ML Update 07 / 2012

ML Update

A CPI(ML) Weekly News Magazine

Vol. 15, No. 07, 07 – 13 FEBRUARY 2012

Malevolent Mamata and the Dance of Death in West Bengal

Safar Molla, an enterprising marginal farmer of Kaltikuri village in Bardhaman district, had lost his father at an early age and had been maintaining the family since then against heavy odds. Thanks to spiralling input prices including irrigation costs, he had to take loans and leave some bills unpaid, expecting a bumper paddy crop that would allow him to pay back. And a bumper harvest it indeed was! But he could not be happy. The market price was clearly lower than his cultivation costs. With no help from the government forthcoming, there was no way he could pay the bills and save his and his family's honour. On 18 November he consumed some of the pesticide he had bought to protect his well-cared crops. He was only 17. Before and after him some 30 peasants, including a few sharecroppers, committed suicide since the middle of October last year under similar circumstances.

Vikram Singh of Kolkata Tramways Corporation was one among the many workers of five public transport corporations in West Bengal who were not receiving their salaries and other dues like retirement benefits for the past four months because the state government suddenly stopped subsidising these units. Surviving on borrowed money, Vikram was perhaps expecting some relief from the new, avowedly pro-peasant government. What he got instead was the transport minister's statement that workers won't be paid unless and until they pull their corporations out of the red and that the workforce will be downsized. Hearing this in a news broadcast, the 28-year-old worker immediately hanged himself, leaving behind his pregnant wife and a girl child.

The tragic stories of Safar, Vikram and others like them typify the plight of peasants and workers in post-"change" Bengal. In the case of starving transport workers, the blatantly irresponsible policy of the state government is directly to blame. As for the distressed peasants who are helpless victims of a deep agrarian crisis generated by successive governments at state and central levels, the TMC-led government has betrayed a total lack of political will to help them out. It has failed to make adequate arrangements for state procurement of paddy at minimum support price, leaving the peasants to the mercy of private rice mill owners and their agents. The latter are forcing the farmers into distress sale of their crop at prices much lower than the MSP, which itself is way below actual production costs. Mamata Banerjee claims she is not in a position to help, because the MSP is determined by the Central Government. But why can't she pressure that government, as she claims to have successfully done in some other cases, to properly determine the MSP? Alternatively, why doesn't she add bonus, as state governments have often done, to the MSP to save the cultivators? She pleads a severe funds crunch, but why doesn't she use the available money on saving human lives rather than on beach festivals, doling out favours to youth clubs and increasing the salaries and daily allowances of ministers and MLAs?

Lacking proper answers to such pertinent questions, Ms Banerjee has fallen back on a shameless denial mode. Instead of taking prompt action to save lives, including the lives of babies who are dying in horrifying numbers in state-run hospitals, she blames the media, the opposition parties and even her coalition partner Congress for blowing things out of proportion. She claims, for example, that barring one incident, the peasants who committed suicides did so for purely personal reasons unrelated to debt burden or non-availability of remunerative prices!

Matching its criminal negligence in protecting human life, the government has stepped up attacks on people's right to protest and get organised. The labour minister has announced that police personnel and government employees would no longer be allowed to form trade unions or hold rallies against the government. Meanwhile, public transport corporations have initiated the process of laying off the so-called irregular/temporary/ contract workers who have been serving their concerns for years on end.

But such attacks have only prompted the workers and employees to close their ranks and fight back. In a momentous move, 'temporary' workers in the Balurghat depot (North Dinajpur district) of North Bengal State Transport Corporation have formed a joint struggle platform comprising CITU-led and INTUC-led unions and struck work with full support of permanent workers, paralysing bus services in large parts of the district. In many places jute, potato and paddy growers have voiced their protest by destroying their crops which cannot be sold even at cost prices.

To be sure, this is only the beginning. The new government is fast exposing itself. The hour has arrived, perhaps sooner than many expected, for genuine left and democratic forces to unite and unfurl the banner of resistance against the autocratic ways of this anti-worker, anti-peasant government.

 

CPI(ML) Statement on SC Verdict on 2G Scam

New Delhi, 2 February, 2012

The CPI(ML) welcomes the Supreme Court verdict on the 2G scam, in which the Court has ordered cancellation of 122 licenses issued in 2008 and penalized corporations that benefited from corruption.

The verdict is also a decisive blow to the UPA Government which had consistently been denying the 2G scam entirely. In particular, the present Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal had, on record, repeatedly claimed 'zero loss' in the 2G allocations, and had rubbished any demand for cancellation of licenses. The SC verdict has exposed such propaganda by the UPA Government to be deliberately misleading and false attempts to cover up the scam.

The entire UPA Government, including the Prime Minister and former Finance Minister P Chidambaram and the present Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal, are collectively responsible, not only for the massive scam, but for covering up corruption and attempting to protect the corrupt. The CPI(ML) demands that the UPA Government immediately resign.

Central Committee, CPI(ML)

 

Make the Call by Central Trade Unions for Nationwide General Strike on 28 February a Grand Success

Strengthen the Struggle against Liberalisation, Privatisation and Globalisation

The call for All-India general strike on 28 February 2012 is being received warmly among the working people. AICCTU has organised convention in several states and the efforts are intensifying for campaign and mobilisation at the district and industrial area level for the strike. The fighting potential of the workers against extreme injustice and traitorous UPA-2 and the state governments of different colours is being reflected in militant struggles and angry outbursts here and there. The February 28 strike will be the last warning to the Manmohan Singh Govt against its betrayal of the nation and especially the working class.

The incident at Yanam in Puducherry is on similar pattern to the incidents of Noida, Badanagar (WB), Ghaziabad, Pricol in Coimbatore where intense violations of labour laws and denial of very basic rights of workers coupled with violent aggression on workers using the paid goons and police and administration has resulted in corporate officials also facing the wrath of workers. On 2nd February a successful bandh of Puducherry and road blockades was organised (on the initiative of CPI(ML) and AICCTU) on the call of all Left parties. On 5 February a team of AICCTU was due to visit Yanam.

7th Tamil Nadu State Conference of AICCTU

Resolve to Make the All-India Strike a Grand Success

AICCTU held its 7th state conference at Colochel, Kanyakumari on 28th and 29th January 2012 at Comrade Singaravelar Hall and the Dias was named Comrade Srinivasa Rao.

The Conference began on 28th January with hoisting of the Flag by Comrade Thenmozhi, State Vice President. This was followed by the leaders paying floral tribute at the martyrs' column. Immediately after the open session of the Conference started which was conducted by AICCTU State General Secretary Comrade NK Natarajan. The open session was also addressed by trade union leaders of Left parties and fraternal organisations. Comrade SS Thiagarajan, State General secretary of AITUC in his address, recalled the Pricol incident where false charges were framed against leaders of the union including Comrade S Kumarasamy and AITUC stood with AICCTU in that hour of challenge. Now in Yanam of Puducherry workers' struggle for wage rise in a ceramic factory led by AITUC has met the same fate. Forces that branded AICCTU as terrorist organization, can readily brand AITUC the same after Yanam incident. Comrade Sukumaran, State Secretary of CITU referred to the demand raised by AICCTU for Trade Union Recognition Act in line with West Bengal Amendment, and said CITU will also strive with AICCTU in achieving this demand. State President of AIUTUC, Comrade Anavarathan also spoke. Comrade Rajiv Dimri, National Secretary of AICCTU and Comrade Balasundaram, State Secretary of CPI(ML) were on the dias.

Comrade Balasubramaniam, all-India Secretary of AICCTU, after his brief speech inaugurated the poster exhibition on "History of capitalism and of struggles against it". This colourful exhibition enthused all visitors including leaders, delegates and general workers. Comrade S Kumarasamy, National President of AICCTU delivered the concluding speech of open session. All guests were presented with mementos.

On 28th evening a public meeting was held, where hundreds of workers from different parts and industrial sectors participated. Meeting was presided over by Comrade Antony Muthu. Meeting was also addressed by Mr SP Udhayakumar, Convenor, Peoples' movement against Nuclear Energy which is spearheading anti-nuclear plant movement with the participation of tens of thousands of local people in and around Koodankulam among other leaders of AICCTU. Public meeting was also addressed by Comrade Bharathi, State President of All India Students' Association (AISA), Comrade Janaki Raman, State General Secretary of All India Agricultural Labourers' Association (AIALA) and Comrade Thenmozhi of AIPWA.

On 29th, delegate session began with greetings message from Comrade Bharadwaj, Karnataka State leader of AICCTU who also participated along with com Kalaivanan. Comrade John Kerimeli and Comrade Venugopal of Kerala also attended the two day session. While addressing the delegates Comrade Rajiv Dimri, National Secretary of AICCTU and central observer, congratulated TN comrades not only for wider expansion of AICCTU in various sectors like powerloom, beedi and construction but also for the new initiative taken by TN AICCTU in campaigning for Trade Union Recognition Act, Implementation of Factories act under section 85(1) in powerloom sector, amendments in standing order with regard to apprentices/trainees and also for the implementation of Migrant Labour Act with TN rules.

