ML Update 45 / 2013

ML Update

A CPI(ML) Weekly News Magazine

Vol. 16, No. 45, 29 OCT – 04 NOV 2013

Shame on Rahul, Modi's Competitive Communalism

L

eading campaigners and PM aspirants of India's main ruling class formations have shamefully sought to stigmatise Muzaffarnagar's riot-affected in a highly callous and shameful game of competitive communalism.

Addressing a rally recently, Congress' leading campaigner Rahul Gandhi made the claim that Muzaffarnagar's riot victims have been contacted by Pakistan's ISI. It is difficult to imagine a more insensitive, factually unfounded, and insulting remark for the riot-affected, who are yet unable to leave the refugee camps, and are too terrorised to return to their villages.

Rahul's apologists say that his was not a communal remark - it was merely a clumsy but well-meant attempt to underline that the BJP, by engineering riots, creates a fertile ground for terrorism to breed. But this excuse does not hold water. Because painting riot victims as potential terrorists who are in touch with the ISI can be nothing but crude communal stereotyping.

For one thing, neither the UP Government nor the Home Ministry have admitted any intelligence inputs to back Rahul Gandhi's claim. For him to suggest that the refugee camps are targets for ISI recruitment is actually to reinforce the communal stereotype that will stigmatise the people who, destitute and homeless, are trying to rebuild their lives after the communal violence.

Besides, the plight of the riot-refugees in the UP camps, vulnerable to hunger, homelessness and epidemics, is equally an indictment of the sheer apathy and neglect of the State and Central governments. After all, what stopped these Governments from acting to prevent the communal pogrom? And what stops them today from ensuring adequate relief, full compensation and timely rehabilitation for the riot-affected? The riot-affected lost their homes, their means of survival and loved ones. What have the Governments at the state and Centre done - ruled by the Samajwadi Party and Congress-UPA respectively - to ensure that those affected can return to a stable and secure life?

The UP Government has mocked the riot survivors with a report of its high-level committee claiming that "additional facilities" that victims of the riots are receiving in relief camps is "a reason for them to not go back to their homes".

Can Rahul's remark be brushed aside as a mere gaffe, an embarrassing but well-intentioned faux-pas by him? Unfortunately, the track record of Congress governments at the Centre and in states like Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra show otherwise. These Governments and their police and intelligence agencies have indulged in the same policy of witch-hunt of innocent Muslims - refusing to free such innocents even when faced with evidence that the blasts (like Malegaon, Ajmer Sharif, Samjhauta or Mecca Masjid) were the handiworks of the outfits linked to the hydra-headed Hindutva brigade. These governments have avoided compensating or apologising to those innocents who continue to be victims of witch-hunt, with their families and future ruined. Rahul's remark only reflects the communal common sense ingrained by the Congress in its cadres.

While the Congress and Samajwadi Party compete to add salt to the wounds of the riot-affected, Narendra Modi's attempts to cash in on Rahul Gandhi's statement and attack him for 'questioning the patriotism of Indian Muslims' reek of hypocrisy. Mr. Modi needs to be reminded that he had referred to the refugee camps housing those rendered homeless by the 2002 Gujarat carnage, as 'baby producing factories'. And his bosses in the RSS, with elections in mind, have recently trotted out the bogey of 'Muslims breeding too many children', by instructing Hindus to have at least 3 children.

Not only that, there are still more than 20000 of Gujarat's riot-affected minorities living in 'transit camps' - the Gujarat Government is trying to forcibly evict them while they have no homes to go back to, and those who committed the massacre still roam free, creating an atmosphere of terror. In this situation, Modi's attempts to score points against Rahul by shedding crocodile tears for the dignity of the Muzaffarnagar victims are shameful. Moreover, Modi's invoking of the 'national security' plank in the context of Rahul's remark again contributes to the profiling of the minority community and especially its riot-affected.

The attempts of the BJP, Congress and SP to use the plight of the riot-affected as political fodder, and to demean and insult them in the process, must be firmly rebuffed. While BJP's bloody track record of communal pogroms and political campaign of stereotyping Muslims as potential 'terrorists' cannot be covered up with the fig leaf of Modi's carefully scripted 'Muslim references' in his speeches, we cannot allow the question of secularism to be trivialised and demeaned by the Congress, SP and other self-styled 'secular' opportunists.

Patna Blasts Condemnable, Credible Probe Needed

New Delhi, 27 Oct 2013.

CPI(ML) strongly condemns the series of blasts in Patna ahead of BJP rally which have killed 6 and injured scores of people. CPI(ML) expresses condolences to the families of those killed in these blasts.

The timing and context of the blasts point to a political motive for the blasts. A thorough, timely, and credible probe is called for to establish the truth behind these blasts that have taken innocent lives.

Prabhat Kumar, for CPI(ML) Central Committee

 

Party's Demonstration in Valsad for Land to the Tribal People

Kapdala taluka in Valsad district of Gujarat is inhabited mainly by tribal people and they rely almost completely on tilling the land for their survival. For generations the land they have been tilling and that belonged to their ancestors is not legally theirs yet, despite the Act (Forests Rights Act 2005) being in force for 8 years now.

Gujarat is almost at the bottom (21st position) when it comes to implementation of this Act. The Official report itself says that of the lakhs of applications of tribal people only 1,52,592 cases have been accepted as correct and out of which only 42,752 tribal people have been granted land rights; i.e. only 22.31 percent. The grounds of rejection of hundreds of thousands of applications is purely subjective and cannot be justified in anyway. The Modi Govt of Gujarat has kept hundreds of thousands of families who till the land in forest areas from even knowing about this Act.

In June 2013, CPI(ML) had held demonstration at the District Collector's office on the issue and had submitted a memorandum. At the time the administration had assured that action will be taken. The administration conducted surveys in a few panchayats – Moti Palsan, Silda, Bamanvada, Eklara Astal etc. – and even began the process for filling up of the forms for land allotment. But only two months later the Forest Dept. went in for tree plantation in those panchayats and using it as a pretext fenced off the surveyed area with barbed wire. Deep pits were dug around the fence and the tribals were warned that damage to any tree would send them to jail and a fine of upto Rs.20,000.

The CPI(ML) conducted a mass campaign against this conspiracy of administration and forest dept. and the local people reclaimed their cultivable land by uprooting the fence and saplings planted by the forest dept. BJP and Congress opposed this move of ours and pressurized the administration to stop it. They also tried to threaten and frighten the tribal people through goons and agents in the villages. Incidentally, Narendra Modi's meeting was also scheduled in Kapdala on 21st October in which he targeted the CPI(ML) indirectly by saying that extremism is the biggest danger for development.

The very next day of Modi's rally in Kapdala, we held protest demonstration at Tehsil's Magistrate office. Hundreds of tribal people from several panchayats assembled at Kapdala under the banner of CPI(ML) and held an impressive public meeting in Mandwa grounds. A large number of local tribal people also participated in this programme. The assembly was addressed by Party's Gujarat incharge Comrade Ranjan Ganguly among others. He said that CPI(ML) is fighting all over the country against the Congress and BJP-led plunder of people's resources. Here in Valasd the BJP Govt is bent on snatching away the rights of tribal people to their land, forests, and water. The Congress i.e. is in opposition in Gujarat is merely paying lip-service in the name of opposing this loot of tribal people and is indirectly supporting the Modi Govt on this matter.

The Party has decided to intensify the mass campaign to expose the Congress-BJP double dealing on this issue. Several meetings have been planned in different villages in the coming days to be addressed by State-level Party leaders as well. The meeting at Kapdala on 22 October was also addressed by Comrades Amit Patanwadia, Laxmanbhai Warli (both members of State Leading Team), district committee members Comrades Kamlesh, Agubhai, Warjul, Lanabhai among others. It is noteworthy that the people of Kapdala were seeing a communist party rally decorated with red flags and banners for the first time here. A memorandum was also handed over the Collector regarding the land issue of the tribal people and demanding action on several issues in the area.

Demonstration for the Release of Comrade Jagat Martoliya

We reported about the arrest of Comrade Jagat Martoliya in Dharchula and the consequent protests against this arrest in several parts of Uttarakhand in the last issue of ML Update. The arrest was not only to ensure no protests by calamity-affected during the visit by State CM Vijay Bahuguna, but also to find some way to frame Comrade Jagat and jail him for longer period. He was not given bail despite the slapped charges being 107, 116 and 151 of the IPC, whereas the magistrate can grant bail in such cases. It is to be noted that the local MLA Harish Dhami had been arrested owing to his criminal activities but not before Comrade Jagat led the campaign to expose him and demand for his arrest. The local administration acting on the MLA's diktat planned to put Comrade Jagat in jail for a lengthy period and that would also ensure, in their eyes, the termination of movement of calamity affected people for rehabilitation and compensation. He was sent into judicial custody till 3rd November.

