“Every cook must become a politician. Only then can social revolution be victorious. How can we say that a society would change without the participation of women” – Lenin

We all know that the conditions of women have degraded to the second rank in the human society with the emergence of class society. Whether it is the slave society, feudal society or the capitalist society, the position of men has been in the first rank. While the oppressed men and women in the class society are subjected to exploitation and oppression, women who constitute half the sky are being subjected to patriarchy in forms such as male domination and discrimination and are being oppressed doubly. No social revolution can advance unless women who constitute half the sky also become half of the struggle and play their role. Particularly, in the World Socialist Revolution carried on under the leadership of the proletariat and in the New Democratic Revolution that is carried on as part of it, the slogan ‘No women, No Revolution’ has been formulated from decades of revolutionary practice.

The participation of women in revolution indicates its advancing nature and progressiveness. The Indian revolution mobilized thousands of working class and middle class women in the movement areas, towns and cities. It stood in their support. From the initial days of PW in India, women have not only been participating standing in the forefront but have also been playing their role in its development. Women are realizing that women’s liberation is linked with the liberation of the oppressed masses and are participating in considerable numbers shoulder to shoulder with men in mass struggles against exploitation, oppression, state violence, patriarchy (male domination, discrimination), in anti- feudal armed agrarian revolutionary struggles, in mass resistance struggles and guerilla warfare.

As a result, women’s empowerment in movement areas is going on increasing. Considering women as second rank citizens is on the wane. Their opinions are being respected. They are also participating in making political decisions. Bourgeois armies are looking down on women and have confined them to non-combat departments. Contrary to this, revolutionary women are enhancing the confidence of women by participating in battle operations. They are shattering the bourgeois and feudal ideology that women are not suitable for military sphere.

They are participating in all party, military and mass organizations. There are no mass organizations, primary party (part-time) units, party units or RPCs without women. They are working as leaders of women’s organizations, organizers, in cultural organizations, party cells, village party committees, area committees, district/division/zonal committees and as commanders and members of LOS (local organizational squad) and cultural squads.

In several areas they are shining well as secretaries of party cells, village party committees and area committees. In some places they are even taking up responsibilities as district committee secretaries. They are working in press and propaganda spheres. And the role of women in the budding revolutionary political power organs is significant. They are playing their role in building people’s state as RPC members, presidents, vice-presidents and in-charges of various departments.

In the course of intensification of armed agrarian revolutionary struggle and its development into anti- state armed struggle, the people’s liberation guerilla squads and platoons came into existence and women began joining them. They are no longer weaklings. With the emergence of PLGA, separate units consolidated into a guerilla army and the guerilla women who were members of these units became part of army. They are proving that they are strong women by developing into brave guerillas and commanders by fighting courageously in the battle field. They are undeterred in sacrifices and are fulfilling their role responsibly.

Revolutionary women’s movement is developing in BJ, DK, AOB, Paschim Bang, Odisha and other special areas, zones and states with the support of PLGA under the leadership of party. In each struggle, women are participating on a huge scale. Several struggles are being conducted on women issues. Every year March 8 is being celebrated as International Working Women’s Day with great fervor. It became common place for women to participate in meetings and seminars.

Though they were initially held openly, as the state banned revolutionary women’s organizations in the movement areas, they are now being held secretly. But with the support of the people and under the protection of PLGA and People’s Militia, the role of women in these is increasing with each day and not at all decreasing. Thousands of women have been consolidated into revolutionary women’s organizations in movement areas and it is not an exaggeration to say that no other women organizations in our country can claim such membership (if we leave the so-called memberships of bourgeois and revisionist women’s organizations bogged down in elections).

Struggles Against State-Violence

As the role of women is increasing in PW, the exploiting state is arresting, torturing, insulting and inhumanly murdering women. Using gang rapes as a weapon has become common place in movement areas. In the country-wide brutal multi-pronged offensive launched by the ruling classes after the formation of CPI (Maoist), particularly women are being subjected to many difficulties and travails. Attacks are conducted with members and leaders of women’s organizations and PLGA members as targets. Their evil design is to create terror among the people and isolate them from the movement.

However, women’s participation in mass resistance struggles against brutal state violence is increasing further and not at all decreasing. As part of OGH, police and special forces are pouncing on the villages like a pack of wolves and massacring people. Under these conditions women are in the forefront in resisting the police forces. In the course of the movement, even if they are being arrested and put in jails, they are keeping the red flag aloft inside the jails too and displaying revolutionary spirit. Old women are coming to the forefront to defend younger women.

