ML Update 27 / 2012

ML Update

A CPI(ML) Weekly News Magazine

Vol.  15            No. 27                                                            27 JUN - 03 JUL 2012

Presidential Poll 2012:

Opportunist Realignment in Coalition Politics

If Mamata Banerjee's TMC is threatening to break ranks with the UPA, JD(U) and Shiv Sena have already extended support to the Congress candidate. Having waited for the Congress to declare its candidate, the BJP now complains about not being consulted by the Congress and has chosen to back PA Sangma, the candidate proposed by the AIADMK and BJD, who had to quit his own party NCP to join the Presidential race. The SP and BSP, the two heavyweight parties from UP, are both busy in a competitive bargain with the Congress and the Centre. And the Left bloc too has now got divided with the CPI(M) and Forward Bloc supporting Pranab Mukherjee's candidature even as the CPI and RSP have decided to abstain.

The BJP would have loved to use the Presidential poll as an opportunity to attract more allies, yet ironically enough, it finds two of its oldest allies ditching it on this occasion. Why did Nitish Kumar choose this time to oppose the prospect of Narendra Modi as the NDA's prime ministerial candidate to join hands with the Congress and UPA on the presidential poll? This may well be Nitish Kumar's way of staking his own claim against Modi and a tool for bargaining with the Centre for greater funds for Bihar, but the most pressing reason lies within Bihar where his government is drawing flaks from all quarters for its growing non-performance, failure and betrayal, and Nitish Kumar obviously needs to divert the public attention elsewhere.

The CPI(M)'s support for Pranab Mukherjee has come with the most bankrupt of arguments. Prakash Karat has now joined Buddhadeb Bhattacherjee to argue that the presidential poll should be delinked from the political battle against neo-liberal pro-imperialist policies! 'Oppose Pranab Mukherjee as Finance Minister but support him as President' is the AKG Bhavan's latest doublespeak. Karat also argues that Mukherjee should be supported as he already enjoys 'the widest acceptance' and the CPI(M) should therefore play ball and not spoil the party! He has also candidly reminded everybody that it has been his party's normal practice to support Congress candidates in presidential election, the only exception being the 2002 election when APJ Abdul Kalam was viewed as the BJP's candidate and hence opposed.

Sixteen years ago, it was the CPI(M) which refrained from participating in the UF government at the Centre even as the CPI joined the Union cabinet. Prakash Karat had then famously vetoed Surjeet's proposal to make Jyoti Basu the Prime Minister of the UF government. The circle has now been completed with Prakash Karat reportedly giving his 'casting vote' to prevail over an evenly divided polit bureau and clinch the decision to support Pranab Mukherjee. And ironically, it is now the CPI which has refused to fall in line.

The CPI(M) decision to go with the Congress in the presidential poll has begun to create some ripples within the party with the convenor of the party's research cell resigning from the party in protest. Coupled with the ongoing crisis in Kerala and Prabhat Patnaik's salvo against what he calls the 'feudal-Stalinist' culture in Kerala CPI(M), the debate over the presidential poll may well herald another 'July crisis' for the CPI(M). For all those who had taken the CPI(M)'s Kozhikode Congress call for 'Left and democratic alternative' as sign of a 'leftward restoration and rectification' within the party, the recent Kerala developments and now the decision to support the Congress nominee in presidential election should serve as important 'reality checks'.

It is height of opportunist bankruptcy to suggest that the presidential election has nothing to do with the struggle against the anti-people policies of the government. Equally irrelevant in this case is the CPI(M)'s other stock argument of supporting the Congress to keep the BJP out of power. The only principled course for the Left in this presidential election could have been to abstain, and abstain precisely as a statement of opposition to the policy trajectory of the ruling classes and its disastrous outcome which has pushed the country deep into an all-pervasive crisis marked by unbridled corruption and corporate loot, massive pauperisation, growing imperialist interference and systematic assault on democracy. Thus alone could it forcefully register its political independence and use this occasion to assert its basic position for the approaching political battles. q

CPI(ML) GS Visits Bangladesh

CPI(ML) General Secretary Comrade Dipankar Bhattacharya visited Bangladesh on the occasion of the 8th anniversary of the reorganisation of the Revolutionary Workers' Party of Bangladesh (14 June 2012). He was accompanied by Comrade Basudev Basu, standing committee member of the Party's West Bengal State Committee and one of the National Secretaries of AICCTU.

On 13 June, they visited all important national memorials in Dhaka and paid homage to the martyrs of the Bangladesh liberation war and language movement. On the evening of 14 June, they addressed a seminar on imperialist aggression in South Asia and the fight for people's liberation held in the National Press Club. Comrade Saiful Huq, General Secretary, presented a paper on behalf of RWPB. Other speakers from Bangladesh included economist Anu Muhammad, Secretary of the Committee to Protect Water-oil-gas-power-port, a popular broad-based Left platform of struggle in Bangladesh, and several left leaders and writers. Comrade Dipankar Bhattacharya spoke on behalf of the CPI-ML.

The next day a daylong central delegate session of RWPB took place in which the two parties had an intensive exchange of experiences. On the morning of June 15 there was a get-together with Trade Union leaders of Bangladesh and in the evening there was a seminar on capitalism, corporate media and struggle for people's liberation held in RC Mazumdar Auditorium of Dhaka University. This was organised by the RWPB monthly organ Janoganotantro (People's Democracy) to mark its 8th anniversary. The Speakers included Prof Sirajul Islam Chaudhury, Emeritus Professor of English and noted Marxist intellectual, Nurul Kabir, editor of the English daily The New Age, Benzin Khan, writer, and Comrades Saiful Huq and Dipankar Bhattacharya. The seminar was chaired by Banhisikha Jamali, editor, Janoganotantro and the proceedings were conducted by Dr. Akhtaruzzaman, CCM RWPB and Professor, Food and Nutrition Science, Dhaka University. On the afternoon of June 17 a discussion session took place with leaders of various Left parties in Bangladesh in which CPB President Comrade Monzurul Ahsan Khan, Marxist writer Samsuzzoha Manik, Jonaid Saki, convenor of People's Solidarity Movement, leaders of Basad (Bangladesh Samajtantrik Dal), and various leaders of Ganotantrik Bam Morcha (Democratic Left Alliance) participated.

Experiences of revolutionary communist movements in both countries were exchanged, and discussion took place on issues of bilateral and regional importance, and it was resolved to intensify united anti-imperialist struggle, sectoral cooperation and people-to-people contact and exchange. India's growing strategic proximity and partnership with the US, delay in resolving various issues of bilateral concern and lack of time-bound fulfilment of various commitments made by India in bilateral declarations and agreements are matters of serious public concern and anger in Bangladesh.

The visit will help deepen mutual understanding between the CPI-ML and RWPB, strengthen mutual ties and contribute to the coming together of revolutionary Left forces in South Asia.  

CPI(ML) Dharna on Emergency Day

 Marking the anniversary of the Emergency, the CPI(ML) held a dharna at Jantar Mantar on 26 June against the 'undeclared Emergency' of today, in which various draconian laws and repressive measures are being used to crackdown on dissent and crush democracy. 

CPI(ML) Central Committee member Prabhat Kumar said that the UPA Government is attempting to crack down on the growing people's anger and protest against price rise, corruption and corporate loot. People protesting against corporate land grab and loot are being jailed under draconian laws like 'sedition,' 'waging war on the state' and UAPA. In Bihar, the Government has brutally beaten up and jailed leaders, including the former CPI(ML) MLA, for leading struggles demanding a CBI enquiry into the murder of political activists like Bhaiyyaram Yadav of CPI(ML) and Chhotu Kushwaha. But following the killing of the notorious perpetrators of mass massacres of dalits, Ranveer Sena chief Brahmeshwar Singh, the same Government allowed his supporters to go on a rampage and attack public property and dalit hostels, unchecked. 

CC Member Kavita Krishnan said that draconian laws are being enacted and existing laws amended to violate people's rights and suppress dissent. She cited the instance of Binayak Sen, and condemned the conviction of Seema Azad and Vishwavijay in UP under the clause of 'waging war against the State.' She said that in West Bengal, the CM Mamata Banerjee is jailing anyone who criticizes her – including schoolteachers, university professors and cartoonists! In the North East and Kashmir, the Armed Forces Special Powers Act is being used to protect men in uniform who indulge in the murder of civilians.   

