Thursday, November 18, 2010

Fwd: ML UPDATE 47 / 2010

ML Update

A CPI(ML) Weekly News Magazine

Vol. 13, No. 47, 16 – 22 NOVEMBER 2010

Eyewash of Resignations and Cover Ups Will Not Suffice

Probe Scams and Punish the Guilty

Inundated by a series of scams involving top Ministers in the UPA Government as well as Congress leaders, the UPA Government and Congress party are desperately trying to save face by securing the resignations of Ashok Chavan from the post of Maharashtra CM, Suresh Kalmadi from the post of secretary of the Congress Parliamentary party, and finally, in the wake of the CAG Report exposing large scale corruption in the 2G Spectrum allocations by the Telecom Ministry, DMK leader A Raja from the post of Union Telecom Minister.

 
 For the past three years, the process of allocation of 2G Spectrum airwaves and licences were under the cloud of corruption allegations, but the UPA Government, invoking 'coalition dharma,' turned a blind eye and refused to act against the concerned Minister from the DMK. A full year ago, the Central Vigilance Commission recommended a CBI probe into the matter, and the CBI raided the Telecom Minister's office – but the UPA Government remained impervious to all demands for the removal of the Telecom Minister. Questions about the feasibility of an impartial probe while the accused remained a Minister were royally ignored. The CAG Report has now vindicated all the allegations, exposing how procedures were manipulated to unfairly benefit certain companies, granting them 2G spectrum – a national asset – at throwaway prices leading to a loss to the public exchequer to the tune of Rs 1,76,379 crore.
 
In the first place, the 2G spectrum was not auctioned but was instead allocated on a 'First-Come-First-Served' (FCFS) basis for a mere Rs 1,651 crore each. Companies, Reliance Communications and Tata Teleservices were also given GSM and CDMA licences at prices fixed in 2001. In comparison, auction of 3G spectrum earlier this year fetched Rs. 67,710 crore. But the matter did not rest with the choice of FCFS procedure over competitive bidding. Even the FCFS procedure was tampered with to 'fix' the match in favour of certain companies! The procedure whereby applications were ranked on the basis of the date of receipt at the central registry section of the Department of Technology, the basis was changed to that of compliance with Letter of Intent conditions such as bank guarantees. The CAG further noted that the time limit for compliance with the LoI conditions was reduced to just half a day, and miraculously, certain applicants (who obviously enjoyed advance information) were all ready with demand drafts and relevant documents. Of the 122 licenses issued in 2008, 85 were found to fall short of the eligibility conditions prescribed by the DoT itself!
 
Corruption in the Telecom sector has come hand in hand with privatisation of this sector. More than a decade ago, Congress Minister Sukhram was at the centre of a telecom scam that accompanied the first moves to privatise telecom. And now, the size and scope of the scams have grown with more rapid privatisation of this sector.
 
Not long ago, the Supreme Court pulled up the CBI for 'dragging its feet' and being 'slipshod' in its investigation of the 2G Spectrum scam. Clearly, the political pressures of the UPA Government and its tainted Telecom Minister were telling on the CBI. This inspires little confidence in the pending investigations promised into other mega scams. Foremost among these scams is of course the CWG scam. The Adarsh Housing Society scam is another in which top Army officials and politicians conspired to grab real estate in violation of environmental regulations by falsely invoking Kargil veterans and widows. The IPL scam too had involved UPA Ministers. A paddy scam too has been alleged – in which rice to the tune of Rs 2500 crore was exported in violation of the ban on paddy export – an act which is all the more criminal given the state of people reeling under price rise and hunger and the Centre's refusal to distribute rotting food grains to the poor. Apart from these, of course, there are innumerable mining scandals all over the country and rampant corruption in MNREGA.
 
Corruption and crony capitalism are certainly the name of the game in times of liberalisation – and not only the Congress and its allies ruling at the Centre but even the main Opposition party BJP cannot escape the taint. Let us recall that the mining mafia Bellary brothers in BJP-ruled Karnataka are part of the same phenomenon, and the BJP central leadership too has time and again showed its allegiance to the power of such corrupt corporates.
 
The resignations of Congress leaders and UPA Ministers are a clear admission of guilt, but such resignations must not divert from or dilute the struggle to ensure thoroughgoing probes and speedy punishment in all manner of scams. Those who are bleeding the country to favour a handful of rich corporations must be exposed and brought to book.

 

12th National Conference of Jan Sanskriti Manch Held at Bhilai

 
The 12th National Conference of Jan Sanskriti Manch was held at Bhilai on 14-15 November. The inaugural session of the Conference began with a seminar on 'Culture and Power'. Poet Manglesh Dabral inaugurated the Conference, saluting the memory of poet Gajanan Madhav Muktibodh who had hailed from Chhattisgarh. The main speaker at the seminar, Bangla poet Nabarun Bhattacharya called for a cultural of resistance that would confront imperialism and state repression. He spoke of the struggle of adivasis against displacement and repression in Chhattisgarh, and called for solidarity with the struggle for democratic rights in Kashmir and Dantewada. Noted critic and JSM President Prof. Manager Pandey spoke of the legacy and renewed relevance of socialism worldwide. Cultural activists from various states presented rousing performances of dance and music. In the second session, noted art critic Ashok Bhowmick spoke of the progressive tradition in Indian painting. Baul singers from Bengal gave a moving musical performance.
 
