Areas with naxalite activity (2007)

The word Naxal, Naxalite or Naksalvadi is a generic term used to refer to various militant Communist groups operating in different parts of India under different organizational envelopes. In the eastern states of the mainland India (Jharkhand, West Bengal and Orissa), they are usually known as, or refer to themselves as Maoists while in southern states like Andhra Pradesh they are known under other titles. They have been declared as a terrorist organization under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act of India (1967).^[1][2][3] Leaders of the movement have been found to have hideout located in China.^[4]

The term 'Naxal' derives from the name of the village Naxalbari in the state of West Bengal, India, where the movement had its origin. The Naxals are considered far-left radical communists, supportive of Maoist political sentiment and ideology. Their origin can be traced to the split in 1967 of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), leading to the formation of the Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist). Initially the movement had its centre in West Bengal. In later years, it spread into less developed areas of rural central and eastern India, such as Chhattisgarh, Orissa and Andhra Pradesh through the activities of underground groups like the Communist Party of India (Maoist).^[5] For the past 10 years, it has grown mostly from displaced tribals and natives who are fighting against exploitation from major Indian corporations and local officials who they believe to be corrupt.

In 2006 India's intelligence agency, the Research and Analysis Wing estimated that 20,000 armed cadre Naxalites were operating in addition to 50,000 regular cadres^[6] and their growing influence prompted Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to declare them to be the most serious internal threat to India's national security.^[7]

In February 2009, the Indian Central government announced a new nationwide initiative, to be called the "Integrated Action Plan" (IAP) for broad, co-ordinated operations aimed at dealing with the Naxalite problem in all affected states, namely (Karnataka, Chhattisgarh, Orissa, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Jharkhand, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal). Importantly, this plan included funding for grass-roots economic development projects in Naxalite affected areas, as well as increased special police funding for better containment and reduction of Naxalite influence in these areas.^[8][9]

In 2009, Naxalites were active across approximately 180 districts in ten states of India.^[10] In August 2010, after the first full year of implementation of the national IAP program, Karnataka was removed from the list of naxal affected states.^[11] In July 2011, the number of Naxal affected areas was reduced to (figure includes proposed addition of 20 districts) 83 districts across nine states.^[12][13][14] In December of 2011, the national government reported that the number of Naxalite related deaths and injuries nationwide had gone down by nearly 50% from 2010 levels.^[15]

History[link]

The term Naxalites comes from Naxalbari, a small village in West Bengal, where a section of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPM) led by Charu Majumdar, Kanu Sanyal and Jangal Santhal initiated a violent uprising in 1967. On May 18, 1967, the Siliguri Kishan Sabha, of which Jangal was the president, declared their readiness to adopt armed struggle to redistribute land to the landless.^[16] The following week, a sharecropper near Naxalbari village was attacked by the landlord's men over a land dispute. On May 24, when a police team arrived to arrest the peasant leaders, it was ambushed by a group of tribals led by Jangal Santhal, and a police inspector was killed in a hail of arrows. This event encouraged many Santhal tribals and other poor people to join the movement and to start attacking local landlords.^[17]

Mao Zedong, provided ideological leadership for the Naxalbari movement, advocating that Indian peasants and lower class tribals overthrow the government and upper classes by force. A large number of urban elites were also attracted to the ideology, which spread through Majumdar's writings, particularly the 'Historic Eight Documents' which formed the basis of Naxalite ideology.^[18] In 1967, Naxalites organized the All India Coordination Committee of Communist Revolutionaries (AICCCR), and later broke away from CPM. Violent uprisings were organized in several parts of the country. In 1969, the AICCCR gave birth to the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) (CPI(ML)).

Practically all Naxalite groups trace their origin to the CPI(ML). A separate offshoot from the beginning was the Maoist Communist Centre, which evolved out of the Dakshin Desh group. The MCC later fused with the People's War Group to form the Communist Party of India (Maoist). A third offshoot was that of the Andhra revolutionary communists, mainly represented by the UCCRI(ML), following the mass line legacy of T. Nagi Reddy, which broke with the AICCCR at an early stage.

During the 1970s, the movement was fragmented into disputing factions. By 1980, it was estimated that around 30 Naxalite groups were active, with a combined membership of 30,000.^[19]

Violence in West Bengal[link]

Ca.1970 the Naxalites gained a strong presence among the radical sections of the student movement in Calcutta.^[20] Students left school to join the Naxalites. Majumdar, to entice more students into his organisation, declared that revolutionary warfare was to take place not only in the rural areas as before, but everywhere and spontaneously. Thus Majumdar declared an "annihilation line", a dictum that Naxalites should assassinate individual "class enemies" (such as landlords, businessmen, university teachers, police officers, politicians of the right and left) and others.^[21][22]

Throughout Calcutta, schools were shut down. Naxalites took over Jadavpur University and used the machine shop facilities to make pipe guns to attack the police. Their headquarters became Presidency College, Kolkata.^[23] The Naxalites found supporters among some of the educated elite, and Delhi's prestigious St. Stephen's College, alma mater of many contemporary Indian leaders and thinkers, became a hotbed of Naxalite activities.

