Latest news with #People'sWar
India.com
08-06-2025
- Health
- India.com
'Bigger destruction than Corona': US expert issues chilling warning, says China is secretly running... end relations...
New Delhi: An American expert has issued a big warning about China. He says that if all relations with Beijing are not completely ended, then a situation more dangerous than Covid-19 may have to be faced. Two Chinese citizens are accused of smuggling toxic agricultural fungus into the US. Gordon G. Chang, a leading analyst of the activities of the Chinese Communist Party, said, 'This was an attack on the United States.' China plotting against America? Speaking to Fox News after the arrest of Yunqing Jian and Junyong Liu, Chang warned that the alleged conspiracy indicates something deeper. He said that China is secretly running a long-running campaign to destabilize America from within. The only way to stop this is to end relations with China. Jian, 33, and Liu, 34, from China, are accused of smuggling into the US a fungus called Fusarium graminearum, which causes head blight, a disease that devastates crops such as wheat, rice and maize. China accused of spreading agricultural terrorism According to the US Justice Department, the fungus is identified in scientific literature as a potential agricultural terrorism weapon with the potential to trigger food shortages, economic setbacks and serious health effects, including liver damage and reproductive problems. The two men had previously worked on the fungus in China and allegedly conducted unauthorized research after bringing it to the USA. Chang said the case is not just about biological smuggling but much more than that. It is part of a broader People's War strategy rooted in Maoist doctrine aimed at weakening and destabilizing enemies politically, economically and psychologically.
Time of India
08-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
'Sever relations': Bioterror arrests spark alarm; US CCP expert warns China planning ‘something worse than Covid'
Gordon Chang talks to Fox Digital (Screengrab from video on X) In light of recent arrests of two alleged "bioterrorists" in Michigan, an expert has advocated for complete disengagement from diplomatic relations with China, warning that they might be hit with 'something worse than Covid'. "The only way to stop this is to sever relations with China," attorney and Chinese Communist Party expert Gordon Chang told Fox News Digital. "And I know people think that's drastic, but we are being overwhelmed, and we are going to get hit. And we are going to get hit really hard. Not just with Covid, not just with fentanyl, but perhaps with something worse." Chang addressed the recent case involving Chinese nationals Yunqing Jian, 33, and her partner Zunyong Liu, 34. The pair allegedly conducted unauthorised research on Fusarium graminearum in American laboratories whilst smuggling it into the country over two years. Jian held a post-doctoral research position at the University of Michigan, with her studies partially supported by funding from the People's Republic of China. The Department of Justice describes Fusarium graminearum as a harmful fungus causing "head blight" in wheat, barley, maize and rice crops, resulting in annual global economic losses worth billions. The substance poses risks to human health, potentially causing vomiting, liver damage and reproductive complications in humans and animals. "This couple should be sent to Guantánamo," Chang said. "This Chinese government has declared a 'People's War' on us." A "People's War" refers to a military strategy established by former Communist Party Chairman Mao Zedong, who passed away in 1976. His leadership resulted in numerous deaths through famine and political persecution. This strategy involves sustained military and political pressure designed to wear down opponents. The authorities have charged Jian and Liu with conspiracy, smuggling, false statements and visa fraud. "We're Americans, so we think we're entitled to ignore the propaganda of hostile regimes," Chang said. "But for a communist party, [a People's War] has great resonance, and what they're doing with their strident anti-Americanism is creating a justification to strike our country," he added. "This means, for example, that this couple should be sent to Guantánamo," he added. "This was an attack on the United States at a time when China thought it was at war with us," he further said. In recent years, several incidents have raised concerns about Chinese espionage in the US. Chinese nationals and students have been caught illegally entering military bases, photographing sensitive sites, and attempting to steal trade secrets. Cases include breaches at a Key West naval station (2020), spying at Camp Grayling (2024), and drone surveillance of naval bases by a University of Minnesota student (2025). Separately, Harvard professor Charles Lieber was convicted in 2021 for hiding ties to China's Thousand Talents Program. Commentator Gordon Chang warned that such actions, including suspicious seed distributions, signal ongoing threats to US security. Former FBI supervisory special agent, told Fox News Digital, "Imagine walking into your local grocery store and seeing empty shelves where bread, cereal, and even pet food used to be," Jason Pack, "Prices spike. Supply chains slow down. All because a foreign actor deliberately targeted the crops that keep America fed. That may sound far-fetched, but it's exactly the kind of scenario that becomes possible when someone brings a dangerous agricultural pathogen into the United States. "It doesn't take a bomb to disrupt an economy. It takes a biological agent like Fusarium graminearum introduced into the wrong place at the wrong time. Food prices rise. Livestock suffer. Exports stop. The economic ripple effects are enormous," he said.