The dharna was conducted by CPI(ML) leader and former President of Kumaon University, Girija Pathak, said that every people's movement is facing a major crackdown: from the adivasis' struggle against land grab by Korean company POSCO in Odisha, to anti-nuclear struggles at Jaitapur and Koodenkulam, to struggles against land grab at Jharkhand, and struggles of forest dwellers at Uttararakhand for their rights.

CPI(ML) Delhi State Secretary Sanjay Sharma said that increasingly spaces for democratic protest are shrinking even in the national capital. Democratic protestors are being forced to seek 'permission' for protests.    

AICCTU Delhi Secretary Santosh Roy said that workers all over the country especially in the Delhi NCR region, are routinely denied their legal right to form unions and demand their rights. He cited the instance of the Air India workers and extended support to their struggle.

AISA National General Secretary Ravi Rai said that Students are being prevented by the Lyngdoh Committee recommendations, from enjoying the freedom to elect student unions of their own choice. All over the country, Muslim youths are being picked up on charges of 'terrorism' – but they are jailed even when there is no evidence against them, and subjected to torture.

The dharna was also addressed by youth from Ramgarh village who spoke of the attack on dalits in their village; by Shivani Nag from JNU, Farhan from Jamia Millia Islamia; social activist Himanshu Kumar, RYA leader Aslam Khan, AICCTU leader Mathura Paswan, and many others, who called to intensify the protest against this undeclared Emergency, break the shackles and free democracy.   

Struggle Against Attacks on Dalit Hostels in Ara

Following the death of Brahmeshwar Singh, his supporters attacked dalit hostels in Ara on June 1. There was widespread arson and loot, with police doing nothing to stop the miscreants. 16 ground floor rooms were fully burnt, and belongings looted. 100 students' marksheets, certificates, and other documents were burnt. 40-50 cycles and 3 motorcycles were burnt. Laptops, TV sets, gas cylinders, cookers, vessels were either destroyed or looted. A bust of Dr. Ambedkar was vandalised.

The Ambedkar Kalyan Hostel at Katira was attacked thrice, and there were also attacks at dalit hostels at Chandi Lodge near Jain College, and at Maulabag.

On 18 June, hostel students organized by AISA gheraoed the DM. Students broke police barricades at the main gate of the DM's office, and held a mass meeting for three hours. Yet the DM did not see fit to meet the students. Instead, students were arrested. The DM met students only at 4 pm on 19 June. AISA demanded compensation and speedy hostel accommodation for the students, and criminal cases against assailants.

On 20 June, AISA and RYA held a militant demonstration to the Chief Minister, led by AISA State Secretary Abhyuday and RYA State Secretary Naveen Kumar. Students marched at noon, clashed with the police at Dakbangla crossing, broke the barricades and marched towards the IT crossing. They were stopped by police at Kotwali Thana and arrested. Inside the police station too they continued to demand to meet the CM. Late in the evening, an AISA-RYA delegation met the SC/ST Welfare Minister Jitanram Majhi, and also sent a letter to the CM, demanding that the hostel be properly rebuilt speedily, and legally allotted to students; students be compensated for the losses they suffered; degrees that were destroyed be reissued to students speedily; students be provided with full security, and provided with alternative living and food arrangements in the interim till the hostel is rebuilt. AISA also pointed out that the dalit hostels are in a sorry state all over Bihar, and demanded an investigation into the diversion of funds meant for SC/ST welfare, as well as the rampant scams in dalit students' scholarships.   

AIPWA State Conference In Odisha

The first State Conference of All India Progressive Women's Association (AIPWA) was held in Odisha on 17 June. Around 148 delegates participated in the state conference from different district of Odisha, including from Rayagada, Bhadarak, Puri, and Kendrapara.

Com Sabita Baraj presented a report of AIPWA activities, which was passed by all members.  A 27-member state council was elected with Comrade Sanjukuta Panigrahi  as President and Comrade Sabita Baraj as General Secretary, Comrades Sita Das, Padmini Gamango and Srimati Das as vice presidents.

The Conference adopted several resolutions – condemning the growing rape and atrocities against women during Naveen Patnaik's rule, especially demanding justice for the dalit rape victim at Pipili; a stop to the promotion of alcohol; condemning the repression on struggles against corporate loot and eviction of women from their land; against sex-selective abortions, trafficking of women; demanding measures to reduce outmigration of women from Odisha in search of work, and social security for women migrants. 

Rickshaw Pullers' Protest at Bhubaneswar

The Rajdhani Rickshaw Cooli Sangha protested at the Bhubaneswar office of the East Coast Railway on 7 June. Around 60 rickshaw pullers marched from Kalinga Hospital, shouting slogans. The rally was led by Mahendra Parida, Secretary of AICCTU and Seema Sethi, General Secretary of the Rickshaw Cooli Sangha. The Rally was culminated at the East Coast Railway office and a mass meeting was held, addressed by Janaki Rao, President of Rajadhani Bastibasinda (slumdwellers') Sangha , Ravi Das, CPI(ML)'s Bhubaneswar local committee member, Seema Sethi and Mahendra Parida. After the meeting, a 5-point charter of demands was given to the General Manager of the ECR by a 5-member delegation. The demand was to provide a permanent rickshaw stand at the Railway Station campus, stop police atrocities by RPF, allow rickshaw pullers inside the railway station to call passengers on hire, and issue the rickshaw pullers permanent passes to enter the railway platform. 

AICCCTU Initiatives in Odisha

On June 4-5, a two-day workshop of construction workers was conducted at Nagabhushan Bhavan. 22 activists from the districts of Gajapati, Kendrapara, Bhubaneswar, Puri, Sundragarh and Keonjhar participated. RN Thakur, General Secretary of the All India Construction Workers' Federation attended as a resource person and Mahendra Parida of AICCTU also assisted. The workshop stressed the need to unionize construction workers and bring them to the fold of AICCTU and AICWF. The participants took up a target of 3000 membership between June to October 2012 and to hold districts conferences.

East Coast Railway Sweepers' Union conducted movements in Puri and Bhubaneswar. Members of the Puri sweepers' union wore black badges demanding that three comrades be taken back on the job and against retrenchment of two workers in Bhubaneswar railway station, as well as provision of PF, ESI, and 4 holidays in a month. After Cormades Dilip Samal, Mahendra Parida and Bharat Ghadei held talks, the workers were taken back on the job.

AIPWA Team Investigates Murder of Woman Gram Pradhan in UP

An AIPWA team visited Sukrit village in Sonbhadra district of UP to look into the murder of a woman gram pradhan. Sonbhadra is a stronghold of land mafia forces, where the latter grab land and indulge in illegal mining. The local police colludes with this loot machinery. Sukrit village in particular is a centre of stone quarrying. Gram pradhans who refuse to be a part of the illegal trade in stone are eliminated by the nexus of land mafia and police. Two women gram pradhans in Sukrit village were recently murdered in such circumstances.

On 5 June, 45-year-ol Dhunna Devi, an adivasi woman gram pradhan was shot dead near her home. The AIPWA team went to the village and met her family and other villagers. The family members told the team that the police was pressurising Dhunna Devi's sons and her husband through torture and beatings to force them to confess to the murder. Villagers said the family was in a state of terror and insecurity. The AIPWA team held a press conference at Robertsganj which was also addressed by Dhunna Devi's family members, and demanded a high-level enquiry into the incident and punishment for the killers; Rs 10 lakh compensation for Dhunna Devi's family; protection for Dhunna Devi's family; and a job for a member of her family.

The team compromised Kusum Verma, Shikha Singh, and Bhagmati from AIPWA as well as CPI(ML) State Secretary Sudhakar Yadav, and activists Shashikant and Rampravesh.        

Convention of Xomox Employees' Union 

To commemorate the silver jubilee of their union, workers of Xomox Sanmar Limited (an American MNC), Tiruchi, Tamilnadu, organized a convention under the banner of Xomox Employees' Union on 17 June, with a slogan "Union will continue to fight for the better working and living conditions of workers". Com A S Kumar, Deputy General Secretary of the State AICCTU was the chief guest. The Convention was addressed among others by Comrades K G Desikan, state secretary of AICCTU and also Ex- President of the union, N Balakrishnan, District President of AITUC and also a labour lawyer, and Selvaraj, Pudukkottai district secretary of CITU. A delegation of factory level union leaders of various constituent companies of Sanmar group like Flowserve, Fisher etc from Chennai also participated.

Almost all factory level leaders of various corporate companies in Tiruchi addressed the convention. Workers of Sanmar group companies , TVS, Rane TRW, Shri Ram Fibres, Cethar Vessels and Ordnance Factory participated. A delegation of contract labour union of Rane who were on the strike for the last 140 days also attended.