The chief minister, Siddhartha Shankar Ray of the Congress Party, instituted strong counter-measures against the Naxalites. The West Bengal police fought back to stop the Naxalites. The house of Somen Mitra, the Congress MLA of Sealdah, was allegedly turned into a torture chamber where Naxal students from Presidency College and CU were incarcerated illegally by police and the Congress cadres. CPI-M cadres were also involved in the "state terror". After suffering losses and facing the public rejection of Majumdar's "annihilation line", the Naxalites alleged human rights violations by the West Bengal police, who responded that the state was effectively fighting a civil war and that democratic pleasantries had no place in a war, especially when the opponent did not fight within the norms of democracy and civility.^[17]

Large sections of the Naxal movement began to question Majumdar's leadership. In 1971 the CPI(ML) was split, as the Satyanarayan Singh revolted against Majumdar's leadership. In 1972 Majumdar was arrested by the police and died in Alipore Jail. His death accelerated the fragmentation of the movement.

Reasons for failure, 1967–1975[link]

In a methodical study, Dr. Sailen Debnath has surmised the consequences and reasons of failures of the Naxalite movement organised by Kanu Sanyal and Jungle Santhal.^{[citation needed]} He writes "The Naxalite movement, though continued intensively from 1967 to the middle of the 1970s and resurfaced after some years, could not go a long way achieving anything commendable because of the following reasons:"

1. The Naxalites wanted to surround the towns and cities by the villages, i.e., they wanted to encircle the urban centres with organized peasant forces of the villages. If the peasant militia could have occupied the cities, according to Majumdar, the so-called bourgeois government would fall making the passage to the coming of a socialist government; but the Naxalites could not and did not come up to a stage capable of organizing the peasants and thereby encircling the towns.
2. Majumdar gave sole importance to secret organization,and justified the policy of continuing the Movement without the need to build any popular mass base, forgetting or ignoring the fact, popular mass base is the basic criteria of any Communist-Leftist Revolutionary movement. Kanu Sanyal the original founder of the Movement vehemently did oppose this wrong action plan, while being interred in the 'Parvatipuram Conspiracy Case'.Armed training for the purpose of eliminating 'Class Enemies' was preached, but the educating the cadres on the Marxist-Leninist thought process was never taken up, resulting in a lions majority of the cadres coming out of an urban-frustrated-middle class background without any Revolutionary teaching and zeal, and who were desperate for senseless actions. As the Naxalites did not have mass level organization, they lacked mass support. With only a few armed elements, and those not properly educated in the party line, little could be accomplished.
3. "Khatam" (the action of eliminating the so-called class enemies in villages) was a wrongheaded attempt at political mobilization based on the individual murders of a select few people whose political class and character was never adjudged by their socio-economic conditions or the properties they possessed but very often only by their political affiliation or by the name and colour of the party or parties they directly or indirectly belonged to. For example, in Jalpaiguri and Alipurduar they killed some petty jotdars who otherwise could have been comrades in action against the capitalists or could be friends in a revolution for radical change. And which blatantly shows the 'Myopic'lack of vision of the so called leadership and the party workers.
4. Recruitment in the Naxalite party took place in the absence of proper judgment and scrutiny of the political characters and behaviours of the recruits. It was not uncommon for recruits into the Naxalite party to vent their personal animosities by identifying their personal enemies as class enemies, to be killed with the help of the Naxalite organization. Even murders and Homicides were carried out by anti-social and hoodlum elements directly under the the patronage and protection of the ruling Congress(I) and the main opposition the CPI(M) party, to discredit the Movement.
5. The ruling Congress party inserted spies inside the unguarded Naxalite organization to gather information about its secret bases and arrest its supporters. Government intelligence personnel and police disguised as Naxalite sympathizers/supporters could easily infiltrate the party’s inner organization and arrested many of its leaders, including Charu Majumdar. Thus police had information about the movements of Majumdar after he had gone underground in 1970, and he was arrested in Calcutta in July 1972. He died in jail days after his arrest, probably in the night of 27 or 28 July. It is not known how he died, although the government reported that he died of a heart attack.After the arrest and detention of the original founders of the movement-Kanu Sanyal and Jangal Santhal who were based amongst the peasent/farmers and the tribal labourers of the tea gardens of rural North Bengal, when the leadership passed into the hands of people, majority of whom belonged to the urban-educated-oppurtunist-middle class, as an 'agrarian-rural-peasant-laborer-Communist revolutionary' movement, Naxalbari Movement had lost its genuine character and nature, thus coming to an 'incomplete' end.

2000 Onwards[link]

In a 2004 Indian Home Ministry estimate numbers were placed at that time at "9,300 hardcore underground cadre… [holding] around 6,500 regular weapons beside a large number of unlicensed country-made arms".^[24] In 2006, according to Judith Vidal-Hall, "Figures (in that year) put the strength of the movement at 15,000, and claim the guerrillas control an estimated one fifth of India's forests, as well as being active in 160 of the country's 604 administrative districts."^[25] India's Research and Analysis Wing, believed in 2006 that 20,000 Naxals were involved in the growing insurgency.^[6]

Today, some Naxalite groups have become legal organisations participating in parliamentary elections, such as the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation.  Others, such as the Communist Party of India (Maoist) and the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Janashakti.

