Leftist Groups Continue Brutality and Slaughter

No, not our domestic moonbats. Sure our far left wing has by our standards become increasingly fanatical in their socialist rants and hatred of President Bush. They regard most Americans as incomprehensibly stupid puppets of the capitalist corporate establishment (AKA Neocon Fascists). But there are truly dangerous strains of leftist rebels about, busily spreading death and mayhem in their zeal to improve things. Just when it seemed that communist revolutionaries had experienced their well deserved demise, new Maoist rebel groups are gaining strength. Maoism is that branch of communist ideology that shifted from classical Marxist philosophy to envision a rural peasant vanguard leading the way to a classless paradise. The architect was of course Chairman Mao, whose Great Leap Forward and his successor's Cultural Revolution were responsible for the death of millions from famine and constant violent purges. This is the same humanist movement that spawned the infamous "ultra-Maoist" Khmer Rouge, whose anti-urban purges in the 1970s left at least 1.7 million Cambodians dead. Now they are being emulated in India by a group known as Naxalites, with as many as 20,000 armed followers, named after the town of Naxalbari in West Bengal where the movement began. They have close links with the Nepali Maoists, who over the last few years have been known for torturing and executing bureaucrats, teachers and doctors, assassinating public figures, and bombing schools, bridges, government offices and power stations. They skinned one Nepali Congress Party worker alive and decapitated their own fallen comrades rather than leave them identifiable. They abducted tens of thousands of school children for “political education” sessions, held in remote locations. Worse, children have been tortured, raped, and recruited for military fodder. In Nepal the death toll is around 12,000 lives. In India, the situation is just as violent and ruthless. Villagers are massacred, civilians have their limbs hacked off, Hindu temples are bombed, officials and judges are kidnapped and killed, trucks and buses loaded with people are blown up, and trains are attacked. The rebels operate in 15 of India's 29 states and 1,000 people died in the conflict last year. In November, the leftists briefly took over a town in Bihar. In Nepal, their rise has been aided by the take over of autocratic King Gyanendra, who the West has been pressuring to move the country toward democracy. In India, the 'Red corridor' that stretches all the way from Nepal down to Andhra, is one of India’s most backward areas that is rich in forest and mineral resources. For many years the government overlooked the region's problems of malnutrition, poor health care, and deficient education. Some analysts say the Naxal problem, long neglected by the union government, is by far the most serious issue facing the country, outstripping Kashmir and Islamic militancy. One would think that a political movement that has brought nothing but subjugation, torture, and death to millions would be a lesson that is not forgotten. It may be a lesson that was never taught in these rural, less developed, and inaccessible areas of India and Nepal. Tags: India Nepal Leftists Left Wing Socialist Communist revolution Chairman Mao Maoism Khmer Rouge Naxalites Naxalai rebels insurgents killing assassination torture Gyanendra politics