All speakers of various streams of TU movement recognized the fighting spirit and solidarity role played by AICCTU in all these 25 years of journey of Xomox employees' union and Industry level struggles of other unions.

Rally in Valsad (Gujarat) for Implementation of Forest Rights Act 2005

CPI(ML) held a rally at Valsad district headquarters in Gujarat on 22 June protesting the non-implementation of Forest Rights Act and reigning terror of land mafia working in nexus with the bureaucrats and politicians in the district. This nexus exposes the reality of Narendra Modi's Vibrant Gujarat' and explains to some extent from where his 'vibrancy' is coming from!

A large part of the Umargaon block of Valsad had been acquisitioned by the Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation long back, and now it has been turned into a big industrial zone. Now, whatever part of land is left is inhabited by the local tribal population who are consistently under the threat of land grabbers and goons. The adivasi living there for generations, have no land records in their names. The Gujarat govt. as well as land mafia both are using forged land records and goons to evict them. The CPI(ML) has been active and struggling for adivasi rights in the area since last five years. Last year there were even organised attacks on villages where party is having people's supprt. The Party continues to resist the land grab attempt going on very aggressively and on a massive scale in many panchayats including Punat, Sarigam, Dili, Malkhet, Manekpur, etc. in this block. There is perfect understanding between Congress and BJP at the grassroots level on how to grab the lands in favour of big capital-mafia nexus. The local MLA Raman Patkar is from BJP have a reputation of a successful land-grabber-cum-mafia. On the other hand, the biggest name in land grabbing is said to be of one Haju Sheikh in this region, who is a known Congress face and incidentally, also an accused in 'Bombay Blast' case.

The nearby Kaprada block covers large forest tracts, but here too eviction of adivasis by forest officials in a routine affair. Instead of providing them land rights documents under Forest Rights Act 2005, the forest lands are being taken from them in the name of building nurseries, or for development of forest produce, and being given to various agencies, mainly the NGOs. The records of adivasis habitations have yet not been prepared in Palsana and Silada panchayats where around hundred families are residing on nearly 500 acres in forest for many generations.

This rally was organised is this backdrop, where hundreds of adivasi toiling masses enthusistically took part with red flags and banners. A large number of participants were women. Rally was addressed by CPI(ML) CC member Prabhat Kumar, and Gujarat State Committee member Laxman Patanwadia, Party's Valsad leader Laxman Varia, RYAs Amit and many others. The Rally gave a memorandum demanding 1- Giving land rights of all adivasis living on their land for generations and making proper documents in this regard, 2- Reclaiming those lands which have been snatched from adivisis by the land mafia in various ways, 3- To implement Forest Rights Act 2005, 4- to Constitute a Special Task Force for this purpose, and 5- to punish those guilty of attacking poor adivasis, activists and CPI(ML) leaders in the past and to speedily resolve court cases against them in order to provide justice to the common adivasis and struggling activists.

Obituary

Comrade Neema Nagarkoti

The Party mourns the untimely demise of Com. Neema Nagarkoti in a road accident on 9 June, 2012 while she was on her way to Pithoragarh to attend the Uttarakhand State Committee meeting of AICCTU. Com. Neema was a dedicated party worker, and an active leader of AICCTU and the ASHA workers' Union.  She was an able organizer, energetic leader and a fighter for whom our best tribute would be to work harder towards the vision of a just and oppression-free India.

35 year old Com. Neema faced and overcame many obstacles in her personal life. Struggle made her strong and she brought the same faith in struggle and the same strength to her work in public life too. Initially she was district secretary of an NGO-run ASHA Workers' Union.  In May 2011 she came into contact with the Party and AICCTU, and became the President of the Moonakot Block Unit. Com. Neema actively participated in the district level workshops, the rally in Delhi on September 5, 2011 and the National conference of AICCTU in Bhilai in November 2011. Her dedication as a member of CPI-ML, State committee member of ASHA Union and District committee member of AICCTU was remarkable.

Red Salute to Com. Neema!

Comrade Dipankar Mukherjee

The CPI(ML) expresses heartfelt condolences on sudden demise of Comrade Dipankar Mukherjee, senior leader of the CITU.

He passed away at Ganga Ram Hospital, New Delhi on 18 June 2012, following a bout with pancreatic cancer. He was 69.

As a trade union leader, and as a parliamentarian (he had been a Rajya Sabha MP from the CPI(M) for 12 years), he resisted the policies of privatization. He was known for his deep grasp of working class issues.

Like many on the Left, he felt deep concerns about the direction of the Left movement in India. It is a sign of his abiding hope and faith in the Left movement that, just a few months before his sudden illness and demise, he had visited the CPI(ML) office to meet with the party General Secretary Comrade Dipankar Bhattacharya.

Comrade Dipankar Mukherjee's passing is a deep loss to the working class movement and the Left movement.        

Red Salute to Comrade Dipankar Mukherjee!  

ML Update 26 / 2012

ML Update

A CPI(ML) Weekly News Magazine

Vol.  15             No. 26                                                                         19 - 25 JUN 2012

Greece After Second Round Polls: Harder Struggles Ahead

Following the inconclusive ballot of 6 May, the 18 June elections confronted the people of Greece with three basic platforms to chose from: to remain in the Eurozone and the EU and renegotiate the bail-out conditionalities, as espoused by New Democracy (ND) and PASOK, the traditional ruling parties; to remain in the Eurozone and the EU, but default unilaterally on debt and reject the Memorandum (the conditionalities) as proposed by SYRIZA, the rapidly developing militant Left; to reject the debt, the whole EU project, and the NATO with it, as espoused by the Communist Party.

 

The first position meant continuation and deepening of the socio-economic crises that have already produced  five years of negative growth, over 23% unemployment, an astronomical rise in poverty (from less than 15% to over 40%) and mounting suicides. The third position was revolutionary in strategic terms, but generated concerns about the harsh consequences of a sudden decoupling from the Eurozone. The second platform strove to strike a golden mean: rebel against the most onerous injustice and exploitation but don't get isolated from the European alliance.

 

The Greek and international bourgeois media sought to terrorise the electorate with a picture of economic chaos and collapse if Syriza were to win the elections and implement its programme. And it worked. The fear of being kicked out of the Eurozone funding and capital markets, with hardly any reserves in national coffers to cover salaries, pensions or public services, proved a bit stronger than the anger over continuing austerity. This was what catapulted the ND into the first place. It vastly improved its vote share from 18.9% in the May 6 polls to 29.6%.  PASOK was further punished by the electorate and got 12.3%, down from 13.2% in the last round.  SYRIZA finished a close second, taking the second leap from 16.8% six weeks ago to 26.9% this time. On the downside, the neo-fascist Golden Dawn (which advocates, inter alia, forcing immigrants into work camps) retained its nearly 7% vote share despite the fact that after 6th May there was much more evidence (such as a recent TV chat show where one of its notorious leaders physically attacked another panelist) regarding its fascist nature, even as the radical left Communist Party of Greece (KKE) saw its share plummeting to 4.5% from 8.5%.

 

No doubt the most significant element in the election outcome is the steady progress recorded by SIRYZA, which had won just 4.6 per cent of the vote in the October 2009 elections. It has decided to oppose the forthcoming coalition government, to be headed by ND with the participation or support of PASOK and the Democratic Left (with 6.26% vote share) within and without the parliament.

 

As expected, Barack Obama and Angela Merkel immediately praised the election results. Euro exchange rates jumped and a mini-rally in equities markets took place. Germany has also said there could be a slight extension of the deficit- cutting deadline. But ND has promised more, such as a freeze in pension and salary cuts, and there will be great pressure on the new government to at least partly remove the austerity measures. German Chancellor Angela Merkel had this in mind when she warned, "Elections cannot call into question the commitments Greece made. We cannot compromise on the reform steps we agreed on". Obviously, political turbulence on these issues will grow once the government is formed.

 

For the time being, imperialist powers can heave a sigh of relief to see the threat of "Greekxit" and implosion of the Eurozone recede into the background.  But they know pretty well that the government in power will find the going extremely tough in the face of mighty public protests. Radicalisation of Greece, a member of the European Union and NATO, will only accelerate in the months to come and this will have great contagion effect across Europe and the world.  If Syriza and the KKE duly play the role of resistance expected of them, the rightist victory of 18 June will surely open up the road to new victories for the Left in electoral as well as parliamentary battles.