On 6 April 2010 Naxalites launched the most deadly assault in the history of the Naxalite movement by killing 76 security personnel. The attack was launched by up to 1,000 Naxalites^[26][27] in a well-planned attack, killing an estimated 76 CRPF policemen in two separate ambushes and wounding 50 others, in the remote jungles of Chattisgarh's Dantewada district in Eastern/ Central India. On 17 May, Naxals blew up a bus on Dantewda-sukhma road in Chhattisgarh, killing 15 policemen and 20 civilians. In third Major attack by Naxals on 29 June, at least 26 personnel of Indian Centre Reserve Forces (CRPF) were killed in Narayanpur district of Chhattisgarh.

Despite the 2010 Chhattisgarh ambushes, the most recent central government campaign to contain and reduce the militant Naxalite presence appears to be having some success^[15]. States such as Madhya Pradesh have reported significant reduction in Naxalite activities as a result of their use of IAP funds for rural development within their states^[28].

In late 2011, the death of Kishenji, the military leader of Communist Party of India (Maoist) was killed in an encounter with the joint operation forces, which was a huge blow to the Naxalite movement in Eastern India.^[29]

In March 2012 maoist rebels kidnapped two Italians in the eastern Indian state of Orissa, the first time Westerners were abducted there.^[30] 12 CRPF personnel were killed on 27th March 2012 in a landmine blast triggered by suspected Naxalites in Gadchiroli district of Maharashtra.^[31]

Cultural references[link]

The British musical group Asian Dub Foundation have a song called "Naxalite", which is featured on the soundtrack to the 1999 film Brokedown Palace. A 2005 movie called Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi, directed by Sudhir Mishra, was set against the backdrop of the Naxalite movement. In August 2008, Kabeer Kaushik's Chamku, starring Bobby Deol and Priyanka Chopra, explored the story of a boy who is brainwashed to take arms against the state.

In the novel English August by Upamanyu Chatterjee, there is reference to Naxal cadres whom the main protagonist, an IAS officer meets while visiting a tribal village in mid-1980s.

In the novel The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy, there is a reference to a character joining the Naxalites.

In the novel The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga, the Naxals (sic) are mentioned often by the poor and the rich alike.

In the novel A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry, the character Omprakash makes and allusion to fighting "like the Naxalites" (195).

The 1998 film Hazaar Chaurasi Ki Maa (Mother of 1084), based on the novel, Hazar Churashir Maa^[32] by Mahasweta Devi, starring Jaya Bachchan gives a very sympathetic portrayal of a Naxalbari student leader killed by the state. The 2009 Malayalam movie Thalappavu portrays the story of Naxal Varghese, who was shot allegedly dead by the police during the 70s.

In the Kannada movie Veerappa Nayaka, Vishnuvardhan portrays a Gandhian whose son becomes a Naxalite. The 2007 Kannada movie Maathaad Maathaadu Mallige, again portrays Vishnuvardhan as a Gandhian, who confronts a Naxalite Sudeep and shows him that the ways adopted by Naxals will only lead to violence and will not achieve their objective.

Eka Nakshalwadya Cha Janma, (Marathi: The birth of a Naxal), a novel written by Vilas Balkrishna Manohar, a volunteer with the Lok Biradari Prakalp, is a fictional account of a Madia Gond Juru's unwilling journey of life his metamorphosis from an exploited nameless tribal to a Naxal.^[33]

In 2010, a Hindi drama movie Red Alert: The War Within was released that is based on the true story of a poor Andhra cook who gets caught in the gunfire between cops and Naxalites and is forced to work with the latter.

In the 2011 Tamil political thriller film Ko, naxalites are shown to rob a bank, overthrow the government and disrupt elections. At the end, it is shown that the naxalites were only used for political gains by the corrupt politicians.

Sindhooram, a National Award winning Telugu film released in 1997, portrays a young police officer becoming a naxalite under unavoidable circumstances. Directed by Krishna Vamsi, the movie was critically acclaimed for its direction and the performances of its lead actors.

See also[link]

• Communist Ghadar Party of India
• Chhatradhar Mahato
• Naxal Varghese
• Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist)
• Compact Revolutionary Zone
• Naxalite-Maoist insurgency
• Salwa Judum
• Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist)
• Jamaat-ud-Dawah

References[link]

Further reading[link]

• Naxalite Politics in India, by J. C. Johari, Institute of Constitutional and Parliamentary Studies, New Delhi, . Published by Research Publications, 1972.
• The Naxalite Movement, by Biplab Dasgupta. Published by , 1974.
• The Naxalite Movement: A Maoist Experiment, by Sankar Ghosh. Published by Firma K.L. Mukhopadhyay, 1975. ISBN 0-88386-568-8.
• The Naxalite Movement in India: Origin and Failure of the Maoist Revolutionary Strategy in West Bengal, 1967-1971, by Sohail Jawaid. Published by Associated Pub. House, 1979.
• In the Wake of Naxalbari: A History of the Naxalite Movement in India, by Sumanta Banerjee. Published by Subarnarekha, 1980.
• India's Simmering Revolution: The Naxalite Uprising, by Sumanta Banerjee. Published by Zed Books, 1984. ISBN 0-86232-037-2.
• Edward Duyker Tribal Guerrillas: The Santals of West Bengal and the Naxalite Movement, Oxford University Press, New Delhi, 1987, p. 201, SBN 19 561938 2.
• The Naxalite Movement in India, by Prakash Singh. Published by Rupa, 1995. ISBN 81-7167-294-9.
• Sailen Debnath, West Bengal in Doldrums, ISBN 978-81-86860-34-2
• Sailen Debnath, The Dooars in Historical Transition, ISBN 978-81-86860-44-1
• Sailen Debnath ed. Social and Political Tensions in North Bengal Since 1947,ISBN 81-86860-23-1