After passing the draft document unanimously, conference elected 128 state council members that in turn elected 52 executive committee members and 23 office bearers which includes com NK Natarajan, President, Comrade Jawahar, Honorary President and Comrade T Sankarapandian, General secretary. Comrade S Kumarasamy addressed the gathering stressing the importance of mobilizing large number of workers in the February 28 strike. He called for immediate convening of district bodies and make all out effort for resounding success of the strike. At Pricol also there is a stalemate in negotiations and Pricol union has already served a strike notice and it will commence from February 9, 2012. He called upon the delegates and affiliated unions to extend all their support and solidarity for the successful strike of the Pricol workers.

Resolutions passed in the conference: -

1.      When the government is in support of corporate loot and plunder of natural resources, when there is an increased attack on the livelihoods and democratic rights of the workers, when the Supreme Court of India declares the sanctity of private property, the February 28 all India strike is called by Central Trade unions and conference resolves to make the strike a resounding success.

2.      Conference demands from the State Legislature to pass a resolution to permanently closedown Koodankulam Nuclear Power Plant.

3.      Conference declares its solidarity with the ongoing strike by thousands of workers in powerloom sector in Kumarapalayam area led by AICCTU demanding 100 percent increase in wages.

4.      It resolved to extend full support and solidarity for hunger fast and subsequent strike called by Pricol union.

5.      Conference strongly condemned the death under police custody of Regency Ceramic factory trade union leader Comrade Murali Mohan at Yanam area of Puducherry, demanding immediate arrest of those responsible for his murder. It also condemned the police firing on agitating workers.

6.      It demanded the state government to roll back the increased prices of milk and bus fare. It also urged the state government to give up the proposed increase in power tariff.

Joint TU State Convention at Bangalore

A joint State Convention of all trade unions was held at Bangalore on 30 January 2012 to highlight the issues of February 28 all-India strike and to mobilize workers and cadres in making the strike successful.

Comrade Shankar, VP of AICCTU paid tributes to the workers murdered at Yenam, Andhra part of Puducherry and called upon workers to make the strike successful. He also said that trade unions have major role in imbibing more militant character to struggles in view of rising onslaught of capital on workers. He also said that outbursts like Noida and Pricol cannot be ruled out if necessary protection is not provided to workers against rampant exploitation by the capital. He called upon workers to rise against UPA government at the centre and the state BJP government for their anti-worker, anti-people, pro-ruling class policies.

All India president of CITU AK Padmanabhan, National Secretary of AITUC Sachdeva, National President of TUCC Shivshankar, AIUTUC leader Radha Krishnan were among other all India leaders that addressed the convention.

Comrade Bharadwaj, State President also addressed the convention while Appanna, State Secretary was part of the joint presidium.

Joint Convention in Rajasthan

The Rajasthan State level joint TU's took a decision to prepare for the all India Strike call for 28th February by holding seminars and other programmes in all the five divisions of Rajasthan. On 30th January the Ajmer division held a meeting under the leadership of AICCTU which was organised by Com Bhavari Devi and at which all major centrally recognised TUs were present.

In Jaipur a Conference was held on 3rd February, at which central leaders of all the main TUs were present. Comrades Gurudas Dasgupta of AITUC and Tapan Sen of CITU along with Dr. Reddy of INTUC and BM Rai of BMS were also present. AICCTU was represented by Comrade Srilata. In her speech she made clear the demands that the TUs had placed before the Finance Minister in January that they wanted addressed in the Union Budget. As she was the only leader present who represented the unorganised sector she primarily laid stress on the demands of that sector such as NREGA being extended to towns and cities, the central fund of 4% for the unorganised sector, 10.000/- minimum wage, stopping the practice of contractorisation etc.

Comrade Anand was the main organiser in Jaipur for the TU conference on behalf of AICCTU. Comrade Mahesh Chaumal, State General Secretary of Rajasthan Construction Workers Union also addressed the gathering and stressed the active participation of AICCTU in the coming national strike programme. Comrade Suresh Lohar was a member of the Presidium at this joint TU Conference

Demonstration by RYA against Kulak-Police High Handedness

In Kattumannarkudi of Cuddalore district a militant demonstration was held by Revolutionary Youth Association (RYA) on 25th January against Kulak-Police high handedness. In the back drop of panchayat election results in October, some heated verbal exchanges took place in Rajasoodamani village of Mela Radampur Panchayat between the two contending parties. With the ulterior motive of suppressing one dalit section of the village an AIADMK kulak belonging to Vanniar caste employed the police. The police without any provocation assaulted the youth and women of the village. A police Sub-Inspector also got injured in the protest and reaction that followed the police excesses. The police slapped several false cases against the youths including district committee member of CPI(ML).

Taking advantage of the situation, as the men implicated in false cases were not present in the village, the panchayat President and his men, led by the AIADMK kulak forced the women and children out of the village. Everyday they harassed the women and children in various ways. Police refused even to receive the complaints and acted against the victims only. When CPI(ML) and AIALA leaders on behalf of the victims went to the police station to lodge a complaint they were threatened by the henchmen of the Kulak. Party District Secretary Ammaiyappan was also roughed up inside the police station. Complaints were lodged with DGP and DSP by CPI(ML) State Secretary personally. A team of leaders led by State Secretary prevailed over the Thasildar to take steps to rehabilitate the people back in the village. The peace meeting convened by the Thasildar was also foiled by the AIADMK kulak. Even after the people got bail the panchayat President and their men made every effort to prevent their entry into the village.

Along with State Secretary, Balasundaram, State Committee members Ammaiyappan, Ilangovan, village women, children and the youth got bail. They put pressure on the Tehsildar and DSP to provide protection to the affected people. Protesting the kulak-police high handedness a protest demonstration was held. Around 130 students, youth and women assembled for the militant demonstration. RYA district leaders Rajasankar, Dhanavel, CPI(ML) leaders Ammaiyappan, Ilangovan and Party State Secretary Balasundaram addressed the demonstration. The demonstration also condemned Government's inaction and arbitrariness in the distribution of relief to the Thane victims. In the face of the demonstration the administration was forced to take immediate steps to speed up the relief distribution. This has evoked good response among the rural and urban poor.

 

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 6 / 2012

ML Update

A CPI(ML) Weekly News Magazine

Vol.  15            No. 06                                                              31 JAN - 6 FEB 2012

 

Stop Making Muslim Youth Pawns of the

Cynical Game Between Competing Investigative Agencies

 

The recent case of Naqee Ahmad from Darbhanga, Bihar, is a reminder of how Muslim youth are becoming pawns in the cynical and cruel game played by competing anti-terror agencies. This young man, till recently an informer helping the Delhi Police Special Cell with their investigations in blast cases, turned overnight into one of the main accused by the Maharashtra ATS in the 13/7 Mumbai blast case.

As facts unravelled, it was revealed that the two investigative agencies had been having a tug-of-war over Naqee for some weeks. A letter by Naqee's uncle revealed that the Maharashtra ATS had confined Naqee's brothers under house arrest in their own factory in Mumbai, on the pretext of 'protection' from the Delhi police!

After the Maharashtra ATS announced that it had 'cracked' the case and arrested Naqee, the Delhi Police Special Cell and Home Ministry floundered for a while. But instead of defending their informer, they chose to 'congratulate' the ATS for solving the case. The Delhi Police and Home Ministry obviously felt that it was better to maintain mutual solidarity and sacrifice the hapless informer rather than risk exposing the tactics of false framing that all investigative agencies, after all, employ!

As the credibility of the anti-terror investigations came under a cloud, the ATS chief hastened to assure that there was no 'rivalry' between the agencies. However, he 'emphatically' stated that competition between investigative agencies was not only natural but in fact desirable – "Tell me which police officer does not want to detect this kind of blast case." Unfortunately, what remains unacknowledged is that in the cynical competition to 'crack' blast cases and win medals, innocent Muslim youth end up being framed. The framing of Naqee came to light because of the tussle between two agencies over him. Now, when the Home Ministry assures better 'cooperation' and 'sharing of information' between agencies in future, does it mean that agencies must take care to frame individuals who are not already ear-marked by other agencies?

In the race for 'gallantry' medals, truth and justice are victims. In 2008, the CBI told a court how the Special Cell of Delhi Police had framed Md. Qamar and Irshad Ali as terrorists, whereas they were proven to be police informers. The officer responsible for the frame-up was a recipient of the President's gallantry award. On Republic Day this year, another police officer, Ankit Garg, responsible for heinous custodial sexual violence on an adivasi woman in Chhattisgarh (a medical examination ordered by the Supreme Court found stones shoved inside her private parts) received a gallantry award. 