However, due to State-wide protests by the Party and specifically by the disaster-affected people of the State protesting his arrest the administration was pressurized into releasing him on 23rd October itself. CM's effigy was burnt at several places. Protests and effigy burning took place in Lalkuan in Nainital, Munsyari, Bhikiyasaind and Deghat in Almora, the Party and Kisan Mahasabha activists and calamity affected gheraoed the administration in Pithoragarh and Dharchula, and a memorandum was submitted to the CM in Dehradoon.

Demonstration for Declaring Bindukhatta Area as a Revenue Village and Holding Panchayat Election

The 65 thousand people of Bindukhatta area in Nainital district, despite being settled in the area for 38 years, are yet to get any basic facilities in the absence of recognition of their villages as revenue villages. The successive Govts have refused to grant this basic status and allow panchayat elections here. The CPI(ML) has held series of struggles and raised the demand for revenue villages constantly which have also been reported in the ML Update several times.

On many occasions the MLAs of Congress and BJP have been from the region and they have had their Govts both in the State as well as Centre, despite that nothing has happened to acknowledge the villages in official records as revenue villages. This exposes the true face of development model of both Congress and BJP, where such a large number of people do not even have a panchayat of their own and are deprived of very basic facilities. The Party recently organised a broader campaign that also raised the urgent demand for holding panchayat election in Bindukhatta. The campaign culminated in a demonstration and dharna at Lalkuan tehsil on 23rd October 2013.

Addressing the dharna, CPI(ML) State Secretary Comrade Rajendra Pratholi said that whatever has been achieved by the people of Bindukhatta so far has been so purely on the strength of their struggles and all that is being demanded including the revenue village status and panchayat election will also have to be fought for. Local MLA and Labour Minister in the current Govt, Harish Chandra Durgapal who won the election by promising revenue village status to Bindukhatta, is now trying to dodge the issue, let alone any effort to move resolution in the State Legislative Assembly for fulfilling his election promise. He has also been trying to fool the people on this issue by creating confusion and trying to shield his anti-people character. Comrade Pratholi said that along with conducting ruthless campaign against Congress and BJP we will also have to ensure much larger membership for Kisan Mahasabha, peasants agitation and constant and regular Party initiatives in people's issues. Party's CC member Comrade Raja Bahuguna also addressed the dharna, apart from several other Party leaders and activists. Comrade Kailash Pandey conducted the meeting and memorandum for CM was handed over to the tehsildar with a warning that if the demands are not looked into urgently, bigger agitations will be organised.

Bareilly: 24 Hour-long Hunger Strike against Arrests of Peasant Leaders and Peasants

CPI(ML)'s Central Committee member Comrade Krishna Adhikari sat on a 24-hour hunger strike beginning 25 October to demand immediate and unconditional release of peasant leaders Dr. Mohd. Israr Khan, who is also a teacher in Ruhelkhand University, Harnandan Singh, Birendra Yadav, and several other arrested peasants. The hunger strike also demanded action against those responsible for the lathi-charge on peasants in Bhuda, and dignified and adequate compensation for those who have lost their land in the bada bypass. At the end of the hunger strike i.e. on 26th October a huge public meeting was held and a memorandum for the Governor was handed over to the Magistrate.

Peasant leader and Party's Haryana incharge Comrade Prem Singh Gehlawat also attended the public meeting. He also talked to the administration on the arrests and other demands. He addressed the meeting and said that the Samajwadi Party Govt has thoroughly bared its oppressive methods since coming to power 18 months back. Peasants' movement cannot be suppressed by jailing their leaders and lathi-charging the peasants in Bareilly.

Comrade Krishna Adhikari said that whether it is orchestrating a communal riot in Muzzaffar Nagar or suppressing the peasants in Bareilly, the SP and BJP are together in this. It's the peasants who are paying the most for the loot and plunder of the State Govt and the aggression of the communal forces.

A huge rally has been planned for 29th October on these issues

Rajasthan Election Preparation

The CPI(ML)Liberation Rajasthan State Committee has issued the first list of candidates for the State Assembly election on 21st October 2013. The Party has decided to contest the election on its own without any seat adjustments or alliances with any Party. Releasing the list Party's State Secretary Comrade Mahendra Chaudhary said that the CPI(ML) will centre its electoral campaign against the patrons of feudal forces, corporate looters and mafia – the Congress and the BJP. The Party will fight on the issues of the working class, peasants and common people.

Meeting of Asia-Pacific Region of WFTU

Adopts MALAYSIA DECLARATION

This Asia-Pacific Regional Meeting of the WORLD FEDERATION OF TRADE UNIONS (WFTU) was held on 25-26 Oct 2013 in Port Dickson, Malaysia. This well-attended meeting, hosted by National Union of Bank Employees (NUBE) and other unions of Malaysia, was participated by 132 leaders of affiliated and friendly Trade Unions from 13 countries of this most populous region of the globe, such as India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Vietnam, Philippines, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Cambodia, Malaysia, Iran, Taiwan besides China (Sudan & Argentina were present as observers) and a number of Sectoral Trade Union Internationals such as TUI–Finance, TUI–Construction, TUI–Public Services, TUI-Energy and others.

On behalf of AICCTU Comrades Rajiv Dimri, National Secretary and Biren Kalita, Vice President, attended the meeting, and Rajiv Dimri presented the country report. The meeting after thoroughly discussing the condition of working people in this region focusing on "Right To Livelihood" of the working people, the attacks of policies of LPG on them and their struggles against these policies, adopted a declaration called "Malaysia Declaration", which gave a clarion call to the working men and women of the Asia Pacific Region to campaign, organize and agitate to achieve the following:

Full employment for all, aiming towards eradication of poverty, with need based salary and wages and with full security including statutory pension for all; Ratification and implementation of ILO Core Conventions including Right to Organize and Right to collective bargaining, unfettered trade union rights for all workers; Stop privatization and dismantling of Public sector/ public services; Stop sub contracting, out sourcing and off loading; Protect sovereign rights of nations against imperialistic hegemony/market driven policy under WTO, WB, and IMF dictates; Stop unjust imperialist interventions in Syria, DPR Korea, Iran, Afghanistan etc; Respect self determination of political system and self-reliant economic growth without the intervention of imperialists, financial and multinational economic institutions; Ensure women empowerment through various progressive policies and extend maternity benefits to all working women, provide equal wage for equal work without gender bias; Ensure working rights and social security for all migrant workers, as per UN charter. Abolish 'bonded labour' in any form and guarantee alternate employment to them, ensure protection of migrant workers by Governments; Introduce comprehensive low for social protection, to protect the rights of informal workers including agricultural workers, Stop degradation of environment in the name of development and protect natural resources for the benefit of mankind; Ensure occupational safety, health, environmental protections of the workers and community, MNCs/TNCs should be subjected to implement the Code of Conduct strictly; Stop job cuts, closures, layoffs and all atypical forms of employment including part time employments, Abolish child labour and guarantee free, quality education to all children; Fight against communalism, religious fundamentalism and their pernicious methods that divide the working class; ILO should shed its partisan attitude and treat all International Trade Unions judiciously.

The meeting adopted resolutions including demand of immediate release of all workers of Maruti-Suzuki, India who are in Jails for last more than one year.

The meeting also declared that a day (yet to be decided) will be observed by all trade unions in the Asia Pacific Region as "DEMANDS DAY" by conducting demonstrations, marches, rallies, public meetings etc.

 

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

Fwd: ML Update 44 / 2013

ML Update

A CPI(ML) Weekly News Magazine

Vol.  16             No. 44                                                                         22 - 28 OCT 2013

Boldly Confront Corporate-Backed Corruption and Clamour for Modi

Even as the Congress tries hard to hit an emotional pitch over its food-for-vote campaign, the spectre of corruption keeps coming back to haunt it hard, challenging its survival in power and threatening to reduce it to its lowest ever tally in the coming Lok Sabha elections. The CBI, the caged parrot of the powers that be as the Supreme Court famously described it, has now named a top industrialist and a retired bureaucrat in a fresh FIR on coal-block allocations. While the naming of Kumar Mangalam Birla, chairman of AV Birla group and former Coal Secretary PC Parakh has raised eyebrows in some circles, what the nation really wants to know is why the third side of the triangle has been left out.

The corporate-bureaucrat nexus is actually an abbreviated form of the corporate-bureaucrat-minister triangle and in this case the minister was none other than the Prime Minister who officiated over the coal ministry for three years during the first UPA government. The Prime Minister's Office has sought to justify the allocation on the part of the Prime Minister while saying the CBI was free to investigate the case as it deemed fit. The PMO statement also links the allocation to strong recommendations of the Odisha government.

The PMO reply may at best point to the involvement of an additional party in the form of the Odisha government, but it cannot absolve the PM and the CBI has absolutely no excuse not to name the PM in its FIR when it has accused the two other sides of the triangle alleging conspiracy and irregularity. The PM and his Office stand incontrovertibly implicated in the dust and fume of coalgate and even if the CBI is used selectively and shamelessly to save the PM for the time being, or the CBI closes down the case against Birla and Parakh, the government will have to pay for it in the coming elections.