To get their relatives, Sangam members, leaders and party leaders released and for claiming the dead bodies of those martyrs killed in police firings, women are resisting either singly or collectively and establishing heroic traditions. As deep hatred developed among the women from childhood towards the governments and their mercenary police and as they are becoming steeled in the mass resistance struggles against them, the recruitment of women into PLGA has been increasing significantly.

Women’s Role in Mass Struggles Against Police Atrocities in Jharkhand

Repression on women’s movement increased since 1997 in Jharkhand. Women were arrested and paraded to insult them. Several women were incarcerated in jails. Women conducted struggles against the intense state-violence. In several instances, they surrounded the police and beat them. In order to get the arrested women activists released they went to the police stations and gheraoed them. In some instances, whole villages joined the resistance. In some instances, police had even fired upon the women who surrounded the police stations.

As soon as the police enter a village, the Adivasis beat the drum. The neighboring villagers who hear it, take up their bows and arrows and gather at one place to resist the police. Sometimes they fight the police with bows and arrows. Women come arming themselves with something from the kitchen or throw stones. They teach the police a lesson through militant resistance. In almost every instance, they make the police apologize for their mistakes and make them sign an agreement that they would never do such mistakes again and that they would not enter that village again. Let us take a look at some of the incidents of resistance.

Three thousand women did rasta roko for 24 hours when police gang raped a girl. At night, men stood in their support. The rapist police were beaten up. Finally the DSP apologized and wrote that he would see to it that such incidents do not happen again from their side. On March 8, 2002, some girls of the cultural organization were arrested by the police. But they had to be released due to public pressure the next day. In June 2007, mass movement was conducted under the leadership of various mass organizations and women’s organizations opposing the insults and atrocities perpetrated by Navadi PS officer Pramod Singh (Bokaro district) on women.

Several women were wounded and hospitalized due to his brutality in Bonketta and Koti villages in Digagarh panchayat when the police attacked them for the whereabouts of Naxalites. Women rallied in huge numbers opposing his atrocities and the support given by the DGP to him in perpetrating these. Police attacked the protestors too. One woman leader and a peasant organization activist were arrested. The angered women gheraoed the PS. They stayed put till they were released. Finally they had to be released and Pramod Singh had to be suspended.

In the Anti-Displacement Struggle of Kalinganagar

Since 2005, Adivasi people (Ho, Mundari, Santhali) have been militantly fighting against the proposed steel plant of Tisco company near Kalinganagar (Jajpur district, Odisha) that had seized 12,000 acres of land belonging to Adivasis. Women are playing a militant role in this agitation. The PLGA under the leadership of Maoist party stood in full support of the movement. Women stood in the forefront in this struggle even while facing severe tortures, harassments, arrests and massacres.

The agitation took an angry turn with the massacre of people by the police on January 2, 2006. Though the construction of steel plant is stalled at present, movement is continuing in various forms against the attempts to build the plant by damaging the fighting spirit of the people.

Singur Agitation

Ratan Tata occupied thousand acres of land in Singur area for Nano car factory and in May 2006 people began a huge resistance against this. With the inspiration of anti-displacement struggles all over the country and particularly with the inspiration of Kalinganagar agitation and with the support of revolutionaries and democrats, they took up a militant agitation. CPM goons and police perpetrated tortures, insults and atrocities on several women who were participating actively in the movement. Dozens of them were arrested and sent to jails. A minor girl and activist of Bhumi Uchhed Pratirodh Committee Tapasi Malik was raped and murdered.

Protests erupted all over the country against this on a huge scale. Young women and men rebelled as they understood that the promise of jobs after giving training was a sham. Finally the Nano car factory proposal had to be annulled by the government. Undoubtedly this is a victory won by the Singur peasantry with the support of the entire people.

Nandigram Agitation

People launched an agitation since January 3, 2007 against the establishment of a special economic zone by occupying thousands of acres of valuable fertile land for a chemical hub of Salem in Nandigram (Medinipur district, Paschim Bang). In the heroic struggle waged under the leadership of Bhumi Uchhed Pratirodh committee (BUPC) to defend their land, houses and villages, women stood in the forefront. Due to this most heroic resistance, government was forced to annul the proposal for SEZ in Nandigram.

However, the social fascist government of CPM perpetrated inhuman massacres and atrocities on March 14 and between 6th and 14th of November, 2007 and daydreamed that it could stop struggles like Singur from going the Nandigram way. As part of the November massacre, dozens of women – daughters in front of mothers and mothers in front of sons – were gang raped by the CPM goons for being in the forefront in the struggles.