Statewide Protests by Five Left parties in Bihar

Demands CBI Inquiry into the Political Patronage Given to Ranvir Sena

Five left parties including CPI(ML), CPI, CPI(M), Froward Bloc and SUCI, held dharnas at district headquarters in Bihar demanding CBI probe into the political connections of Ranvir Sena, police firing in Forbisganj, Amausi case where innocent Musahars have been awarded death sentence, and into the killings of CPI(ML) leader Bhaiyaram yadav in Rohtas, Chhotu Kushwaha, a popular Mukhiya in Aurangabad, and murders of Surendra Yadav- Yogendra Sao. It was also demanded from the Nitish Govt. to fulfill the promise of going for Appeal in Supreme Court to get justice for the Bathani Tola victims. They said that Bihar Govt. had denied CBI inquiry in all above cases, while it was too prompt in recommending CBI inquiry into the killing of Brahmeshwar Singh. This clearly shows a surrender before feudal forces, and demanded that this probe too should be done by encompassing all the mass massacres carried out by the Ranvir Sena and latter's political connections as well as its funding sources.

 

CPI(ML) Politburo member Ramjatan Sharma, Bihar State Secretary Kunal, Central Committee members Dhirendra Jha and Nand Kishore Prasad, CPI State Secretary Rajendra Singh, CPI Secretariat member Jabbar Alam, CPM leader Arum Mishra, SUCI(C)'s Arun Singh and Forward Bloc leader Vakil Thakur joined Dharna at Kargil Chowk in Patna. The Left leaders said that the Bihar government has recommended CBI probe into the killing of Ranvir Sena chief Brahmeshwar Singh but has left the related issues untouched, particularly the political connections and patronage given to Ranvir Sena. Similarly, a CBI probe was instituted in the case of killing of BJP MLA Rajkishore Kesri at Purnia in what came to be known as Rupam Pathak case, but the central investigation agency was not given the task to look into the charges of rape and sexual abuse suffered by the her.

 

They said that the Nitish govt. has proved itself to be a mask of feudal-communal forces in the state. That is how now it seems to be backtracking, under pressure of communal forces, from its promise of going to SC for appeal in Bathani Tola case. This govt. is ignoring the democratic voices in support of Bathani Tola from all over the country. Nitish government instead of ordering CBI probes in various incedents of oppression, is trying barbarically to suppress all democratic protests in Bihar.

 

They further added that common masses, dalits, maha-dalits, pasmanda muslims, poor oppressed were killed in dozens of mass-massacres, but the culprits are never punished. While government is not inquiring into the political links of Ranvir Sena, many prominent political faces were seen at the cremetion of Ranvir Sena on 2 June in Patna. They are the people who protected Ranvir Sena, and if government is really willing, then could have taken action against them. Now a comprehensive CBI inquiry must be done in all affairs of Ranvir Sena.

 

The culprits of Forbisganj, where muslims were killed by police, are not punished only to appease the communal forces in the state, while fact that the innocent poor maha-dalit Musahars are given death sentence in Amausi case and Rupam Pathak is awarded Life sencence, is highly deplorable.

 

The false promise of giving 3 decimel of land to maha-dalits, and the benefits being given to land-mafia lobby in the name of giving land to maha-dalits was condemned in the dharna. The dharnas held in various districts also demanded dismissal of Health Minister Ashwini Chaubey for his criminal neglect of children suffering from encephalitis which has resulted in the deaths of more than 100 cheldren. A high level probe into the irregularities in the purchase of uninhabitable land to be allotted to Mahadalit families in Araria and Nalanda districts was also demanded.

 

The dharnas were held in all important centres of Bihar including Bhojpur, Siwan, Arwal, Sasaram, Nalanda, Gaya, Bhagalpur, Begusarai, Madhubani, Darbhanga, Shekhpura, Mujaffarpur, Gapalganj, Purnea and Araria.

Four Left Parties to Contest Municipal Elections jointly in UP

CPI(ML), CPI, Forward Block and RSP have reached to an understanding for municipal elections in Uttar Pradesh. These parties will support each other's candidates. A joint press statement has been issued in this regard. The Municipal elections will be held from 24 June to 4 July and results will be out on 7 July. The CPI(ML) will field its candidates for the Mayor in Gorakhpur, for Municipal Council Presidents in Robertsganj and Sultanpur, Nagar Panchayat Presidents in Maniyar in Balia, Suriyawan in Bhadohi, Nichlaul and Siswan in Maharajganj, and for Ward members in at least 13 districts all over the state.

Rural Poor Struggle for Homestead Lands in Madhubani

vis-a-vis Attacks by Feudals

Thousands of rural poor under the banner of CPI(ML) held a militant march in Madhubani which was concluded at the district headquarters, on 15 June 2012. The marchers demanded action against feudal forces which instituted attacks on dalit and rural poor demanding lands for homesteads. Party has been conducting a 'rehabilitate the poor' (Garib Basaao) campaign in the district since January last, which has resulted in exposing illegal occupations by feudals and Mahants on common lands. At many places in the district such lands were identified and distributed among poor at Party's initiatives. In January, 50 landless families were rehabilitated in Basuara village on a three acre land plot which was freed from unauthorised occupation of a Mahanth. Later another 10 acres land was redistributed to poor in the same area. This had resulted in framing of false cases against many CPI(ML) activists by the Mahant and land mafia.

 

Another 100 maha-dalit families was provided 5 acres of land that was freed from feudals in Kasiyana village of Rajnagar block. In Laheriaganj, 300 families were given homesteads on a 11 acres of freed land. A pond was also occupied in Mangarauni by the villegers. Landlords tried this attempt to foil, first time by going to court- while villagers went for a mediation through village mukhiya- and then they organised an attack on villagers by mobilising tens of goons on June 4, 2012. This was foiled in face of mass resistance put up by the villagers. Attackers fled leaving their vehicles on the spot, which were seized by the police. Later hundreds of feudals gathers at Madhubani, on June 6, and openly threatened of armed attacks on villagers!

 

The protest on 15 June was held in this backdrop. People participated with red flags, placards, and with traditional bows and arrows. They demanded arrests of those who instituted attack on CPI(ML) office in Mangarauni, identification of feudal elements with criminal backgrounds and action against them, inquiry into the activities of land mafia by the a special crime branch, redistribution of common village lands presently under illegal occupation of land mafia and feudal elements, and CBI inquiry into the land scams in the state. These struggles have resulted in renewed enthusiasm among rural poor and people are also seeing this as renewal of the communist movement in the region, while feudal-criminal elements see this as a challenge to their so far unchallenged dominance.

Protests Mark the Anniversary of Forbisganj Firing

JNU Students Union and many other organisations held a protest demonstration in Delhi at Bihar Bhavan on 3 June. They sent a memorandum to the CM of Bihar demanding CBI inquiry in Forbisganj firing incident and action against police personnel involved in firing.

 

CPI(ML) held a demonstration in Patna on this issue. This was led by Dhirendra Jha, Saroj Chaube, Kamlesh Sharma, Anita Sinha, Abhyuday and others. They said that Nitish govt. is protecting communal forces led by BJP, and hence it is not taking any action against the accused persons. Nitish is equal partner in the BJP-Sangh's anti-Muslim politics. Dozens of Party activists also marched in Fatuha town to mark the anniversary of this heinous incident and recorded their protest. Protests were also held in Purnea and Bhagalpur and many other places. In Darbhanga, a convention was organised by CPI(ML) and Inquilabi Muslim Conference in Hamidia Madarsa which was addressed by Party district Sec. Baidyanath Yadav, RK Sahni, Md. Abdullah, Devendra Kumar and Md. Murtaza.

Arrest the Arsonists who Set on Fire

Com. Mahboob Alam's House

CPI(ML) Bihar State Committee member and two-time MLA from Barsoi Comrade Mahboob Alam's house was set on fire in the night of 25 May 2012. He lives in a kachha thatched house which was sprinkled with petrol. A CPI(ML) team comprising of CCM and AIALA President Rameshwar Prasad, All India Kisan Mahasabha Bihar Secretary Rajendra Patel, Purnea Party District Secretary Pankaj Kumar, and AISA leader Mukesh visited his place and submitted a detailed report. Before setting the house on fire, criminals locked the door from outside and also removed the bolts from hand-pump installed in front of the house so that water may not be available to extinguish the fire. Attackers might have thought Com. Mahboob was inside, but he was not present there owing to some meeting with the villagers. His family, wife and children, some how managed to got out and neighbours seeing the high flames came to rescue. Every thing in the house was burnt to ashes, including books and literature Mahboob had been collecting since decades.