Recently, the Supreme Court has ordered a probe into the long series of encounters which took place between 2002 and 2006 in Gujarat. The apex Court observed that whenever a fake encounter is alleged, the Gujarat Government "initially stoutly denies it" but admits it "when the matter is scratched even slightly" and the facts come to light. Surely this is an observation that holds true beyond Gujarat. Virtually every terror case or encounter anywhere in the country, which has actually been subjected to a searching and impartial probe, has proven to be 'fake.'

In fact, the guidelines laid down by the Supreme Court and NHRC stipulate that every encounter must be presumed a murder till proven otherwise. Yet, in most cases, there is no probe. In the infamous Batla House case, the Central Government has resolutely resisted any impartial probe. Only when the Congress cynically eyes votes in Azamgarh and UP do its leaders term Batla House to be a fake encounter!  

After Azamgarh, investigative agencies are now painting upper Bihar as the next site for witch-hunt of Muslim youth. Meanwhile, Raj Thackeray and his ilk have found an ideal opportunity to combine their campaign of regional chauvinism with their communal fascism. In the wake of Naqee's arrest, Raj Thackeray declared that migrants were responsible for terror in Mumbai, and ridding the city of migrants was the way to free it of terror attacks.   

It is urgent that we challenge and resist the politics of false framing and fake encounters which are claiming innocent Muslim youth as its fodder. Investigative officers responsible for such frame-ups and fake encounters must be severely punished. Shameful and heinous crimes cannot be covered up with 'gallantry' medals, without an outcry from democratic forces in society.  

 

Hunger Fast by AIKMS Against Land Grab in TN

A 136 km stretch of the Ulundurpet-Salem 4-laning project under the BOT model, estimated at Rs 941 core, was awarded to Reliance (RIL). For this project, 460 acre land was acquired by the NHAI from 5000 peasants and farmers, at a very meagre compensation. Flouting all norms and rules, the roadways authority, in connivance with the State government officials, and Revenue and Highways departments, grabbed lands worth several hundred crores. People were cheated by undervaluing the land, and getting thumb impressions or signatures on blank forms. Those who bribed the officials with hefty sums were awarded hefty compensations, while those unable to bribe the officials got a raw deal. Those who refused to bribe faced nightmarish experiences. Even after the project stands completed and opened to traffic, poor peasants, hut dwellers and farmers are yet to get the compensation they were promised.

Affected peasants approached our party. On December 14 2011, peasants and farmers attended a meeting convened by AIKMS at Kallakurichi, where it was decided to go for series of struggles. As decided at the meeting, a hunger fast and demonstration, from morning to evening, was held on January 23 in Kallakurchi in front of the Taluk office. Peasants, small shop owners, farmers and other including women participated in the fasting. The demands are: Rs 10 lakh must be given with 3 years interest per cent of land; jobs must be provided for the very poor families; the Government must order an enquiry to investigate the malpractices; and the erring officials must be severely punished. If the demands were not met within 15 days, the protestors would gherao the collector's office.

The hunger fast was led by Comrade Gopalakirshnan, convener of the struggle committee. K Periyasamy, advocate on behalf of the committee, introduced the protest. AIALA National Vice-President Balasundaram, State President TKS Janardhanan, CPIML's Villupuram district secretary Venkatesan, CPIML's Cuddalore district Secretary Ammaiyappan, SCM and Party in-charge for the Salem district Chandramohan, and others addressed the demonstration. Several peasants who were affected by the project narrated their experiences. At the end the leaders submitted a memorandum to the Tahsildar.

Resolutions were passed, condemning the lethargic attitude of the administration in carrying out rehabilitation and reconstruction work affected by the Thane Cyclone. The fast also demanded immediate arrest of the policemen who raped Irula adivasi women near Tirukkovilur.

 

Rice Mill Workers' Protest in Karatagi, Karnataka

Hundreds of rice mill workers marched on the streets of Karatagi, Koppal district on 18 January, carrying AICCTU flags. They demanded better wages and better service conditions, and enforcement of the Factories Act, including introduction of legally mandatory attendance and wage registers. Interestingly, the Koppal district Rice Mill Owners Association leaders were forced to come to the negotiating table in front of District Commissioner only a week back, and agreed to introduce attendance and wage registers. The state of implementation of legally mandated labour laws is so pathetic that the district administration had to issue an order for the same! An agreement was also signed between AICCTU and Rice Mill Owners Association, for giving minimum wages, PF and other service condition related matters that are legally mandatory.

 The AICCTU unit among the rice mill workers was formed by the latter when owners beat up one of the trade union leaders and then slapped an attempt-to-murder case on workers' leaders in connivance with the local police. The incident was a triggering point, and workers and the union got disillusioned with the owners, and decided to affiliate their union with AICCTU. 

The area has never seen a fighting union for decades. No other established unions could make an entry for this long. We have broken the tradition and have unfurled the red banner in the fortress of rice mill owners.

The rally was flagged off after the inauguration of office in the main Bazaar by Comrade Shankar, Vice President of AICCTU. The rally was led by Com. Virupakshappa, AICCTU taluk president and Com. Bharadwaj, State President. Mallappa Meti, President of the newly affiliated union, presided over the public meeting that followed. Com.Vittappa Gorentli, Syed Ashmuddin, lawyer, Basavaraj Silavendar, district leader of AITUC and Peer Pasha of a magazine, Labour Line, and Basavangouda, NCM of AICCTU addressed the gathering. Com. Shankar called upon workers to fight the brutalities and blatant exploitation of the rice mill owners in the region.

 

State Party School in Mysore

The state unit of the party organized a first ever 4-day long party school in Karnataka to facilitate the development of new cadres and leaders. The party in Karnataka is yet to come to grips with the art of party building, in spite of relatively better expertise in developing mass struggles and mass organisations. The school was aimed at overcoming this lacuna by developing a fresh batch of leaders equipped with Marxist ideology.

On the first day, Professor Lakshminarayana lucidly explained 'basic Marxism' while Doctor Lakshminarayana, State Convener of IIMS dealt with the subject 'class struggle and the state'. On the second day, Com. Ayyappa Hugar, editor of 'Varga Samara' magazine spoke on 'Mao and his teachings'. The discussion that followed was very lively. Dr. Lakshmi made a 'comparative study of political parties, class base and their politics'. The third day began with discussion, led by Comrade Shankar, on party programme and the strategy of Indian revolution. A panel of teachers, including PA Kumar and AIPWA Vice-President Rati Rao, organized discussion on questions of women, nationality, caste, religion and neo-liberalism. The fourth day was the session on 'Socio-economic, political situation of Karnataka and our strategic perspective'.

Screening of radical films and discussions were organized on all three evenings. Com. Bharadwaj, party state leading team member presided over the 4-day school while Javaraiah, another SLTM, conducted the proceedings. Comrade Venugopalan, the party's Kerala SLTM who joined the school, made the concluding remarks.

 

Left Parties' Delegation Visits Workers Injured in Police Firing at Yanam

The struggle of workers of the Regency Ceramic Company at Yanam district of Puducherry state highlights yet another instance of the abysmal state of workers' rights and labour laws in the country.

Over a long period of time, the workers have been agitating for proper payment of wages in the company. Among the 1200 workers, only 400 were regularized from the contract. All the other 800 workers were contract employees. Among these 800, many of them were working for more than 5 years and were not regularized. There was united agitation by all the workers for proper payment, for the betterment of working conditions, and for regularization of the relatively senior workers at least. Worst of all, even the permanent employees were not being paid properly and consistently.

There are no labour laws implemented at the work place. The workers were not allowed to form a union to address their issues. Even the registered union was cancelled by the management, which has also used tactics of 'divide and rule' to weaken the workers' struggle. The workers began a strike in protest against the management's attitude. Instead of hearing the workers' grievances, the management has deployed police force to crush the agitation. And the police have obliged with brutal violence against workers. 

The police arrested the workers' leader Murali Mohan. On the way to the police station, he was beaten up so badly in the van that he lost his life. The workers followed the vehicle to the police station, and protested to demand the immediate release of Murali Mohan. The police claimed that Murali Mohan died of a heart attack. Once the workers realised the truth, they began a serious agitation in front of the police station against the custodial killing.

The CI then gave orders for firing, directly, without resorting to lathicharge or teargas to disperse the protestors. 9 workers were hospitalised with bullet injuries from the police firing, and the condition of 5 is still critical.

The angered workers then attacked the Vice Chairman of the company, and he died after being beaten up by them. Factory property and vehicles were also burnt by workers in their fury. 

Our fact finding delegation found that no damage occurred to the machinery. Among the 11 machines, 3 were stopped by the management themselves for repair. The remaining 8 machines were in perfect working condition. The only damage was to the outside property and vehicles. But the management is trying to hike the estimation of damages heavily, using these exaggerated estimates to book cases against the workers.