On the second day, JSM General Secretary Pranay Krishna presented a draft document for discussion on the floor of the house, which was debated by the delegates from various states. The Conference elected a National Council, with representatives from all over the country, and re-elected Prof Manager Pandey as President and Pranay Krishna as General Secretary.

 

CPI(ML) Statement on Building Collapse in Delhi

 
New Delhi, 16 November 2010: CPI(ML) Liberation expressed deep shock at the building collapse in Laxminagar which has claimed the lives of 65 poor migrant workers. The toll of dead and injured continues to rise, and the party shares the grief and outrage of the family members of the victims.
 
The tragic incident underscored the callous attitude of the Delhi Government towards migrant workers. The Congress Government has attempted to pass off blame to the builders, owner and the MCD (which is dominated by the BJP) alone. Clearly the responsible Government bodies in collusion with unscrupulous builders have allowed unsafe and illegal buildings to continue to stand, safe in the knowledge that they will be inhabited only by the poor and desperate. But the Delhi Government cannot escape responsibility for the incident.
 
A preliminary investigation by a CPI(ML) team comprising CC Member Prabhat Kumar, Delhi State Committee members and AICCTU leaders Amarnath Tiwary and VKS Gautam as well as Gaurishankar revealed that most of the residents of the doomed building had earlier been residents of the Yamuna Pushta jhuggi cluster. When the Pushta jhuggi was demolished to make way for the Yamuna Pushta flyover towards the Commonwealth Games, the jhuggi dwellers were forcibly evicted, and therefore forced to make their home in unsafe buildings including the one that collapsed.
 
The building collapse is an incident where eviction of the poor from slum clusters, combined with a housing policy ignores the need of the capital city's poor workers, has caused the deaths en masse of so many workers. The Shiela Dixit Government makes empty promises of housing for workers at election time, but later allows workers to live in perilous illegal buildings and insanitary slums in constant threat of eviction.
 
Stringent punishment must be given not only to owner of the building but also for the concerned authorities who failed to take preventive measures. The Government's declaration of ex-gratia is nothing but a token gesture, seeking to divert attention from the Government's own criminal responsibility for the accident. Workers' families must receive full compensation with dignity, and immediate measures be taken to ensure social security, recognition and safe and dignified housing to the city's poor and migrant workers.

 

Workers of Gouripore Jute Mill Hold Rally

 
The workers of the Gouripore Jute Mills, a closed mill since 1997, organised a "Bhukha" (Hunger) rally with bare body and empty plates. On 15 November, from Sealdah station to Esplanade under the leadership of BCMF (AICCTU). More than 500 workers participated in this spirited rally, marked by the overwhelming presence of women. They displayed posters, placards and red flags and the rally resounded with the sound of slogans and beating plates. The rally blockaded the busy 4-point Esplanade crossing for some time. The rally converged at Metro, where a Dharna was held till 5 PM.
 
The rally demanded disbursement of their legitimate PF and pension dues forthwith. It is to be mentioned that the Calcutta High Court passed an order, directing the PF department to disburse PF to the workers, which the PF department flouted. Com. Gayatri Das, one of the leading organisers of the rally, addressed the gathering, exposing the role of the local CPIM MLA and present Transport Minister Sri Ranjit Kundu, who hobnobbed with criminals and the corrupt nexus of the erstwhile PF trustee Board and openly opposed the workers' just demand of PF-Pension disbursement. Com. Ramshakar Paswan, another organiser of this movement, spoke of the sustained struggles of workers under the banner of the BCMF (AICCTU). Sri Somnath Basu of 'Naihati Shilpa Bachao Manch', and Sri Bankim Dutta, an organiser of the science movement, also addressed the gathering.
 
Prominent Trade Union leaders of AICCTU, AIUTUC, UTUC, Comrades Rabindra Prasad, Amal Sen and Barun Choudhury expressed their fighting solidarity with the ongoing movement. Prominent intellectual and economist Sri Subhendu Dasgupta, Columnist Pachu Roy, Convenor of Nagarik Manch Sri Naba Dutta, and Prof. Sri Salil Biswas also greeted and cheered the fighting workers. The meeting was also addressed by AICCTU & BCMF leaders Comrades Basudev Bose, Subrata Sengupta, Dibakar Bhattacharya, Batokrishna Das, and Atanu Chakravarty.
 