Hundreds were murdered or went missing and more than a thousand people were injured. Thousands of houses were razed down. The uncompromising struggle of Nandigram people against the central and state governments won its place in history as a great struggle. It remains an inspiration to several such struggles.

Lalgarh People’s Revolt

After PLGA conducted the Salboni ambush, the struggle which rose against the police atrocities on Lalgarh people spread like a prairie fire within a short period. This turned into the ‘Lalgarh People’s Revolt’. In this revolt under the leadership of the PCAPA (People’s Committee Against Police Atrocities), tens of thousands of women participated and played a prominent role. They demanded that police officers who committed atrocities on women and the government should apologize, that Harmad Vahini must be disarmed and that police attacks must stop. Women who joined in Sidhu-Kanu People’s Militia in large numbers participated in chasing the police away from that area, in closing all roads to stop the police and the government from entering that area consisting of 1100 villages, in laying mines and booby traps and in keeping night vigil in 1300 to 1400 villages.

Women were in the forefront in several demonstrations that were held from Lalgarh to Kolkata, carrying traditional weapons. In building this revolt and in its development our party and PLGA played a prominent role. Women were in the forefront in demolishing CPM party offices and government buildings that were serving as police camps, in wiping out CPM leaders who are leading the Harmad Vahini, their goons and other armed gangs, in the resistance of thousands of people in hundreds of villages to the ‘Lalgarh Operation’ launched by the central and state forces in June 2009, in occupying lands in more than fifty villages, particularly in the huge demonstrations held in Jhargram protesting the Sonamukhi rapes in July 2010 and in the development activities led by the people on a huge scale.

As a result, dozens of women became victims of atrocities and murders in the hands of Harmad Vahini goons and Joint Forces. Several women like Archana Singh, her daughter, Savitri Soren, Aasumati Murmu, Chudamani, Parvati Rana, Phatgul Maandi, Khukhu Mahato, Phulmani Meiti, Saraswati Dolui, Arti Mandal and Gitali Adak died in their attacks. Women’s active role is worth mentioning in the development of Lalgarh struggle that started as a people’s struggle against the brutal attacks of the police and turned into an armed people’s revolt and as an anti-state struggle and moved towards building people’s political power and seizure of power.

Women’s Resistance in Narayanapatna Movement

Narayanapatna (NP) movement once again brought on the agenda that land issue is linked with the issue of political power. The role of women in anti-arrack struggle and the land struggles is inspiring. Women are working actively in ‘Ghenoba Bahini’, the People’s Militia. Women are becoming part of every activity. They are heroically fighting shoulder to shoulder with their class brethren and occupying a place of pride. There is no agitation, demonstration, resistance or meeting without the participation of women. While women are in the forefront in some, some are being exclusively held by women. Repression on women playing an active role in the struggle is severe too.

Several women became victims of atrocities, indiscriminate tortures and inhuman insults by police and Santi Committee goons. The leaders of women’s organizations, members and even ordinary women are being put in jails after illegal arrests. Some women were declared ‘most wanted’. Resisting OGH became the main task for women. On April 14, 2010, ten thousand women participated in a rally held in NP. They demanded that the illegally detained persons in jails be released unconditionally and the police camps established in this area be lifted.

The women are carrying traditional weapons and are always keeping chilli powder ready to resist as the attacks of police and Santi Sena mobs became a daily routine. ‘You be at the back, we will be in the forefront’ is what these women said to their men in some instances where they fought with the police, injured them and chased them away, thus leading the whole resistance. In June 2009, fifty police attacked Lellipaya village in Borigi panchayat and tried to take the men along with them after destructing property in their houses. Women came together and beat one policeman. The terrified police fired in the air and ran away after getting that police released.

When the police attacked the women again, the women of the neighboring Manjariguda village also resisted and chased the police away. When the police attacked Kanaka village in Tentulpodar panchayat and took along with them a villager named Seerika Sannama after tying his hands at the back, the village women fought with the police and got him released. The police took away Livu and Mino belonging to Dumsili village in Balipatta panchayat and imprisoned them in NP police station.