Major ruling class parties of Puducherry have tried to play down the serious underlying issues of violation of workers' rights and labour laws, and custodial killing.

A joint meeting of 11 Left parties from Andhra Pradesh, held on 28/01/12, held the management responsible for the incident, and demanded a judicial enquiry. A decision was taken by all left parties to send a delegation to Yanam on Sunday (29/01/12).

Comrade Satyanarayana (District secretary of CPI(ML) in East Godavari), Comrade Narasaraju (State committee member), and Comrade Nageswara Rao (state president of AICCTU) represented CPIML (Liberation) in the delegation of Left parties. The delegation attended the cremation of Murali Mohan and met the District Collector to submit their report and demands. 

The demands raised by the delegation include:

1.       25 lacs ex gratia to Murali Mohan's family

2.       Job to his family

3.       5 lacs ex gratia to each of the persons injured and hospitalised

4.       Judicial enquiry into the incident by a judge

5.       Cases must be booked against SI and CI under sections 302 and SC/ST atrocities

6.       The functioning of the factory must be started immediately considering the problems of workers problems.

7.       In case of refusal by management to start the factory, the government must take the responsibility and run the factory, allowing the workers to form unions

8.       The labour laws must be implemented strictly and the workers grievances must be solved.

 

Domestic Women Workers' Union Conference in Delhi

The Gharelu Mahila Kamgar Union (domestic women workers' union) affiliated to AICCTU held its first conference at Mayur Vihar Extension, Delhi. The Conference began with an introductory speech by Comrade Shyam Kishor, Delhi Secretary of AICCTU, in which he outlined the issues of struggle and said that all over the country, wherever women domestic workers had organised themselves and struggled, they had forced governments and employers to recognise their rights.

Women workers narrated their experiences at the Conference, in which a considerable number of domestic workers had gathered.

Phula Devi said that "we work in the big apartments and homes of the well-off, where we receive neither minimum wages nor respect. We are not even allowed to use the toilet and are sometimes even denied a drink of water."    

Pushpa Devi said, "I'm from Bihar and my husband is no more. As a rule, domestic workers in Delhi are migrants, coming to Delhi in search of work. But we are denied identity cards and ration cards, and struggle to survive. We do all the house work in hundreds of homes – sweeping, mopping, washing vessels and clothes and even shoes, caring for kids and cooking – but we are underpaid and overworked. Even when we are asked to do extra work, we are not paid for it. We must demand that the Government regulate proper hours and terms of our work and ensure minimum wages."

Susheela said, "We women work at 'Ashiana' and other apartment blocks in the area, but we ourselves have no stable homes. Prices, house rent, water and electricity bills keep rising, but our employers see no need to raise our wages. All of us, whether we come from Bihar, Bengal, Odisha or UP, must unite struggle for our rights."

Meena talked of how the women are on the go from 6 am onwards even in cold weather – and even if they are five minutes late they get a scolding. If they take leave for a child's sickness, too, they are in danger of losing their job, and there is always some other woman desperate enough to take the job at a lower wage. Women workers needed to unite to make sure that no one worked for less than an accepted minimum wage.   

Gharelu Mahila Kamgar Union leader Shyamli spoke of the experience of creating the union in NOIDA in the NCR region, and the need to strengthen the AICCTU and CPI(ML). She said, "Women are enslaved – at birth to their father, then to their husband, then in old age to the son – and when we seek to stand on our own feet at the workplace, there too we find ourselves enslaved. We need to say, we'll not tolerate such slavery anymore!"  

Comrades Anjana and Renu also spoke at length about the issues that needed to be raised.

As the concluding speaker, AICCTU State President Gautam spoke of the ILO Convention on Domestic Labour, which obligated countries to protect the rights of domestic labourers, the bulk of whom were migrants and women. He called to draw large numbers of women workers into the union and intensify the struggle to force the Government to pass a law protecting domestic workers' rights.

The Conference was conducted by AIPWA Secretary Kavita Krishnan. At the end, the Conference elected a 15-member committee including Comrades Pushpa Devi as President, Vimla as VP, Anjana as Secretary, and Meena, Meena Devi, Nema, Rohini, Savitri, Sushila, Phula Devi, Renu, Geeta, Premvati, Maya and Meena Ojha as members.

The Conference passed a charter of demands to be presented to the Delhi government, including a law for Domestic Workers, minimum wages, regulated work, hours of work, and mandatory holidays, payment of full salary in case of being sacked, toilet and drinking water facilities at the workplace and social security for domestic workers.

Comrade Sanjay Sharma, Delhi State Secretary of CPI(ML) was also present at the Conference. 

 

Garhwa Update

Among those CPI(ML) activists of Badgad village arrested on January 21, Budlal Kerketta and Mahfuz Ansari, were missing from custody since January 25. Following intense protests, they have been released on January 29. They had been taken to Chhattisgarh and tortured severely. The others arrested - mukhiya Ramdas Minz and Fida Husain - are said to be in jail, but their families are not being allowed to meet them.  

The security guard of the elected Chairperson of the Zila panchayat is still a hostage of the Maoists. Some efforts at mediation are reportedly underway but there is no headway yet. The wife and mother of the security guard attempted self-immolation outside the thana in Garhwa on January 28, accusing the police of inaction.

The police are still peddling the theory that the villagers and comrades doing the road blockade on January 21 had laid a trap in collusion with Maoists. The police men's association has in fact petitioned that CPI(ML) leader and Zila Panchayat chairperson Sushma Mehta too be charged as a conspirator in the blast. The Maoists, by timing their blast to coincide with the mass protest, have facilitated the repressive drive by police, allowing them to brand each and every mass protest on the most innocuous of issues as 'Maoist-inspired' or 'Maoist-instigated'.

The CPI(ML)'s protests in the region and in Jharkhand are on, in the face of all odds, demanding that the arrested villagers be released, those responsible for custodial torture and the appalling rights violations be punished, an end to the repression of mass movements in the name of curbing Maoists, and steps to secure the safe and speedy release of the hostage guard. 

 

Obituary

Comrade Govindarajan, aged 78, former state secretary of the party in Karnataka, breathed his last on 27 January 2012. He suffered multiple haemorrhages on the morning of 21 January, that could not be arrested, and was in the Intensive Care Unit of a private hospital since then.

Com. Govindarajan upheld the red flag and stood firm in the most difficult times for the party in the state. He played a major role in getting the party's first trade union in the state, Karnataka General Labour Union, registered and also played a key role in the second phase of our trade union work in Bangalore.

He also spent 22 days in jail for supplying medicines to the women activists including AIPWA activists who protested against Beauty Pageant in Bangalore in 1996.

When the party office was raided for opposing police brutalities on the virtual uprising by garment workers in Peenya in 2001 on the issue of PF settlement, he was also arrested along with Com. Shankar.

He also played a big role in publishing our first Kannada magazine "Kannada Liberation" in its initial years. A large number of workers also benefited from his legal knowledge, acquired through practice of struggles. The working class work initiated in Peenya by our party under his leadership in the beginning of 2000 sowed the seeds for the party's development in Karnataka today.

Red Salute to Com. Govindarajan!

ML Update 05 / 2012

ML Update

A CPI(ML) Weekly News Magazine

Vol. 15, No. 05, 24 – 30 JANUARY 2012

'Green Hunt' in Jharkhand:

State Repression and Witch-hunt Against CPI(ML)

F

ollowing a landmine blast by CPI(Maoist) in Garhwa, Jharkhand, CPI(ML) leaders were abducted by Maoists, and the police is implicating the CPI(ML) in the blasts, and torturing its local village activists for 'conspiring' with Maoists.

Local village activists of the CPI(ML) including elected mukhiya Ramdas Minz were leading a protest at Badgad village in Bhandaria block in Garhwa district, demanding that the Bhandaria BDO meet them and address their grievance over the site chosen for a health centre.

A landmine blast by Maoists claimed the lives of several policemen who were accompanying the BDO to meet the agitating villagers. The Maoists also abducted Comrade Sushma Mehta, elected Zila Parishad Chairperson from the CPI(ML) and CPI(ML)'s Jharkhand State Committee member Comrade Akhtar Ansari who were on their way to the protest site, along with Comrade Sushma's security guard and the driver of their car.

Shamefully, instead of making efforts to rescue the abducted CPI(ML) leaders and others, the Jharkhand police falsely implicated the CPI(ML) in the landmine blast, alleging that the roadblock and protest were being held by the party as a ploy to 'lure' the policemen into the Maoist trap. In his press conference, the DGP even refused to acknowledge that the abduction had taken place. Several CPI(ML) activists included the Badgad mukhiya were tortured and beaten up in custody in the name of 'interrogations' to establish 'links' with Maoists.