Protests against Obama's India Visit

 
In our last issue, we reported the countrywide protests on 8 November in response to the AILC call for protests against Obama's India visit. This time we report on some of the protests that could not be covered in the last issue.

At Puducherry, CPI(ML), CPI, CPI(M), AIFB, and RSP organised a massive joint state level protest demonstration on 8th November 2010 in front of the head post office at Puducherry. S. Balasubramanian State Secretary CPI (ML), Kalainathan State Secretary CPI, Perumal State Secretary CPI (M), Muthu State Secretary AIFB, Lenin State Secretary RSP addressed the protest gathering. Protest posters were pasted throughout the town and thousand of leaflets were distributed.

Haryana: A protest demonstration and five hour long dharna from 11 am  to 4 pm was organised at the Karnal's Mini-Secretariat main gate on 8 November by the CPI(ML), led by Party's State incharge Comrade Prem Singh Gahlawat, and other comrades Som Prakash, Sukhbir, Rajendra, Sultan and Ramesh among others. Com. PS Gahlawat addressed the dharna.

Mumbai: CPI(ML) and Lal Nishan Party Leninist jointly organised Obama Go Back protest demonstration at Mumbai.

 

DTC Unity Centre GBM

Workers of the Delhi Transport Corporation held a General Body Meeting of the DTC Unity Centre (affiliated to AICCTU) on 11 November to resist privatisation of public transport in Delhi. The hall was named after late DTC workers' leader Comrade Ajaib Singh Siddhu. The GBM was inaugurated by CPI(ML) CC member Comrade Prabhat. Unity Centre Secretary Comrade Thomas presented a report of the union's struggles and challenges ahead, which was discussed and later adopted by workers. The GBM elected the new leadership committee with Comrade Thomas as Secretary, Comrade Santosh Roy as President and Comrade Rajesh as Working President. The new committee resolved to intensify the struggle to resist privatisation, mobilising not only the permanent workers but also the contractual staff.

 
The GBM was also addressed by CPI(ML) CC Members Rajendra Pratholi, Kavita Krishnan, Delhi State Secretary Sanjay Sharma and AICCTU National General Secretary Swapan Mukherjee. MTNL labour leader Comrade Satbir rendered revolutionary songs at the GBM.

 

CPI(ML) in UP Panchayat Elections

CPI(ML) candidates contested on 89 zila panchayat seats in the panchayat polls held in October in Uttar Pradesh, and won two seats – in Pilibhit and Lakhimpur Kheri districts. At Pilibhit, CPI(ML) candidate Rama Gairola secured 7768 votes and won by a margin of 4713 votes. In the reserved seat in Lakhimpur Kheri, CPI(ML) candidate Asharam secured 11000 votes and defeated his nearest rival by more than 5000 votes. In the contest for Gram Pradhan and BDC, CPI(ML) won 17 gram pradhan and 18 BDC seats. The CPI(ML) campaign concentrated on resistance to corruption in panchayat institutions, development and land reform for the poor, freeing panchayats from bureaucratic stranglehold, and making panchayats the centre of people's movements.

On Clash in Allied-Nippon Factory

 
On 13 November, yet another incident reminiscent of previous instances at the Graziano factory in Noida and Pricol factory in Coimbatore took place at the Indo-Japanese Allied Nippon Company situated in Sahibabad Site-4 near Delhi, when a manager of the company Yogendra Chaudhary lost his life in a clash with workers of the factory.
 
The union that had been organising the workers, while deploring the death of the manager, has alleged that the manager Yogendra Chaudhury had opened fire on striking workers, injuring one worker and thereby provoking the clash that led to his own death. A struggle had been ongoing against violation of labour laws by the management, and the workers had been facing strong-arm tactics by the management which was trying to break the union.
 
Those who attempt to paint the workers as killers ought to recall that Sahibabad is the place where labour organiser and theatre activist Safdar Hashmi had been killed in broad daylight while performing street theatre during a struggle. The incident is yet another reminder that the impunity with which companies violate labour laws and the callousness of governments towards penalising and correcting such violations, combined with crackdowns and persecution of workers who struggle for their rights or attempt to unionise, are leading to an explosive situation whereby incidents of the Graziano-Pricol-Nippon type are becoming more and more common. It is alarming that instead of acting as a wake-up call for stringent implementation of labour laws, such incidents are being used as a pretext to intensify the political attack on the labour movement.

 

AIPWA Intervenes in Triple Honour Killing Case in Deoria

 
On 4 November, an AIPWA team of 50 activists visited Singahi Deeh village in Deoria district of UP, led by Geeta Pande, on hearing of the bodies of 3 young women being found buried in a field. On investigation the team were told that the three young women were Sarita, Anita and Neeta (all between 19-22 years of age) who were friends and belonged to the Rajbhar community. Their bodies had been found when animals had dug up some body parts which came to the notice of a farmer. It appears that Anita's uncle Dadan had suspected her of meeting a lover in the name of going to answer the call of nature in the night, and he along with five associates killed Anita and her friends and buried them in a field.
 