The Print
02-06-2025
- Politics
- The Print
Operation Black Forest—how Modi-Shah's push for a Naxalism-free India is gaining ground
A significant achievement has been the elimination of a top Maoist leader, Basavaraju or Nambala Keshava Rao, in Chattisgarh's Abujhmad on 21 May. This operation, code-named Operation Black Forest, was aimed at dismantling Naxal and Maoist networks. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah are determined to eradicate Left Wing Extremism in the country and this was reflected in the latter's words: 'Our target is to end it completely by March 31, 2026.' While India celebrated the success of Operation Sindoor, another effective operation was underway in the heartland of India. The war against Left Wing Extremism has been quietly and steadily taking place in the country's interiors where a Red corridor existed from 'Pashupati to Tirupati', undermining the progress made under the democratic reforms as envisioned by the founding fathers of the Indian Constitution. What is Naxalism? Naxalism is a far-Left political ideology inspired by a blend of Lenin's ideologies, Karl Marx's theories, and Mao Zedong's form of Communism. It derives its name from Naxalbari, a hamlet in the Darjeeling district of West Bengal, where a group led by the trio of Charu Majumdar, Kanu Sanyal, and Jangal Santhal, rose up and created an armed conflict in 1967. The uprising was speedily quashed by the state government. But it sparked off a nationwide movement, all the way from the borders of Nepal to the temple towns of southern India. The Naxalites used violence in the name of ideological or philosophical ideals. They called it an uprising against injustice and class struggle, or an armed revolution, where ideologies were imported from the Communist Bloc to destroy democratic values in India. The movement is also influenced by Mao's People's War, based on guerrilla warfare and rural uprising, hence giving rise to the moniker 'Maoists'. The Maoists consider the country and the Indian Constitution as their enemy and constantly engage in guerrilla-style warfare against the state. After Charu Majumdar's death in 1972, the Communist Party of India Marxist-Leninist, which he founded, weakened and splintered up, only to get a new lifeline in the 1990s and early 2000s. While the Communist parties remained within the parameters of the Constitution, the CPI (Maoist) operated as a fringe outfit, indulging in law and order violations with a militant mindset to fight the state. Their activities extended in primarily rural, mineral-rich, and underdeveloped belts of Jharkhand, Bihar, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh. The central goal has been to capture power through armed insurrection and violence. The CPI (Maoist) emerged in 2004 with the merger of splinter groups, namely the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) People's War and the Maoist Communist Centre of India. While China, the country where this ideology originated, does not allow such extremist philosophies to operate on its soil, in India, these organisations have been placed on terrorist list and are banned under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967. Also read: The very people that Naxals claimed to fight for have rejected them Why was it important to curtail Maoism? According to the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Maoist insurgency has become a serious internal security challenge and an 'impediment to the nation-building process'. The Maoists had set up a parallel government in remote and less–inhabited areas, leading to a governmental vacuum and a concerning security situation that threatened the integrity and sovereignty of India. They do not recognise private investment and infrastructure development, and are against government welfare schemes. They ran parallel governments, engaged in unlawful activities like arms trafficking and extortion, and obstructed the functioning of schools and hospitals to ensure their sphere of influence prospered. The principles of Maoism erode the very tenets of democracy, as they are against free and fair elections and the democratic process. Maoists claim to protect the interests of the tribals and the landless, but in reality, they deny access to development and welfare for these neglected people. According to the South Asia Terrorism Portal, the Maoist insurgency has claimed nearly 12,000 lives since 2000. Not only are the poor civilians caught in the crossfire between the insurgents and the police forces, but valuable resources and funds that could be used for infrastructural development are diverted for anti-insurgency operations. There ought to be no misunderstanding: Maoists are a threat to national security, as they vociferously reject the Indian Constitution and aim to overthrow democratically elected governments through violence and anarchy, with the ultimate aim to control resources and create a parallel economy of terror and disruption. Economic consequences of the 'Red' movement The 'Red corridor' has been reduced to a handful of 'Red' hotspots, as per the MHA. The economic consequences of Left Wing Extremism have been far-reaching and monumental, mainly due to loss and damage to infrastructure, power lines, bridges, railway tracks; and the costs of deployment of security forces, loss to industry and mining operations. Further, according to a 2009 Hindustan Times report, a parallel economy worth Rs 1,500 crore had been operating in Naxal-affected regions, where these LWE groups would extort money from contractors and industrial houses to line the pockets of their commanders. Often, companies are compelled to pay huge sums to ensure their operations are not disrupted. Moreoever, naxalism impacts foreign investments as well. Also read: Success against Maoist leader Basavaraju was unthinkable a few years ago—here's what changed BJP government's action plan In 2006, a Left Wing Extremism Division was created under the aegis of the Ministry of Home Affairs to monitor and control this scourge of society. A concerted game plan was initiated to counter this homegrown terror. The Union Home Minister would meet with the chief ministers of LWE-affected states every year and make personal visits to review the situation on the ground. The Cabinet Secretary is also expected to hold regular review meetings with the Chief Secretaries, the DGs and the DGPs. A concerted plan to end the Naxal movement is in place, and it is clear that PM Modi and Amit Shah mean business. 