The Maoists owned up the abduction, and subsequently three of the hostages including both CPI(ML) leaders were released on January 24, though the guard continues to remain a hostage to the Maoists. The Garhwa bandh called by the party on 24 January was very successful, but several CPI(ML) activists including Party state committee members Anant Prasad Gupta and Kalicharan Mehta, veteran CPI(ML) leader Kishore Kumar and President of Danda Panchayat Samiti (Block council) Comrade Rahina were severely injured in a brutal assault by the police. All these comrades are hospitalised with fractured limbs.

Garhwa is still very much in the grip of feudal forces and the feudal power centres in the district deeply resent the growing assertion of the rural poor with the CPI(ML). There have been powerful struggles for land redistribution, ration cards, against corruption in welfare schemes, and for workers' minimum wages and rights. On the basis of these struggles Party candidates polled impressive votes in the district in the last Assembly elections and won many victories in the panchayat elections held in 2011. Sushma Mehta was elected Zila Parishad chairperson and Party nominees also won many panchayats and blocks.

The police and local administration have for some time now, launched an all-out drive to falsely implicate the CPI(ML) leaders and discredit the party, to crush the growing assertion of the party in Garhwa.

Not long ago, in Garhwa, the police raided the home of CPI(ML) activist Sita Paswan, claiming without any evidence, that fake currency had been found, indicating CPI(ML) leaders' links with 'ISI'. Similarly, the effort is on to link CPI(ML) with Maoists and intimidate CPI(ML)'s mass base.

By fabricating a link between a mass democratic protest by villagers with a Maoist blast, the Jharkhand police and Government are trying to tar every democratic protest with the brush of 'terrorism', to justify crackdown on every such protest in the name of anti-Maoist operations and Green Hunt.

The Maoist actions of massacring policemen, abducting political activists, and holding a security guard hostage are highly reprehensible and condemnable. Further, as is happening in Garhwa now, such actions are inevitably used by the state as a pretext to unleash repression on activists of mass struggles. The brunt of this repression is borne by the mass of rural people and activists emerging from these oppressed sections. It is these activists, too, who are the targets for Maoist abductions and killings – which can only serve the interests of the ruling class and the state. In the case of the assassination of Comrade Mahendra Singh by the Maoists, the killing directly benefited the corrupt nexus of police, politicians, and mining mafia. The killing by Maoists of social activist Niyamat Ansari too benefited none but the contractors and politicians benefiting from MNREGA corruption.

Seeking to discredit and crush the CPI(ML)'s assertion by hook or crook, the Jharkhand Government and police are indulging in a witch-hunt and outright repression of CPI(ML) activists and leaders. But history has shown, time and again, that such repressive tactics have failed in the face of revolutionary determination and resistance. The party calls upon its supporters and democratic people to beat back this political conspiracy and emerge victorious!

Fact line on Maoist Abduction and State Repression of CPI(ML) Activists in Garhwa in the Wake of the Maoist Blasts

The facts:

On 21 January 2012, an agitation by local villagers demanding the shifting of the proposed site of a health centre was being led by elected mukhiya and CPI(ML) activist Ramdas Minz, at Badgad village in Bhandaria block in Garhwa district. The police arrested Comrade Ramdas Minz during the agitation, but the protest continued, blockading the road with the demand that the Bhandaria BDO meet them and address their grievance.

Comrade Sushma Mehta, elected Zila Parishad Chairperson and well-known local leader of the CPI(ML) was coming from Garhwa by car to the protest site, along with CPI(ML)'s Jharkhand State Committee member Comrade Akhtar Ansari.

A land mine blast by Maoists in the same area claimed the lives of several policemen, though the BDO's car, apparently on the way to meet the agitating villagers, passed safely. When Comrade Sushma's vehicle approached the area, the Maoists stopped the car and snatched the gun from Comrade Sushma's bodyguard. Comrade Sushma, her bodyguard Sunesh Ram, CPI(ML) State Committee member Comrade Akhtar Ansari, and the driver of the car, Ahmed, were abducted by the Maoists.

The Jharkhand police made no attempt to rescue the hostages, and instead falsely implicated the CPI(ML) in the landmine blast, alleging that the roadblock and protest were being held by the party as a ploy to 'lure' the policemen into the Maoist trap. Several of our activists: Comrade Ramdas Minz, elected mukhiya from the CPI(ML), Fida Husain, Annu Lakra, Maqsud Ansari and Budlal Kerketta - who had been protesting at Badgad with the demand that the site of a health centre be decided by villagers rather than at the behest of contractors - are being tortured and beaten up in custody in the name of 'interrogations' to establish 'links' with Maoists.

Three of the people (Comrades Sushma Mehta and Akhtar Ansari and their driver) were released on 24 January, though the security guard continues to remain a hostage.

CPI(ML)'s Garhwa bandh on 24 January got overwhelming support of local people. Impressive mobilisation also happened in Majhiaon, Nagar Untari, Bhawnathpur amd Ramuna. However, it seemed that police were avenging the Maoist blasts by venting their anger on peaceful protestors. In the lathicharge women, older people, none was spared. Over a dozen CPI(ML) activists were severely injured, with broken limbs, in a brutal lathicharge on a peaceful protest during the bandh. Those injured include Comrade Sushma's husband Comrade Kalicharan Mehta, her father Comrade Kishor Kumar, Comrade Rahina Begum, the elected Pramukh of Danda block in Garhwa district, and the party's State Standing Committee Member Comrade Anant Gupta whose left leg has been broken.

The CPI(ML) activists who have been in police custody since January 21 were produced in front of a magistrate and charged only on 24 January. As we go to press, we learn that they have been shifted to Garhwa thana from Badgad thana, and may soon be sent to jail.

Earleir on 22 January, protests were organised all over Palamu that included Garhwa, Daltonganj, Chhatarpur, Barwadih, Nagar Untari, Ramuna and Dhurki in which more than thousand people took to the streets in protest of the arrests and abduction of our comrades by Maoists. On 23 January, protests were held throughout the State. At Ranchi, Jharkhand's capital, a dharna was held at Albert Ekka roundabout attended by senior Party leaders. Protest marches and demonstration were held in all the sub-divisions and blocks of Giridih district. Dharna was held at Randheer Verma Chowk in Dhanbad. Demonstration wa held at Jhanda Chowk in Koderma. Protest meetings were organised at Ramgarh, Bokaro, Hazaribagh, DUmka, Mohanpur in Deoghar, Lohardaga, Barwadih and Manika in Latehar, apart from several other places. There was thick participation from people in these protests of 22nd and 23rd that helped to put pressure on the State Govt as well as the Maoists.

A CPI(ML) delegation met with the Jharkhand Governor and demanded action against concerned officials for the criminal apathy of the Government in releasing those taken hostage by the Maoists, and for unleashing state terror and custodial violence against CPI(ML) activists who had been involved in peaceful protests and now are falsely accused of involvement in the Maoist blasts. The Governor did not seem very serious towards the issues raised by us, however, he tried to assure us that nobody should suffer injustice.

A CPI(ML) delegation comprising its State Secretary Comrade Janardan Prasad, CC member Comrade Suvendu Sen and Bagodar MLA Comrade Vinod Singh demanded the DG of Police for urgent intervention. We, however were given the impression that for the DGP controlling the reaction emanating from the massacre of policemen was the only priority.

Condemning the Maoist blast and abduction, as well as the ongoing state repression and police brutality in the strongest terms, the CPI(ML) reiterated its demand that the State and Central Governments make every effort to secure the safe release of the abducted guard; and to end the appalling conspiracy and campaign by the Jharkhand police and administration to suppress democratic people's movements led by the CPI(ML).

Outrage Against Gang Rape in Odisha

Odisha's BJD Government has been rocked to the foundations by protests against the brutal gang rape and attempted murder of a 19-year-old dalit girl in Arjungoda, in Pipili constituency of Puri district. In the wake of the incident and the protests, Naveen Patnaik has been forced to get a Cabinet Minister Pradeep Maharathy to resign following allegations that he has been shielding the rapists.

Maharathy is a notorious mafia of the area and is the BJD MLA from Pipili. The four rapists are known to be close associates of Maharathy and members of BJD's local goon brigade. They gang-raped the 19-year-old, and then strangled her, leaving her for dead. Her parents found her in a coma. But when they went to the Pipili Hospital, they found that the hospital, under pressure from Maharathy, refused to admit her. The Cuttack Medical College Hospital also refused to admit her. The Pipili Police Station refused to let them lodge an FIR. When they approached the State Women's Commission in Bhubaneshwar, they were told to 'come back tomorrow.'

Only when the parents approached the State Human Rights Commission did they get some relief, with the SHRC demanding an explanation from police and doctors for their inaction. The media also picked up the story at this point.

The victim's family had first approached the police station on November 18. But the FIR could be lodged only on January 9, following intervention by the Odisha High Court.

