Articles by Volga

Recent actions by the Naxalite movement in Andhra Pradesh raise questions about the ethics and lack of accountability on the part of these groups. It is not merely in the bearing and use of arms that the Naxalite movement mirrors the state. Unfortunately there is a stark resemblance even in the indiscriminate and extremely moralistic identification of the enemy who must then be eliminated. The power of naming in this entire scenario vests with the police on the one side and the Naxalites on the other. Actions such as the recent killings by the Naxalites destroy public confidence and increase the faith of people in repressive measures and fascist solutions. The fear of terrorism is not easy to contain and when radical politics begins to use the weapon of terror that, in our view, signals the end of politics.

For over two decades, the feminist critique of revolutionary left movements in Andhra Pradesh has questioned the lack of visibility for gender concerns on the party agenda. The recent meeting and exchange of views between women's groups and parties on the radical left, however, provided cause for optimism on feminist politics and its impact on revolutionary movements.