'The day is not far when Maoist violence will be completely eradicated from the country,' PM Modi said last week while announcing infrastructure projects worth over Rs 48,520 crore in Bihar's Karakat. Schemes to strengthen the security forces against LWE have been initiated such as the Security Related Expenditure (SRE) scheme, Special Infrastructure Scheme (SIS), and Fortified Police Station scheme under which 626 such police stations have been constructed. The Road Requirement Plan-I (RRP-I) for LWE-affected areas scheme is being implemented by the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways for improving road connectivity in 34 LWE affected districts of eight states—Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, and Uttar Pradesh. This scheme envisaged construction of 5,361 km road lengths in LWE-affected states, of which 5,204 km roads have been completed, according to the home ministry. Another scheme, Road Connectivity Project for LWE-affected areas (RCPLWE), worth Rs 11,725 crore, has been approved for the construction of 12,228 km of roads and 705 bridges sanctioned in LWE-affected states under the Ministry of Rural Development, out of which 9,506 km roads and 479 bridge works have been completed. Three telecom projects—Mobile Connectivity Project Phase-I & Phase-II, Provision of 4G mobile services in the villages of aspirational districts, and Saturation of 4G mobile services—are being implemented in LWE-affected areas to improve telecom connectivity. In total, 10,511 mobile towers are planned in LWE-affected areas under these projects, of which 7,777 mobile towers have been installed so far. This will help monitor and control Naxal terrorism in the affected areas. The Aspirational Districts Programme (ADP), launched in 2018, has also been a game-changer in uplifting underdeveloped districts through data-driven and inclusive governance. The double engine of PM Modi and Amit Shah envisage a holistic integration of former Naxalites into a civil society based on the tenets of inclusion and equality as envisaged by the founding fathers of the Constitution of India, creating a space for positive dialogue and rehabilitation of former rebels. Outreach programmes for the tribal youth are being conducted and a budget of Rs 52.5 crore has been released for this purpose. It involves influencing the youth through jingles, pamphlet distribution, and documentaries to help them eschew the path of conflict and embrace life under the umbrella of the Constitution. The aim is to mainstream the people by encouraging them to leave the path of violence and choose peace and prosperity to help build an inclusive society. Meenakashi Lekhi is a BJP leader, lawyer and social activist. Her X handle is @M_Lekhi. Views are personal. (Edited by Aamaan Alam Khan)
New Indian Express
31-05-2025
- Health
- New Indian Express
‘Killing is part of their life': The men raised on violence who are both perpetrators and victims as South Sudan faces return to civil war
The trauma of war Ten years ago, while conducting fieldwork in Nepal for my PhD and book, I interviewed more than 60 former members of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) to examine how their participation in the civil war – known as the People's War – affected notions of masculinity within the armed group. While I never asked about trauma or psychological difficulties, it became clear these were present for many of the men – just never explicitly spoken about. Instead, they would talk about their sense of disillusionment or lack of ability to fulfil societal expectations of masculinity – all the while, carefully keeping their emotions in check. These emotions would only surface in more casual conversations over tea or food, following the formal interviews. In these moments, the men revealed a more vulnerable side – often expressing sadness, frustration, and a desire to share their more personal stories. It was a clear shift from the displays of hardened masculinity in their narratives of the battlefield. Some of these informal exchanges hinted at signs of PTSD – for example, in their descriptions of flashbacks, sleep difficulties and short temperedness. One young man who was extremely polite and courteous became very fidgety after the end of the interview. He told me: 'In the night I can't sleep, because I hear bomb blasts inside my head.' Another, clearly proud of his role in the People's War, recounted his bravery on the battlefield. Yet, when he spoke of the six months of torture he had endured in police custody, his composure faltered and he struggled to hold back tears. He showed me a photo of his three-year-old child, saying: 'This is why I will never return to battle.' What I encountered was men who appeared uneasy about expressing emotions as this runs contrary to masculine expectations, but were also frustrated at a lack of outlets to tell their story. During one interview with a former PLA member in the western district of Bardiya, I noticed a group of ex-PLA fighters gathered at the boundary of his home after they had heard an interview was taking place. As my interpreter and I were leaving, a thin man at the front of the crowd began shouting aggressively at us. Having initially assumed his anger was directed at my presence in the area, I realised it stemmed from his frustration at not being selected for an interview. 