Their wives went to the PS, fought with the police and got them released. On August 3, 2009, thirty-five AP Greyhounds policemen attacked Jangidivalasa village in Kaurubadi panchayat in Bandugaon block. Only women were present in the village at that time. They began fighting with the police by surrounding them and simultaneously sent word to their men and the neighboring villagers. Within a short period women and men arrived with traditional weapons and seized the weapons, cell phones and kit bags from the police. They tied them with ropes questioning them as to why Andhra police were coming into Odisha. Some policemen begged and pleaded that they had children. People released them only after BDO and SI gave assurance in writing.

When police attacked a village Diguvalocha in Borigi panchayat police went into a house to harass a woman who was cooking. The ‘woman’ was in fact a ‘Pejju’ (a man who performs puja and dresses like a woman according to Adivasi tradition). Immediately the Pejju threw hot water boiling on the stove on the police. Police ran away with burnt faces howling. Women and children threw stones at the police and chased them away till the borders of the village. In October 2009, police put up posters portraying the leaders of Chasi Mulia Sangha – Nachika Linga, Singanna and Ramphad – as looters, along with their photos.

Two thousand women rallied and surrounded Narayanapatna PS against this. They tore down the posters put up at the PS. Though the gates were locked and they were lathi charged, women scaled the gates and questioned the station officer. Women were also active in November 20, 2009 incident where they questioned the police. The police fired upon the agitators and comrades Singanna and Andru died. When everybody scattered after the firing and was fearing arrest if they go for the dead bodies of Singanna and Andru, it was women who fought with the police and brought back the dead bodies.

It was due to the initiative of the women that thousands of people could perform the last rites of their beloved leaders with respect. After the November 20 incident police attacked the villages indiscriminately and it became common place for them to beat the men with rifle butts and arrest them. In many such instances, women resisted severely. Women are being active in getting their men released, in gheraoing the police stations and taking part in rallies and dharnas. Police are using foul language and beating the women in such instances. They are not even sparing the children. Due to these atrocities of the police, many women and children were injured and their heads were fractured.

There were instances where women went with fractured heads and injuries to the police stations and got their men released. As Sangam leaders and men were being arrested, it is the women, children and elderly persons who are left in the villages to carry on agriculture. They are doing sentries with traditional weapons and are defending their villages, properties and harvest. It is the women and elderly persons that are going to the weekly markets and buying their daily needs.

Though the police and the land lords are creating hurdles and threatening that they would fire upon the people if they come to harvest crops, women are preparing themselves to harvest the crops in the lands gained by them through struggles. They are pledging that they would not leave the lands even if they had to spill their blood. They are adding valiant chapters to contemporary history. Similarly women are participating actively in such anti-displacement struggles as Niyamgiri, Posco, Mali, Deomali, Gandhamardan in Odisha, Sompeta, Kakarapalli in AP and in the struggle for separate statehood for Telangana and are fighting back the exploiting policies of the ruling classes.

Women’s Role in Military Sphere

Women are participating actively on a huge scale in PW as part of all the three forces of PLGA – main, secondary and base forces. They are fulfilling responsibilities as People’s Militia members, commanders, Militia C-in-Cs, as members in Local Guerilla Squads, platoons, companies, supply squads and supply platoons, as Platoon Party Committee members, as mechanics in weapon repairing units, as guards for party leaders, as military instructors and in various departments as doctors and tailors etc.

They are playing important role in developing PW to higher level by participating in battles with the enemy. They are displaying a spirit of sacrifice and a steely determination to fight till the end. They are playing a crucial role as commanders in some ambushes and displaying their efficiency. In the past decade, women’s role is present in all the principal battle operations. Battle operations conducted without the participation of women are very few.

Women’s Role in The Base Force Of People’s Militia

It is the People’s Militia that is directly leading the mass resistance in the anti-feudal struggles, anti- state struggles, anti-displacement struggles (against MNCs, SEZs, mining, huge projects like Polavaram etc) and struggles against state-violence. People fought militantly carrying their traditional weapons in Nandigram, Singur, Kalinganagar, Lalgarh, Narayanapatna, Niyamgiri, anti-bauxite struggle of Visakha etc. The role of women in all these mass resistance struggles is prominent.

Women’s Role in Fighting Back The Counter-Revolutionary Campaigns Like Salwa Judum and Sendra

‘Booby traps or pressure bombs’ and ‘traditional traps’ turned into sharp weapons in the hands of the people’s militia to fight back counter-revolutionary campaigns like Salwa Judum and Sendra, SPOs, Koya Commandos, counter-revolutionary organizations like TPC, JPC, Sasastr People’s Morcha, Harmad Vahini, NASUS, Gram Rakshak committees, Santi Committees and the OGH that is going on since mid- 2009. Ditches were dug in the direction from which the police forces enter the villages. There were many instances where the police forces that come secretly to attack the villages fell into these traps and were severely injured by the bamboo stakes, iron rods and arrows that were planted in them.

