Communism and Terrorism: Are They Complimentary?..PART I

Prof Dr Colonel (Retired) K Prabhakar Rao

The world has witnessed and is still witnessing the horrors of
Communism and is at present in the grip of terrorism too. In fact
terrorism is age old and existed in all centuries and in all parts of
the world in some form or other. Terrorism in the modern sense is
violence or other harmful acts committed (or threatened) against
civilians for political or other ideological goals. Most definitions of
terrorism include only those acts which are intended to create fear or
"terror", are perpetrated for an ideological goal (as opposed to a lone
attack), and deliberately target or disregard the safety of
non-combatants.
Many definitions also include only acts of unlawful
violence. As a form of unconventional warfare, terrorism is sometimes
used when attempting to force political change by convincing a
government or population to agree to demands to avoid future harm or
fear of harm, destabilizing an existing government, motivating a
disgruntled population to join an uprising, escalating a conflict in
the hopes of disrupting the status quo, expressing a grievance, or
drawing attention to a cause (1).
According to Walter Laqueur of
the Center for Strategic and International Studies, "the only general
characteristic of terrorism generally agreed upon is that terrorism
involves violence and the threat of violence."

Terrorism revolves around following:
1. Political purpose,
2. Disguise
3. Psychological impact
4. Violence
5. Wanton killings
Most of the terrorist acts are the results of political unhappiness,
frustrations and are aimed at achieving some desired changes,
destabilization and drawing attention too. These acts are conducted
when the aggrieved party has no strength, militarily and financially
and can not take up open hostilities. The acts are conducted to create
panic and fear and psychological impact in the minds of people and the
government too. Invariably Terrorists do not identify themselves as
military men. Many acts are done in the garb of civilians. Repress
ional acts by armed forces of a country go unnoticed and are not dubbed
s terrorism. Mass murders of Jews in concentration camps by Nazi Army
are not considered as Terrorism. Thus the real definition of terrorism
eludes. Lankan Tigers of Tamil Elam (LTTE) is waging guerilla war for
liberation from Srilanka. Their operations can be viewed as acts of
Terrorism akin to Palestine conflict while their sympathizers consider
them freedom fighters that are waging war of liberation. LTTE killed
Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi at Madras by engineering a suicide
bomb as revenge for interfering in their struggle by sending peace
keeping force that got involved in fighting. Suicide bombers are clad
in civilian attire, mix with general public and blow themselves as
planned causing panic and deaths of innocents around. In all acts of
terrorism violence is essential. Without violence the acts have no
impact. Invariably a small numbers of terrorists hold large groups of
people of various nations to a ransom by their unlawful acts.
Does
communism has something to do with terrorism and linked to it? Yes,
there is no doubt about it. Communism is based on totalitarian rule and
forced identification of its people with the will of the State which
has Marxist ideology (2). It is the dictatorship of proletariat. Civil
liberties and fundamental rights are very greatly curtailed; rather do
not exist in real sense. Communist States believe in the philosophy of
destabilization and undermining of democratic societies based on
capitalist or mixed economies (3) (4). Communism is the bitterest enemy
of the capitalist societies. Communism thus aims at transforming the
world to their line of thought and philosophy. A communist society can
not be established by peaceful means and it aims at violence, mass
uprising resulting in mass murders and elimination of landed class.
Terrorism as practiced by the present Islamic Wahabi School is too
aiming to impose its thoughts on the other societies in the world. In
this context Osama Bin Lindens recent recorded tape is an example in
which the terrorist leader exhorted all Americans to embrace Islam if
they have to escape from the terrorism and persecution by Laden and his
thugs. This is the blackmailing the Americans with ideology of Islam
and terrorizing by the wanton and senseless acts of destruction, mayhem
and murder.
Communists enforce their ideology within their states
of influence by the use of military force and threat of detention; fear
of execution, intimidation, imprisonment, harassment and by terror. The
law is enforced by vigorous pursuit of judicial process (apology for
judicial process) and summary trials. The process is not comparable to
that prevailing in democratic societies where it is long drawn,
laborious and frustrating too. People’s will is bull dozed under the
might of state power. Killings at Tienmien square in China during
Cultural Revolution in sixties of last century is the proof for the
state sponsored terror on own citizens. Stalin ruled USSR by
terrorizing its people. He eliminated his opponents and critics ( 5).
India and Nepal are the live examples to be quoted for communist
sponsored terrorism. Communist party of India (CPI) was established in
India after Bolshevik revolution in Russia during last century and was
allowed to continue after India gained independence. The stalwarts of
independence movement like Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime minister
of India and others were obsessed with socialist form of society and
rubbed shoulders with USSR. There was no question of banning Communist
party in India. The fun is that in Pakistan its next door Communists
have no place.

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