In a significant coincidence, the Supreme Court has now asked the CBI to probe the Radia tapes, bringing not only the 2G scam but the bigger story of corporate grab of resources and manipulation of power and policies back in limelight. Let us also not forget the other scam which has been crying out for years together for due media recognition and judicial cognisance – the oil and gas scam that would expose the true face of India's biggest corporate house and its ever-expanding influence on the Indian state. The real issue for India today is not just corruption but where it springs from and what it signifies – indiscriminate privatisation, unbridled plunder of resources and growing corporate subversion of democracy.

It is obvious that while the BJP is desperate to reap the political benefit of the anti-Congress mood of the people propelled by the scams, soaring prices and all-round economic crisis, it has no alternative policy trajectory or perspective. In fact, the very basis of the corporate clamour for Narendra Modi lies in the expectation that he would replicate the Gujarat model of unrestricted corporate freedom at the Centre and facilitate corporate plunder on an even bigger scale. The BJP therefore wants no policy debate in the elections, and is desperate to employ its tested and trusted tactic of grabbing votes in the shadow of communal polarisation and terror.

The party is working overtime to make this tactic work especially in UP and Bihar where the Congress has little presence left and the non-Congress non-BJP centrist parties stand increasingly discredited. After the groundwork done by his deputy Amit Shah in UP which left Muzaffarnagar ravaged in communal fire, Modi has already made his first appearance in the battleground of UP and is now slated to address his first rally in Patna on 27 October. But however much the BJP/RSS machinery and the corporate media seek to hype up the Modi factor, even to the point of reinventing and repackaging him as a tea-seller who rose from the ranks of the underprivileged poor and made it big in politics through sheer hard work, the people have little difficulty to see the fact that it is the corporate world which has rallied most solidly around Modi.

While boldly resisting the BJP's communal gameplan, the Left must not reduce the 2014 poll campaign to a single-point communal versus secular debate. Any coalition exercise in the name of secularism with discredited and opportunist forces, many of whom have joined hands with the BJP in the past and may well cross over once again for the sake of power-sharing, will lack credibility and only trivialise secularism. And it will weaken the necessary political thrust of a powerful people's campaign at this critical juncture to stop corporate plunder of national resources, reorder developmental priorities in the interest of the broad masses of Indian people, and free India's basic policies and international role from strategic subservience to global capital and US imperialism.

While the Congress is rapidly losing ground, the projection for the NDA in all pre-poll surveys is still short of the 200 mark, not to speak of the magic number of 272. By all indications, the forthcoming Assembly elections will turn out to be a major reality check for the BJP and its Modi hype. Revolutionary communists must make the best use of the developing situation to confront the corporate clamour with the bold voice of the people.

'Save UP-Save Democracy' Rally in Lucknow'

A state wide rally was held by CPI(ML) in the state capital of Uttar Pradesh on 21st October, to highlight the rising danger of communalism and betrayal of the promises made by the ruling Samajwadi Party  government  of Akhilesh Yadav. The recently engineered communal violence in Muzaffarnagar and the poor state of law and order in the state have been a source of grave concern for the people.

Addressing the rally, the General Secretary of the CPI(ML) Comrade Dipankar Bhattacharya said that the BJP is trying to convert UP into a communal laboratory in the run up to the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls. Tainted ministers of the Gujarat government like Amit Shah have been send on deputation to UP to re-enact Gujarat-like pogroms here and the recent riots in Muzaffarnagar are a testimony to this nefarious design of the BJP. He said that the SP government has failed in the promises it had made to the people of the state after it voted out of power the unpopular government of BSP one and a half years ago. Be it the promise of checking crime, waiver of loans of farmers, unemployment allowance or fighting the communal forces, the SP government has had a dismal performance. The mafia forces are ruling the roost but forces like the CPI(ML) have pledged to give them a befitting reply.

He cited the example of how the party leader Com. Ramesh Senger had intervened against the sand mafia and the party had to pay a price in terms of the brutal attack on its leader. He said that there is a political vacuum in the country. People are fed up by the scam-tainted UPA whose rule has led to widespread joblessness, inflation and corruption and they are in no mood to allow forces like the BJP to fill the gap.  In such a situation, the left and democratic forces can play a major role, particularly in states like UP, Bihar and Jharkhand to consolidate and lead a consistent opposition to the pro-corporate, pro-imperialist policies of Congress, BJP and their regional allies.

The rally was also addressed by Akbar Chaudhary, the president of JNUSU. He said that innocent Muslim youths are languishing in jail and some are even getting killed in police custody in UP like in the case of Khalid Mujahid. There is no justice for them in UP.

Amongst others who addressed the rally include Comrade Arvind Raj Swaroop, the Uttar Pradesh joint Secretary of CPI, Mohd. Shoaib, the Convener of Rihai Manch, which has been leading a struggle for the release of innocent Muslim youth in jail,  Comrades  K.D.Yadav, Sudhakar Yadav, Krishna Adhikari, Mohd. Salim, Central Committee members of CPI(ML), UP State President of AIPWA Tahira Hasan amongst others.

A notable feature of the rally was the 10 km long march on the streets of the State capital from the railway station to the Jyotiba Phule park, the rally ground. Thousands of peasants, workers, youths and a large number of women carrying red flags and posters made for a very impressive sight. 

Modi "Should Feel Ashamed Of Himself In Bhagat Singh's Company"

 

Recently, there has been news that Modi will release a coffee table version of Bhagat Singh's jail notebooks. Bhagat Singh's family members have vehemently opposed this move, and Bhagat Singh scholar Prof.Chaman Lal has placed all the facts to expose the lie that the Jail Notebooks are being published for the first time ('A short publication history of Bhagat Singh's Jail Notebook', EPW Web Exclusives, Vol - XLVIII No. 42, October 19, 2013.) 

What is laughable about Modi releasing Bhagat Singh's Jail Notebook is that the Notebook itself is testimony to Bhagat Singh's Marxist ideology and temperament, including detailed quotes from Marx on religion, Lenin, Trotsky and other communist revolutionaries who are anathema for Modi and his RSS.

It is well known that Bhagat Singh, during his trial, had sent a telegram to the Russian Bolshevik Party on Lenin's death anniversary: "ON LENIN DAY WE SEND HEARTY GREETINGS TO ALL who are doing something for carrying forward the ideas of the great Lenin. We wish success to the great experiment Russia is carrying out. We join our voice to that of the international working class movement. The proletariat will win. Capitalism will be defeated. Death to Imperialism."      

In his article 'Why I Am an Atheist', Bhagat Singh writes: "Up to that period (1925) I was a romantic revolutionary. Up till then we were to follow. Now came the time to shoulder the whole responsibility. Due to the inevitable reaction for some time the very existence of the party [Hindustan Republican Association] seemed impossible. Enthusiastic comrades – nay, leaders – began to jeer at us. For some time I was afraid that someday I also might be convinced of the futility of our programme. That was a turning point in my revolutionary career; "Study" was the cry that reverberated in the corridors of my mind. Study to enable yourself to face the arguments advanced by opposition. Study to arm yourself with arguments in favour of your cult. I began to study. My previous faith and convictions underwent a remarkable modification. The romance of violent methods alone, which was so prominent amongst our predecessors, was replaced by serious ideas. No more mysticism, no more blind faith. Realism became our cult. Use of force justifiable when restored to as a matter of terrible necessity: non-violence as policy indispensable for all mass movements. ... As there were no important activities in the field of action, I got ample opportunity to study various ideals of world revolution. I studied Bakunin, the anarchist leader, something of Marx, the father of communism and much of Lenin, Trotsky and others – the men who had successfully carried out a revolution in their country."

His last major writing, the "Draft Revolutionary Programme", which conveys the collective understanding of comrades incarcerated in Lahore Central Jail, states clearly, "We want a socialist revolution, the indispensable preliminary to which is the political revolution. That is what we want," while putting the 'abolition of feudalism' as the first point on the General Programme. The General Programme clearly owes a debt to his study of Lenin: "The present situation demands of us a clear and responsible programme of revolution. Just before the revolution of October 1917, Lenin mentioned three necessary conditions of a successful revolution: Political and economic situation; the spirit of rebellion among the masses; a revolutionary party, fully trained to lead the masses at the decisive hour....In India the first condition has already been fulfilled while the other two are waiting for complete realisation. To work for their fulfilment is the first task of every fighter for freedom and the programme should be worked out with this end in view." 

In the context of Modi's attempts at appropriation, it's worth reading what Jagmohan Singh, Bhagat Singh's nephew and former Professor at Punjab Agriculture University, Ludhiana, had said in a 2007 interview (Frontline Volume 24 - Issue 21 :: Oct. 20-Nov. 02, 2007). The interviewer, S. Irfan Habib, had asked, "All political parties today seem to appropriate Bhagat Singh to push their political prospects. What do you have to say about this phenomenon?"

