War and Politics

This book attempts to understand the significance of war, to look at revolutionary warfare which the Communist Party of India (Maoist) describes as the Protracted People's War. It dispels commonly held misconceptions about the place of war in society and distinguishes revolutionary warfare from other forms of war. Indian scholarship on war and peace is patchy. The absence of violence is seen as peace, but the definition of violence overlooks structural violence practised by the State. So peace in an internal war situation merely becomes restoration of the status quo. Upon interrogation we understand what the war does to the State, its institutions, and the impact it has on the people. When we analyse the Maoists' war, we learn how it progresses and how its expansion is stymied due to its own shortcomings. We realize how important their warfare is for freeing people from the double yoke of exploitation and oppression. It reminds us that for all the horror associated with them, wars have often breathed life into deadlocked situations and helped free human beings from enslavement.