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Naxalite

• "Walking With The Comrades" An extensive 32 page essay by Arundhati Roy on her interactions with naxalites
• Articles and Research Reports on Naxalite Violence in India and Pakistan
• Edward Duyker, Tribal Guerrillas: The Santals of West Bengal and the Naxalite Movement
• 'History of Naxalism', Hindustan Times
• Status Paper on the Naxalite problem - South Asia Terrorism Portal
• West Bengal, districts affected by Naxalite violence - South Asia Terrorism Portal
• Economist magazine article
• Guardian article
• Vice article
• Naxal Issues page of Peoples Website of Chhattisgarh
• Red Sun: Travels in Naxalite Country (Hardcover)
• Stop the Battle, Start the War by Samar Halarnkar, Hindustan Times, April 19, 2009

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Asian Dub Foundation
Asian Dub Foundation
Background information
Origin	London, England
Genres	Rapcore, dub, ragga, dancehall
Years active	1993–present
Labels	Slash, Virgin, FFRR, EMI, Cooking Vinyl
Website	www.asiandubfoundation.com
Members
Steve Chandra Savale (aka Chandrasonic) Sanjay Gulabbhai Tailor (aka Sun-J) John Pandit (aka Pandit G) Prithpal Rajput (aka Cyber) Martin Savale Al Rumjen Aktar Ahmed (aka Aktarv8r)
Past members
Deeder Zaman (aka Master D) Rocky Singh Dr Das Ghetto Priest Lord Kimo MC Spex

Asian Dub Foundation performing live in Berlin, Germany in November 2008

Asian Dub Foundation are a British electronica band that plays a mix of rapcore, dub, dancehall and ragga, also using rock instruments, acknowledging a punk influence. Their distinctive sound also combines indo-dub basslines, searing sitar-inspired guitars and ‘traditional’ sounds, shot through with fast-chat conscious lyrics.

Biography[link]

Asian Dub Foundation is better described as a group that arose from a community rap organisation. The different forms of music include toasting, dub, funky guitars and many other African instrumentals. One of their most influential tracks is named Strong Culture which gives the listener an idea of the Asian culture.^[1] "Their distinctive sound is a combination of hard ragga-jungle rhythms, indo-dub basslines, searing sitar-inspired guitars and 'traditional' sounds gleaned from their parents' record collections, shot through with fast-chat conscious lyrics".^[2]

Sanjay Gulabhai Tailor, Aka Sun-J, joined the band as live midi/programmer and DJ soon after. This completed the full live line-up of the band. After earning a reputation as formidable live performers, the band — which now included dancer Bubble-E — won widespread acclaim for the 1995 single "Rebel Warrior". Their second album Rafi's Revenge was nominated for a Mercury Prize combining a unique combination of punk energy with a jungle/reggae core. The single, 'Naxalite' was an ode to the militant Naxalite movement in India. Tours to the United States with the Beastie Boys and Japan followed to wide acclaim.^{[citation needed]} Their following album, Community Music, developed their sound further and received a coveted 10/10 review in NME.^[3]

In 2002, Pandit G was awarded the MBE for "services to the music industry" in relation to his work with Community Music. He declined the award, however, stating:^[4]

The band pursued other avenues performing a live rescore to the film La Haine in 2001, and continued performing it around the world for the next five years. They developed this approach in 2004 with the film The Battle of Algiers, first performing the piece at the Brighton dome on the same day that photographs of torture in Abu Ghraib were released.

In 2003, they released Enemy of the Enemy which became their best-selling album and contained the track "Fortress Europe," a stinging attack on European immigration policy along with "1000 Mirrors" a collaboration with Sinéad O'Connor about a woman serving life for killing an abusive husband. In 2003, they played their biggest gig in front of 100,000 people at Larzac in France at a celebration of José Bové, a radical campaigning farmer. For 2005's Tank, they were joined by On-U Sound collaborator Ghetto Priest on vocals.

In 2005, they won "Best Underground" at the UK Asian Music Awards.^[5]

Bassist Dr Das announced his intention to retire in May 2006 to resume teaching and produce his own music. He was replaced by Martin Savale, aka Babu Stormz, who also plays bass with British-Asian electro/grunge/hip-hop band Swami.