On 5 November 200 activists of AIPWA held a day-long dharna at the District Magistrate's office, declaring that 1000 women would court arrest if the accused were not arrested. Local BSP MP Ramashankar Vidyarthi Rajbhar was giving statements favouring the accused. But AIPWA's protest forced the issue out in the open and made the media recognise the killings as 'honour' killings. The struggle for justice for the three women continues.

 

India's Shameful Human Development Record

 
The recently released UN Human Development Report 2010 has revealed India's sorry record of human development and tackling inequalities.

Some of the facts revealed by the report are as follows:

 
India has been ranked among top 10 global countries on income gain.

But India's HDI ranking (adjusted to take into account multidimensional inequalities) is a dismal 119 among 134 nations. More than half (55%) of India's population are multi-dimensionally poor (taking account of indicators like health, schooling, drinking water, decent work and so on). Eight Indian States (Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal) are home to 421 million multi-dimensionally poor people, more than the figure of 410 million in 26 poorest African countries.

One of the chief factors dragging India back in terms of its human development performance is its failure to address gender inequality. The Gender Inequality Index in the Report shows that Indian women face greater gender inequality than their sisters in many of its less prosperous and more backward neighbours, including Pakistan.

In the overall Human Development Index, India ranks 119 and Pakistan, 125. But in the Gender Inequality Index, Pakistan is ahead of India at 112, while India lags behind at 122. Even Bangladesh (at 116) and Nepal (at 110) are ahead of India when it comes to women's welfare and rights. India has a much higher maternal mortality - 450 mothers in India (as compared to 320 in Pakistan) die in childbirth per 100,000 live births. India also has a greater rate of under-age mothers than Pakistan does. India also has a dismal sex ratio (108.5 male births per every 100 female births), again worse than Pakistan's performance on this score. In states like Gujarat, Haryana and Punjab (relatively more prosperous and 'developing') as well as the national capital Delhi, the sex ratio soars to 126 male births per 100 female births.

Another report: WEF's Global Gender Gap Report 2010 says India's position is abysmal. The Global Gender Gap Report's index assesses 134 countries on how well they divide resources and opportunities amongst male and female populations, regardless of the overall levels of these resources.

The report measures the size of the gender inequality gap in four areas:

(1) Economic participation and opportunity – outcomes on salaries, participation levels and access to high-skilled employment, (2) Educational attainment – outcomes on access to basic and higher level education, (3) Political empowerment – outcomes on representation in decision-making structures, (4) Health and survival – outcomes on life expectancy and sex ratio.

Out of 134 countries surveyed, India is among the lowest ranked countries at the 112th position, with a score of 0.6155. The index ranks 134 economies according to the size of the gaps between men and women.

"India (112) occupies one of the last places in the regional rankings. India has not been making much improvement over the years. In 2006, it was ranked 98, but dropped to 114 in 2007, climbed to 113 in 2008, dropped to 114 in 2009, and climbed back to 112 in 2010. In other words, the persistent health, education and economic participation gaps haven't been making much headway despite having a woman as the President, and a woman leading the country's ruling political party", the report says.

India has lacked the courage and commitment to pass the Women's Reservation Bill, and as a result women's representation in Indian Parliament stands at a dismal 9%. Even our neighbours like Pakistan and Nepal have shown greater will to challenge inequality – thanks to laws reserving seats for women, Pakistan has 21.2% women in parliament and Nepal, 33%.

The Indian Government never tires of boasting about India's rising global prestige and progress. But can a country where the numbers of mothers who die in childbirth and daughters killed in the womb are on the rise, and where the government is too weak in political courage to tackle the feudal violence of honour crimes, really claim to be 'progressive' or even modern and democratic?

 

Obituary: Comrade Pravesh Kumar

 
Comrade Pravesh Kumar, who had joined our Party in 2007 and was an employee of the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC), was fatally wounded in a road accident on 15th October near ITO in Delhi. He struggled for life for four days but could not emerge from coma and passed away at the LNJP Hospital on the 18th October 2010. His wife Smt. Vijay Lakshmi Sharma, who was with him at the time of accident is still undergoing treatment.
 
Born on 5 July 1956 in a working class family of Hoshiarpur in Punjab, he had worked very hard to strengthen economic and social aspects of his family. He always gave priority to Party work. He was a regular subscriber of Party organ and always helped Party and his close associates and relatives despite economic hardships. The comrades in DTC will always remember him as one who never let his spirit take a plunge in any situation and was always enthusiastic to face any situation. The Party pays its tribute to the departed Comrade and conveys its deepest condolences to his bereaved wife, two sons, and his parents.
 