 

The CPI(ML) team met hundreds of people in the area and felt that comrade Mahboob is under threat from feudal-mafia nexus, led mainly by NCP and BJP leaders, against which he has been struggling for years. He is an immensely popular leader and hence being seen as an obstacle by the ruling class parties, especially NCP. All such parties represent the interests of communal-feudal nexus in Katihar and Barsoi. A FIR had been lodged immediately but so far nothing has been done by police and administration.

 

A road-blockade was organised in protest on 28 May, while a protest and mass meeting was held in Barsoi with the demand to arrest the culprits. A dharna was also held on 1 June in district headquarter Katihar to demand the identification of arsonists and to provide security for Comrade Mahbub.

Open Letter to P Chidambaram Against Witch-Hunt of Muslims

On June 14, activists of various organisations including the AISA, JNU Students' Union and Aman Biradari, Bhartiya Muslim Mahila Andolan, Centre for Policy Analysis, Champa - The Amiya & B.G. Rao Foundation, Citizens for Democracy, Jamia Teacher's Solidarity Association (JTSA), Movement for Empowerment of Muslim Indians (MOEMIN), PUCL (Delhi unit), Revolutionary Youth Association, and many other organisations planned to hold a demonstration outside Home Minister P Chidambaram's house in protest against the communal profiling of Muslim youth in the 'war against terror'. The demonstrators were detained at the Safdarjung Police Station and not allowed to reach the venue of the protest. They carried on with the protest meeting at the Police Station itself and issued a letter to the Home Minister in which they condemned the disappearances and illegal detentions which are now rampant in the name of fighting terrorism.

The letter said that "it is as though a new wave of counter terrorism has been launched to terrorize the youth belonging to a community. In this Kafkaesque world over which you preside, young men are picked up, some times snatched by one agency from another and presented to the world as dreaded terrorists. You may remember the case of Naquee Ahmed who was aiding the Special Cell in tracing two suspects in Mumbai when the Mumbai ATS abducted and kept him in illegal custody before announcing that a sensational arrest had been made. The Special Cell of course abandoned him. Competition between the agencies is costing innocents their life and liberty and when these squabbles spill into the media, your Ministry merely considers them bad PR rather than genuine concerns of a democracy." The protesters demanded an end to such ceaseless assaults and Investigating agencies' reign of terror, terming it an issue of justice and democracy. They expressed grave concern and condemned the murder of Md. Qateel in a Maharashtra jail recently.

AMU Students Visit Koshikalan after the Riots

Students from Aligarh Muslim University's Law Faculty , Shahab Ahmed and Mohd. Basel, visited Koshikalan, the town in Mathura district where riots broke out recently. The students observed that the markets are still closed, both communities are blaming each other for the impasse and trying to take revenge. The very fabric of the society, the trust and cooperation are on the brink of the collapse. All these clashes started over a petty issue of water which Muslims have managed for people who are coming out after paying namaz inside the Mosque. In the meantime, A person namely Dev Mehrauli (belonging to Vaishya community) cleaned his hand after taking water from that drum after urinating at some distance. It triggered Muslim sentiments, an exchange of foul words took place. Anyhow muslims went to offer namaz inside the Mosque. The duration of gap was well utilized by the VHP leader, RN Bhardwaj and Depak Jaiswal, who got whole hearted support of Lekhraj Chaudhary (M.L.C) and Chaudhray Laxmi Narayan, former Agriculture minister. It is interesting to note that the municipal election is at hand in U.P. This incident killed four person, 3 Muslim, Kallu, Bhura (both twins) and Salahuddin Shaikh and one Hindu Sonu Saini and around 25 persons injured and atleast 150 shops were burnt down and many houses were looted. If the necessary step would have taken earlier then the damage had been minimized. Now, situation is under curfew but their exist essence of insecurity. Unfortunately no civil society group, no human rights group and no intellectual interference have been made so far, they observed.

Edited, published and printed by S. Bhattacharya for CPI(ML) Liberation from U-90, Shakarpur, Delhi-92; printed at Bol Publication,
R-18/2, Ramesh Park, Laxmi Nagar, Delhi-92; Phone:22521067; fax: 22518248, e-mail: mlupdate@cpiml.org, website: www.cpiml.org

ML Update 25 / 2012

ML Update

A CPI(ML) Weekly News Magazine

Vol. 15, No. 25, 12 – 18 JUNE 2012

Who Killed Mohd. Qateel Siddiqi?

Mohd. Qateel Siddiqi of Darbhanga had been in jail since November 2011 after being arrested on charges of involvement in several blast cases. On 8 June, inside Yerawada jail in Pune, two gangsters, Sharad Mohol and Alok Bhalerao, are said to have strangled Qateel to death.

It should be noted that the Maharashtra ATS had failed to file a chargesheet against Qateel in the 7 months from November 2011 till June 2012. We can recall that recently, the Adarsh scam accused got bail because the CBI failed to file a chargesheet within the stipulated 6-day period. If the same norms had applied to terror cases, Qateel should have been free, given the failure of authorities to assemble any proof against him. Yet, he remained in jail, and the ATS kept claiming he was a 'key Indian Mujahideen (IM) operative.'

The gangsters claim they killed Qateel because he was 'anti-national'. It is a telling comment on the state of democracy in India, that criminal gangsters can claim to be 'patriotic' on the strength of having murdered a young Muslim terror-accused, who they can brand 'anti-national,' even without charges being framed, let alone proved in court!

The custodial murder of Qateel raises serious questions about the role of the jail authorities. Qateel was lodged in the high security part of the jail; where it would surely have been difficult for the murder to be committed without the knowledge of jail authorities.

The investigative agencies too are under a cloud. Their failure to file a chargesheet indicates that sooner or later, their lack of evidence to back up their allegations would have been exposed in court. And there are strong reasons to suspect that they too might have had a role in the suspicious murder of Qateel inside jail. Jails are notorious for attacks on accused prisoners, and there have been many cases in which key witnesses, who stand to embarrass governments or investigative agencies, have been eliminated within jails, either in contrived 'suicides' or at the hands of hired criminals.

As it is, the intelligence agencies stand deeply discredited in successive high-profile cases including Malegaon, Mecca Masjid, and Samjhauta Express blasts. Muslims jailed and tortured for years were proved innocent, while today, members of Sangh Parivar outfits stand implicated. Increasingly, instances of false framing of innocents are also being exposed. In a recent case, Naqee Ahmad from Darbhanga, an informer for the Delhi Police Special Cell, was overnight transformed into one of the main accused by the Maharashtra ATS in the 13/7 Mumbai blast case, with a public tug-of-war between the two agencies over him.

Rather than risk embarrassment in the case of Qateel being proved innocent, it might well have seemed convenient to investigative agencies to have him eliminated within the jail itself. Had he remained alive, he was likely to disown his 'confession' which he had claimed was obtained under torture. Now that he is dead, his 'confession' is likely to be used to implicate others.

Qateel's fate underlines the vulnerability of Muslim youth arrested on terror charges. There are many cases of fake encounters and custodial deaths; and it is common for them to be kept in illegal custody for long periods. A recent instance is that of Bihar-origin engineer Fasih Mahmood, who was picked from his home in Saudi Arabia on 13th May, allegedly on the request of Indian investigative agencies, but who is now missing.

The murder of Qateel also exposes the duplicity and hypocrisy of the Congress. During the UP elections, Salman Khursheed invoked 'Sonia's tears' for the Batla House victims, while Digvijay Singh similarly tried to invoke Batla House in order to garner votes at Azamgarh. But Congress-ruled Governments like Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh are foremost, on par with BJP-ruled Gujarat, in the false framing and custodial attacks on Muslim terror-accused.

An impartial enquiry must be ordered at the earliest to establish the truth in the murder of Qateel Siddiqi, and compensation must be given to his family by the Maharashtra Government, in whose jail the murder took place. Above all, there is a need to strongly resist the disturbing trend to make Darbhanga another stage, like Azamgarh, for the communal profiling and witch-hunt of Muslim youth.

Human Chain and Condolence Meet for Comrade TPC at Delhi

On June 9, a human chain and condolence meet was held at Kerala House in Delhi, in memory of Comrade TP Chandrashekharan who was brutally murdered in Kerala in May. Participants in these memorial programs included students and professionals hailing from Kerala, journalists, teachers, and leaders of the All India Left Coordination (AILC).