'Why does everyone always want to interview you?' he shouted at the man I had just spoken to. The former fighter's anger, fuelled by alcohol, appeared to reflect his frustration at lacking a platform to share his own story. From Nepal in 2016 to South Sudan in 2024, amid the violence and trauma of war and the daily expectations of masculinity associated with being a provider and protector, there appeared to be few outlets through which these men could talk freely about their emotions, tell their stories, and admit their mental health difficulties. Many of the men interviewed in South Sudan had been involved in violent clashes involving killings at some point in their lives. In interviews carried out in Kapoeta North, a county in eastern Equatoria, some men reported having constant flashbacks to the sounds of gunshots – when they tried to sleep at night, these sounds would 'become real', stopping them getting any proper rest: 'Sometimes you can wake up in the middle of the night and find yourself trembling as if these people are coming for you.' One man explained how he would get up in the night to follow a 'black shadow' like a ghost. When community members would run after him to stop him, he would become 'hostile and behave like he wants to kill everyone' – because, he explained, he saw his friend being killed on the battlefield and the memory of this would not leave him, especially in the night. A woman described how, when young men are involved in 'killing', their 'mind is not functioning well.' Contextualising this claim she explained: 'There was this man who got traumatised due to the ongoing conflict of raiding. He fought many battles until the gunshot sound affected his brain and made him crazy.' She then described a man who could not accept his friend had died in a cattle camp raid and insisted on returning to the battlefield, even though the community told him not to. 'After confirming [his friend's death] he ran mad and became confused. We say that such a person had his heart broken by the incident he witnessed, and we say he is mad.' Men whose companions have been killed can become fixated on revenge, as Sebit explains, 'It will torture their mind until they go and avenge the death of the person that was killed.' Some will encourage them to take revenge but others, like Lokwi, are trying to discourage revenge killings and working towards peaceful resolution of disputes through dialogue.
The Hindu
23-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Decisive moment: on Chhattisgarh anti-Naxal operation
In a blow to the outlawed Communist Party of India (Maoist), its general secretary was killed in security operations in Chhattisgarh on Wednesday. The elimination of Namballa Keshav Rao, alias Basavaraju, is perhaps the biggest blow to the insurgents since the death of Cherukuri Rajkumar, the then CPI (Maoist) spokesperson in 2010, also in a security operation. Basavaraju, who had been the head of the party's central military commission before becoming the general secretary in 2018, had masterminded several attacks against paramilitary and police forces. His rise within the CPI (Maoist) marked the insurgents' reiteration of its militarist strategy, to continue their 'protracted peoples' war' as against the alternative of political struggle and agitations to achieve their aims. His death — a number of Maoist personnel have been killed in the last couple of years — represents the failure of this strategy. Home Minister Amit Shah has been on record to say that the government is keen to overcome the Maoist threat by 2026 and Basavaraju's killing would suggest a major win. The fact that the Maoists had reportedly sought peace talks, even while continuing their armed struggle, calls into question whether the Maoist leaders and activists could have been apprehended rather than eliminated. The surrender of Maoist cadres in recent days is also a case in point. But it is also well understood that the senior Maoist cadre, with roots in the People's War naxalite movement in united Andhra Pradesh, have shown little inclination to give up their armed struggle and such 'encounters' are perhaps inevitable. In recent years, and according to the Maoists' own admission, there has been a significant reduction in recruitment by the insurgents, with flagging support from the tribal population in south Chhattisgarh. Tribal youth, many of whom have experienced enormous suffering in the decades-long insurgency, are no longer inclined to adhere to the radical agenda of the Maoists. The group's poor understanding of the Indian state and its complete rejection of the electoral process as a 'mere facade' have found fewer takers in the forested areas that were hitherto inaccessible to the Indian government. With the government's increased tribal welfare measures and outreach and its redoubled emphasis on defeating the guerilla warfare, the Maoists have seen an erosion of their limited military and support bases. With the death of senior leaders, the Maoist movement is surely gasping for survival, but the intensive security operations have also resulted in scores of tribal youth being killed. The government should use this situation to renew its call for peace talks to pressure the Maoists to abandon their armed struggle rather than continue the policy of 'annihilation' as that could only engender fresh resentment among the tribal people.