Red Salute to Comrade Pravesh Kumar

 

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

Thursday, November 11, 2010

ML UPDATE 46/2010

ML Update

A CPI(ML) Weekly News Magazine

Vol. 13, No. 46, 09 – 15 NOVEMBER 2010

 

Barack Obama's India Visit –

Outsourcing US' Economic Crisis to India

 
On the eve of his visit to India, and on the heels of mid-term polls in the US where voters showed their discontent with the Obama government by allowing Republicans to wrest control of the House of Representatives from the Democrats, an op-ed piece by US President Barack Obama appeared in the New York Times. The article, seeking to address concerns about recession and unemployment in the US, indicated clearly that his visit to Asia and India was a quest for jobs in the US, seeking "new customers in new markets for American-made goods." Referring in particular to India, Obama wrote that the trip spelled "billions of dollars in contracts that will support tens of thousands of American jobs," and was intended to "explore ways to reduce barriers to United States exports and increase access to the Indian market."
 
In his speech to CEOs in Mumbai, too, Obama reiterated that for the US, India represents "an opportunity to sell our exports in one of the fastest growing markets in the world... a jobs strategy." On his first day in India, US companies like Boeing and General Electric sealed deals worth $10bn, thereby creating tens of thousands of jobs in the United States. A recent report by the CII that describes India as a "Growth Partner in the US Economy" and stresses the role of Indian companies as "partners in the resurgence of the U.S. economy" estimates that Indian purchases of military and nuclear hardware, civilian aircraft and infrastructure equipment alone from the United States can create nearly seven lakh jobs there over the next decade.
 
From his visit to India, Obama will take back lakhs of jobs for US citizens and an expanded market for US corporations – all this, at the cost of jobs, education, health and self-reliance of India's people. Increased US access to India's markets comes by reducing restrictions to foreign investment in key sectors of India's economy - such as defence, agriculture and insurance. In particular, the business lobby has been pushing India to open up its consumer market to foreign retail chains – and during Obama's visit, the Manmohan Singh government has assured US and Indian CEOs of its "positive mindset" on this question. This move, if it comes to a pass, will lead to the loss of employment and survival for millions of small retailers in India.
 
The Joint Statement released by India and the US on Obama's visit talks of a partnership in agriculture to achieve an "Evergreen Revolution." US-dictated liberalisation policies in the agriculture sector have already caused hundreds of thousands of farmers' suicides in India - opening up this sector further will spell further devastation for our farmers, and will destroy the self-reliance of Indian farmers and agriculture. Outsourcing cuts have already hit India's IT industry badly. Clearly, US Inc. and its CEO Obama are outsourcing their economic crisis to Indian soil!
 
As Bhopal reminded us, US corporations also love to outsource pollution and accidents to countries like India, where human life, in their eyes, is cheap. The Bhopal verdict and the Nuke Liability Bill have sent a message to the US corporations that safety regulations are lax in India, and thanks to US political clout, Indian governments will go out of their way to ensure that US corporations are protected from criminal liability and even from having to pay compensation! Obama has visited Mumbai, the site of India's worst terrorist attack – but he has averted his eyes conveniently from Bhopal, the site of India's worst industrial disaster, whose perpetrators have evaded justice with the patronage and protection of the US and India's own rulers.
 
Obama's visit has been marked by much rhetoric about partnership against terrorism and justice for the perpetrators of the Mumbai attack. But President Obama did not tell the Indian people why the US failed to share crucial intelligence with India which could have prevented the Mumbai attack. Home Minister P Chidambaram, in a bid to ease any embarrassment for Obama on this question, has sought to play down the issue by saying that the US did not have specific intelligence that Headley was planning an attack on Mumbai. Even if that is true, it does not change the fact that the US, which knew of David Headley's terrorist links prior to the Mumbai attack, did not share this information with India, thus enabling a terrorist mastermind to travel freely in and out of India on a US passport.
 
In the case of both Bhopal and Mumbai, key perpetrators have been American citizens, and continue to be shielded by US Governments, which have refused to extradite Warren Anderson and which are protecting David Headley from facing justice in Indian courts.
 
In his address to Indian Parliament, Obama reiterated his justification for US aggression in the Af-Pak region by declaring that 'safe havens for terror' in Afghanistan and Pakistan would not be tolerated, while remaining silent on the killings of innocent civilians in US drone attacks in that region. Obama overtly chose to comment on India's foreign policy vis a vis Iran and Myanmar. While Indian citizens too would demand that their government break its silence on the Myanmarese military dictatorship and human rights abuses in that country, it smacks of double standards for a US President (who is yet to acknowledge war crimes and occupation in Palestine, Iraq and Afghanistan) to do so. India has already buckled under US pressure by voting against Iran twice at the IAEA – and Obama's speech clearly indicates that the US will continue to mould India's foreign policy to suit US interests.
 