In September 2006, the dub/punk opera "Gaddafi: A Living Myth", with music by Asian Dub Foundation, opened at the London Coliseum. In Spring 2007, Asian Dub Foundation announced the release of a best of compilation Timefreeze 1995-2007 which includes a bonus disc of rare remixes and live tracks, featuring Chuck D, the lead rapper of American hip hop group, Public Enemy. The album also features a new track recorded with former vocalist Deeder Zaman. In May 2007 Asian Dub Foundation performed a radio session and interview on the Bobby and Nihal show on BBC Radio 1 where they performed three new tracks: "Climb On", "Superpower" and "S.O.C.A.". In June 2007, they were the only Western act to perform at the Festival of Gnawa music in Essaouira, Morocco playing to a crowd of 60,000 people and collaborating with traditional Gnawa musicians.^{[citation needed]}

Between 2004 and 2007, when Aktarv8r was not a member of the group, he played live on stage with the London band Oojami who perform Middle Eastern belly dance music. On the album "Boom Shinga Ling" released late in 2006, Aktarv8r plays on a couple of songs and is credited on the album under his own name Aktar Ahmed.

In August 2007, Asian Dub Foundation started playing with two new vocalists, Al Rumjen (previously with King Prawn) and Aktarv8r returned after MC Spex was asked to leave the band. In November and December 2007, Asian Dub Foundation recorded a new album, Punkara, with The Go! Team producer, Gareth Parton. It was released in spring 2008 and followed by an extensive tour of Europe and Japan.

In 2009, Asian Dub Foundation contributed to the Indigenous Resistance project after having met up with the Atenco resistance movement in Mexico. Asian Dub Foundation are at present working on their new album provisionally entitled "A New London Eye" which will feature Ministry of Dhol, Nathan "Flutebox" Lee, Chi 2 and Skrein.

Music[link]

The 1995 song, Rebel Warrior, was inspired by the 1920s poem, "Bidrohi" by Bengali poet, Kazi Nazrul Islam, an advocate for Indian independence. The song discusses the racial violence and inequality that the group state still plagues their British communities. Asian Dub Foundation have used their music in conjunction with education and social work for youth in the East End of London, as well as other British anti-racism campaigns.^{[6][original research?]}

Like other groups in their genre such as Hustlers HC and Fun-Da-Mental, Asian Dub Foundation fuse South Asian instrumentation and lyrics with the dominantly conceived black music genre of rap. Their music is able to signify a disruption in the racial/ethnic boundaries of hip hop. In their song, "Strong Culture", they assert their authenticity as legitimate Asian hip-hop artists, contrary to other popular claims. The line from the song, "I'm not a Black man / This time it's an Asian." likens back to when Asians were considered "Black" by some in the United Kingdom (UK) and often were part of that musical scene as Asian music had not fully emerged yet.^[1] Their lyrics call for radical political harmony and they use their music as an organizing tool for cultural politics, endorsing righteousness, social change, and an end to what they perceive as oppression in the UK.^[6] They also pursue the issue of the politicisation of the category "Asian," asserting the legitimacy and authenticity of having an Asian identity in the hip-hop world. They redefine the "Asian" category by reconnecting it with an anti-colonial history, as well a current, existing anti-racist struggle.^[1]

They challenge the argument that Asians are passive onlookers in popular culture who are hardly involved in the music industry. Their music functions to bridge the black influence with their own Asian style, using such lyrics as "I grab the mic to commence with the mic check. Supply rhymes, man you never heard yet, you've never thought an Asian could do this."^[1] Reckoning a traditional hip-hop MC style with their own Asian influence and simultaneously mixing in various other musical styles, thus disbanding the polarisation of the racial terms and addressing the "ongoing racialised violence and inequality evident in everyday experience in their neighbourhood".^[6]

Discography[link]

Albums[link]

Asian Dub Foundation[link]

• Facts and Fictions (1995)
• R.A.F.I. (1997) (originally only released in France)
• Rafi's Revenge (1998) UK #20
• Conscious Party (1998) (originally only released in France)
• Community Music (2000) UK #20
• Frontline 1993-1997: rarities and remixes (2001)
• Enemy of the Enemy (2003)
• Live: Keep Bangin' on the Walls (2003) live at Ancienne Belgique
• Tank (2005)
• Time Freeze: The Best of Asian Dub Foundation (2007)
• Punkara (2008)^[7]
• A History of Now (2011)

Dr. Das[link]

• Emergency Basslines (2006)
• Keep the Grime On (2007)

Deeder Zaman[link]

• Minority Large (2008) (only released in Japan)

Ghetto Priest[link]

• Vulture Culture
• Beyond Flesh

Singles[link]

• 1997 "Naxalite"
• 1998 "Free Satpal Ram" UK #56
• 1998 "Buzzin'" UK #31
• 1998 "Black White" UK #52
• 2000 "Real Great Britain" UK #41
• 2000 "New Way, New Life" UK #49
• 2003 "Fortress Europe" UK #57
• 2003 "1000 Mirrors" (feat. Sinéad O'Connor)^[7]
• 2011 "A History of Now"

DVDs[link]

• Asian Dub Foundation Live (DVD) (2003)

Others[link]

Asian Dub Foundation's music has been featured in several video game titles; "Flyover" in Burnout Revenge, "Rise To The Challenge" in FIFA Football 2004 and Test Drive Unlimited, "Fortress Europe" in Need for Speed: Underground and "Burning Fence" in Need for Speed: Undercover.

The song "Rebel Warrior" is featured in the film, The Fourth World War. The song plays during a scene about the 1996-1997 general strike in South Korea. They also have a part in the soundtrack for the film Vexille.