The girl is the key eyewitness in the gang rape of her friend in 2008. Her friend was mysteriously killed and she herself was attacked twice since 2008, in an attempt to silence her. And now, she herself has been gang-raped and left nearly dead, but the BJD Government has been protecting the perpetrators.

The first protest in the state on this issue was held by the AIPWA and CPI (ML) Liberation in the state capital, Bhubaneshwar, on 9 January. The protest was led by State Committee member Radhakant Sethi, Sanjukta Panigrahi of AIPWA, Mahendra Parida, National Secretary of AICCTU, Comrades Janaki Rao, Upendra Sahoo, Seema Sethi and others.

Subsequently, all Opposition parties in the state protested the incident, demanding a CBI probe and resignation of the Chief Minister. The entire spectrum of political opposition, media, social groups and NGOs united under the banner of Odisha Gan Samaj, convened by two senior journalists.

The Odisha HC has directed the Government to provide proper treatment to the girl, protection to her and her family, and punishment for culprits and officials who tried to cover up the matter.

The girl is unlikely to recover, since she has suffered from a brain haemorrhage. In a face-saving attempt, Naveen Patnaik has got Maharathy to resign from the Cabinet and has ordered a judicial probe. But judicial probes are widely perceived as eyewash in Odisha; since in Naveen's tenure there have been 17 judicial probes on various issues. Many of them are yet to submit a report, and in cases where reports have been submitted, no action has been taken. The Inspector-in-Charge of Pipili police station, Amulya Champatiray, was first transferred to police HQs at Puri, and then suspended on charges of dereliction of duty.

But these measures cannot assuage the outrage felt by people in the State against the heinous gang rape and murderous assault and cold-blooded cover up and protection of perpetrators by the ruling establishment. The protests continue demanding a CBI enquiry and resignation of the CM.

Struggles For Rights of Cyclone Affected in TN

CPIML, AIALA and AIPWA held daily road roko, gherao, and protest demonstrations between 4 -21 January in the cyclone-affected areas, to press for speedy relief and rehabilitation. On 4th January, a demo at the Town Panchayat Office turned into a gherao of the Tehsildar, led by the CPI(ML) State Secretary. For over an hour, a large number of people including a large number of Muslim women thronged the Tahsildar's chamber. The latter assured that electricity, water and PDS distribution would be resumed forthwith. In Tirunavalur block, several demonstrations were held in which angry people encircled the RDO Sub-Collector, Tehsildar and Revenue Inspectors, forcing these officials to order a fresh survey of the affected families. In one incident, the administration deployed forces to disperse the agitators. Party District Secretary Venkatesan intervened, and the protesting people compelled the Rapid Action Force to retreat. Protestors led by our party blockaded the NH 45 more than thrice.

More than 3000 people participated in these protests, from both the Dalit and Vanniar (most backward) communities. On 8 January, CPI(ML) and All India Agricultural Labourers' Association (AIALA) activists occupied government buses in Senthanadu, and the protests spread further. Of the total 44 panchayats in the block, our agitations and demonstrations covered around 20. Of the total 17000 families, 5000 families (20000 people of the total 70000 in the block) got the relief amount of Rs 2500 each. The District administration's plan was to distribute relief in a very limited section. Now people from many adjoining villages are approaching the CPI(ML) and AIALA for help in taking forward their demands.

In Cuddalore district, a road-roko was organized on 14 January, in which more than 250 people participated, forcing the administration to order a fresh survey. Just 14 families were in the initial list, after the fresh survey, the number jumped to around 200!

District Secretaries Comrades Venkatesan and Ammaiyappan and other district committee members and mass organisation leaders are actively organizing the protests.

Workers and AICCTU in TN Raise Fund for the Cyclone Victims

Cyclone Thane: TN government's callousness in relief and rehabilitation measures has only added to the woes of the cyclone affected people. Even after 3 weeks people in many parts of the districts affected by cyclone are not getting adequate food.

All India Central Council of Trade Unions (AICCTU) appealed to the workers to fight against the indifference of the Jayalalitha Govt toward the cylone affected people and to come forward to help them. Within 2 days Pricol workers mobilized Rs.53,000 and workers in Chennai mobilized Rs.70,000 toward the relief fund. Contract workers of Hyundai who earn less than Rs.6000 a month participated enthusiastically in the relief fund mobilizing activities and they too contributed to the relief fund. TIDC workers contributed Rs.20,000. In Tirunelveli, AICCTU leaders and cadres approached the small vendors in the main market and mobilized Rs.10,000 in a day. Similar fund-raising was also conducted by AICCTU in Namakkal and powerloom workers contributed for the relief fund. In addition to the ongoing preparations for the 7th State Conference of AICCTU, AICCTU leaders and activists all over the state have collected over Rs 1 lakh in relief funds. The relief funds will be distributed in a public programme in Cuddalore, Villupuram, and Puduchery in the first week of February.

Rajasthan: AIPWA's 2nd State Conference Held

The 2nd State Conference of the All India Progressive Women's Association (AIPWA) was held in Jaipur on 23rd January with the call to "Fight against oppression, discrimination and violence, fight for employment, emancipation and justice". Women delegates from several districts like Pratapgarh, Bhilwada, Tonk, Udaipur, Jaipur and Ajmer actively participated in the Conference and the debates and discourse.

Comrade Srilata Swaminathan, National President of AIPWA inaugurated the Conference and hoisted the flag. She said that equality, dignity and respect, and a repression-free society is still a dream for women. Despite all sorts of official schemes the women are continuing to fall victims of feudal, capitalist oppression, repression and exploitation. Emancipation is only possible through resolute struggle, that in turn is possible only through a fighting organisation like AIPWA. CPI(ML)'s State Secretary, Comrade Mahendra Chaudhary also addressed the Conference. Several women delegates spoke in the Conference.

The Conference adopted 11 political resolutions mainly centring on NREGA, employment, pensions, BPL, price rise, withch-hunt, honorarium, 33% women's reservation among others. The Conference elected a 13 member State Executive Council. Comrade Sudha was elected State Secretary and Comrade Bhanwari as President. The Conference concluded with the participants taking pledge to build struggle on the resolutions and spread and strengthen the organisation in Rajasthan.

AIPWA's Udaipur District Conference was also held recently, at Salumber on 15 January.

Obituary

The Party in Punjab suffered a tragic loss when Comrade Paramjeet Singh Ghuman, a young promising organizer from agricultural labour background in Bathinda district, passed away at the Chandigarh PGI hospital in the early hours of 21 January following a motor-cycle accident a few days ago. Comrade Paramjeet (35) had been actively involved in the ongoing Assembly election campaign in Maur constituency in Bathina district. The funeral took place on 23 January afternoon in his village and was attended by hundreds of people from his village and many Party leaders and activists including Comrades Swapan Mukherjee, CC incharge for Punjab, Rajvinder Singh Rana, secretary of Punjab state unit, Ruldu Singh, President of All India Kisan Mahasabha and Party candidates in the Assembly election including Comrades Bhagwant Samao, Gurjant Singh and Harvinder Sema. Comrade Paramjeet was a brick kiln worker and became a full-time Party organizer in 2009 in the wake of the militant movement of the rural poor in Mansa district for homestead land. He is survived by his wife and three children. The Party pays homage to this young comrade and expresses deep condolences to the bereaved family members.

 

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 04 / 2012

ML Update

A CPI(ML) Weekly News Magazine

Vol. 15, No. 04, 17 – 23 JANUARY 2012

Children in Manmohan's India – Starved and Stunted

 

PM Manmohan Singh would like us to believe that adopting the policies of liberalisation have put India on the fast track towards becoming a global superpower. Recent studies have, however, called his bluff, showing that when it comes to tackling hunger and basic literacy, India's showing is among the worst in the world.

The Global Hunger Index 2011 ranks India at 67th place amongst 81 countries, shockingly, behind even other South Asian neighbours like Pakistan and Sri Lanka, and other notoriously poor and backward countries like Sudan. The GHI held that 21% Indians are undernourished, nearly 44% of India's under-5 children underweight, and 7% of them die before they reach five years.

Meanwhile, Indian students scored bottom at the tests conducted by the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), which assessed the ability of 15-year-old students at basic reading, maths and science. 16,000 students from 400 schools in Tamil Nadu and Himachal Pradesh (both enjoying relatively high ranking on human development indicators among Indian states) participating in the PISA exercise, scoring the lowest scores in the world, second only to Kyrghistan. A very small percentage of students in these states had even baseline proficiency in reading, mathematics and science.

Ironically, the UPA Government, itself responsible for the abysmal conditions of food security and schooling, has tried to present a 'human face' of concern for these issues.

