Book Review: More than Maoism: Politics and Policies of Insurgency in South Asia and Ordinary People, Extraordinary Violence
| Published date | 01 December 2013 |
| Date | 01 December 2013 |
| DOI | 10.1177/2321023013509160 |
| Subject Matter | Book Reviews |
Book Reviews
Robin Jeffrey, Ronojoy Sen and Pratima Sen, eds, More than Maoism: Politics and Policies of Insurgency in
South Asia. New Delhi: Manohar. 2012. 470 pages. ` 1,250.
Chitralekha, Ordinary People, Extraordinary Violence. New Delhi: Routledge. 2012. 348 pages. ` 795.
DOI: 10.1177/2321023013509160
Ever since the Prime Minister of India identified the Maoists as the gravest internal security threat, academ-
ics, policy analysts and media persons have delved into the causes, spread, security implications, ideology
and organizational structure of the movement from diverse vantage points. In this abundance of books and
articles on the topic, the edited volume titled More than Maoism still emerges as a priceless treasure trove
for anyone interested in understanding what the Maoist business in India is all about (p. 2). Its value comes
not from any original theoretical contribution or clever methodological innovation, but from bringing
together widely divergent perspectives on the issue in a single volume. The other book by Chitralekha is
unique in its analysis of how ordinary people commit acts of extraordinary violence. She compares how
people kill and die in the name of ideologies in two diametrically opposite ideologies of Hindutva and
Maoism. Students of Indian politics will find both the books useful, but for different reasons.
While Chitralekha’s book is an unswerving look into the hearts and minds of faceless foot soldiers of
two extremist organizations, the edited volume More than Maoism is an excellent introductory reading
on the convoluted left-wing armed movement that has flared up in India. For example, if readers are
wondering how a dead foreign communist leader like Mao Zedong gained following in India, Prasenjit
Duara’s essay in More than Maoism suggests some crucial connections between Mao in China and his
namesake movement in India. Sumanta Banerjee and Ronojoy Sen refer to the youthful romanticism of
the urban intellectuals who joined the Naxal uprising in the 1960s and 1970s. They allude, albeit indi-
rectly, to the fundamental differences between Naxals then and now. The chapter by John Harriss can be
a very handy tool for those trying to navigate the burgeoning literature on the subject, sifting information
from misinformation, facts from opinions and...
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