References[link]

External links[link]

• Asian Dub Foundation's official website
• Rebel Uprising official website
• Rock i.D. aka Rocky Singh official website
• Asian Dub Foundation at Allmusic
• The Guardian, 24 January 2003, Rappers with a cause
• Asian Dub Foundation's discography and news

Prakash Jha
Prakash Jha with Deepika Padukone at the press announcement of Aarakshan
Born	(1952-02-27) February 27, 1952 (age 60) West Champaran, Bihar, India
Occupation	producer, director, screenwriter
Years active	1976- present
Spouse	Deepti Naval(1985-2002)[1]
Awards	1985: National Film Award for Best Feature Film: Damul (1985) 1985: Filmfare Critics Award for Best Movie: Damul (1985) 2004:National Film Award for Best Film on Other Social Issues: Gangaajal (2003) 2006: National Film Award for Best Screenplay: Apaharan (2005) 2006:Filmfare Best Dialogue Award: Apaharan (2005) 1984: National Film Award for Best Non-Feature Film: Faces After The Storm (1984)[2] 1987: National Film Award for Best Arts/Cultural Film: Kudiattam[3] 1988: National Film Award for Best Costume Design: Parinati 1988: National Film Award for Best Industrial Documentary: Looking Back 2002: National Film Award for Best Non-Feature Film: Sonal[4] 1983: Best Documentary of the year: Faces After The Storm (1983)

Prakash Jha (Hindi: प्रकाश झा, born 27 February 1952) is an Indian film producer-director-screenwriter, who is most known for his political and socio-political films such as Damul (1984), Mrityudand (1997), Gangaajal (2003), Apaharan (2005) and multistarrer hit movie Raajneeti (2010). He is also the maker of National Film Award winning documentaries like, Faces After The Storm (1984) and Sonal (2002).

He now runs a production company, Prakash Jha Productions.^[5]Prakash Jha, owns the P&M Mall in Patna.

Biography[link]

Early life and education[link]

Prakash Jha was born and raised raised at his family's farm in Baraharwa, Bettiah, West Champaran, Bihar, India. He did his schooling from Sainik School Tilaya,^[6] Koderma district and Kendriya Vidyalaya No. 1, Bokaro Steel City (now in Jharkhand). Later, he joined Ramjas College, Delhi University to do B.Sc (Hons) in Physics; though he left studies after one year,^[7] and decided to go to Bombay and become a painter, though while he was preparing for J.J. School of Arts, he happen to witness the shooting of the film Dharma and got hooked on to filmmaking.

Soon he joined the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune in 1973, to do a course in editing, though midway through it, the institution was closed for while, due to student agitation, so he came to Bombay, and started working, and never went back to complete the course.^[8]

Personal Life[link]

Prakash was at one time married to actress Deepti Naval with whom he has an adopted daughter Disha.^[9][10]

Career[link]

While still midway through his course, he started working on films independently, in 1974,^[11] and made his first documentary, Under the Blue in 1975, and continued to do so for next 8 years.^[7]

During this period he made some highly politically charged documentaries, like the one of 'Bihar Sharif riots', titled, Faces After Storm (1984), which received considerable attention, as it was banned within 4–5 days of its released^[8] though later it won the National Film Award for Best Non-Feature Film for the year.

Finally, he made his debut, as a feature film director, Hip Hip Hurray in 1983, scripted by Gulzar and starring, Raj Kiran and Deepti Naval as leads.^[12] Next came, the film he received most recognition with, Damul (1984), which won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film and the Filmfare Critics Award for Best Movie in 1985. The film was based on the bonded labour issue in Bihar.

In 1986, he directed, Parinati, based on the story by Vijaydan Detha.^[13]

Over the years he has made over 25 documentaries, nine feature films, two television features and three television series.^[14][15]

In 2010, he directed Raajneeti, which was a contemporary take on the epic, Mahabharat. It starred Ajay Devgan, Manoj Bajpai, Naseeruddin Shah, Katrina Kaif, Arjun Rampal, Nana Patekar and Ranbir Kapoor and was a critical and commercial success. His next venture was Aarakshan which starred Amitabh Bachchan, Saif Ali Khan Deepika Padukone and Prateik Babbar.^[16] Currently,Prakash Jha is diecting film Chakravyuh starring Abhay Deol, Manoj Bajpai, Kabir Bedi, Esha Gupta and Arjun Rampal.^{[17][18][19][20]} His second film Satyagrah will star Amitabh Bachchan and Ajay Devgn.^[21]

Politics[link]

Prakash Jha contested and lost election to the Lok Sabha from his native Champaran in 2004. He again lost election to the Lok Sabha in 2009 as Lok Janashakti Party candidate from West Champaran.^[22][23][24]

Social initiatives[link]

For the last five years Prakash Jha has been seriously involved with development initiatives in Bihar. He has been spearheading growth in infrastructure, health care and vocational training facilities in the state through the NGO Anubhooti.

Anubhooti[link]

Prakash Jha is the chairman of Anubhooti, a registered society that has been working for cultural development , improvement of health care, disaster management and the upliftment of farmers and socio-economic backward people in Bihar since 1991.

Most recently, the organization has been working for flood survivors. After the Kosi flood on 18 August 2008, Anubhooti has provided complete relief to 6000 people since September 2008. Anubhooti has created a model village, Hindolwa village, for the flood affected and is working towards their complete rehabilitation.