Participants wore badges that had images of Comrade TPC and Gulmohar flowers, with the slogan, "Indraprastha salutes the Gulmohar that was torn off on a May twilight." A long line of people joined hands in the Human Chain outside Kerala House, with placards saying, "Punish the Killers of Comrade TP Chandrashekharan"; "Opportunist Left Should Know: Vendetta and Violence Cannot Silence Genuine Revolutionaries like Comrade TPC"; "Long Live Comrade TPC – Brave Communist Who Upheld the Legacy of the 1948 Onchiyam Martyrs!"; "Who Is the 'Traitor' to the Left Movement? Those who hack to death a young Left activist for ideological differences? Or those like TPC who lay down their lives for the Left cause?" and "All Genuine Leftists Know TPC Is a Martyr! Shame on Those Who Brand Him a 'Traitor'!"

The Human Chain was followed by the Condolence Meet inside the Conference Hall of Kerala House. The meeting was chaired by Comrade Kumaran Kutty, President of the Left Coordination Committee, Kerala, which is an AILC constituent, and is the platform of which Comrade TPC's party, the Revolutionary Marxist Party, was a part. Comrade Kutty introduced the meeting, telling people about the series of attacks on Comrade TPC and other RMP activists who had left the CPI(M) in 2008. He pointed out that there were many in Kerala who left CPI(M) to join the Congress; yet it was Comrade TPC, who remained committed to Left ideals, whom the CPI(M) branded as 'betrayer.' He also gave details about the ongoing spate of arrests of CPI(M) leaders for involvement in the case. He said that just a few days before the murder, CPI(M) cadres, while observing Onchiyam martyrs' day on 30 April, raised threatening slogans such as 'TPC your days are numbered' and 'TPC you will be laid out in white cloth,' in the presence of CPI(M) Politburo member Kodiyeri Balakrishnan. The murder took place following a series of attacks and such explicit threats.

Comrade Mangat Ram Pasla, Secretary of CPM Punjab, saluted Comrade TPC as a true communist. He said that the CPI(M) has a history of attacking those who present an ideological and political critique from a radical Left perspective. In Punjab too, he said, his party comrades had been attacked when they left the CPI(M). He called for Left supporters to show true solidarity with Comrade TPC by strengthening the struggle to build a fighting Left movement in Kerala and in the country.

Comrade Swapan Mukherjee, CC member of the CPI(ML), said Comrade TPC was killed for offering a powerful ideological challenge for the CPI(M). Perhaps those who killed him hoped to confine the RMP to a few pockets of Kerala; but the murder has had the opposite effect. RMP and LCC leaders are being contacted by Left supporters from all over Kerala, eager to join the movement represented by Comrade TPC. He said Comrade TPC had upheld the legacy of the historic communist martyrs of Onchiyam.

Sumit Chakravarty, editor, Mainstream, spoke of how JNUSU President Comrade Chandrashekhar had been killed at the behest of a criminal ruling class politician Shahabuddin. It is tragic that another idealistic Left activist, Comrade Chandrasekharan, had been murdered, but this time it was a Left party which stood implicated in this heinous murder.

Gopi Krishnan, journalist with the Pioneer, warned of the poor track record of justice in cases of political murders in Kerala, and called upon people to maintain vigil during the course of investigation and trial so that the killers and conspirators were truly identified and punished. RG James, former JNUSU office-bearer also addressed the meeting. Kavita Krishnan, CC member of CPI(ML), and Shivani Nag, JNUSU Councillor, spoke of their visit to Onchiyam to meet Comrade TPC's family earlier this month.

Ravi Rai, General Secretary of AISA, said that in an aberrant instance, an SFI leader of Delhi joined NSUI citing the murder. He said that students would reject such shameful attempts to use the murder to garner support for the politics of the Congress. Instead, students and youth would continue to be inspired by the example of Comrade TPC, who shunned the Congress and struggled to build a genuinely radical Left movement. Historian Tripta Wahi, and senior journalist Jawed Naqvi also participated in the meeting.

The meeting adopted a pledge saying, "politics based on violence will only weaken healthy political movements. We respect the political consciousness showed by Com. TP Chandrasekhran. We will do our best in order to ensure that such crimes will not repeat anywhere in the future," and a Condolence resolution detailing major highlights of Comrade TPC's biography, and stating, "In the land where political murders are a part and parcel, martyr Comrade TP Chandrasekhar has become a hope of an ideal political culture."

CPI(ML)'s Statewide "Dhikkar Diwas" against Nitish Govt's Double Standards

The CPI(ML) organised and observed 'dhikkar' (damning)marches and street corner meetings at various district centres throughout the State including Patna on 8 June against utter insensitivity of the Nitish Govt to the constantly maintianed demand of CBI enquiry into the Forbesganj Police firing and the political murders of Bhaiyaram Yadav and Chhotu Kushwaha; against disbanding of the Justice Amir Das Commission and giving nod for CBI enquiry into the murder of Ranvir Sena chief Brahmeshwar Singh. Through these marches and street corner meetings the Party cadres and members everywhere in Bihar condemned and opposed this deeply biased act of agreeing for CBI enquiry in Ranvir Sena chief's murder. On the other hand the Govt is showing reluctance in filing review petition in the Supreme Court to challenge the Patna High Court's verdict acquitting all the accused in Bathani Tola massacre.

At many place the Party members also burnt effigies of Nitish Kumar- patron of the feudal-communal –criminal forces in Bihar. In Patna, the 'dhikkar' march started from Radio Station and culminated in a protest meeting at Station roundabout. The march was led by Comrades Saroj Chaubey (CC member), Santosh Sahar, Abhyuday, Murtaza Ali among others. The speakers in the meeting said that after the murders of Bhaiyaram Yadav and Chhotu Kushwaha thousands of people have been regularly demonstrating on streets demanding CBI enquiry and there was no rampaging and mob violence as perpetrated by Ranvir Sena supporters after the mastermind of several massacres Brahmeshwar Singh was killed. Yet the Govt has been quick in approving a CBI enquiry. The speakers also alleged that Nitish Kumar is mask for feudal-communal-criminal forces of Bihar and the injustices against dalit-poor-minorities is continuing unabated under his tenure. The CPI(ML), they said will also continue unabated the crusade for justice.

The 'dhikkar' marches were held at Arwal, Bhojpur, Siwan, Aurangabad, Jahanabad, Bhabhua, Muzaffarpur, Darbhanga, Purnia, Nalanda, Bhagalpur, Jahanabad, Aurangabad (Haspura, Daudnagar, Obra, Deo, etc.), Siwan, Fatuha, Masaurhi and Fulwari among other district centres and towns. In Bhojpur, street corner meetings exposing the regime were held at Ara, Jagdishpur, Sahar, Tarari, Bihiya, Charpokhari, etc.

Massive Demonstration by Khatta & Forest Dwellers in Uttarakhand

All India Kisan Mahasabha (AIKM) organised a massive protest rally comprising Khatta and forest dwellers in Lalkuan (Nainital distrixct) on 11 June against their repression by the State's Bahuguna Govt. The rally was led by Comrades Purushottam Sharma (AIKM's State President), Rajendra Pratholi (Party's State Secretary), Bahadur Singh Jangi and Ghulam Nabi among others.

As has been reported in the past two years, the Khatta dwellers and forest gurjars have been agitating for implementation of the Forest Act and their basic rights. Numbering about a lakh and a half, these people have never been given affiliation to village panchayats, nor given basic facilities like ration cards, medical help, education, roads, electricity and water, not even MNREGA, NRHM, Aanganwadi, old age pension and family registration facilities.

Under pressure from a series of agitation led by AIKM, the Nainital administration had begun to deliver in these forest villages/Khattas on some basic demands after a compromise last year on 23 July. However, the new Congress Govt in Uttarakhand has stalled all that and has started instead repressing-harassing these people. On 17 May, 25 forest personnel led by SDO of Forest Dept attacked Vangurjar hamlet of Cheedkhatta and beat up women and young people. The people beaten up were mostly family members of Comrade Ghulam Nabi (AIKM Vice President of Uttarakhand). Three gurjar youth were later arrested by police and sent to jail. Meanwhile, the forest officials have also cut off water sources where cattle and other domesticated animals drink water by putting up barbed-wire fences or by digging trenches in their way. The forest dwellers are also being threatened by the officials not to plant crops any more in any of the forest villages and hamlets.