Due to this many limitations were imposed on the police forces that used to come to attack the villages without any control. The role of women militia members in digging traditional booby traps is very important. Thus unhesitant women not only participated in mass resistance activities but are also trying to make success the responsibilities given to them in battle operations. Women are also participating considerably in several actions conducted by the People’s Militia and the PLGA to seize the supplies of the police forces.

The People’s Militia forces are playing a prominent role in the defence actions taken up by the People’s Defence Committees under the leadership of RPCs to protect the villages, people and the properties from the attacks of the mercenary police. Militia Women are courageously fighting back the attacking police forces with arrows and country guns in ambushes. There were instances where mothers who had delivered just eight days previously had done sentry duties by tying the baby to their backs and where fully pregnant women, differently able women (blind, deaf and lame) had done sentry duties. The role of militia women in ploughing fields, sowing, harvesting and in collective production works and in helping the poor peasants is very praiseworthy.

Women worked resilientlytly to rebuild the houses burnt down by the SJ goons and the mercenary police and gave solace and courage to those families. These incidents indicate that the very life of the people, particularly those of women turned into a battle. Hundreds of People’s Militia forces are rallying to observe bandhs protesting fake encounters, arrests, police massacres and atrocities. They are rallying thousands of people and are playing a prominent role in destroying the properties of government and comprador bureaucratic bourgeoisie (CBB). Women are participating in large numbers in such incidents and some are being led by women militia commanders. In 2006, PLGA attacked the explosive godowns in NMDC mines on the Bailadilla hills in DK and seized nearly 20 tonnes of explosives. 900 People’s Militia forces helped PLGA in transporting these.

Women constituted 40% of these forces and they fulfilled their role valiantly. This attack increased the self-confidence of women. In 2009, in a similar attack planned for seizure of explosives in East Bastar area, a total of 500 to 600 militia members participated and 30% of them were women. On May 13, 2010, women constituted 30% of the militia that transported the 17 tonnes of ammonium nitrate that was seized as part of ‘Operation Ammonia’. Several women militia commanders and members died while fighting fiercely with the enemy during their attacks.

In West Bastar, militia platoon commander comrade Pottami Ayiti (Avunar), militia members comrade Midiyam Ayite (South Bastar), comrades Dasri Salami, Ranai Gawde, Poolo Vadde, Ramoli Vadde (all from East Bastar) and Santoshi of Maad died while fighting the police forces. Comrade Sunita Madaavi of Gadchiroli, comrades Munni (Konta) and Tellam Bhime of S.Bastar were women militia members who were raped and murdered by the police.

In S.Bastar, militia platoon section deputy commander comrade Kartam Deve died due to snake bite. Comrade Ayiti who was martyred in Avunar worked as militia platoon commander with utmost courage and bravery amidst SJ attacks and set an ideal. She strove very hard to arm the people with traditional weapons to resist the attacks of SJ. Though the People’s Militia forces worked part- time, it was difficult for them to fulfill their daily needs while they were engaged in battle operations. Sometimes they did not even get food to eat. They used to drink gruel and fill their stomachs. Sometimes they did not get even that and there were women comrades who fell unconscious while doing sentry duty due to lack of food.

They are overcoming this problem by working in collective farms, gathering forest produce and selling it and doing collective labor. They are extending full support to the PLGA main and secondary forces in battle operations and are participating in them.

Brave Deeds of Women in PLGA Main and Secondary Forces

In fierce battles like the Daula raid, Jehanabad raid, Giridih raid, Madhuban raid, Padeda ambush, NMDC raid, Murkinar raid, Jaraghati ambush, Ranibodili raid, Kuduru ambush, Urpalmetta ambush, Tadimetla-1 ambush, Tonguda ambush, Battiguda ambush, Tadkel ambush, several raids on SJ sibirs, Khas Mahal raid, Bhimbandh ambush, Bhatgaon raid, Kiriburu ambush, Modugupal-1 ambush, Gampakonda ambush, Balimela ambush, Tellarayi ambush, Modugupal-2 ambush, Banda-1, Banda-2 ambushes, Damanjodi raid, Markanar ambush, Minpa ambush, Madanveda ambush, Laheri ambush, Tavvetola ambush, Mandagiri ambush, Palachelma ambush, Kongera ambush, Lakhisarai-Kajra ambush and Saranda counter-operation – women valiantly played their role.

