ML Update
A CPI(ML) Weekly News Magazine
Vol. 17 | No. 29 |15 - 21 JUL 2014
Indian Government Must Break Its Silence
And Demand End to Israel's Racist Genocide in Gaza
The ongoing Israeli assault on Gaza has now claimed nearly 200 lives of Palestinian civilians, and still counting. The abduction and killing of three Jewish young boys in the occupied West Bank is condemnable. But, instead of identifying those responsible, Israel used this crime as a pretext for yet another massacre of the Palestinian people.
The fact that the abduction and killing are only a pretext is underlined by the words of Israeli hardliners who in 2012 had referred to the annual massacre of Palestinian civilians by the Israeli state, as "mowing the lawn." Israeli political leaders have a long history of using such language to dehumanize the Palestinian people and justify occupation and genocide. In 1969, Israeli PM Golda Meir had declared that Palestinians 'didn't exist.' In 1982, Israeli PM Menachem Begin described Palestinians as "beasts walking on two legs." In 1988, another Israeli PM Yitzhak Shamir declared that the Palestinians "would be crushed like grasshoppers."
Even as major world powers maintain a shameful silence on this massacre, the Israeli PM Netanyahu has declared that "world pressure will not stop us...there is still more to go." The Israeli PM has openly and shamelessly justified deliberate bombardment of homes, hospitals, and other civilian locations. Yet, this blatant admission of war crime has invited no serious action from the United Nations to ensure an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, even as the UN reports that the 80% of those killed in Gaza are civilians.
The silence of the Indian Government on the ongoing genocide is a mockery of India's long history of solidarity with the Palestinian struggle. Indian solidarity with Palestine is forged in India's own experience of anti-colonial freedom struggle. This is why India's freedom fighters, including Gandhi, unequivocally recognised and resisted the colonial occupation of Palestine. Gandhi famously declared that "Palestine belongs to the Arabs as England belongs to the English or France to the French." This is the understanding that informed India's long standing foreign policy approach to Palestine. As India's ruling class drew closer to the US imperialist regime in the past couple of decades, it began advocating a 'pragmatic' relationship with Israel. During the last NDA Government, this relationship acquired even closer ideological affinities, with Zionism and Hindutva echoing each others' Islamophobia. And of course, cementing the bonhomie between Israel andIndia's rulers from both Congress and BJP, is India's position as the biggest client of Israel's arms industry. Now, with the Modi Government in power, the cadres of Sangh Parivar are striving to erase the memory and legacy of the strong shred anti-colonial ties between India and Palestine. By doing so, they are seeking to mould India in Israel's image in the subcontinent – both in its treatment of neighbours and of its own minority populations and oppressed nationalities.
At such a time, it is crucial to underline that ordinary Indians who protest the Israeli occupation and aggression, are in fact defending the highest traditions of India's own freedom struggle. And they are also standing by the millions of people across the globe who are resisting their own governments' support for the Israeli occupation and calling for boycott, divestment and sanctions against Israel.
The Indian Government cannot be allowed to play havoc with India's precious anti-colonial legacy and conscientious foreign policy towards Palestine. Democratic and anti-imperialist Indians must demand that the Indian Government immediately condemn and call for a halt of the Israeli aggression, convey relief to the Palestinian people, and appeal to the UN to intervene to enforce an immediate ceasefire. The Indian Government must also reaffirm its commitment to support the cause of a free Palestine, and must walk the talk of this commitment by ending arms purchases from Israel.
Palestine today is the longest ever people's resistance to colonialism, occupation, and racism. It is ironic that the Israeli state, supposedly a monument against Nazi racism and genocide, is itself the worst perpetrator of racism and genocide in today's world. Ending this racist occupation and genocide is a call for conscience for the whole world.
Delhi Police Assaults Peaceful Protesters at Israel Embassy
Nearly 100 people peacefully gathered on July 14th near Hotel Claridges on Auragzeb Road to protest against the Isreal's bombardment of Gaza.
Protesters from JNUSU, AISA, AISF, RYA, NAPM, DSG and many other civil society organisations marched from Hotel Claridges towards the Israel Embassy. The Delhi police made all-out attempts to stop the bus carrying the protesters from leaving JNU.
Finally, the bus was forced to stop around 2 kilometres from the Embassy, from where the students marched on foot towards the Embassy. On way to the Embassy, the police tried to stop protesters by the use of force and lathicharge. The police beat up activists ruthlessly and when some students reached the embassy, they were not allowed to stage a silent sit in! Women activists were roughed up and manhandled, and male activists were thrashed, leaving several injured. The protesters were forced into a bus and taken to Tughlaq Road police station where they were greeted by abusive language, use of unprovoked force and hostile treatment. Student leaders were thrashed without any reason. All this took place on the orders of the DCP.