In this backdrop the AIKM decided to launch wide-spread protest. A conference was held on 3 June at Cheedkhatta. This conference decided to hold a massive rally on 11 June at Lalkuan. The rally was addressed by above leaders who warned that if the repression and harassment is not halted immediately the AIKM will gherao the State Secretariat. The rally also demanded dropping off of all false charges on the forest dwellers of Cheedkhatta.

The rally started from old tehsil and traversed busiest places in Lalkuan before culminating at new tehsil campus where a memorandum to the Chief Minister was handed to the Dy. DM.

Seminar in Nagpur on Present International Situation & Communist Movement

Comrade Swapan Mukherjee, General Secretary of All India Central Council of Trade Unions (AICCTU) addressed a seminar as the main speaker in Nagpur on above mentioned topic on 26 May. Other speakers included Comrade Chandrapal Singh (Inquilabi Sarvahara Manch), Comrade Saroj Meshram, Comrade Ashu Saxena, Comrade Ahish Bose, Comrade Namdev Lagwe and Comrade Arvind Ghosh among others.

Party GBM in Nagpur

A GBM, presided over by Comrade Swapan Mukherjee, was held on 27 May in Nagpur. Party members in Nagpur attended the meeting and a seven-member Nagpur District Committee was elected. Comrade Harendra Srivastava was elected secretary of the committee. Some of the organisational decisions were to increase Party membership in Nagpur and hold Nagpur District conference by the year end.

AICCTU Leading Auto-rickshaw Strike in Kanpur

The AICCTU affiliated Tempo-Taxi Federation is leading a strike of auto-rickshaws in Kanpur since 6 June against administrations arbitrary decision of stopping the plying of auto-rickshaws in certain areas of the city. The indefinite dharna comprising mostly auto-drivers is being led by Comrade Anant Ram Bajpayee. They have threatened of a chakka-jam if the administration does not pay heed to their concerns.

 

Edited, published and printed by S. Bhattacharya for CPI(ML) Liberation from U-90, Shakarpur, Delhi-92; printed at Bol Publication, R-18/2, Ramesh Park, Laxmi Nagar, Delhi-92; Phone:22521067; fax: 22442790, e-mail: mlupdate@cpiml.org, website: www.cpiml.org

ML Update 23 / 2012

ML Update

A CPI(ML) Weekly News Magazine

Vol. 15, No. 23, 29 MAY – 04 JUNE 2012

Three Years of UPA-II: Insufferable Saga of Corruption and Economic Disaster

Even as the UPA government celebrated the third anniversary of its second term with a report card claiming record food grains production and a dramatic decline in poverty, the country was treated to an unprecedented oil shock with the price of petrol shooting up by more than 10 per cent. A litre of petrol now costs around Rs. 75, and with the value of the rupee depreciating almost every passing day in relation to dollar, the price of not only petrol but every imported item threatens to escalate relentlessly in the days to come.

While the price of petrol has been deregulated to enable it to soar freely, subsidies are being reduced across the board leading to a steady increase in the prices of almost all articles of essential mass consumption. An analysis of the ongoing pattern of price rise indicates that primary products, especially food and vegetable, are showing the highest rate of increase. In the eight years of UPA rule, primary articles have become 119% more expensive; fuel and power prices have gone up by 90.4% while there has been a 45% increase in the prices of manufactured products.

This pattern of price rise naturally means the poor have been the worst victims. According to the latest NSSO survey on monthly per capita consumption expenditure, food items account for 66% of the monthly expenditure of the poorest 10% as opposed to 38% of that of the richest 10% of rural households. The corresponding figures for urban households are 63% and 25% respectively. Yet in spite of this massive systematic pauperisation, the UPA government goes on claiming the miraculous feat of reduction in poverty by just lowering the poverty lines!

With the rupee undergoing a free fall, India's import bill has started shooting up, petrol and defence purchases accounting for two major components. With this, the government has once again started warning about an impending balance of payments crisis (import bill being far in excess of export income) – the same pretext that had triggered the policy shift in 1991 to indiscriminate liberalisation, privatisation and globalisation. After two decades of neoliberal reforms the economy is thus almost back to square one, and to cope with this crisis the government is advising the people to go for wholesale austerity measures! It is another matter that relentless rise in prices has already pushed the overwhelming majority of Indians into a state of utter austerity bordering on starvation.

In stark contrast stands the government, epitomising obscene opulence and ostentation. The President of India is reported to have undertaken more than a dozen foreign trips covering 22 countries spanning four continents spending nearly three months and more than Rs. 200 crore. Not to be left behind is Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar who is credited with 29 foreign trips in 35 months. And then there is Montek Singh Ahluwalia, the Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission who prescribes a little less than Rs. 23 as the 'poverty line' daily expenditure for rural Indians, but whose average daily expenditure during his foreign travels works out to Rs. 2.02 lakh. And in the last eight years he has undertaken nearly 50 foreign trips, almost half of them to the US!

Corruption, the other hallmark of the Manmohan Singh regime, has also been scaling newer heights. The CAG final report on 'coalgate' has of course lowered the estimated loss to the national exchequer from Rs. 10.67 lakh crore to Rs. 1.80 lakh crore, by taking out public sector and state government entities from the purview of calculation. What the final report therefore concludes is that between 2004 and 2009, private coal block allottees were handed out undue benefit worth Rs. 1.80lakh crore which is still higher than the highest estimate of the 2G scam.

Cornered over the issue of corruption and black money, the government has finally made a farcical attempt to come out with a white paper on black money claiming a decline in Indian deposits held in Swiss banks from Rs 23,373 crore in 2006 to Rs 9,295 in 2010! This perhaps only signifies the growing preference for other offshore destinations for accumulation of illicit wealth and the 'white paper' miserably fails or rather refuses to provide any realistic picture of the huge amounts being stashed abroad. The paper cites the Global Financial Integrity study which estimated the current value of total illicit financial flows from India between 1948 and 2008 at 462 billion dollars (around Rs 25 lakh crore) but suggests no concrete measure to stop such flows or repatriate the massive Indian wealth held abroad.

Meanwhile, there are reports that the PMO is trying to increase the gas price from the Krishna-Godavari basin to yield additional revenue of $8 billion to Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Industries Ltd at the cost of the national exchequer.

It was Manmohan Singh as finance minister who had launched the neo-liberal offensive two decades ago. Today he is the Prime Minister and his government is daily pushing the country deeper into a comprehensive economic disaster. Just as Latin America and Europe are increasingly challenging and rejecting the neo-liberal model of market fundamentalism, in India too we must get ready to dump this notoriously corrupt regime along with its disastrous pack of policies.

The CPI(M)'s 'Kerala Model':

Will AKG Bhavan Care to Answer?

The gruesome murder of Comrade TP Chandrasekharan seems to have shaken the CPI(M)'s Kerala unit to its roots. The CPI(M)'s theory of dismissing the murder as an act of anti-CPI(M) conspiracy has no takers in Kerala or elsewhere and at least half a dozen CPI(M) functionaries from Kozhikode and Kannur districts have already been booked by the Special Investigation Team probing the murder. The political murder soon grew into an ideological debate with the CPI(M) state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan describing TPC as a renegade and traitor even as former Chief Minister VS Achuthanandan lauded the slain comrade as a brave communist.

A statement published in the name of the CPI(M)'s Kerala Secretariat in the 20 May issue of the CPI(M) central organ People's Democracy described TP Chandrasekharan as leader of a UDF-backed group in Onchiyam who joined hands with the Shoranur group led by MR Murali only to damage the CPI(M) and had no ideological difference. It is ridiculous that these anti-party forces call themselves 'revolutionary Marxists', noted the statement. The statement conveniently suppressed the fact that the RMP led by Comrade Chandrasekharan was unique in its determination to function as an independent Left group upholding the communist legacy and it is this determination which brought it together with other fighting Left organisations under the banner of the All India Left Coordination. In fact, the RMP parted ways with the Shoranur group during the last Assembly elections precisely because the RMP wanted no truck with the UDF.

The May 27 issue of PD carried excerpts from a speech delivered by Prakash Karat at Kalliasseri in Kannur district on EK Nayanar Day on May 19, 2012. Condemning the murder of TPC, Karat said "We do not believe in using weapons to kill political opponents and those who disagree with us. Our greatest weapon is the Marxist ideology and the politics of the working class." But Karat was soon contradicted from within when MM Mani, the CPI(M)'s long-serving Idukki District Secretary and a State Committee member close to Pinarayi Vijayan told a public meeting at Thodupuzha on May 25 how the CPI(M) had ensured in the past that its rivals were shot, beaten and stabbed to death! He has since been 'censured' by the party 'for making a controversial statement'.

