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Blurred Discussion
Sumanta Banerjee has aptly highlighted the Maoists’ stated positions for boycotting elections in his article, “The Maoists, Elections, Boycotts and Violence” (EPW, 2 May 2009). But the author’s analysis is oscillating in nature; the distinction between the so-called “legitimate revolutionary struggle” and the gruesome violence against the officials and agents of the state is often blurred.
Sumanta Banerjee has aptly highlighted the Maoists’ stated positions for boycotting elections in his article, “The Maoists, Elections, Boycotts and Violence” (EPW, 2 May 2009). But the author’s analysis is oscillating in nature; the distinction between the so-called “legitimate revolutionary struggle” and the gruesome violence against the officials and agents of the state is often blurred.
As far as the right to reject a candidate is concerned, as discussed by Banerjee, the idea is ill-conceived, since the present democratic dispensation does not prevent virtuous and ideal candidates from contesting elections. If the Maoists are so sure of being the legitimate representatives of the downtrodden, why do they not enter the electoral fray?
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