Several brave women like comrade Sandhya in Alatam ambush (AP), comrades Swarupa and Rajita during Koraput campaign (AOB), comrades Karuna and Somari in Daula raid in DK, comrade Enki in the raid on Gangalur SJ sibir, comrade Anju in Jhumra Pahad raid in Jharkhand, comrades Kamala, Rambatti in Nayagarh (Odisha) operation, comrade Santi in Tadkel ambush, comrade Ratna in the MV-79 attack (AOB), comrades Madkam Badri, Ravva Sanni, Punem Jogi, Madkam Bayi, Veko Vimala in the Kanchal counter ambush (covert operation-DK), comrade Sujata in Gunukuralla ambush (AOB), Reena in Modugupal ambush (DK), comrade Mangli in Daiguda ambush (AOB) and comrade Rukmati in Mukram-Tadimetla ambush (DK) have been martyred while fighting the enemy by putting their lives at stake and have written a new chapter in the history of PW.

The ideals set by the women comrades in the development of PW would always remain an inspiration to PLGA. Several women participated in the Koraput campaign (February 2004) where hundreds of weapons were seized from the armory. They participated equally with the men in the tough guerilla maneuvers in high mountains. As part of campaign preparations, the PLGA team that went to Battunur village in East Division (AOB) was surrounded by the Greyhounds and fired upon. Comrades Swarupa and Rajita gave cover firing to the other team members to retreat safely and laid down their lives in the firing. On September 3, 2005, the mine proof vehicle in which the CRPF jawans were traveling was blasted very courageously and 24 jawans were wiped out at Padeda. This was led by a women commander of DK and thus she proved how efficient women were.

The ‘Operation Ropeway’ that shocked the Indian ruling classes – the Nayagarh raid of February 15, 2008, involved walking for months together, traveling for hundreds of kms in an unfamiliar terrain, among unfamiliar people speaking an unfamiliar language. Dozens of women comrades overcame several difficulties and hurdles along with the men comrades and participated in the operation. They fulfilled the responsibilities given to them valiantly. They participated in assault and seizing of weapons and also fulfilled responsibilities of communication, recce, transporting and treating of injured comrades etc. When they were making preparations, AP Greyhounds surrounded PLGA comrades near Gudari village (Odisha) and attacked them. Platoon- 6 Party Committee member (PPCm) comrade Kamala (Manglo) laid down her life there while fighting the enemy.

While retreating after seizing hundreds of modern weapons and thousands of rounds of ammunition in the Nayagarh raid, the Gosama battle took place on the next day. Three SOG commandos including an OASP assistant commandant died in the resistance of the brave red fighters. Another PPCm of Pl-6 comrade Rambatti and Regional Company-1 member comrade Iqbal were martyred while fiercely fighting the enemy. Women comrades carried on inspiring maneuvers in a thrilling manner and set an ideal in Markanar ambush (February 1, 2009) of Gadchiroli (DK). While a police jawan was running for his life carrying his AK, a woman comrade with a 12 bore gun chased him, killed him and seized his AK.

While a normally injured jawan was firing with his SLR, a woman comrade rushed to him, hit him with her leg and seized his SLR. This has once again proven that higher consciousness in a person decides the outcome in a battle. In the historic Mukram-Tadimetla ambush (April 6, 2010), women comrades played their role in wiping out enemy forces on a huge scale. Section commander comrade Rukmati was martyred when an enemy grenade blasted while she was seizing weapons in this attack. On September 22, 2010, in an ambush conducted by the secondary and base forces of PLGA in S.Bastar, two policemen died. A woman comrade led this ambush.

The influence of patriarchal ideology of the class society is very strong on the revolutionaries too. This is proving to be a hurdle for the initiative, development and fighting spirit of women comrades in party, PLGA and revolutionary mass organizations. As part of the rectification campaign (2009-2010) taken up against the non-proletarian trends in the CPI (Maoist) party, cadres fought against patriarchy too. Such campaigns were conducted in the party in the past too. Cadres, particularly male comrades tried to overcome their mistakes through criticism and self-criticism. They took this campaign to the people and educated them. The anti-patriarchal struggle helped in increasing the self-confidence of the women comrades. This change can be seen during battle operations too.

From “A Decade March of People’s Liberation Guerilla Army (PLGA) in the Path of People’s War (2000-2010)”