In early April, the CPI(M) held its 20th Congress in Kozhikode and declared its intention to unite the Left and democratic forces of the country to build a Left and democratic alternative. But the trajectory of events happening right in Kozhikode and Kerala since then – the heinous killing of TPC, Vijayan's thesis of renegades and traitors and now MM Mani's shocking revelations and open threats – fly directly in the face of the CPI(M)'s rhetoric of Left and democratic unity. Does not the CPI(M) central leadership operating from the Delhi office dedicated to the memory of a legendary communist leader from Kerala owe an answer explaining the Kerala developments before waxing eloquent about the party's commitment to the Marxist ideology and Left and democratic unity?

The Movement for Justice Gathers

Momentum in Bihar:

Indefinite Fast by CPI(ML) Leaders in Patna, Ara and Daudnagar

Nearly one year after the barbaric Forbesganj firing (3 June, 2011) which had claimed four innocent Muslim lives, the commission of inquiry set up by the Bihar government is yet to submit its report while the SP of Araria who had presided over the police atrocity has been promoted to the post of Senior SP and deployed in the sensitive district of Darbhanga where Muslim youth are being increasingly demonised and harassed by the state as 'perceived terrorists'. On May 2, 2012 Aurangabad witnessed similar kind of police barbarity where the police unleashed a brutal crackdown to stop a popular protest against the murder of a popular mukhiya. Comrade Rajaram Singh, member of the CPI(ML) Central Committee and two-term MLA (1995-2005) from Obra constituency in the district was brutally beaten up again and again by the SP himself and arrested with 28 other protestors. Despite widespread protests including a highly successful Bihar Bandh on May 10, the autocratic government refuses to release the protestors or initiate any action against the erring SP and DM.

On 15 May a 5-member delegation of CPI(ML) leaders comprising Comrades KD Yadav, Rameswar Prasad, Arun Singh, Anwar Hussein and Shashi Yadav met chief minister Nitish Kumar and asked him to stop this growing injustice, release Comrade Rajaram and his comrades, initiate action against guilty policemen including the SP of Aurangabad, order CBI probe into Forbesganj firing and the recent spate of political murders and guarantee justice for the victims of Bathani Tola. Six teams went on an intensive Nyaye Yatra (March for Justice) addressing hundreds of meetings on this pressing agenda of justice. The Nyaye Yatra culminated in a massive Jan Sunwai (public hearing) on 21 May in the state capital where a 7-member jury comprising noted academics, advocates, activists and journalists endorsed the popular demands for justice.

With the state government still not paying any heed to the growing cry for justice, the CPI(ML) State Committee in its meeting held in Patna on 22-23 May resolved to intensify the agitation. An indefinite fast was launched simultaneously in three centres on May 26 under the leadership of Comrades Arun Singh (Patna), Sudama Prasad (Ara, Bhojpur) and Anwar Hussein (Daudnagar, Aurangabad). As we go to press, the fast is on its fifth day and hundreds of people are daily thronging the fast sites. Street-corner meetings are being held across the state in support of the fast and statewide protests have been planned for June 2 when one month will be over since the police brutality in Aurangabad and June 3 which will mark the first anniversary of the infamous Farbesganj Firing.

CPI(ML) Calls for Countrywide Rail and Road Blockades on 31 May

against Petrol Price Hike and Price Rise

New Delhi, 29 May 2012: CPI(ML) has called for countrywide rail and road blockades on 31st May to protest the massive 10% hike in petrol prices. CPI(ML) General Secretary said in a press statement in New Delhi that the massive hike in petrol price and the proposed hike in the prices of diesel and LPG is a sharp attack on common man that cannot be forgiven. He further said that this utterly corrupt and anti-people govt must be taught a befitting lesson and the massive burden that it has heaped on common people must be strongly protested by blockading rail and roads everywhere. In Delhi the Party members will enforce blockades at several places in east, south and north Delhi.

Central Committee, CPI(ML) Liberation

Countrywide Protests against Petrol Price Hike

Delhi: Hundreds of Party members held a protest demonstration at Jantar Mantar on 25 May. Delhi State Secretary Comrade Sanjay Sharma, CC member Comrade Prabhat Kumar, AICCTU leader Comrade Santosh Rai, student leader from JNU Comrade Abhishek, CC member Comrade Kavita Krishnan addressed the protest meeting. Comrade Aslam from RYA conducted the programme. Manmohan Singh's effigy was also burnt. The meeting demanded immediate rollback of the hiked price of petrol.

Puducherry: On 25th May 2012 All India Central Council of Trade Unions (AICCTU) organized a massive protest demonstration near Subiah Statue (freedom fighter) in Puducherry, demanding roll back of the recently hiked petroleum prices and to keep away from slashing subsidies for diesel and domestic LPG.

The demonstration was led by Comrade S Motilal, State Secretary of AICCTU, Comrade S Balasubramanian, State Secretary of CPI(ML), and Comrade  J Sakthivel, organizer, Movement for Protection of Homeless, addressed demonstrators and the general public. Unions of LPG deliverymen of various LPG agencies, affiliated to AICCTU organized the protest.  A large number of LPG deliverymen cadres of CPI(ML) and AICCTU took part in the protest.

Tamilnadu: On 24 May, more than 500 Pricol Workers in Coimbatore held protest meetings at the gates of Plant 1 and 3 and raised slogans against the UPA government demanding immediate roll back. On 25 May CPI(ML) in Coimbatore held a demonstration in which over 100 participated. Party SCMs Comrades NK Natarajan, Damodaran, Bharathi, Venkatachalam and Malarvizhi addressed the gathering. At Pudukottai on 24 May comrades of Gandarvakottai held a protest demonstration and raised slogans against the UPA government.

At Chennai, a demonstration was held at the gates of TIDC on 25 May, in which hundreds of TIDC workers led by AICCTU State Secretary Comrade K Palanivel raised slogans condemning the UPA government for its utter disregard for people. On the same day demonstration was held at Ambattur under the banner of the Party. SCMs Comrades AS Kumar, S Sekar, AICCTU State Secretary Comrade K Palanivel addressed the demonstration. Demonstrations were also held at Villupuram and Kumarapalayam in Namakkal district addressed by Comrade M Venkatesan and Comrade A Govindaraj respectively.

Gujarat: Demonstration was held at Himmat Nagar in Sabarkantha district on 28 May. Hundreds of unorganised sector workers, ASHA and Aanganwadi workers demonstrated demanding immediate rollback in price hike. Comrades Ranjan Ganguli and Dashrath Singhali addressed the workers.

Rajasthan: The Party gave a bandh call for 25 May in Jhunjhunu district and the call received a overwhelming support in the from a successful Jhunjhunu bandh. PM Manmohan Singh's effigy was also burnt. At Jaipur, a protest demonstration was held and Manmohan Singh's effigy was burnt. AIPWA's district secretary Comrade Usha Yadav addressed the protest meeting.

Punjab: Manmohan Singh's effigy was burnt at seven places in Mansa, Bhatinda, Barnala and Sangrur districts in protest against the petrol price hike and the protest meetings demanded immediate rollback of the hiked price.

Uttar Pradesh: Party and All India Students' Association held statewide protest demonstrations on 24 May to demand immediate rollback of the massively hiked petrol price. Manmohan Singh's effigy was burnt at various district headquarters including Lucknow by CPI(ML) and AISA activists.

At Lucknow the protesters assembled in front of the State Legislative Assembly. Other district centres where protest and effigy burning took place are- Gorakhpur, Gazipur, Mughalsarai in Chandauli, Ahiraura in Mirzapur, Ghorawal in Sonbhadra, Jalaun's HQ Urai, Banda and Kanpur among other district centres. AISA held demonstration and burnt PM's effigy in Allahabad University and Varanasi.

Bihar: Manmohan Singh's effigies were burnt in protest demonstration across the State including Patna, Ara, Jahanabad, Arwal, Siwan, Gaya, Darbhanga, Bhagalpur, Muzzafarpur, Purnia and Nawada among many other places in the State. In Patna rural, protest marches were also held in Dulhinbazar, Maner, Fatuha and Jamui. State, district and block leaders led and addressed the protest meetings.

 

Edited, published and printed by S. Bhattacharya for CPI(ML) Liberation from U-90, Shakarpur, Delhi-92; printed at Bol Publication, R-18/2, Ramesh Park, Laxmi Nagar, Delhi-92; Phone:22521067; fax: 22442790, e-mail: mlupdate@cpiml.org, website: www.cpiml.org