To which he replied, "It is our duty to liberate Bhagat Singh from current misinterpretations. Mere emotional reference to Bhagat Singh's sacrifice by most of the political parties helps them to misuse his legacy for selfish political ends. Bhagat Singh cannot be frozen merely in a cheap emotional and nationalistic frame. How could a communalist propagating hatred against one another feel comfortable with his thoughts. Rather he should feel ashamed of himself in Bhagat Singh's company."

Further, he was asked, "How does Bhagat Singh inspire us in the era of globalisation and neoliberal politics?", to which he replied, "Bhagat Singh's views are very relevant today in the context of globalisation. He stood for the end of exploitation of man by man and nation by nation. His slogan of 'Inquilab Zindabad' was always followed by 'Down with Imperialism'. For him revolution was the complete reorganisation of society so that everyone gets an opportunity to grow and contribute to the national progress. We got rid of colonial imperialism but today, under globalisation, we have the imperialism of corporations, most of the time led by the U.S. Bhagat Singh provides the most clear ideas to fight against this 21st century monster."

Cyclone Phaillin: Devastated People Await Relief 

On the night of 12 October cyclone Phaillin with a wind speed of 250 kmph hit the entire coast of Odisha with the eye of the storm centred at Gopalpur in Ganjam district. Around 17 districts were affected, Ganjam, Puri and Khurda being the worst hit. Other districts like Jagatsingpur, Kendrapara, Nayagarh, Kandhamal, Gajapati were also affected.

Two days after Phaillin severe floods affected 6 districts including Baleswar, Bhadark, Jajpur and Mayurbhanj. In addition to loss of human lives, Phaillin wreaked havoc on agriculture, natural resources, educational institutions and infrastructure. The combined disasters of cyclone and floods took a toll of around 44 lives. 1.37 lakhs were affected, and over 6.71 lakh hectares of agricultural land, 4.19 lakh houses and 26 lakh trees damaged.

Apart from coastal damage, Phaillin has devastated forests as well as communication and tourism infrastructure, with the electricity board suffering a loss of 900 crore. 1.70 lakh birds have died. In all 18,374 villages and 2164 grampanchayats of the State have been affected.

In spite of continuous news and alerts about the cyclone in the print and electronic media, a panic situation prevailed with prices of essential commodities spiraling and the BJD government unable to control it. The Naveen Patnaik government is basking in the praise being showered from different quarters for the success of the much publicized evacuation exercise. While timely evacuation has certainly minimized human casualty, the real challenge now is to rehabilitate the evacuated people most of whom have lost their all and will have to virtually rebuild their lives.

Relief measures in cyclone shelters are far from adequate or satisfactory. Even after 7 days of the huge devastation in Ganjam, people are yet to receive any relief or rehabilitation in spite of the state and central governments declaring compensation of Rs 4 lakh and 2 lakh respectively to the families of the dead. 

The Central government is trying to compete with the state government to claim credit for disaster management, but is yet to make any specific commitment to expedite and improve relief and rehabilitation efforts.

The CPI(ML) is trying to organize relief work in some of the worst affected villages. Party workers braved the violence of ruling party goons in Pipli block where they organized a gherao demanding proper relief work with full transparency and without any discrimination. In the Chilka area, many fishermen have lost their boats and nets, but so far no government officials have even undertaken an assessment of their losses. The CPI(ML) and mass organizations like  AIKM, AIALA and AICCTU are fighting for provision of adequate compensation and effective rehabilitation measures for the disaster-hit population.

CPI(ML) Leader Jagat Martoliya Arrested 

to Prevent Calamity-Affected from Meeting Uttarakhand CM 

CPI-ML activists conducted State-wide protests against the arrest of Jagat Martoliya and 40 comrades who have continuously been fighting for the cause of those affected in Dharchula-Manusyari by the Uttarakhand disaster in June. Protesting against the arrest, Uttarakhand Chief Minister's effigy was burnt at the Shaheed Bhagat Singh Chowk, Car Road, in Bindukhatta.

It is noteworthy that the CM was to arrive at Dharchula on 22nd October when the flood victims, under the leadership of the Akhil Bharatiya Kisan Mahasabha, were to discuss with him the question of rehabilitation on the basis of "land for land" and "house for house". However, the people who wished to put their points forward in a democratic way were arrested before they could do so, on the 21st itself. 40 comrades were released late on the night of the 21st, but Jagat Martoliya still remains under police lock and key at the time of going to press.

In the meeting conducted prior to the effigy burning, CPI-ML State committee member Bahadur Singh Jangi condemned the arrest of those fighting for the rights and rehabilitation of the victims. He demanded that Jagat Martoliya be immediately released, the victims' demands accepted and action be taken against the police and administrative officials responsible for oppression of those voicing their views in a democratic manner. CPI(ML)'s Nainital District secretary Kailash Pandey said that the Congress government is resorting to oppressive tactics in order to hide its failure to provide relief and rehabilitation. Voluntary financial assistance has been pouring in from national and international sources and from the people in general but the State government has failed miserably to put these funds to proper use.  Winter has set in but the disaster management officials have no answer to the question of providing security to the thousands of victims. To make matters worse, those who are proposing an effective rehabilitation plan are being arrested and put behind bars. He further said that the CPI(ML) would organize State-wide protests against such anti-people policies.

Activists in large numbers including Anand Singh Sijwali, Pushkar Dubadiya, Kamlapati Joshi, Daulat Singh Karki, Man Singh Pal, Lalit Matiyali, Rajendra Shah, Kamal Joshi, Harish Chandra Singh Bhandari, Ajay Pal were present at the effigy burning which took place amidst slogans of "Release Jagat Singh Martoliya", "Fulfil the Victims' demands" , "State Government Shame Shame" and "Punish the Guilty officials".

Wooden Log Workers Union formed

Hundreds of workers are deployed in the depot of Uttarakhand Forest Development Corporation for loading, unloading and grading of wooden logs and are paid on piece-rate basis. These workers are not even paid at the rates officially fixed by Uttarakhand Forest Development Corporation. The approved rates are manipulated in an arbitrary way by the officials of the corporation in connivance with the contractors while signature of the workers on payment sheet are acquired under pressure. Workers are also denied EPF benefits and there is no proper safety arrangement for workers employed in this dangerous industry where many have lost their limbs nor is there any provision for accidental insurance. These workers don't even have an identity card despite working for several years and the facility of ration, provisions and firewood which was earlier available has also been withdrawn. 

AICCTU has decided to form Wooden Workers Trade Union with the objective to intensify their struggle. After the registration of Union a public meeting was organized on October 20, 2013 in which the following agenda was approved on which struggle would be taken forward-

1.     The workers to be paid at the official rates for loading, unloading and grading of wooden logs by stopping the prevailing arbitrary payment method. The official rates should be displayed in all corporation depots.

2.     EPF facility to be provided to workers.

3.     Pension facility to be provided to workers.

4.     Proper safety arrangement to be ensured along with provision for accidental insurance. The Corporation to take complete responsibility for immediately providing all medical aid in case of accident.

5.     Identity Card to be immediately issued to all workers.

6.     The facility of ration, provisions and firewood which was provided in past to be renewed.

7.     While taking signature/thumb impression of workers for payments the official rates should be clearly mentioned.

8.     The contract system of hiring workers should be abolished and Uttarakhand Forest Development Corporation should provide regular employment at fixed pay to all workers.

9.     Wooden Log workers should be given permanent employment.

Addressing the public meeting the State General Secretary K.K. Bora said that the government is continuously making policies against the workers and they should unite to fight against such policies. Wooden workers are being denied minimum facilities and they should organize themselves to struggle for their rights. The public meeting was also addressed by Union President Mubarak Shah, Vice President Ranjit Singh, Secretary Kailash Pandey, Cashier Gaidal Singh, Organizational Secretary Meku Lal, Joint Secretary Udaiveer Singh, Propaganda Secretary Narendra Kumar and Executive Council members Nazakat Ali, Mahendra Singh and Babulal.

Obituary

Com. Madhav Nath

Red Salute to Com. Madhav Nath who passed away in Bindukhatta, Nainital, after a long illness. From the 1960's, Com. Madhav Nath had played an important role in movements like the Prague Farm Movement demanding land for the landless and the movement demanding "Not Addiction but Employment". He was active in the land-for-landless movement of the 80's, joined the CPI-ML during this time, and went to jail many times for taking forward the people's struggle. The Party held a condolence meeting on 19 October to pay tribute to Com. Madhav Nath.

