Chetna Natya Manch
Chetna Natya Manch (CNM; English: Awakening and Dramatic Arts Front)[1] is the "cultural troupe" of the Communist Party of India (Maoist).[2][3][4] Chetna Natya Manch is headed by Leng (who is from Andhra Pradesh),[5] and has more than 10,000 members.[6]
| Abbreviation | CNM |
|---|---|
| Formation | 1997 |
| Founder | Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) People's War |
| Type | Voluntary association, Cultural Organisation |
| Legal status | Banned in Chhattisgarh |
| Purpose | To inspire people to embrace Marxism–Leninism–Maoism |
Region served | Chhattisgarh, Orissa, Andhra Pradesh |
Parent organization | Communist Party of India (Maoist) |
Volunteers | 10,000 |
Background and activities
Ploughing the fields,
With our sweat as streams,
We harvested the crops.
Whose was the grain?
Whose was the gruel?"
— Cherabandaraju's song, oftentimes performed by the CNM[1]
The CNM is the "propaganda unit"[7] and "cultural wing" of the Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) People's War (PWG), and "conducted dance, drama, poetry and musical workshops" in the villages, "inspiring young people to join the PWG."[1] According to them, they are a "cultural team", and they "don't fight" but only "sing".[7] They also focus on literature and plastic arts. They have raised their music cassettes by themselves and also have a "mobile editing unit."[6]
The CNM attracts "huge crowds" to their presentations.[8]
Publication
The CNM, in August 1994, began publishing a bimonthly magazine named "Jhankar" in Bengali, Gondi, Hindi, Marathi and Telugu.[1] It is still published.[6]
Opposition
The government of India's ministry of Information and Broadcasting has "activated its own cultural wing" to "counter" the CNM, which they believe is "instigating the tribals against the Indian state through songs and cultural programmes."[9]
The CNM was banned by the government of Chhattisgarh on 16 August 2013 under the Chhattisgarh Special Public Security Act for its alleged participation in the "insurgency activities" in the Red corridor region of Chhattisgarh, and recently, the ban has been extended till 30 August 2015.[10]
References
- Hiro, Dilip (July 2014). Indians in a Globalizing World. Harper Collins (India). p. 199. ISBN 978-93-5136-267-8.
- "In Pictures: India's Maoist heartland". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 28 October 2014.
- Pandita, Rahul (2011). Hello, Bastar : The Untold Story of India's Maoist Movement. Chennai: Westland (Tranquebar Press). p. 122. ISBN 978-93-80658-34-6. OCLC 754482226.
- Roy, Arundhati (29 March 2010). "Walking with the Comrades". Outlook. Retrieved 28 October 2014.
- Roy, Arundhati (2013). Broken Republic. Penguin Books. ISBN 978-81-8475-484-1.
- Navlakha, Gautam (2012). "A Hurried and Much Too Short a Meeting". Days and Nights in the Heartland of Rebellion. Penguin Books. ISBN 978-81-8475-654-8.
- Satanāma (2010) [2003]. "Walking through the jungle". Jangalnama : Inside the Maoist Guerrilla Zone. Translated from Punjabi by Vishav Bharti. New Delhi: Penguin Books. p. 85. ISBN 978-0-14-341445-2. OCLC 634661617.
- Sundar, Nandini (2006). "Bastar, Maoism and Salwa Judum" (PDF). University of California, Berkeley. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 February 2014. Retrieved 28 October 2014.
- Kumar, Satish (2009). "Internal Security Developments". India's National Security: Annual Review 2009. Routledge. p. 95. ISBN 978-1-136-70491-8.
- "Chhattisgarh govt extends ban on CNM". Raipur: Web India 123. 1 September 2014. Retrieved 30 October 2014.