Kavita Krishnan, secretary of the All India Progressive Women's Association, and Politburo member, CPI(ML), was dragged away from in front of the Embassy and hit on her lip by a policewoman's helmet when she raised a slogan.
In all, nearly 100 people including JNUSU President Akbr Choudhury were bundled together in two police vans and taken to Tughlaq Road police Station. Inside the thana, Kavita Krishnan was also stopped from talking to the press, was dragged inside and verbally abused. When the JNUSU President questioned the language that was being used, he was also slapped and abused – all this in the presence of and on the orders of the SHO Pramod Joshi.
Activists from several organisations were injured, and clothes were torn. Inside the thana, the police selectively asked students with beards (presumed to be Muslims) for identity cards.
It is to be noted that, while protests at the embassy were allowed the day before, JNU students were specifically targeted, halted, beaten up and misbehaved with. The police were heard saying, inko sabak sikhao, inko mat chodna, baar baar aa jaate hain (teach them a lesson, don't spare them, they repeatedly return to protest). The JNU students in particular are being targeted repeatedly by the Delhi police in the past month.
Two activists from AISF, who were returning home after the detention was over, were targeted outside the police station, and one of them was beaten up. This is a totally unprovoked attack on two citizens who were simply going home. It is a shame that present political establishment in India, known for its pro-Israeli stance, has not only failed to condemn the Israeli war offensive on Gaza, but are going the extra mile of cracking down on democratic protests by Indian people against this racist offensive. However, these attacks on activists cannot silence the voice for justice and democracy.
The protesters were eventually released in the evening. Another joint protest will be held at the Israel embassy on 17th July.
CPI(ML) Statement on Union Budget
The Modi Government's first Union Budget has continued and severely intensified the offensive on common people and benefits to corporations that marked the previous UPA-II regime.
The Budget has opened the floodgates of disinvestment of PSUs to the tune of 43000 cr, with FDI being increased to 49% in defence, insurance and e-commerce.
The Budget is remarkably silent on MNREGA and Food Security that directly affect the poorest sections, also on concrete measures to quell inflation, such as taking essential items off the list of commodities that can be traded in the futures and forward trading market. The Finance Minister, on being asked, said that the existing allocation for MNREGA will stand. Allocations for MNREGA have not been increased for years, in spite of steep inflation, and the Modi Government has continued with the same policy.
Total social sector expenditure has plummeted steeply from 10.8 % in 2013-14 to 4.42 % of the total budget in 2014-15, and from 26.7 % in 2013-14 to 16.7 % in 2014-15 of total planned expenditure.
The huge infrastructure outlay in railways, roads, and ports has been allocated in the PPP framework. Experience has shown that PPP has been a system which has involved huge corruption, and which has meant private profits at public cost. In this case, the huge outlay will prove a bonanza for the real estate sharks who will use the PPP model to milk profits.
The allocation for schooling and higher education is highly inadequate and reflects the Modi Government's lack of any concern for the country's youth. The Budget allocates a mere 500 cr for 5 new IITs – contrast this with the 200 cr allocation for a single statue of Sardar Patel, a pet project of Modi's Gujarat Government that the Centre has now adopted! The Budget indicates that education will be left to predatory mercies of privatisation, which will put it out of reach of the vast majority of students in the country.
When it comes to employment too, the Budget fails to recognise the vast army of para teachers, ASHA, anganwadi and other rural health and education workers as government employees. The Modi Government continues with the model of insecure, casualised employment that exploits youth and women and also affects the quality of education and health services.
Similarly, the Budget allocates a mere 500 cr for 5 new AIIMS like medical institutions in 5 states. Again, this amount can be put in perspective by contrasting it with the 200 cr allocation for a single statue.
Some of the Budgetary decisions have immediate benefits to specific corporations. FDI in e-commerce has also been introduced; this in spite of an earlier white paper by the Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion (DIPP) stating that FDI in E-commerce would go against the spirit of restrictions imposed on FDI in multi-brand retail. BJP's posture has been one of opposition to FDI in multi-brand retail, yet it is allowing it in by the back door with FDI in e-commerce. Modi's team is known to have close connections with the e-commerce giant, eBay CEO Pierre Omidyar, with BJP MP Jayant Sinha having earlier served as head of the Omidyar Network in India.
The Finance Minister has also virtually put a hold on the restrospective taxation legislation that was enacted after the Supreme Court's ruling in favour of Vodafone in 2012. This legislation allowed for retrospective taxation of overseas transactions which involve assets primarily in India. Now, the Finance Minister has set up a high-powered committee to vet each case before invoking this law. It may be remembered that the Finance Minister Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley recently recused himself from matters pertaining to the Rs. 20,000 crore Vodafone tax dispute and delegated decisions in this matter to his junior Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. It may be presumed that he recused himself because of a conflict of interest emerging from possible prior association with the corporation in his capacity as a lawyer. Surely a conflict of interest is also indicated if the retrospective taxation legislation that directly pertains to the Vodafone case and similar matters, is weakened by the present Finance Minister?
