Urban Perspective

Colorful Classics #14

by CPI (Maoist)

Urban Perspective is a document issued in the time of the unity congress of the Communist Party of India (Maoist). It identifies, analyses, and proposes solutions to the recurring weakness of the naxalite movement in India: how to build the revolutionary movement in the cities, far from their strongholds and liberated zones in the countryside. In this document, Indian comrades systematically analyse the kinds of work they need to do in each sector, the strategy, tactics and methodology, and how to put their theory into practice.

Genres: Nonfiction, India, Theory, Politics

140 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2018

Reviews

[Beansism · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book should be paired with Mao's On Protracted War to gain an all-round understanding of what is meant by "protracted people's war". Designed for semi-feudal conditions, the universality of this book is surprisingly easy to draw out, and one can never go wrong with reading a CP's analysis of its own mistakes.

[Aditya · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sounds good but didn't account for the mauj masti nahi rukni chahiye nature of Indians.

[Natú · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a great resource.

While this document and the strategy it outlines are unique to the conditions in which the CPI (Maoist) is waging PPW, this is a great primer in the myriad methods of engagement within the broader movement. Included are things like fraction work, aboveground mass work, etc., and how these organs of the party (or groups which work towards NDR but have no formal link to the party) interact with each other.

The general question the book poses and answers is: given that the party's strategy is rooted in building people's power in the countryside, how do urban centers support the struggle despite not being the primary focus? This then begs the question: if PPW is indeed a universal of revolutionary struggle, how would the primary struggle and supporting roles look in a context which necessitated a focus on urban guerilla struggle and base building?

The PDF version of this is available on Foreign Languages Press' website and Manifestering Podcast did a great reading of it, but I'll definitely be snagging a physical copy for easy reference next time I place an order from FLP.

[E · Rating 5 out of 5]

An extremely important work by the Central Committee of the CPI Maoist. Though this book was written within I’m the context of the Indian masses conditions and contradictions in mind, it still serves as an extremely important guide to organizing the proletariat in large urban/metropolitan areas for the seizure of power in the cities during the Strategic Offensive stage of the People’s War when the people have reconstituted the old decrepit revisionist “Communist Party” as a Militarized, Marxist-Leninist-Maoist Communist Party and Three Instruments of the Revolution, and are surrounding the cities from the countryside.

[Andy P. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a detailed plan of action by the CPI in the urban areas. In includes a class analysis of India (circa 2009?), recent changes and social processes in India, a discussion about strategic work, mass work, fractional work, party building, committee structures, secret and legal organizations, identifying and cultivating proletarian leadership, and many other dimensions of building a broad scale working class movement. It also includes self criticism of past and current deficiencies in policies and implementation, and incorrect understanding of the roles of urban work and their relationship to the rural base areas. However wonderful this document is, keep in mind it is being written in light of years of work and input, and refers to very specific conditions and situations in India.