US President Barack Obama's address to Indian Parliament, which served as a prelude to the Parliament's winter session, has been welcomed not only by the ruling Congress but also by the main Opposition the BJP, indicating the unity of the Indian ruling class in its subservience to US imperialism. The Manmohan Singh government betrayed Indian people by failing to confront the US on Bhopal or on David Headley. It has refused to ask the US to break silence on prosecution of those guilty for war crimes in Gaza, Iraq and Afghanistan. It is all too ready to create jobs in the US and expand US corporations' markets by opening up India's economy and sacrificing Indian jobs, Indian farmers' lives, India's agricultural self-reliance and Indians' health and safety. And it is ready and willing to be US' junior partner in its bid for imperialist world hegemony – 'sharing' the US' war-time military burdens and boosting America's military-industrial complex by buying up US military hardware and nuclear reactors.
 
The countrywide protests that greeted Obama on his India visit are a clear message to the Manmohan Singh Government that Indians reject and resist the Indian ruling classes' bid to make India a junior partner of US imperialism.
 

Resignation of Chavan and Kalmadi Are No Substitute for Probes and Justice in CWG and Adarsh Scams

 
In a belated exercise at addressing widespread allegations of corruption involving top Congress leaders, the Congress has secured the resignations of Ashok Chavan from the post of Maharashtra CM and Suresh Kalmadi from the post of the secretary of the Congress' Parliamentary Party.
 
The resignations are in anticipation of outcry in the forthcoming winter session of Parliament against corruption in the CWG and Adarsh Housing Society scams.
 
The resignations are a clear admission of guilt on part of the former Maharashtra CM and the Chairman of the CWG Organising Committee. But the resignation of a couple of leaders must not be allowed to pass off as a substitute for thoroughgoing probes into allegations of corruption at various levels – including the army top brass and various Maharashtra Congress leaders in the Adarsh Society scam, and the various institutions of the Delhi Government in the CWG case. We must continue to vigilantly pursue the cause of justice in these cases of flagrant and rampant corruption.

 

Countrywide Protests said "Go Back Obama!"

US-India 'Partnership' – All Gain for the US, All Pain for India!

 
new Delhi: As part of the Countrywide protests against Obama's visit, CPI(ML) held a dharna at Parliament Street on 8th November with the slogans "US Imperialism Keep off from India, Keep Off from Asia!", "Asia is not for US Meddling and Occupation!" and "Stop Outsourcing War, Terror, and Economic Crisis!". The protest was organised at the call given by All India Left Co-ordination (AILC) and was attended by a cross section of people including large number of students, working people as well as people from other walks of life. The dharna was led and addressed by CPI(ML) General Secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya along with other senior leaders and cadres.
 
Comrade Dipankar in his speech said that "while the US imperialism has become the greatest threat for the world peace, justice and sovereignty of nations, increased American interest in Asia and India is meant only for outsourcing war, terror and economic crisis. Manmohan Singh's UPA-II Government clamour for India's 'special' relationship with the US and embracing US' strategic alliance is more and more endangering India's economic and security interests….The Indo-US Knowledge Initiative on Agriculture and 'Obama-Singh 21st Century Knowledge Initiative' are all increasing the US stranglehold over India's self-reliance in education and agriculture. The US has called on India to ease restrictions to foreign investment in sectors such as retail, defence, agriculture and insurance."
 
The sit-in was also addressed by CPI(ML) Central Committee members Prabhat Kumar, Rajendra Pratholi, Delhi State Secretary Sanjay Sharma, State Committee members Santosh Rai, NM Thomas, AISA leader Piyush Raj and many others.
 
Punjab: Massive protest by Left Parties against Obama's visit

About thirteen hundred activists of Left Parties under the banner of All India Left Coordination (AILC) staged an impressive convention and demonstration in Jalandhar on 7th July against the growing intevention of American Imperialism in the affairs of our country. Coinciding with the anniversary of Great October Revolution in Russia (English Calendar- 7 November) the massive convention was held in the overflowing hall of Desh Bhagat Yadgar. A presidium comprising of Comrade Trilochan Singh Rana, Dr. Satnam Singh Ajnala, Com. Ruldu Singh and Com. Bhagwant Singh Samao conducted the Convention. Various leaders of the organising parties including Com. Mangat Ram Pasla, Secretary CPM Punjab, Com. Dipankar Bhatacharya, General Secretary of CPI (ML) Liberation, Com. Swapan Mukherjee, AICCTU Gen.Sec., Com. Rajvinder Singh Rana, Com. Rattan Singh Randhawa and Com. Harkanwal Singh addressed the convention and strongly criticised the Manmohan Singh govt. as well as state governments for playing to the tunes of imperialist marauders and betraying the cause of working masses of the country, simply to sefegaurd and promote the interests of a handful of monopoly houses, big business and big landlords of the country.

