Pak, China support Maoists: BJP book

A BJP training guidebook, which is meant to orient its workers and office- bearers to its ideology, lashes out at previous Congress governments for pursuing economic polices that led to deprivation of villagers and gave birth to the Maoists who now enjoy “regular support from Pakistan and China” and pose a threat to the country’s internal security.

The guidebook says that the 60- year- rule of the Opposition party in the county rendered over 60 per cent of the rural population “economically deprived” and sowed the seeds for the violent unrest.

The BJP booklet says that the Maoists, also called Naxals, are “reportedly conspiring

to conduct joint strikes with the support of terrorist outfits active in northeastern states”.

The assertions in the manual over Maoism assume significance with the recent arrests of some Left activists by the Maharashtra Police, which has invited condemnation from Opposition parties and rights groups with the BJP stoutly defending the police action.

The guidebook also identifies “forced conversion” as an internal challenge.

It claims that a conspiracy to change the demography of the country has

been going on for several years in the guise of “jihadi” and “masihi”, an apparent reference to proselytizing works of some Christian groups, activities backed by money and muscle power.

Claiming involvement of external agencies, the manual says, “The speed of conversion has been so high in some states that it has completely changed their demography. People in such states are extremely agitated over it and that anger may prove to be explosive.” Forced conversion disturbs the atmosphere of brotherhood and social cohesion, it says, accusing some political parties of either “promoting” conversions or extending “mute support”. Among the economic challenges, the guidebook cites the social, economic and caste census of 2015 to say that a big part of the country’s population is forced to live below the poverty line.