom de guerre Kishan, is a senior Politburo member of the Communist Party of India . He has previously used Nirbhay Mukherjee, Kajal, Kishan-da and Mahesh as aliases. Kishan, the former MCCI chief is now No. 2 in the CPI . He is in charge of Bihar and Jharkhand...
. CPI(ML) 2nd CC had to withdraw its pro-Lin Biao
Lin Biao
Lin Biao was a major Chinese Communist military leader who was pivotal in the communist victory in the Chinese Civil War, especially in Northeastern China...
stand for the merger to go through.