Releasing a recent 'HUNGaMA' (Hunger and Malnutrition) report prepared by some corporates and NGOs and backed by MPs cutting across party lines, the PM said it was a 'national shame' that in the 100 focus districts of the study, 42% of children under five are underweight and 59% are stunted. And HRD Minister Kapil Sibal has just released the Annual Survey of Education Report (ASER) on rural India, prepared by an NGO, Pratham. This report, studying both government and private schools in rural India, shows rising enrolment in school, but declining attendance, over-reliance on private tuitions, and a marked decline in reading and mathematical ability of children in the age group between six and 14.

If hunger and malnutrition are indeed a national shame, why is the Prime Minister paying mere lip service to the issue? The GHI report holds that steep hikes in food prices are mainly responsible for global hunger. The Indian Government has completely failed to curb hikes in food prices. The National Food Security Bill tabled in Parliament recently is an insult to those who are battling hunger. It persists with the 'targeting' method, rather than providing universal coverage. While the Government was forced to back down on its Rs 26/Rs 32 poverty criteria, the Bill's 'priority' section covers only a small section of the population beyond this infamous poverty line. The Bill proposes to fix the state-wise numbers for the 'priority' (BPL) section arbitrarily from above. The actual amount of food rations per family will be reduced when the Bill comes into effect, and the subsidised rates for food grain too are higher than those prevalent now in many states. Many current APL card-holders will find themselves deprived of coverage when the Bill comes into effect. Further, food grain rates for APL beneficiaries, instead of being fixed, are tagged at half the MSP, and are therefore vulnerable to fluctuations and hikes. The criteria for the BPL census are designed to exclude a large number of the poor. Above all, the Bill allows the Central Government to declare a shift from food entitlements to cash transfers, and tags the entire PDS to the highly controversial Aadhaar (UID) scheme.

In spite of a Supreme Court directive, the Government is yet to universalise the ICDS scheme, which is the main scheme dedicated to improving nutrition and survival of women and children. The Government's fund coverage for ICDS is still highly inadequate. As a result, over 1 lakh anganwadis remain unoperational, while those that do operate often lack the most basic facilities. Anganwadi workers are extremely underpaid and overworked. Now, the Government is talking of 'restructuring' the ICDS in keeping with World Bank recommendations, and is proposing to privatise the ICDS on a 'PPP' model. Such measures can only help food marketing companies prey on the malnutrition of women and children for profit.

Faced with the PISA rankings and the ASER report, HRD Minister Kapil Sibal was quick to shift the blame for poor schooling standards to state governments. However, the facts stare us in the face – Sibal's much-hyped 'Right to Education Act' has done precious little to improve the quality of schooling in India. The RTE did nothing to end the discriminatory divide in schooling, whereby a small number of rich children avail of good schooling at select private schools at high fees; while the bulk of students are doomed to schools which lack the most basic educational facilities. Interestingly, while the ASER report shows that more and more children are shifting to private schools, it also shows that most private schools too lack the minimum educational and infrastructural criteria laid down by the RTE, and the educational performance of students in these private schools too is far below the mark. This means that the private school industry that is mushrooming all over the country, extorting high fees and exploiting the hunger for education, is also lacking in basic educational standards!

It is notable that China's performance in the PISA ranking is among the highest in the world, topping the rankings in maths and science. This ought to be a reminder to India, that quality schooling for every student is possible only when the Government makes schooling a priority. As long as privatisation of education remains the norm; as long as educational access remains contingent on the ability to pay high fees; as long as government schools are starved while private players are free to prey on students and profit from education, students in India will remain educationally deprived.

Thanks to the Indian Government's pro-liberalisation policies, India's future generation of children are starved of nutrition and learning, and stunted both physically and intellectually. No cosmetic measures promising 'right to education' or 'right to food' can carry any credibility until and unless these rights are guaranteed universally to all, and backed by a serious shift in policy priorities.

CPI(ML) Holds Massive Rally in Kolkata for Land-Livelihood-Democracy

On 10 January 2012, Kolkata witnessed an unprecedented rally of the toiling masses, defying the inclement weather and assembled at Rani Rashmoni Avenue demanding "Land-Livelihood and Democracy", at the call of CPI(ML) State Committee of West Bengal. People from various backgrounds rallied in thousands and thousands, protesting against the anti-people policies of the new government that betrayed the left legacy of West Bengal, sending a message in no uncertain terms that CPI(ML) is the only Left alternative against the TMC-Congress combine State Government.

Unregistered agrarian labourers who had been evicted from their land, landless poor peasants, farmers who have been denied of their remunerative prices, minority community, left masses from other workers of transport industry, contract workers particularly from Public Health Engineering, Left parties, workers of Tea-Garden, Bidi, ASHA & midday meal female workers, students-youth-intellectuals, cultural workers – were the main components of this gathering.

Within a short span of 7 months, the sheen of TMC's slogan of 'Ma-Mati-Manush' (Mother-Motherland-People) has started tearing asunder. The TMC-Congress Govt rode to power, on the back of peasant revolt that rocked the polity in the aftermath of Singur and Nandigram. But this government has started showing criminal apathy towards the real demands of the peasants and farmers, and the entire rural Bengal is again in the throes of a new agrarian crisis. Till date, 21 peasants have committed suicide, the TMC goons have unleashed a reign of terror, extortion has become the order of the day. The entire educational sphere is experiencing widespread anarchy, State's health system has collapsed, crisis is looming large in all corners of human life and dignity. This government has failed on all fronts. Lakhs and crores of central fund remains unutilised, MGNREGA has turned out to be a cruel joke.

The slogan "Land-Livelihood-Democracy" was against this fast deteriorating political scenario. Three big rallies, from Sealdah and Howrah station and another from Subodh Mullick Square started simultaneously, with red flags, festoons, banners, and slogans, which culminated at Rani Rashmoni Avenue. Comrade Partha Ghosh presided over the mass meeting and read the text of charter of demands before the gathering. After that, leaders of different mass organisations made speeches. Com. Dipankar, CPI(ML) General Secretary was the main speaker. He said that if the people of West Bengal voted for a change in favour of Land-Livelihood and Democracy, they shall again change the government if their hopes and aspiration remain unfulfilled. He exposed the hypocrisy of TMC government, and said the people of Singur have not yet received any compensation. Just a few days back 174 people died in 24 Parganas(S) after consuming poisonous liquor, 18 peasants committed suicide, 12 of them only from Burdwan. Mother and sisters lost thier lives at Magrahat after police fired upon the poor villagers. But Chief Minister of the self proclaimed Ma-Mati-Manush government didn't care to visit and meet the victims. This government has declared that it will not tolerate land robbery and is bent upon to seize all the land hitherto occupied by the peasants in rural Bengal. He also called for a genuine revolutionary left unity and independent left assertion in West Bengal.

Comrade Sufiyan's Martyrdom-day Celebrated with Protest in Bhojpur

"The heroes that fight crime, those that risk their life and embrace martyrdom for a better society against forces of darkness become immortal and inspiration for others." These were the words of Jasam's Bihar President Ram Nihal Gunjan remembering Comrade Sufiyan at a protest meeting held in Arrah on his 4^th Martyrdom anniversary protesting frequently recurring incidents of crime. Comrade Sufiyan sacrificed his life in the anti-crime struggle. He was a hero of anti-crime and anti-communalism struggles in Bhojpur. He thwarted all designs to disgrace the Muslim community in the district. Speakers at the protest meeting said that intensifying all round struggle against the criminal forces is the only true tribute to him.

Cyclone 'Thane': Devastation Multiplied by Govt. Callousness

On 30-12-2011 Thane hit Puducherry and Cuddalore and villlupuram districts of Tamilnadu and caused unprecedented damage to infrastructure, crops, fishing boats and nets, and houses especially huts and the total green cover in Puducherry district of the UT of Puducherry. Four lakh huts were damaged in Cuddalore and Villupuram districts alone. A total of 10 lakhs acres of farm land of 8 districts, namely cuddalore, Villupuram, Nagai, Thiruvarur, Kanchipuram, Thiruvallur, Tanjore and Ariyalur faced disastrous damage.

On 4^th January 2012 a team led by Com. Balasundaram (State Secretary, Tamilnadu) and comprising several others including Com. Balasubramanian (State Secretary, Puducherry Union Territory) visited various villages of the affected area and met people. The team travelled 280 Km and had close interaction with the victims.

Comrade Balasundarm, on behalf of the team, held a press conference on 6^th January to publish the findings of the team, the estimate of the loss and the pathetic status of the relief work being provided by the Government. The meteorological dept at Chennai warned about the cyclone on 24^th December itself and about the probable severity with wind speeds of 150km/hr. The warning was repeated for several days and the Government had more than six days to act, but it chose not to act. The Government did not step into precautionary action. All the district administrations remained inactive and this is the root cause of severe damage caused by the cyclone.