Filmography[link]

Dialogue Writer[link]

• Gangaajal (2003)
• Mrityudand (1997)

Director[link]

• Hip Hip Hurrey (1984)
• Damul (1985)
• Parinati (1989)
• Bandish (1996)
• Mrityudand (1997)
• Dil Kya Kare (1999)
• Rahul (2001)
• Gangaajal (2003)
• Apaharan (2005)
• Raajneeti (2010)
• Aarakshan (2011)
• Chakravyuh(2012) (Pre-production)
• Satyagraha(2013) (Announced)
• Satsang (Announced)
• love story

Producer[link]

• Satyagrah (Announced)
• Aarakshan (2011)
• Yeh Saali Zindagi (2011)
• Turning 30 (2011)
• Raajneeti (2010)
• Khoya Khoya Chand (2007)
• Dil Dosti Etc (2007)
• Apaharan (2005)
• Gangaajal (2003)
• Mrityudand (1997)
• Bandish (1996)
• Parinati (1989)
• Damul (1985)

Editor[link]

• Gangaajal (2003)
• Dil Kya Kare (1999)
• Mrityudand (1997)

Story Writer[link]

• Apaharan (2005)
• Gangaajal (2003)
• Dil Kya Kare (1999)
• Damul (1985)

Awards[link]

National Film Awards[link]

• 1984: National Film Award for Best Non-Feature Film: Faces After The Storm (1984)^[2]
• 1985: National Film Award for Best Feature Film: Damul (1985)
• 1987: National Film Award for Best Arts/Cultural Film: Kudiattam^[3]
• 1988: National Film Award for Best Costume Design: Parinati
• 1988: National Film Award for Best Industrial Documentary: Looking Back
• 2002: National Film Award for Best Non-Feature Film: Sonal^[4]
• 2004: National Film Award for Best Film on Other Social Issues: Gangaajal (2003)^[25]
• 2006: National Film Award for Best Screenplay: Apaharan (2005)

Filmfare Awards[link]

• 1983: Best Documentary of the year: Faces After The Storm (1983)
• 1985: Filmfare Critics Award for Best Movie: Damul (1985)
• 2006:Filmfare Best Dialogue Award: Apaharan (2005)^[26]

Star Screen Awards[link]

• 2005: Star Screen Best Screenplay Award: Apaharan
• 2011: Star Screen Best Screenplay Award: Raajneeti

Other Awards[link]

• 1983: International Film Festival of India, Special Jury Award: Faces After The Storm
• 1984: All India Film Awards Association, Best Director: Hip Hip Hurray
• 1986: Baba Saheb Ambedkar Award, Social Understanding
• 1998: Screen Cinema Award, Best Actor in a Negative Role: Mrityudand - Death Sentence
• 1998: Screen Cinema Award, Best Dialogue: Mrityudand - Death Sentence
• 1998: Screen Cinema Award, Best Screenplay: Mrityudand - Death Sentence
• 1998: Zee Cine Award, Best Dialogue: Mrityudand - Death Sentence
• 1998: Zee Cine Award, Best Director: Mrityudand - Death Sentence
• 1998: Sansui Film Awards, Best Film (Critics Choice): Mrityudand - Death Sentence
• 1998: Sansui Film Awards, Best Actress: Mrityudand - Death Sentence

International Awards[link]

• 1988: Presented as An Outstanding Film at the London Film Festival at the London Film Festival: Parinati - The Inevitable
• 1998: Special Jury Award, Cinema Tout Ecran, Geneva for Best Feature: Mrityudand - Death Sentence
• 1998: Audience Award, Best Feature, Bangkok Film Festival: Mrityudand - Death Sentence

International Acclaim[link]

• Damul - Bonded Until Death invited for competition and participation at Montreal, Berlin, Chicago, Moscow and several other festivals (1986–1987)
• Parinati - The Inevitable invited to several film festivals including the London International Film Festival (1988)
• Parampara - Traditions and Abhivyakti - An Expression represented India at the Festival of India in France and Japan.
• Mrityudand - Death Sentence invited to several festivals like London, Dublin, Melbourne, Riocine (Brazil), Bangkok, New York Human Rights Festival, Cinema Tout Ecran (Geneva) and others.
• Apaharan - Opening film of the Indian Film Festival in Israel (2005)

References[link]

External links[link]

• Prakash Jha at the Internet Movie Database
• Prakash Jha Productions website
• Interview - Director Prakash Jha at Rediff.com.

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Manoj Bajpai
Manoj Bajpai in 2010
Born	(1969-04-23) 23 April 1969 (age 43) Narkatiaganj, Bihar, India
Other names	Manoj Bajpayee
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1994–present
Spouse	Neha (née Sabana Reza) (2005–present)

Manoj Bajpai (born 23 April 1969), also credited as Manoj Bajpayee, is an Indian film actor, known for playing offbeat and unconventional roles.^[1] He first shot into fame with his breakthrough role in Ram Gopal Varma's 1998 film Satya.

Early life[link]

Manoj Bajpai was born in a small village Belwa near town Narkatiaganj in West Champaran, Bihar. He completed his basic education from K R High school, Bettiah. He went to Ramjas College, and Satyawati College (Eve) University of Delhi for pursuing Graduation, and did theatre with Barry John.