The Convention called upon the Indian people to remain fully vigilant against the befooling tactics of both Mr. Obama as well his Indian hosts regarding the outcome of this monstrous visit of American head of the state. It also urged upon the people to wage a forceful united Countrywide mass struggle for the abrogation of all the strategic ties with imperialism and to undertake an alternative, pro-people model of development, based on self-reliant economic growth, job oriented Industrialisation, labour intensive production activities and massive expansion of internal market. The Convention warned the govt. that further sell out of the national interests to the imperialist sharks will not be tolerated and will be opposed at all costs: It also called upon the Govt. to withdraw all the draconian measures including the obnoxious 'operation green hunt'.

The Convention congratulated the 17 Organisations of peasants/farmers and agricultural workers of Punjab for their victory in getting restored the subsidy on tube-wells. It also passed a resolution strongly deploring the discrimination shown in this respect with the agricultural labourers and urged the state government to restore the 100 unit cut in electricity subsidy for these poorest section of society and also to fulfil other promises made to them in its election manifesto.

After the convention a well decorated and organised "Obama Go Back" march led by leaders of the All India Left Co-ordination marched through the main areas of the city. Participants, including women, agricultural labourers, students etc. came from all the districts of Punjab.

 
West Bengal: At the call of All India left Coordination (AILC) anti-imperialist protest campaigns took place on 8th November against Barrak Obama's visit to India. In Kolkata, a well-decorated protest rally started off from College Square for Dharmatala. Later there was a road blockade for 30 minutes and the effigy of Obama and Manmohan Singh were burnt. The rally was led by CPI(ML)'s PBM Com. Kartick Pal. State Committee member Basudev Bose, CCM Com. Kalyan Goswami and State Secretary Com. Partha Ghosh addressed the rally. Comrades from North and South 24 Parganas, Howrah and Hooghly joined the rally in great number. AISA members also participated in the rally.

Siliguri: A protest rally started off from Sidhu-Kanhu Sarani, went around Hillcurt road to Hasmi Chouke where Obama's effigy was burned followed by a street corner meeting. The rally was led by CCM Com. Avijit Mazumder.

Krishnanagar, Nadia: Anit-imperialist mass meeting was held. The meeting was led by Com. Biman Biswas.

Malda: Anit-imperialist mass meeting took place at six places.

N. Dinajpur: At Kaliagunge, roads were blocked for 30 minutes. Then a mass meeting was held.

Protest campaigns were held in several other parts of West Bengal as a part of All India Protest programme against US imperialist policies and their Indian agents.

 
Andhra Pradesh: 200 people marched in Kakinada town, headquarters of East Godavari district. The protesters raised anti-imperialist slogans and burnt American President's effigy in front of the Collectorate. CPI(ML) State Secretary and Polit Bureau member Comrade N Murthy and All India Agricultural Labourers' Association's (AIALA) State Secretary Comrade Bugata Bangaru Rao addressed the demonstrators. Other district leaders Arjuna Rao, Ganesh, Simhachalam, Narasa Raju, AIPWA leader Kakara Ratna Kumari and Nageswara Rao among many others were those present at the protest.

At Vissanapet, HQ of Krishna district, about hundred people blocked the road in Vissanpet Mandal. M Malleswara Rao, Central Committee member (CCM) of CPI(ML), Krishna district secretary B Viplav Kumar, All India Kisan Mahasabha's (AIKM) State Secretary D Harinath, State Committee member Comrade P Satyanayarana, other district leaders Pulla Rao, Sonti Napeswara Rao, Babu Rao, Satyanarayana Godegu, and AIPWA leaders Himavati and Kavita were among others who were present.

A protest march was held at Visakhapatnam led by District Secretary Comrade Vasudev Rao, AIKM leader Soribabu and AIPWA leader B Vijia.

Ananthapur – a protest march was held at Ananthapur district HQ. State Committee member Comrade Siva Reddy and AIPWA leader Comrade Gayatri and other district leaders led the protest march.

 
Orissa: A protest demonstration was held in front of the Orissa State Assembly by CPI(ML)'s Orissa State Committee. 200 comrades marched in a rally from Nagbhushan Bhavan raising slogans of go back Obama,  down with US imperialism, down with UPA Govt and Manmohan-Obama policy etc. In the end a public meeting was organised led by Com. Mahendra Parida, AICCTU Secretary. Comrades Yudhistir Mohapatra, Satyabadi Behara-AIALA State President, Murali Behera- State Committee member, Janaki Rao- Secretary of Basti Basinda Mahasanga and Simdadri Sethi- Secretary Rickshaw Pullers Association addressed the gathering.

Protest rallies were also held in Rayagada, Kendrapara and Bhadrak districts.

 
Uttar Pradesh: In UP, State-wide demonstrations and marches coupled with effigy burning were held. In Lucknow, the Party members held a demonstration and dharna at the Martyrs' Memorial. The protesters raised slogans warning the US to get out of Iraq and Afghanistan, keep off from India and Asia, and to stop exporting terror, war and economic crisis.

