Siraj Sikder
The Proletarian Party of East Bengal produced and published the original Bengali document in Second Half 1973. Party included it in Collected Military Writings of Comrade Siraj Sikder in August 1974
The Communist Party Marxist-Leninist-Maoist Bangladesh translated the document in English and published online via www.sarbaharapath.com on 12 November 2014. Party slightly edited the translation on 22 April 2017
1) We must oppose two types of trends in every case.
Left trend—which underestimates real obstacles
Right trend—which overestimates real obstacles
When making military plan, we have to oppose these two types of trend.
2) We must make military plan in such a way that consideration of subjective condition corresponds to that of objective condition. That is, we must adjust subjective with objective condition.
3) We must properly consider our and enemy’s condition before making any military plan.
In this case, we must reject subjectivism, superficiality, one-sidedness and consider what exactly the objective is.
At that time, be cautious against left and right trend.
4) Our condition is our stronger and weaker aspects.
Enemy’s condition is his/her stronger and weaker aspects.
We must consider the two conditions as static for a specific time limit.
We cannot violate the limit fixed by the two conditions but being within this limit, we have to achieve victory by carrying war properly.
5) We must make an operation plan in such a way that—
▬ Enemy cannot utilize his/her stronger aspects
▬ We can totally use enemy’s weaker aspects
▬ Our stronger aspects are used completely
▬ Our weaker aspects should not hinder fulfilling our aim and enemy may not utilize our weaker aspects
6) At the present stage of our military development, pattern of military operation should be Commando Attack, that is ▬
▬ Surprise attack
▬ Attack within a short span of time
Seriously keep secrecy until attack. If secrecy is revealed, operation must be canceled because in that case, enemy will remain ready, we cannot attack him/her surprisingly and make him/her surrender within a short span of time, but we shall have to fight with him like positional war.
In this case, it will be very difficult to defeat enemy due to lack of arms and training.
Moreover, we can suffer losses of arms and men. In that case, enemy will have opportunity to use our weakness. So, operation must be canceled in that case.
▬ For commando attack, most effective is small, brave and swift troop.
▬ Because of surprise attack, short duration attack and using small-brave-effective troops from our side, enemy will not be able to use our weaker aspects, nor can he/she use his/her stronger aspects. On the contrary, we shall be able to meet our aim by utilizing our stronger aspects and enemy’s weaker aspects (unprepared situation, fear etc.)
In such attack, enemy will be confused and distracted.
In some cases, enemy could not get even chance to use arms.
7) People of military department must have to be brave and wise.
▬ Prudence is principal during investigation, plan, mobilizing materials and guerrillas and final permission.
▬ Braveness is principal when operation is going on.
▬ The way of increasing prudence is thinking as much as possible on particular matter and consulting with people especially with experienced ones.
The way of increasing courage is to develop ideologically.
8) At present stage our military targets can be divided in three:
▬ Target of attack: Generally, it needs war, such as, Police stations and outposts
▬ Target of seizure: Generally, it does not need war, such as Banks and shops
▬ Target of resistance: It needs war
9) As our military In-Charge, commanders and guerrillas are inexperienced at present stage, we should carry operation on enemy position that has single target of attack.
Operation on enemy position of two/three target is critical and at the present stage, we are not able to carry successful critical operation in all the places.
We became able to seize position of one more targets through successfully attacking Saturia Police Station.
The regions that have experience of military operation may apply the experience of Saturia and attack enemy position of one more targets.
We have to determine principal and secondary target among one more targets and deploy our forces accordingly. We must keep proper coordination among various assault units.
10) Operation troops generally should be divided into three:
a) Assault troop
b) Reserve troop
c) Carrier troop
In special situation, carrier troop should be used like reserve troop.
If any operation has target of resistance, then, again assault troop should be divided into:
▬ Main Assault troop
▬ Resistance troop
11) In no way, only one arms and single guerrilla should be deployed because a single arms can get jam, which may result in setback.
Even such things happened like two/three arms got jammed also and operation was canceled or troops got danger.
12) After carrying operation, motivate people about our aim by making speech and slogan. Distribute assets of government and enemies that we shall not be able to bring, behave well with injured and surrendered enemies, motivate them about our aim, bring our own injured/killed, collect subscription from people, bring seized goods etc. and do all those before enemy rescue operation starts and retreat safely.
13) In countries like ours where there is lack of geographic opportunity to carry guerrilla war, if mass struggle is not combined with armed struggle, then it will be difficult to sustain military activities.
Therefore, we must emphatically consider the question of mass struggle and appoint and train people for that.
14) After a certain period of the initiation of our military activities, enemy withdraws all the police posts from rural areas.
We have to seize total opportunity of the military and political vacuum created during that time.
We should strengthen our political and organizational activities in those areas and rapidly organize people under our leadership.
15) Enemy may create severe pressure in areas after our military activity.
It’s nothing to fear about because after severe pressure enemy completely loosen.
So, if we patiently withstand the time of pressure, we shall get back our initiative power.
16) During the operation:
▬ Combine different things
▬ Do investigation at the last moment
▬ Solve newly raised problems
▬ Give approval at the final moment
Operation-in-Charge should stay near the place of operation to do the above-mentioned work properly.
17) Do not think that any operation must succeed at the first attempt.
We should guess, it may succeed after at least 2/3 attempts.
So, we shall not be disappointed in case we fail first time.
18) After fixing target of operation, firmly concentrate on that, and if not succeed first time, take 2/3 steps.
If operation fails first time, there is possibility of operation plan being exposed. Take caution so that it does not get exposed and train all related to operation on special secrecy.
19) After each attack, make summation properly. If we draw summation, we shall be able to resist the repetition of errors and our losses will diminish.
Do not go to next operation without making summation.
20) Do not cancel any operation without enough real reason. If any operation has to be canceled, properly convince related people about the reason to do so.
21) Target of operation should be fixed with proper caution.
Do not determine such target which is not possible for us to operate.
It is not good to repeatedly change target.
Always remember that repeated failure causes frustration.
22) Select operation troop in such a way that in case of suffering losses by it may hinder organizational work and security as less as possible.
23) It is the duty of reserve force to handle injured and killed during operation. Assault troop will continue its attack.
24) Always chant slogan during operation. It enhances courage and frightens the enemy.
25) After the attack, very much properly search seized area so that no things remain fallen.
26) Apply the tactic of assault area, rear area, combined area, combined command, geographically continuous work one after another, good work in cities and countryside etc.
27) We must transform the spontaneous mass struggle against enemy’s white terror after our military activities into organized mass struggle.
Thus, combine mass struggle with armed struggle. Thus, target of making participation of all the people in armed struggle will be achieved.
Thus, armed struggle will transform into struggle of whole people, which will be invincible.
Only in this way we can carry people’s war.
28) Build such party cadres who are able to work among the masses and carry mass struggle.
29) Take step of distributing lands of national enemies by taking the opportunities of military and administrative vacuum of enemy.
It will acknowledge people about the financial and material benefit of revolution and they will have too much confidence on revolution.
30) After our military activities, people give us massive support. In this context, we must collect subscription from huge number of villages.
Subscription should be fixed according to classes.
Appoint local cadres to collect subscription.
Be financially self-sufficient locally in this process.
31) Build assistant in various field in each region, such as, organizational assistant of Regional-in-charge, military assistant of Regional-in-charge etc.
If we develop assistant cadres in various fields, in no way there will be any vacuum of leadership.
So, our organization will develop ceaselessly □