ML Update 43 / 2013

ML Update

A CPI(ML) Weekly News Magazine

Vol.  16                          No. 43                                                                                                                            15 - 21 OCT 2013

Nobody Killed the 58 People
Who Died in Laxmanpur Bathe
on 1 December 1997

Predictably enough, the Patna High Court has acquitted all the 26 persons convicted by the trial court in the Laxmanpur-Bathe massacre case. This is the fourth successive instance of wholesale acquittal of convicts by the Patna High Court in cases of massacre of the oppressed rural poor in Bihar. Once again eye witness accounts have been dismissed as being not fully credible and convicts granted acquittal on 'benefit of doubt'. The judges could not however disprove the fact that 58 people had been killed and post-mortems done, and hence they asked the trial court to calculate the compensation payable to the nearest kin of the victims as per relevant provisions the Motor Vehicles Act on the basis of the minimum wage prevalent in the area at the time of the massacre. They of course did not forget to add that any ex gratia paid after the massacre should be deducted from the amount of compensation!

When the trial court verdicts had been announced in 2010, Nitish Kumar was quick to showcase them as the sure signs of justice for the oppressed poor who had experienced a series of massacres during the reign of Lalu Prasad. Never mind if he had disbanded the Amir Das commission to save the political patrons of the Ranvir Sena from being exposed and punished, at least the perpetrators were being brought to justice. And over a period of 18 months the script has been thoroughly reversed by the High Court. The myth of 'development with justice' stands brutally shattered.

The acquittals amount to nothing short of a judicial scam. How on earth can it be possible that the very evidence which the trial courts found sound enough to hand out convictions has become dubious and unreliable in the judicial lens used by the High Court? Are we to believe that trial courts in Bihar do not bother about the nature and quality of evidence? If that is so, then the judiciary has collapsed in Bihar and it is time to reinvent it. And let us not forget that the same High Court has never granted any benefit of doubt to the oppressed poor and their political representatives to annul their convictions, it is only those who have been found guilty of slaughtering the rural poor by the dozen who are being let off through the 'benefit of doubt' argument. While the perpetrators of Bathanitola and Bathe walk free, Bodhan Sada and a dozen other people belonging to the Mahadalit Musahar community languish in jail having been falsely implicated and convicted in the Amausi massacre case. 

The massacres perpetrated by the Ranveer Sena in Bihar were not isolated events, they were episodes of a bloody war that the Sena waged with complete impunity on the oppressed rural poor in Bihar to crush their fight for freedom, dignity and democracy. The Sena had openly and arrogantly declared that the communist movement had no right to exist in Bihar and that the people must not look beyond the feudal order. Yet the self-styled champions of 'social justice' or 'development with justice' always made common cause with the Sena. Despite the anti-BJP bravado of the RJD and JDU, the policy of appeasement of Ranveer Sena pursued by both Lalu Prasad and Nitish Kumar made sure that the BJP kept growing in Bihar. And if one ever needed a proof about the organic relationship between the Ranveer Sena and the RSS-BJP, one only needs to remember how BJP leader Giriraj Singh described the Sena supremo after his assassination: he called him the Gandhi of Bihar.

The judicial issues that have been thrown up by the Patna HC acquittals can only be resolved by the Supreme Court. President KR Narayanan had termed the Bathe massacre as a matter of national shame. What has happened now is even more shameful. There is a growing opinion that the apex court must constitute a Special Investigation Team under its own supervision and re-examine all the massacre cases in which the guilty have been let off. But the battle for justice for Bathanitola and Bathe is clearly much bigger than the question of righting a judicial wrong. It is about checking the feudal-communal marauders who have been strengthened by the politics of appeasement and impunity and now feel emboldened by such shameful judicial acquiescence. This is a battle that concerns not just the oppressed poor of Bihar but whoever cares about the future of India, a battle that we must win.

 

Protests Against Bathe Massacre Acquittal

At Patna, the CPI(ML) staged a protest march from the Gandhi Maidan to the Buddha Smriti Park on Thursday in protest against the acquittal of all the 26 people accused of massacring 58 dalits in Laxmanpur-Baathe village in 1997.

"An SIT should be set up by the Supreme Court to investigate the matter if justice has to be done to the carnage victims," said CPI(ML) general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya who led the march, christened 'Aakrosh march', in the state capital.

Bhattacharya said President Pranab Mukherjee ought to meet the massacre victims during his visit to Bihar later this month. "We would move the apex court against the Patna high court verdict," Bhattacharya said.

Terming the chief minister Nitish Kumar's claims that his government was for 'development with justice' as a farce, Bhattacharya said Kumar would have to answer about his tall promises to deliver justice to the victims of massacres at Baathe and other places. Several members of the civil society, including N K Choudhary, Bharti S Kumar, Santosh Kumar and P N P Lal, also participated in the protest march.

As the protestors began the march demanding the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the carnage, traffic was disrupted at several places in the city. Protests were also held in district HQ towns. Protesters also disrupted traffic on the Patna-Aurangabad NH 98 and the Gaya-Patna road at Jehanabad on Thursday.

In Delhi, the CPI(ML) held a protest demonstration against the acquittal. The protesters gathered at Jantar Mantar, raising slogans against the 'massacre of justice' and the Nitish Kumar Government for its betrayal of the promise of justice for victims of the dalit massacres. Protesters burnt the effigy of Nitish Kumar and a copy of the Bihar HC verdict too.  

Addressing the protest demonstration, CPI(ML) State Secretary Sanjay Sharma asked, "On December 1, 1997, a feudal landlords' private army the Ranveer Sena massacred 58 Dalits, including 27 women and 10 children, in Laxmanpur Bathe in Arwal, Bihar. Does the HC want us to believe that 'noone killed these 58 people'? Does the HC hold that the dalit eyewitnesses can't be believed? Or do the lives of dalits have no judicial value?"

AISA's National President Sandeep Singh said that in repeated cases, the Bihar HC had overturned lower court convictions in the Bathani Tola, Nagari and Bathe massacre cases. In the Bathani case, the HC declared any true witnesses of the massacre could only be dead. But in the Bathe case, the court held that the eyewitnesses were genuine, yet chose to disbelieve their identification of the killers on the technicality that the actual names were added to the FIR a few days after the massacre. The HC, like in the Bathani case, has again held in the Bathe case that the IO and the prosecution have been biased and have weakened the case. But this bias can only be corrected by placing faith in the eyewitnesses who testified at risk to their lives. The HC has insulted the survivors by letting loose the killers – once again putting the eyewitnesses at risk.

Human rights activist Mahtab Alam deplored the Patna High Court verdict and said that struggle for justice must go on.

Aslam Khan, Vice President, Revolutionary Youth Association (RYA) said that Dalit landless poor who assserted themselves politically by supporting the CPI(ML) were massacred by Ranveer Sena in Laloo's Bihar, and now justice is being repeatedly massacred in Nitish's Bihar, exposing the cruel truth behind his claims of 'justice for mahadalits.'

AISA Delhi President Sunny Kumar said that the first thing that Nitish Kumar did on assuming power was to abandon the Amir Das Commission set up to probe the political links with the Ranveer Sena, because it was well known that BJP and JDU leaders formed the bulk of political support for the Sena, while some RJD and Congress leaders too were known to support the Sena.

JNUSU General Secretary Sandip Saurabh reminded that when Ranveer Sena chief Brahmeshwar was killed recently, the Ranveers unleashed violence on dalit hostel students in Ara - even as Nitish's police took a leaf from Modi's book and let them 'vent their rage'.

Santosh Roy, CPI(ML) State Committee member, said that Rahul Gandhi speaks of Dalits moving ahead powered by 'Jupiter's velocity' - but he's silent on the Bathe verdict. Meanwhile Congress, earlier partner of Laloo who presided over the massacres, now cosies up to Nitish Kumar, who presides over the massacre of justice! And on Independence Day this year, the Baddi dalit atrocity took place in Bihar, reminding everyone that Bathani and Bathe are not horrors of the past, but terrors of today in Nitish-ruled Bihar.

Many concerned citizens and AISA activists also demonstrated at Bihar Bhavan on the same day. 

 

On Cyclone Phailin and Its Aftermath

Cyclone Phailin has affected the homes, property, and livelihood of large numbers of people, while also taking some lives in Andhra Pradesh and Odisha. The experience of the cyclone this time showed how relatively better preparedness can contain the loss of lives in natural calamities. However, there can be no room for complacency and the self-congratulatory tones of the State and Central Governments are insulting to those affected by the calamity. The Central Government and the Governments of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh need to ensure full compensation and rehabilitation to all affected persons, ensuring homes and means of survival at the earliest. Meanwhile, efforts need to be made on a war footing to prevent the spread of diseases and epidemics. CPI(ML) Odisha and Andhra Pradesh units are engaged in relief work, and the party calls upon its units all over the country to extend every possible assistance.

Meanwhile the cyclone has also left an impact on Bihar, where the possibility of floods in the Kosi river loom large. The CPI(ML) demands that the Bihar Government take timely measures to control the flooding and to protect and evacuate those in the danger zone.

 

On Temple Stampede  

CPI(ML) extends condolences to the over 100 families who have lost loved ones in the stampede in the temple in Madhya Pradesh. The fact that the stampede was sparked off by a police lathicharge, and that the police flung children into the river, is a shocking instance of high-handedness and cruelty. There seems to be no effort at all to learn from past tragedies, and stampedes in religious places seem to have become a regular feature in the country. The police and administrative personnel responsible for the tragedy must be identified and punished.      

