Watched Bastar: The Naxal Story

The film openly depicts the Naxal terrorism that poses serious challenges not only to India’s integrity, democracy, and judicial system but also to world peace itself.

I heartily congratulate the producer Vipul Amrutlal Shah ji, who put up the good-hearted thoughtfulness and courage to make this movie, Sudipto Sen ji, for directing it beautifully, and the actors Adah Sharma (as Neerja Madhavan), Indira Tiwari (as Ratna), Vijay Krishna (Lanka Reddy) and others for their excellent acting!

“Naxalism is the biggest internal security challenge to our country”, said Dr Manmohan Singh during the UPA regime. Our former Prime Minister said this in the backdrop of the number of security forces brutally killed, the expanse of the areas under Naxal control in the name of ‘liberated zones’, the span of the Red Corridor (10+ states, 70+ districts), parallel administration (Government, army, police, courts, and judiciary), and enslaving people by terrorizing them. Active links with anti-national forces within and outside the country, the network of underworld organizations, smuggling lobbies, drug mafia within each region, extensive funding sources, military training to child soldiers like Hamas, ultra-modern weapons, heinous attacks, all these highlight the seriousness of the Naxal menace.

In addition to their fascist ideology, the ideological brainwashing imposed on its cabals and society by citing anti-national separatist stances, hunger, poverty, operations in dense jungles, covert fighting using tribals, children, women, international influence, backing by ruling Communist parties in countries like China, Nepal, and other countries, close links with terrorist groups in Germany, Philippines, Nepal, France, Turkey, Italy, a strong and extensive supporting system are the characteristics of Naxal terrorism.

The US Country Report on Terrorism 2018 ranked that the Communist Party of India (Maoist) is the deadliest terror organization globally, after the Taliban, Islamic State, Al-Shabaab, Boko Haram and the Communist Party of Philippines.

Brainwashing through constant and rigorous party study classes, recruitment, military training, terrorist activities, seizure of power, parallel administration, anarchism; these are the various phases of the Naxal activities.

The Naxal forces once had more than 20,000 fighters; fully equipped with automatic rifles, light machine guns, AK-47s, shoulder-fired missiles, mortars, high-explosive grenades, landmines, and other weapons.

They have killed countless political leaders, police officers, and common people, destroyed buildings and vehicles. Many captured Naxals were freed through prison attacks. An estimated 20,012 people, including 3,105 security personnel, were killed in Naxal insurgencies between 1980 and 2015. Of these, 12146 people were common people. According to a document released by the Union Home Ministry in 2019, during 2010 – 2019, an average of 417 locals were killed in 1200 Naxal terror attacks annually. Villagers ‘informing’ the Naxals have been questioned and killed on grounds of suspicion. Putting people to trial, dictate judgment, punish, everything is done by the party! 61 innocent people were executed by the Naxals in 2018 and 21 in 2019 for allegedly giving information to the police. They have done such merciless acts as throwing 8 babies into fire!

It has been proven that Pakistan is cleverly using Naxal involvement with organizations like ISI, Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammad, SIMI, Indian Mujahideen, and Dawood Ibrahim’s D Company to wage proxy wars against India. The Maoists have received arms and training from LTTE, ULFA, SIMI, and Lashkar-e-Taiba.

The funding methods of the Maoists are strange! In addition to extortion, kidnapping and demanding ransom, drug peddling, robbery of banks and shops, contract killings (including Swami Lakshmanananda), they also employ Hafta dealings. Figures indicate that the Naxals take Rs 1,400 crore as extortion money from various businessmen every year.

Despite this, it is a sad reality that they are able to cultivate a “support system” that promotes Naxal terrorism in every possible way. They are described as ‘Urban Naxals’. They have been able to influence and control the government, officials, courts, police, media, feminists, Dalits, intellectuals, environmental and human rights activists, and students and make them. And for this, they have used money, women, blackmailing, and threatening unrestrainedly.

Naxal Terrorism has faced a major blow after Narendra Modi came to power. Amartya Deb’s article “Naxals in Kerala: Their Networks, Resources, Legitimacy and Solutions for Curbing Future Growth” (Centre for Land Welfare Studies)” points out that although Naxal influence in the Red Corridor has come down, Kerala is the rising headquarters of Naxalism. Maoists find the forested areas at the confluence of the borders of Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu as the safe place for their activities and growth.

The Naxal leaders believe that the leftist influence, pseudo-secularism, vote-bank politics, strong presence of Jihadi organizations, anti-Modi, anti-BJP, anti-RSS and anti-Hindu attitudes, Cutting South Propaganda, misleading media tactics, human rights organizations that hold umbrellas to terrorism, criminal gangster networks, parallel economic system will be favourable factors for them.

The script of ‘Bastar – The Naxal Story’ has been written based on verified facts and news in leading newspapers. But strategies to keep the general public away from reality are still active today. We are pained by the general public’s disregard for a film that exposes the nature of Naxal terrorism, which has posed serious threats even in Kerala – and is going to be a growing challenge in the future. Many theatres haven’t even displayed the posters of the movie outside or inside the movie halls. There is no promotion at all.

Are some people conspiring that this movie must exit the theatres without leaving an impact on anyone?! Does someone intend that the anti-human and terrorist activities that strongly influence people right from childhood, must be kept hidden from the public?

The silence of the cyber warriors and the sensationalist media that not only give their opinion but also pass judgments on anything that is going on in the world, is shocking.

This movie is a must-watch not only for all those who want to save the next generation, but also a movie that all nationalists must promote in an organized manner.

I humbly request that the strong campaigns carried out by country-loving people for ‘The Kerala Story’ and ‘Kashmir Files’ must do the same for this movie too.

Call the theaters, try to screen the movie, distribute posters! Actions such as sponsoring tickets, reviews by prominent people, a massive social media campaign – must be initiated!