The Congress Government in Puducherry led by its Chief Minister Rangasamy not only failed to take precautionary steps to handle foreseen disaster but was also callous in responding swiftly even after 10 days since 'Thane' hit over Puducherry region. The government announced and paid a solatium of Rs. 2000/- to each ration card holder family and kept idle for days.

Not even single hut can be constructed with the relief amount, Rs 2500/ 5000, declared by the Government. Paddy farmers are asking for Rs 10,000 per acre lost. The Government has declared Rs 4000 per acre. The farmers are annoyed and in grief. Cashew gardens from which a farmer earns more than 30000 per year are totally destroyed in Cuddalore, Villupuram Districts. The Government has decided to provide a paltry amount of Rs 3600 per acre. It is estimated that loss faced by cashew farmers is Rs 300 Crores, in Cuddalore District alone.

Condemning the lethargic attitude of the Puducherry government, Puducherry State Council of AICCTU and Movement for Protection of Roofless jointly held a massive protest Dharna in front of District Collector's office on 10 January, demanding speedy relief and rehabilitation measurers to all affected people. The demonstration was jointly led by S. Motilal State Secretary, AICCTU and J. Sakthivelu, Co-Convenor Movement for Protection of Roofless. A memorandum was submitted to the Chief Minister through the district Collector.

The CPI(ML) has demanded that the UPA Government at the centre and AIADMK and Congress govts in the two states should expedite the relief and rescue work for speedy recovery of affected people and properties, immediate release of Rs. 2,000 crores as interim relief to the UT of Puducherry, because the UT is fully dependent on the centre economically and appropriate compensation to the families of cyclone victims.

After 2004 Tsunami many demanded that coaster shelterbelts should be created. Seven years have passed and the Government is ritually paying homage to the people lost during Tsunami, and has failed to establish any worthy shelterbelt along the coasts, rather it was busy in missapprobriating Tsunami relief funds. If shelterbelts were in place the damage caused by Thane could have been minimized. We should note that the Cyclone travalled 107 Km inland. Guidelines under Disaster Management Act regarding prepardness, management, relief and reconstruction have not been followed and structures are not being created. And this is another reason for the severity of the disaster caused by this cyclone.

Domestic Women Workers' Union Conference

The second annual conference of Noida unit of Gharelu Mahila Kamgar Union (Domestic Women Wokers' Union) was held on 11 January 2012. Around eighty domestic women workers from Noida attended this conference. This was addressed by AICCTU General Secretary Swapan Mukherjee where he emphasized on expanding the union and need to develop more leaders from among domestic women workers. Many domestic workers narrated their work conditions and demanded a safe and secure work atmosphere which can only be achieved if the Government takes initiatives in this direction and recognize the work of domestic workers. Comrade Shyamkishore Yadav said that more intense work needs to be done in this regard along with developing more professional approach towards building an union in a highly unorganized and vulnerable segment of society which at the same time is highly neglected and made deprived by the governmental discrimination. The conference was also addressed by Sanjay Sharma, Chandrabhan Singh, Aslam Khan and many others. A 25-member Executive Committee with Shyamali Sarkar as President was elected by the Conference.

Party GBM in DTC

DTC Party unit held its 8^th Sector GBM on 14 January 2012 where it was resolved to expand anti-privatisation campaign further among new workers who are mainly employed under contract, casual or by private corporations like Tata. The delegates were unanimous on the task of providing political edge to the prevailing discontent in DTC after two decades of privatisation and contractorisation. The GBM also resolve to fulfill various organisational targets towards the preparations of the 9^th Congress of the the Party. They resolved to march towards being the biggest union in this important wing of the transport sector. A programme was also chalked out to hold a mass-convention against corruption and privatisation of public transport in Delhi.

The GBM was inaugurated by CC member Prabhat Kumar. He praised the role of transport workers in building the party in Delhi. Delhi State Secretary Sanjay Sharma delivered the concluding speech where he called upon to address the new challenges before the working class movement. A 15-member Sector Committee was elected by the GBM which in turn re-elected Comrade Shankaran as its Secretary. The GBM contributed Rs. 5000 for the Party's 9^th Congress Fund.

Views and Proposals of AICCTU submitted in the pre-Budget consultation meeting with Finance Minister (on 16 January 2012) for the forthcoming Union Budget 2012-13

 

To begin with, we are constrained to say that the views and proposals submitted by central trade unions in the pre-budget consultation meetings every year either do not find any place in the budget or are addressed in the form of some cosmetic measures, which too are not implemented as can be seen from the examples of "Unorganised Workers' Social Security Act 2008" and increase in the honorarium of Anaganwadi workers in the last budget. The issues of unorganized, contract workers, honorarium/incentive based workers like ASHA, Anganbadi, Mid-day meal, etc. working in several lakhs, implementing the most important schemes of the govt. but living in miserable conditions, do not find due importance in the budgets.

We are afraid that if this continues it will make this exercise of pre-consultation meetings with central trade unions very formal.

It is becoming clearer day by day that under the regime of economic globalization i.e. policies of LPG the economic growth does not equate with wellness of people. Our country continues to be at the bottom in regard to most of human development and social indices particularly hunger and malnutrition and, peasants continue to commit suicides. This trend of committing suicides has even extended to among jobless people in urban areas.

Even the note on "State of Indian Economy", sent by MOF to us appears more interested in giving details of GDP and outflow and inflow of foreign capital without proper assessment of actual impact of the economic growth on the people particularly regarding the mounting unemployment, growing agricultural crisis, inflation, declining real wages, etc.

One slogan has emerged universally which epitomizes the crux of ongoing situation. "We are the 99%"- this slogan emerging from "Occupy Wall Street" movement has universally symbolized the growing anger against the policies of economic globalization and their growing rejection, and at the same time has symbolized the demand of working people for bringing the policies and measures for the 99%, and not 1%. The views and proposals raised by we all central trade unions collectively in our memorandum submitted in this pre- budget meeting also reflect the same.

So, in view of the prevailing situation in the country and also the ongoing global crisis, we urge upon you that the coming budget should be working people-oriented with focus on addressing the issues of unorganized labour, domestic workers, honorarium/incentive workers particularly increasing their minimum wages, bringing them under social security cover and extending the coverage of all govt. schemes and statutory benefits to them; the issues of poverty, unemployment and social infrastructure; with focus on strengthening the purchasing power of working people and domestic market, and on resource mobilization through taxing the corporate and the rich, unearthing huge accumulation of black money including the huge unaccounted money in tax heavens abroad,  recovering the NPAs etc. and putting a halt on extending all kinds of concessions and sops to the corporate and the rich.  So, with this end in view we would, apart from extending full support to the joint memorandum submitted here, like to reiterate the following demands for the coming budget for serious consideration by the government:

 

1. a) Make Massive public investment in agriculture and rural sector and guarantee the implementation of land reforms. b) Housing for urban poor (workers' colonies) and land puttas for rural poor.
2. For all unorganized workers- Universal coverage of all employments under Minimum Wage Act and fixation of statutory minimum wage not less than Rs 10,000/- per month with indexation. Extend PDS and the benefits like PF, ESI, bonus, etc to all unorganized workers. Grant status of govt. employee to honorarium workers, like ASHA and Anganbadi and others, and for now, regularize them and bring them under the coverage of statutory minimum wage and social security. It may be noted that ASHA workers have been applauded by the health ministry of govt. for bringing down the infant mortality rate to more than half and doing excellent service in rural health sector. The survival of this important NRHM scheme depends on their well being.
3. Assured Pension for all including all unorganized workers- Against the measly pension the working people are getting, the proposed pension in the range of 100 to 1000 is unjustified. The pension should not be less than Rs. 7500/ with VDA for all pensioners/workers, who toil for their entire life for progress of the nation. Also stop privatization and FDI in Pension and withdraw the PFRDA Bill being introduced. Stop the move to reduce interest rate on PF. Raise this rate to 12.5%.
4. National fund for unorganized workers with allocation of 4% of GDP in present situation. b) Inclusion of agricultural workers under the "Unorganised Workers Social Security Act 2008". Also a Separate Act for agricultural workers.
5. No to Contractorisation and outsourcing of work of permanent / perennial nature. Till the contractorisation is abolished payment of wages and benefits to such workers at the same rate as available to the regular workers of the industry/establishment 
6. Bring Urban employment scheme in the lines of NREGA and provide employment under NREGA for a minimum period of 200 days.
7. Take stringent measures against hoarders and ban forward trading in food grains to curb Price rise, and take other protective measures against price rise.
8. Lift ban on recruitment in govt. and public sector.
9. Stop disinvestment in CPSUs and provide budgetary support for revival of sick CPSUs.
10. For protection of migrant workers bring legislation in line with SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

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

Malayalam blog

http://cpimlmalayalam.blogspot.com/2012/01/ml-update-vol-15-no-03-10-16-jan-2012.html
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CPI(ML) Liberation

Kerala State Leading Team