 

For Fee Reimbursement for Dalit Students 

Tamilnadu's Jayalalitha Government is boasting that it has enacted GO92 for reimbursement of full education fees of dalit students studying in self financed educational institutions. But it has not been implemented anywhere in TN. As part of the ongoing struggles for implementation, a well attended public meeting by Dalit youths and students were held at Kandarvakottai, constituency of scheduled caste welfare minister on 5.10.2013. The meeting was presided over by Pudukottai district organiser of RYA, Com Govindaraj and the main speakers are Com Bharathi, National secretary of RYA, Com Seetha, state secretary of AISA, Com Rameshwar Prasad, state General secretary of AISA, Com Athiyaman on behalf of Democratic advocates association. District secretary of CPI(ML) Com Asaithambi and SCM Com Valathan also spoke.

Speakers came down heavily on the non-implementations of Jaya Governments own GO and asks SC welfare minister to function in the interest of SC welfare instead of an mouth piece of  the Government.

 

Party mass education camps on Working Class Movement

About 40 powerloom workers participated in a class organised at Pallipalayam of Namakkal district.on 05.10.2013.Com Govindaraj, SCM explained on the various aspects of the document and workers enthusiastically participated in the discussions.

At another camp held at Kumarapalayam, apart from powerloom workers, Loadmen working in civil supplies corporation from Tirupur also participated numbering a total of  55 workers. Com M.Govindaraj, SCM Com K.Govindaraj, state secretary of civil supplies corporation union explained on the aspects of the CPI(ML)'s resolution on working class movement adopted at the 9th Party Congress. Com N K Natarajan , SCM co-ordinated the discussion.

Despite framing of false cases on district committee members by police, Party initiatives on people's issues continues.

Irritated by the continuous initiatives of CPI(ML) on peoples issues exposing district administration and police, false cases were booked on Com Venkatesan, district secretary and SCM of party, Comrades Kaliamurthy, Suseela and Palani, all district committee members.

More than 300 people attended in the Demonstrations condemning police action at Ulundurpet which was addressed by Com Balasundaram, state secretary of CPI(ML), Com Chandramohan, SCM, Com Thenmozhi, state president of AIPWA among other district leaders.

An education camp On 6.10.2013 on working class movement resolution was addressed by Com Balasundaram, steate secretary of the party.

On October 7, District level cadres of AIPWA met under the leadership of  Com Thenmozhi and decided to convene district conference on November 7 th with a Rally.

Newly constructed over bridge at Ulundurpet in Vilupuram district has not been opened  for quite a long time and Party announced through Pamphlets distributed among people that It will be opened by Party. Alerted district administration invited party for talks.

 

500 activists join CPI (ML)Liberation in Odisha

ON 9th October, on the occasion of the 15th memorial day of Comrade Nagbhusan Patnaik, 500 Left cadres left CPI and joined CPI (ML)Liberation. At a large rally in Kakatpur block of Puri district, 500 CPI cadres including leaders like Comrades Akhaya Swain, Bipin Jena and Sanjeev Swain joined the party. The Rally was attended by Vinod Singh, CPI(ML) MLA in the Jharkhand assembly and CC member, Comrade Khitish Biswal, Secretary of the party in Odisha, Comrade Yudhisthar Mohapatra, CC member, Comrade Radhakant Sethi, state committee member and Comrade Ashok Pradhan, state committee member.

Speakers at the rally, while castigating the Naveen Patnaik Government's anti-poor, pro-corporate policies, were critical of the CPI's approach of sacrificing the interests of people's movements at the altar of seeking a few seats through alliance with the ruling BJD. 

 

Students Lathi-charged in UP Towns

A number of students in Ghazipur were brutally lathi-charged by the police on 9 November for demanding State University status to the Ghazipur PG College. Students are continuing a movement on this demand for many days. AISA leader in Ghazipur Alok Rohit and RYA leader Manoj Kumar were injured along with many other local student activists in this attack. UP unit of AISA has expressed solidarity with students' demand for the university status and has condemned the repression let loose by SP govt. whose much hyped electoral promises of providing employment and good education to the youth have already been proved hollow.

While in Allahabad, Akhilesh govt.'s betrayal with the promise of providing employment was seen in lathi-charge on TET pass candidates who demanded filling of vacancies in various government departments. UP AISA President Sudhanshu Bajpai said that state's boastful 'youth' CM will have to receive proper lessons from the youth in the state, whom he considers mere vote bank and continues to betray from promises while using repressive tactics on democratic and just movements.

 

Commemorating the Centenary of Ghadar movement

Despite showers and inclement weather, hundreds of people assembled and marched from Budge Budge Railway station towards the old Budge Budge station, where stands the memorial of the martyrs of  Komagatamaru on 29 September, 2013. 99 years ago, the British police fired and killed 20 and arrested 202 passengers when the ship Komagatamaru anchored near Ganges beside the old Budge Budge Railway station. The British Govt. termed this incident as Budge Budge riot, while it is better described as 'Jallian wallah bag of Bengal'. It is to be mentioned that in protest against the racial policies of the Dominion Govt. of Canada, Rabindra Nath Tagore refused the official invitation of Canada to visit that country.

The rally was organised under the banner, 'Committee for Commemorating the Centenary of the Ghadar Movement & Remembering the Martyrs of Komagatamaru', which comprised of eminent intellectuals (Nabarun Bhattacharya, an eminent poet is the co-convenor of this committee), educationists, journalists, political personalities, leaders of different mass organisations and a section of left forces. A similar committee was formed at Budge Budge level and people from different walks of life participated. Intensive campaign was organised in and around Budge Budge area, leaflets & pamplets carrying the real story of this bygone era and its contemporary significance were circulated in large numbers. As this was the first initiative of the citizens, under active support of CPI(ML), wide response and active support came from different sections, particularly among the Sikh community

The rally was led by Binayak Sen, Sabyasachi Deb(poet), Salil Biswas(educationist),Chandrasekhar(journalist),Kartick Pal and Partha Ghosh, PBMs, Kalyan Goswami, ccm, Nitish Roy(Ganasanskriti Parisad), Amit Dasgupta(co convenor).The rally was graced with the presence of two RONPAs(walking on two long wooden shaft fixed on both the legs),which became the centre of attraction. On reaching the memorial, garlands and flowers were offered by the personalities mentioned above and one minute silence was observed in the memory of the martyrs.

After this programme, a seminar was held at Budge Budge Girls High School and was inaugurated by an inspiring song from Agneebina, har nara lalkar banega (every slogan will be a ringing challenge). Sri Ganesh Ghosh, EX Chairman of Budge Budge Municipality initiated the discussion and narrated many unheard chapters of that ghastly carnage. He is the first person who meticulously gathered all the relevant documents & published a detailed historical account of this pogrom. Other speakers were Partha Ghosh, Binayak Sen, Sabyasachi Deb,Salil Biswas  and Chandrasekhar. A memoir was published on this occasion and a poster exhibition, depicting the incident of Komagatamaru in vivid details was an attraction. The seminar hall was overwhelmingly packed and inspiring speeches of the speakers roused the audience.   

It is worth mentioning that Govt. of India, at last, succumbed before the popular demand to rename the Budge Budge station. From 1st October 2013, it has been renamed as Komagatamaru Budge Budge station. After a protracted   battle,   recognition of this movement, albeit in this form has been won.

 

AIPWA State Conference in Tripura 

The second Tripura State Conference of All India Progressive Women's Association was held in Kailashahar, from 1-2 October. The town was well decorated with AIPWA flags, posters and festoons on the occasion. The conference started with a rally which was addressed by Pratima Engheepi, central observer for the conference. She stressed on rapid increase of atrocities on women and continuation of AFSPA in Tripura which is being ruled by a left party. The rally was also addressed by AIPWA Sate Secretary Pritikana.

The conference was attended by 92 delegates and 12 observers. CPIML State Secretary Partha Karmakar and CC member Mrinmoy Chakraborty addressed the conference. The conference elected Rehana Begam as State President and Pritikana Chakraborty as State Secretary with 21-member state committee. The Conference concluded with the adoption of resolution which addressed various issues concerning women.

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 42 / 2013

ML Update

A CPI(ML) Weekly News Magazine

Vol. 16, No. 42, 08 – 14 OCTOBER 2013

India Must Reject the Manmohan Legacy of

Shameful Subservience to US Interests

Ahead of the 2009 Lok Sabha elections, Manmohan Singh had clinched the Indo-US nuclear deal with George Bush in 2008. Five years later, as India awaits the general elections of 2014, Singh was back in America to open up India's national exchequer to American companies in mega defence and nuclear purchase agreements. The joint statement issued after the third Obama-Manmohan meeting (ignoring the occasions when the two have met on the sidelines of multilateral summits) talks of enhanced defence, economic and of course foreign policy cooperation between the two countries.