The Budget extends the 10-year tax holiday to power companies.
The Finance Minister has also indicates that 'hurdles' in the path of mining will be removed and mining will receive a boost. Those hurdles, of course, have been the adivasis fighting for their survival and their rights to forests and land. The need of the hour was the nationalization of mining, to end to open plunder of our precious mineral resources by corporations and MNCs, resulting in huge corruption. Instead the Budget Speech indicates that hurdles in the path of this plunder will further be removed.
The Economic Survey also indicates a shift to a regime of cash transfers and erosion and undermining of the MNREGA.
All in all, the Modi Government's first Budget is openly pro-corporate and anti-poor in its orientation, and does nothing to alleviate price rise and usher in the relief promised to the people by Modi's election campaign.
-- CPI(ML) Central Committee
Protest Against Modi Govt's Union Budget
Activists of CPI(ML) held a protest demonstration at Jantar Mantar on July 11th against the pro-corporate, anti-people Union Budget, and burnt an effigy of the Budget.
Protesters raised slogans saying that the Modi Budget had bought 'good times' (acche din) for corporations through the FDI, PPP and exemptions route, but for the vast majority of ordinary people, there was only price rise, unemployment, and suffering in the absence of basic rights like health, education, food and water.
The protest was addressed by CPI(ML) State Secretary Sanjay Sharma, Politburo member Kavita Krishnan, RYA GS Ravi Rai, AICCTU leaders Rajiv Dimri, VKS Gautam and Santosh Roy and others.
Massive Corporate Bailout in Budget
The revenues foregone in 2013-14 could fund the rural jobs scheme for three decades or the PDS for four and a half years.
By P. Sainath
It was business as usual in 2013-14. Business with a capital B. This year's budget document says we gave away another Rs. 5.32 lakh crores to the corporate needy and the under-nourished rich in that year. Well, it says Rs. 5.72 lakh crores but I'm leaving out the Rs. 40 K crore foregone on personal income tax since that write-off benefits a wider group of people. The rest is mostly about a feeding frenzy at the corporate trough. And, of course, that of other well-off people. The major write-offs come in direct corporate income tax, customs and excise duties.
f you think sparing the super-rich taxes and duties worth Rs. 5.32 lakh crores is a trifle excessive, think again. The amount we've written off for them since 2005-06 under the very same heads is well over Rs. 36.5 lakh crore. (A sixth of that in just corporate income tax). That's Rs. 36500000000000 wiped off for the big boys in nine years.
With Rs. 36.5 trillion – for that is what it is – you could:
• Fund the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme for around 105 years, at present levels. That's more than any human being could expect to live. And a hell of a lot more than any agricultural labourer would. You could, in fact, run the MNREGS on that sum, across the working lives of two generations of such labourers. The current allocation for the scheme is around Rs. 34,000 crore.
• Fund the Public Distribution System for 31 years. (current allocation Rs. 1,15,000 crores).
By the way, if these revenues had been realized, around 30 per cent of their value would have devolved to the states. So their fiscal health is affected by the Centre's massive corporate karza maafi.
Even just the amount foregone in 2013-14 can fund the rural jobs scheme for three decades. Or the PDS for four and a half years. It is also over four times the 'losses' of the Oil Marketing Companies by way of so-called 'under-recoveries' in 2012-13.
Look at some of the exemptions under customs duty. There's a neat Rs. 48,635 crore written off on 'Diamonds and Gold.' Hardly aam aadmi or aam aurat items. And more than what we spend on rural jobs. Fact: concessions on diamonds and gold over the past 36 months total Rs. 1.6 trillion. (A lot more than we'll spend on the PDS in the coming year). In the latest figures, it accounts for 16 per cent of the total revenue foregone.
The break-up of the budget's revenue foregone figure of Rs. 5.72 lakh crore for 2013-14 is interesting. Of this, Rs. 76,116 crore was written off on just direct corporate income tax. More than twice that sum (Rs.1,95,679 crore) was foregone on Excise Duty. And well over three times the sum was sacrificed in Customs Duty (Rs. 2,60,714 crores).
This, of course, has been going on for many years in the 'reforms' period. But the budget only started carrying the data on revenue foregone around 2006-07. Hence the Rs. 36.5 trillion write-off figure. It would be higher had we the data for earlier years. (All of this, by the way, falls within the UPA period). And the trend in this direction only grows. As the budget document itself recognizes, "the total revenue foregone from central taxes is showing an upward trend. "
It sure is. The amount written off in 2013-14 shows an increase of 132 per cent compared to the same concessions in 2005-06.
