Addressing a conference of State Chief Ministers on “Internal Security” on December 20, 2007, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has reportedly declared “Naxalism” as the single biggest threat to internal security. According to news reports, the Prime Minister has asked the Home Ministry to establish a dedicated trained force at the center to assist states in “crippling Naxalism”. The Cabinet Secretariat would coordinate efforts across a range of development and security activities in states which are declared to be “naxal affected”.

The Conference of Chief Ministers on Internal Security was notable for the unity of the political representatives of the ruling class on the question of development and state terrorism. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh even declared in his concluding remarks that the message of the conference was that “political leadership of the country can rise above our political and party affiliations when it comes to facing national challenges, particularly those concerning internal security”. It is well known that any challenge to the rule of the bourgeoisie, whether from workers and peasants, or from any section of the people, is termed a threat to “internal security” to be met with repression.

From the thrust of the Prime Minister’s presentations, as well as interventions of various Chief Ministers, two things come out. The Prime Minister as well as many of the Chief Ministers were keen to declare all political forces opposed to the bourgeoisie as Naxals and terrorists, to be crushed with an iron hand. Secondly, it is being made out that while the Prime Minister and Chief Ministers of the different parties are for “development”, those opposed to them are opposed to “development”. Thus, West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadev Bhattacharjee even blamed the opposition of the people of Singur and Nandigram to the Tata Motors Project and the Salim Project as the handiwork of “Maoists”!

All over India, there is a struggle between the workers and peasants and working people on one side, and the imperialist bourgeoisie with state backing on the other, over a range of issues. In various states, there is opposition to the forcible acquisition of land of the peasants for the benefit of the big bourgeoisie, in the name of setting up Special Economic Zones. There is also opposition to setting up projects which are leading to devastation of livelihood as well as the natural environment. There is opposition to the corporatisation of retail trade. There is opposition to the demolition of homes and shops in the cities.

Workers and peasants and working people at large want an improvement in their wretched conditions of life. Communists have been demanding and fighting that the state should create conditions that security of livelihood is guaranteed for all. That housing, food and clothing, health care and education, electricity and water, sanitation, and all that is required for a human being in a modern society, be provided for all.

Manmohan Singh and the capitalist class he represents have a different agenda. This is the agenda of ensuring best conditions for finance capital from India and from rest of world to freely plunder the land, the mineral resources, and the labour of our people. Manmohan Singh is not interested in the kind of development workers and peasants want. He is only interested in that capitalist development that will serve the insatiable greed of finance capital. Workers and peasants and working people are waging resistance struggles against this agenda, this kind of development.

Manmohan Singh, supported by Chief Ministers across the political spectrum, is therefore targeting not only communists belonging to different parties and groups, but all political forces defending the livelihood and rights of people and masses of people themselves, who are opposing the agenda of the big bourgeoisie.

‘Naxals’, ‘terrorists’, ‘opponents of development’, etc. are labels that the ruling bourgeoisie regularly uses to cover up the fact that masses of people are opposed to their liberalization, privatization and globalisation program. In much the same way, definite communities are labeled as ‘terrorists’ and ‘extremists’, to justify state terror and persecution of the people of these communities and to spread fear and suspicion among the people. Legitimate struggles in defence of the rights of the people and opposition to the bourgeoisie’s agenda are painted in criminal colours, the impression is created that these forces are creating ‘threat to internal security’ and then these labels are used to discredit them in the eyes of the people.

Manomhan Singh is trying to cover up the fact that the workers and peasants and working people are questioning the path of capitalist development which is being pursued under the name of liberalization, privatization and globalization. He is hiding the fact that the working class is putting forth an alternative program of securing prosperity, peace and security for the whole of society. Manmohan Singh is deliberately misrepresenting the nature of the struggle by labeling the fighting people as ‘naxals’, ‘terrorists’and ‘opponents of development’. This way, the road is being cleared for justifying further state violence and terror against the people.