Career[link]

Bajpai started his career with a television serial aired on Doordarshan, Swaabhimaan. The same serial also brought Tyagi (Ashutosh Rana) and Rishab (Rohit Roy) into limelight.

Bajpai also appeared in a small role as a cop in Dastak (1996) where he shared screen space with Mukul Dev and Sushmita Sen. He appeared in several small roles in films like Droh Kaal (1994), and Bandit Queen (1994), before getting his big break in the 1998 crime film Satya directed by Ram Gopal Varma. His performance as Bhiku Mhatre won him several awards, as he portrayed the hotheaded and compassionate sides of this gangster, with equal panache. Another important film where he played a dark character was Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra's film Aks in 2001, for which again he won many awards.

His work was also appreciated in films like Daud: Fun on the Run (1997), Shool (1999), Dil Pe Mat Le Yaar (2000), Zubeidaa (2001), Road (2002), Pinjar (2003) which earned him the National Film Award, Veer Zaara in 2004 and Raajneeti in 2010.

Veerendra Pratap the role of his character in the movie Raajneeti explains his magic and aura. Katrina Kaif touched the feet of actor Manoj Bajpai as a sign of respect following the premiere of Rajneeti. When Satya released some 12 years ago, Tabu had done the same thing, touching the thespian's feet.^[2]

Personal life[link]

Bajpai was married to a girl from Bihar whom he left after two months and came to Mumbai. In 2005, he married Neha (real name Shabana Raza), a Bollywood actress who worked in movies namely Kareeb, Fiza.^[3] They have a daughter together.^[4]

Awards and nominations[link]

Won

• 1999: Filmfare Award Best Actor - Critics' Choice for Satya
• 1999: Star Screen Award Best Supporting Actor for Satya
• 1999: BFJA Award for Best Actor for Shool^[5]
• 2000: National Film Award for Best Supporting Actor for Satya
• 2000: Filmfare Award Best Actor - Critics' Choice for Shool
• 2000: Zee Cine Award Best Actor in a Supporting Role- Male for Shool
• 2002: Star Screen Award Best Villain for Aks
• 2003: Zee Cine Award for Best Actor in a Negative Role for Road
• 2004: National Film Award - Special Jury Award for Pinjar

Nominated

• 2002: Filmfare Best Villain Award for Aks
• 2003: Filmfare Best Villain Award for Road
• 2004: Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award for LOC Kargil
• 2011: Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award for Raajneeti

Filmography[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Manoj Bajpai at the Internet Movie Database

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Manoj Bajpai

Arjun Rampal
Born	(1972-11-26) November 26, 1972 (age 39) Jabalpur, India
Residence	Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Occupation	Model, Actor, Producer
Years active	2001 – present
Spouse	Mehr Jesia (1998 - Present)

Arjun Rampal (Hindi: अर्जुन रामपाल), (born 26 November 1972), is an Indian film actor who appears in Bollywood films, as well as a former fashion model. He made his acting debut in Pyaar Ishq Aur Mohabbat (2001). The film was a failure but Rampal was appreciated for his performance and received several awards for his work in the movie.

Rampal has established himself as one of the top movie stars of Bollywood through his performances in huge hits including Asambhav (2004), Vaada (2005), Don - The Chase Begins Again (2006), Om Shanti Om (2007), Rock On!! (2008), Housefull (2010), Raajneeti (2010) and Ra.One (2011)

Early life[link]

Arjun Rampal was born in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, India on 26 November 1972 to a Punjabi family from Delhi. His father’s name is Amarjeet Rampal and his mother’s name is Gwen Rampal. Arjun along with his sister attended the Kodaikanal International School situated at Palani Hills in Tamil Nadu. His mother was a teacher in the school at the time. Arjun went on to complete his Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Hindu College in Delhi.^[1] Actress Kim Sharma is his cousin.^[2]

Career[link]

2000s[link]

Rampal made his acting debut in Rajiv Rai's Pyaar Ishq Aur Mohabbat (2001) opposite Suniel Shetty, Aftab Shivdasani and Kirti Reddy. The film was a failure at the box office but Rampal was critically appreciated.^[3] This established Rampal as a leading actor in the Indian film industry. He was nominated for the Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut and won the IIFA Award for Star Debut of the Year – Male and Screen Award for Most Promising Newcomer – Male. His next release Ashok Mehta's Moksha was actually his first film but was released after Pyaar Ishq Aur Mohabbat. Rampal was paired with famous actress Manisha Koirala in a lead role in Moksha. This film also flopped but Rampal received critical acclaim.^[4] His last release of the year was Ashu Trikha's Deewaanapan, in which Rampal was paired with Dia Mirza.

Rampal's first release of 2002 was Vipul Amrutlal Shah's Aankhen, in which Rampal starred opposite major names including Amitabh Bachchan, Akshay Kumar, Sushmita Sen and Paresh Rawal. He played the role of a blind person, which earned him critical acclaim. His next release was Kundan Shah's Dil Hai Tumhaara opposite Rekha, Preity Zinta, Mahima Chaudhry and Jimmy Shergill. The film was a flop but its soundtrack was very successful.