Corporate karza maafi is a growth industry, and an efficient one.
Sanitation Workers Protest in Bangalore
Contract Sanitation workers of Koramangala and surrounding areas of Bangalore are worried about the unpaid DA of Rs.32.50 declared by the government, non-payment of monthly and minimum wages and are preparing for a struggle for their regularisation while careerist unions are preparing to honour the CM for the announcement of the mirage of appointment of 4000 sanitation workers. CM Siddaramaiah has staged a game of deception by declaring 22% reservation for dalits in scavenging work. It is nothing but a cruel joke. Can the CM or any of his stooges show us people of any caste other than dalits involved in scavenging work in any part of our country?
A meeting of sanitation workers was addressed by Com. Balan, state president of AICCTU in Karnataka on 9th July 2014. AICCTU is demanding regularisation of all contract sanitation workers, presently on employment, without any age bar.
Tamilnadu Reports
The Chennai City committee of CPI(ML) organised a demonstration against petrol price hike by Modi Government at Ambattur on 1st July 2014.It was presided by Com Mohan City committee member and attended among others by com.Venugopal, Lilly, Pasupathy, Munusamy, Jeevanandham, Kannan and Dhanasekar.Com Sekar, City committee secretary addressed the meeting.
Branch secretaries meeting at Chennai.
The meeting began after paying homage to victims of Moulivakkam and Edapalayam construction site accidents. It was attended by Com Bharathi and Com Iraniappan SCMs of CPI(ML). Secretaries from 20 branches attended. It was decided to organise all branch meetings on 28th of July,conduct study circles twice a month on party's Tamil organ Theepori , published fortnightly. Settling central and state levies fully before 28 th July, Completion of membership drive by that time. It was also decided to involve each member during the campaign
Demonstration for implementation of Migrant Labour Act
After a series of accidents involving death of migrant workers from Andhra and Odisha, State government is not serious enough to implement Migrant Labour Act which gives minimum protection to migrant labours. Demanding its strict implementation demonstration under the leadership of Com Palanivel, district President of AICCTU was held at Ambattur. Workers from units like Sai Meera, drill jig bushing, MKP Joy engineering etc took part.
Gherao against absconding Assistant commissioner of labour
About 50 workers of closed drill bush company gheraoed the office of the Assistant Commissioner of labour at Chennai. It continued until the Joint commissioner of labour met the workers and assured them to their case on his own behalf.Com Palanivel led the agitation. The District President Mohan along with other leaders took part.
Regional Joint Statement
End Offensive on Gaza
In the past week, Israeli military forces have escalated their offensive on the Gaza Strip. Israeli warplanes have increasingly targeted houses, civilian-populated areas and civilian facilities in the Gaza strip. Israeli warplanes have destroyed a number of houses while their residents were inside, without any prior warnings, killing and wounding many Palestinian civilians.
The Israeli government has cynically exploited the killing of three Israeli youth and used this to whip up a racist hysteria against Palestinians and the Hamas government in Gaza. It has done this without producing any evidence about who was responsible for those killings. A campaign of indiscriminate violence against Palestinians has been incited and one Palestinian boy has been tortured and burnt to death. Now even more indiscriminate retribution has been inflicted on the civilian residents of Gaza. Collective punishment is a violation of international humanitarian law.
The ruthless military offensive conducted by Israeli forces has nothing to do with "self-defence", but a genocidal aggression on Gaza and intensification of bloody repression against Palestinians who had been constantly denied their right to self-determination by the Zionist regime.
The undersigned organisations:
• Strongly condemn Israel's latest attack on Gaza, Palestine and demand that it stop its attacks on Gaza and respect international law including the UN resolution 242 which demands Israel withdraw from the Gaza Strip, the West Bank and East Jerusalem, territories which Israel has illegally occupied since 1967.
• Call upon all governments to immediately withdraw their ambassadors from Israel, cut diplomatic ties and end all military and defence ties with Israel.
• Call for the intensification of the economic boycott, disinvestment and sanctions campaign against Israel.
Initiating signatories--
Socialist Alliance, Australia
Socialist Party of Malaysia (PSM), Malaysia
Partido Lakas ng Masa (PLM), Philippines
Socialist Aotearoa, New Zealand
Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation
Partai Rakyat Pekerja (Working People Party), Indonesia
Socialist Alternative, Australia
Partai Rakyat Demokratik (PRD), Indonesia
Solidarity, Australia
Awami Workers Party, Pakistan
Fightback, Aotearoa/New Zealand
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