The Obama-Manmohan summit produced a separate Joint Declaration on Defence Cooperation expanding on the 2005 Framework Agreement, with the US promising to treat India as one of its 'closest partners' in matters of defence technology transfer, trade, research, co-development and co-production of defence articles and services, including the most advanced and sophisticated technology. India has agreed to participate in the 2014 Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) naval exercise in Hawaii, the world's largest multilateral maritime exercise to be hosted by the US Pacific Command, signalling a new readiness to integrate India more closely fully with America's strategic goals and operations. Ten years ago, Indo-US defence trade was worth just $100 million which has since risen to $10 billion, and the US is obviously looking gleefully at India's burgeoning defence budget.

Manmohan Singh's 'short working visit' also finalised initial agreements for India to purchase exorbitantly expensive and technologically untested nuclear reactors from the US. Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited is setting up nuclear reactors in Mithi Virdi of Gujarat and Kovvada of Andhra Pradesh in collaboration with US companies Westinghouse and General Electric-Hitachi respectively. While Manmohan Singh avoided committing to any formal and explicit dilution of the liability clause for nuclear suppliers, he had already reassured the latter that their 'profits will tell the true story'. In other words India is already 'compensating' American companies for their possible 'liability burden' by agreeing to pay much higher prices. According to an estimate, the tariff of power generated by these plants would be as high as Rs 15 per unit, which is more than double the price at which the Russian reactors at Kudankulam are expected to produce electricity.

While the Manmohan-Obama joint statement described Indo-US ties as a defining partnership for 21st Century, the degree of Indian subordination to American strategic control is becoming increasingly obvious. A glaring case in point is India's shameful silence on the issue of American surveillance on India's domestic politics and strategic and commercial interests and even on Indian diplomatic posts in America. Following Edward Snowden's sensational revelations, it is now well known that the PRISM programme of the US National Security Agency taps live communication as well as stored information related to India's geopolitical and economic interests including nuclear and space research programmes. US calls India a valued and key ally, but subjects India to intrusive surveillance and Manmohan Singh just did not have the courage to raise this crucial issue during his meeting with Barack Obama.

India's growing economic and strategic subservience to US imperialism has only deepened the country's economic and political crisis. As Finance Minister in 1991, Manmohan Singh had begun the opening up of the Indian economy for foreign and Indian corporate interests, and as Prime Minister since 2004, he has subordinated India's foreign policy to the strategic goals and priorities of US imperialism. His latest trip to Washington may well have been his last tribute as PM to his American bosses, it is now up to the Indian people to end this shameful legacy and roll back the entire gamut of pro-corporate pro-US policies pursued by UPA and NDA governments.

Assam: Residence of Congress MLA Raju Sahu Surrounded

In continuation of protest programmes demanding arrest and exemplary punishment to the murderers of Comrade Gangaram Kol, CPI(ML) and its mass organizations surrounded the residence of Congress MLA Raju Sahu, an accused in the murder, on 15th September, 2013. Nearly a thousand people across Tinsukia district, gathered in Durgabari Hall at around 12 noon and started a militant procession towards Raju Sahu's house. On the way police tried to prevent the protesters by erecting barricade, but the militant protesters marched ahead by breaking police cordon. Finally protesters staged a dharna just 100 meters away from Raju Sahu's residence. In the clash with police Comrade Subhas Sen, Arup Mahanta and Jiten Tanti were slightly injured.

A protest meeting was also held there and different leaders including Party's District Secretary Subhas Sen, Secretary of Gramin Sramik Santha leader Arup Kr. Mahanta, Asom Chah Sramik Sangha's General Secretary Jiten Tanti, wife of Comrade Gangaram Kol Sakhila Munda, Rajen Bhumij, and AICCTU district leader Brajen Konwar addressed the militant protest. They reiterated the demand for immediate arrest of perpetrators of the murder including Raju Sahu. Protesters also burnt the effigy of Raju Sahu.

At last Circle Officer of Tinsukia Circle met the protesters and received a memorandum addressed to the Governor of Assam. The circle officer had to listen to the angry protesters. He had to admit the failure of the police-administration in nabbing the culprits and assured the people to clarify the causes of failure within a period of 15 days. Protesters returned to Durgabari Hall and held a meeting there.

AICCTU's 6th UP State Conference Held

All India Central Council of Trade Unions (AICCTU) successfully held its 6th Uttar Pradesh State Conference on 14-15 September 2013 at Nirala Auditorium in Allahabad. AICCTU's National Councillor and veteran working class leader Comrade Anantram Vajpayee hoisted the red flag after which a two-minutes silence in the memory of martyrs was observed.

The open session of the Conference was inaugurated by CPI(ML) State Secretary Comrade Sudhakar Yadav who said in his inaugural speech that the Conference being held in the backdrop of a climate of communal violence and attacks on the workers by corporates and mafias is a challenging thing to do when you have to strengthen the fight of workers and employees and solidly stand with them in their struggles. This has been the case in the struggles right from Greater Noida, Ghaziabad, Kanpur, Lucknow, Pilibhit, Allahabad and up to Deoria.

It is well known that the mining mafia has been calling the various shots in the Akhilesh Yadav Govt. There has been various attacks on pro-people leaders including a murderous attempt on CPI(ML) leader Comrade Ramesh Singh Sengar. The AIALA State Secretary addressing the open session said that the workers and employees will not be intimidated by such heinous attempts, rather they will organise themselves with their traditional arms and resist and repel every attack.

Leaders of several central trade unions also addressed the open session. AITUC leaders Comrades Ramsagar and Naseem, Comrade Harish Chandra Dwivedi of CITU, RC Bahadur of HMS, RC Kaithal from LIC. Others who spoke are National Vice President of AICCTU Comrade Premlata Pandey, AICCTU State President Comrade Hari Singh, AICCTU National Secretary Comrade Rajiv Dmiri, Jasam General Secretary Comrade Pranay Krishna, Comrade KK Pandey of Jasam and Comrade Raghunandan of AISA among others.

The Conference had 72 delegates and 24 observers from various districts of UP. A 42-member State Council and 19-member State Executive Committee was formed with Comrade Hari Singh as State President and Comrade Anil Verma as State Secretary of AICCTU.

Mathura Party Committee Warns the State Govt

Against Forces Trying to Foment Communal Tensions in Mathura

CPI(ML) district unit of Mathura in western Uttar Pradesh has cautioned and warned the State Govt and District Administration against attempts being made to foment communal tensions similar to Muzzafarnagar by communal forces in the district. Comrade Nazir Shah, District Convenor of CPI(ML) wrote to the Governor and District Administration citing recent incidents in Kosi block of Mathura where due to failure of district administration to respond on time had led to communal riots.

The Sri Krishna Janma Bhumi and Shahi Masjid are adjacent to each other and communal forces are trying to create tensions emboldened by the Muzzafarnagar designs. It is well known that Narendra Modi's aide Amit Shah is campaign incharge for Uttar Pradesh and the fascist forces are willing to plunge the State to any depth in their game-plan 2014. The memorandum has demanded immediate action to identify the communal and anti-social elements and their arrest to maintain communal harmony in the district. A CPI(ML) delegation met the DM of Mathura and handed over the memorandum asking him to send it to the Governor.

Rallies and Demos on the National Call of Central Trade Unions

On the call of Central Trade Unions for rallies and demonstration on 25th September 2013, AICCTU and its affiliated organisations participated vigorously along with workers affiliated to various CTUs in joint demonstrations on the 10-point charter of demands: (1) minimum wage of unorganized sector worker to be Rs.10,000 per month, (2) concrete steps to curb price rise, (3) all workers to be covered under social security, (4) pension for all workers and employees, (5) equal pay for equal work, contractual worker same pay as permanent worker and women worker to be paid same wage as male worker for same work, (6) concrete action for employment generation, (7) trade unions to be registered within 45 days, etc.

Jharkhand: Ranchi

A rally was taken out from Ranchi Railway Station that passed through important landmarks of the city, through main roads and reached Rajbhavan. Thousands of workers affiliated to AICCTU, CITU, AITUC, BMS, AITUC, HMS etc. participated in the march to Rajbhavan. AICCTU's Ranchi Town Committee also took out a Mazdoor-Adhikar Rally from Jaipal Singh Stadium separately comprising 500 building workers. The workers raised resounding slogans like "Better Wages-Regular Work, We Will Fight for Social Security and Dignity" throughout the distance of the rally.

The workers' rights assembly at the Jharkhand Rajbhavan was addressed by AICCTU's State Secretary Comrade Subhendu Sen among others who said that the economic policies of the UPA Govt and previously of the BJP-led NDA Govt has been dangerous for the country and is responsible for the price rise, unemployment, retrenchment and assaults on workers' rights. He called upon the workers to intervene strongly in the political order to thwart the destructive economic policies of the two hobnobbing political parties Congress and the BJP. Comrades DS Diwakar (AICCTU State President), Geeta Mandal, Sushila Tigga, Francis Minz, Munna Uraon, Ishwari Rana, Meena Lakda, Roslyn Lakda, Indu Devi, Guni Uraon led the rally from AICCTU. Bhuvaneshwar Kewat of AICCTU also addressed the meeting.

A five-member delegation on behalf of the participating CTUs met the Governor and gave him a memorandum of demands including the demand to immediately release labour leader Ramendra Kumar who has been framed under false charges.

Construction workers participated in huge numbers and despite rain the workers did not budge. The Jharkhand Construction Workers' Union affiliated to AICCTU had a prior plan to encircle the Labour Commissioner's Office against the attacks on labour rights and hence the mobilisation was thick.

Puducherry: A massive joint demonstration took place on 25th September 2013 at Puducherry by Central Trade Unions comprising AICCTU, AITUC, INTUC, CITU, LPF, BMS, NFTE, BSNLEU, AIIEA, AIBEA and Confederation of State Govt. The joint demonstration was presided by VS Abizhegam, State Secretary of AITUC. Leaders from AICCTU, AITUC, INTUC, CITU, LPF, BMS, NFTE, BSNLEU, AIIEA, AIBEA and Confederation of State Govt. employees Unions addressed the demonstrators. AICCTU contingent was led by Comrade S Mothilal, State Secretary. P Sankaran, State Vice President spoke among the demonstrators on behalf of AICCTU. Workers of All Central Trade Union organizations took part in the demonstration in large numbers.

Developments in Tripura

In East Tripura Parliamentary constituency in Unakoti District in Kumarghat Subdivision political work has been started recently. In North Tripura District a new area under Damcherra Block is also linked up with party work. Another recent development is in Dharmanagar North, among scheduled tribes and the religious minorities.  The second Tripura State Conference of All India Progressive Women's Association (AIPWA) was held on October 1st & 2nd. They completed their membership before the conference. All the party comrades devoted all their time for the AIPWA conference. The target taken by the committee in respect of branch committee formation will be within November.

From the Circular of the Politburo:

Threat of US Military Aggression on Syria:

PB expresses satisfaction over the fact that the pressure of international public opinion has succeeded in averting the threat of an immediate US-led war on Syria. The defeat of the pro-war motion in British parliament, the retreat of the Obama Administration from seeking Congressional authorisation, and the eventual agreement between Washington and Moscow over Syria mark a major blow to the American drive for unilateral global hegemony. It is significant that the same Obama Administration which had unilaterally and arrogantly cancelled the Obama-Putin summit in the wake of the Snowden episode had to eat a humble pie and return to the negotiating table with Russia and accept the UN Security Council as the appropriate platform to decide on intervention in and resolution of any international dispute. PB of course cautions against any kind of complacency and calls for sustained vigilance against the US-led war campaign.

Muzaffarnagar Riot and the BJP's Campaign of Communal Frenzy:

The violence in Muzaffarnagar which was allowed to escalate in spite of curfew has rekindled memories of Gujarat across the country. While fighting for peace, harmony and rehabilitation, we must lay the greatest of emphases on bringing the guilty to justice and exposing and resisting the BJP's campaign of communal frenzy and politics of communal polarisation. We should also organise the people against the Indian state's pathological weakness in dealing with rabid communal forces and the politics of appeasement of communal forces and competitive communalism pursued by the Congress and many so-called 'secular' parties. The most glaring example of this politics is the dumping of the Bill to prevent communal violence even as the Congress secured the BJP's support to pass anti-people measures like land acquisition bill or the bill to allow FDI in pension fund. Our campaign against communalism is not limited to defence of secularism, it challenges all kinds of deprivation, discrimination and witch-hunt that minority communities are subjected to and thus integrates the question of secularism with the battle for democracy.

Withdrawal of the Ordinance to Protect Convicted MPs/MLAs

and the Verdict on Fodder Scam:

PB welcomes the withdrawal of the obnoxious ordinance brought by the UPA to protect convicted lawmakers from the threat of disqualification as mandated by the Supreme Court. This is a victory of the powerful anti-corruption public opinion and struggle of the people even though the Congress tried to make political capital of this compulsion by first letting Rahul Gandhi rubbish the ordinance before withdrawing it. Following the Supreme Court verdict three sitting MPs - Lalu Prasad of RJD, Jagdish Sharma of JDU and Rasheed Masood of Congress are slated to lose their membership. The fodder scam story is a great political leveller which exposes leaders of Congress and BJP, and RJD and JD(U) to be members of the same corrupt club. We have raised the issue as to why leaders like Nitish Kumar, Shivanand Tiwari and Lallan Singh who all are named as recipients of fodder scam money in the testimonies of senior officials of animal husbandry department spared by the CBI. The BJP which is now targeting Nitish Kumar on this score is clearly guilty protecting him to save the NDA rule at the Centre and later in Bihar.

The BJP and the Congress – the two parties responsible for major scams and the pro-corporate policies that have strengthened the corporate-politician nexus and facilitated unbridled corporate plunder – are shamelessly trying to utilise the latest developments to their political advantage. We must counter this conspiracy and use the present juncture to further expose and challenge the complicity and collusion of major ruling class parties and the pro-corporate policies responsible for the recent spurt in scams.

Repression on the Autonomous State Movement in Karbi Anglong:

The Congress government of Assam has virtually imposed an undeclared state of Emergency in Karbi Anglong, suspending all democratic activities and unleashing severe repression to silence the renewed popular demand for implementation of Article 244A. A student activist was killed, CPI(ML) office was raided and more than a dozen leaders and cadres of our Party, including Comrade Rabi Phangcho, CCM and Secretary of HillParty Committee, were arrested and even tortured. The administration has since gone on to slap any number of false cases on our comrades to deny them bail and detain them for as long as possible. While resisting this repression and fighting for the release of our comrades we must build on the new momentum generated in the movement and the renewed credibility of CPI(ML) established through the courage and determination with which our comrades have borne the brunt of state repression in this phase.

Unrest in Seemandhra over Telangana:

The UPA government's opportunist piecemeal approach and dilatory tactics in dealing with various statehood demands, especially on the issue of Telangana, has created massive unrest in the country. PB condemns this approach and the use of repressive measures in dealing with popular agitations on statehood issues. The demands should have been referred to a second States Reorganisation Commission for a well-considered, comprehensive and time-bound decision over statehood demands. If Jharkhand, Uttarakhand and Chhattisgarh could be formed without much friction, there is no reason why the issues of Telangana, Gorkhaland or a Hill State/Autonomous State in Assam cannot be solved in an amicable manner. We must insist on an early settlement of pending statehood demands without fomenting sectarian division and violence along linguistic/regional lines.

AISA's 7th UP State Conference

All India Students' Association (AISA) held its 7th Uttar Pradesh State Conference on 28th September, Bhagat Singh's birth anniversary, at Lucknow University campus. AISA leaders said that the State Chief Minister doesn't let go a chance to launch attack on students, youths and intellectuals while he is more than at ease to give free reins to communal hate mongers and rioters as in Muzzafarnagar incidents. Higher education is breathing its last in the State and the State Govt is making every sort of mockery of education and demand for employment. The open session was organised at the Shaheed Square of the Lucknow University where hundreds of students listened to the AISA leaders.

The Conference elected 19-member executive committee with Sudhanshu Vajpayee as State President and Sunil Maurya as State Secretary.

RYA Rally and Public meeting in TN

After campaigning on various demands of the youth in Sriperumputhur, which is an automobile manufacturing hub in Tamilnadu, RYA organised a rally and public meeting remembering the icon of revolutionary youth Shaheed-e-Azam Bhagat Singh on his 106th birth anniversary. Demands include enactment of an act to recognise trade union represented by majority workers, unemployment allowance of Rs.5000 per month, equal wages for equal work (applicable for both women workers and contract labourers doing the same kind of work as permanent workers), Presidential ascent for LA Bill 47 passed in Tamilnadu legislature with respect to trainees, abolition of contract labour system and right to employment.

More than 300 young workers, both permanent and contract from Asian Paints, Hyundai, Fenner, C&S, C&H, Teneco and TI Diamond chain took part. The programme was conducted by Comrade Rajaguru, Kanjipuram District President of RYA. It was addressed by Comrade Bharathi, National Vice President of RYA, Comrade Seetha of AISA and Comrade Iraniappan, State Committee member of CPI(ML).

Reports from Chhattisgarh

The Chhattisgarh Mukti Morcha held a rally on 28th September, Comrade Shankar Guha Niyogi's martyrdom day and incidentally also Bhagat Singh's birth anniversary, in Raipur. The rally reached Gandhi Maidan and culminated into a public meeting. About one and half thousand workers from Durg, Raipur, Bilaspur, Rajnandgaon and Kardha participated.

A workers convention was held on 29th September by Centre of Steel Workers (affiliated to AICCTU). Comrade Subhendu Sen was the chief guest and a 41-member executive committee was elected.

 

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