March was held from Varanasi Cantonment Railway Station to Lahuraveer Crossing in Banaras. In Allahabad protesters marched from Party Office in Colonelganj to Chandrashekhar Park. In Ghazipur, the district administration virtually gheraoed the CPI(ML) office at noon to prevent us from taking out anti-Obama march and pressurised the leaders to just handover the memorandum at the SDM office. Only after our sharp protest and unrelenting opposition to this ploy the administration backed off and march was indeed held.

Demonstration were also held in Mirzapur, Sonbhadra, Chandauli, Mau, Pilibhit, Lakhimpur Khiri, Sitapur and Jalaun among several other districts of UP.

 
Tamil Nadu: Protest demonstration was held in Chennai led by CPI(ML) PBM Comrade Kumaraswami. Demonstrations were also held in Pudukottai, Tirunelveli and Kanyakumari. "Go Back Obama" posters were released and put up all over the State.
 
Karnataka: Mass rally was organised by Koppal District Committee of the CPI(ML) at Gangavathi town and and Obama's effigy was burned. Party Secretary and AIALA's State President Comrade J Bharadwaj led the march.

A demonstration and dharna was held at the taluk office of HD Kote town in Mysore district led by Com. Javaraiah.

 
Uttarakhand: Protest marches, dharnas and meetings were organised by CPI(ML) State Unit and AISA at several places in the State. Dharna and meeting was held at Lalkuan in Nainital district participated by dozens of CPI(ML) members. Meeting was addressed by Comrades Girija Pathak (Party's Nainital incharge), BS Jangi (Dist. Convenor, AIKM) and KK Bora (AICCTU's State Convenor).

A memorandum addressed to the President of India was handed over to Dist. Magistrate of border dist. Pithoragarh. Comrades marched to the Magistrate's office led by Dist. Incharge Com. Govind Kaphalia.

AISA members burned the effigy of US imperialism and organised meetings at Syalde in Almora dist, Rudrapur in Udhamsingh Nagar and Srinagar in Pauri Garhwal. These protests were led respectively by Comrades Purushottam Sharma, Bhagwati Sogai (Student Union Secretary of Syalde Degree College), Bhagwati Sharma (SU Vice President of Syalde Degree College), Lalit Matiyani and Mohammadin, CPI(ML) leader Indresh Maikhuri and AISA leader Ashish Kandpal.

 
Jharkhand: Demonstrations protesting American President's visit were held in Ranchi and Bagodar. In Ranchi the Party members took out a demonstration from Party's State Office to Albert Ekka Chowk and held a public meeting. In Bagodar, in Giridih district, Dist. Secretary Com. Manoj Bhakt led a protest of 200 people. Preparations for the Panchayat elections are on in the State.
 
AISA Wins University Election in Garhwal
 
The All India Students' Association candidate Verghese Bamola won the post of University Representative in HNB Garhwal University, Srinagar, Uttarakhand. The election was held on 23 October and it was won by AISA by a huge margin. Whereas Verghese Bamola secured 1349 votes, his nearest rival could bag only 686 votes. The post of University Representative has become hotly contested by all student outfits recently as according to the Lyngdoh Commiittee recommendations election for the post of President and Secretary and VP, Jt. Sec, etc. can be contested only once. However, a student can contest twice for the post of UR and therefore from the point of political importance, it has become hotly contested, as most of the student leaders of different outfits that only see student elections as a launchpad of their political career are concentrating on this post (UR). The runner up ha a NSUI background while the AVVP candidate and outgoing Union Secretary was pushed to the third spot.
 
This victory of AISA is a result of AISA's leadership role provided to the student community when they are witnessing a series of assaults on the Democratic traditions of University in various forms by the new VC.
 
Condolence Meetings
 
There are reports of country-wide condolence meetings organised by district and state committees at the passing away of CPI(ML)'s senior most and veteran leader of the Indian communist movement Comrade Ram Naresh Ram. Condolence meetings were also held simultaneously for Comrade Rajesh Ranjan, a young Party leader in Delhi. We are able to reproduce below the reports of only a few of the meetings.
 
New Delhi: Condolence meeting was held on 3rd November at Gandhi Peace Foundation hall to pay tributes to Comrades Ram Naresh Ram and Rajesh Ranjan, both of whom passed away on 26th October. Hundreds of Party members attended the meeting and observed two minutes silence in their memory. All those present pledged to carry on the struggle till the dreams of the departed comrades were realised. Meeting was addressed among several others by Comrades Swapan Mukherjee, Rajendra Pratholi, Ranjan Ganguly, PS Gahlawat, Meera di, Sucheta De, Gopal Pradhan, Shweta, Martand, Roop Narayan, and AN Tiwari.  Delhi State Secretary Comrade Sanjay Sharma conducted the meeting.
 
Rajasthan: Condolence meetings were held in four districts of Udaypur, Jaipur, Azmer and Pratapgarh. Comrades Srilata Swaminathan (AIPWA's National President and Party CCM) and Mahendra Chaudhary (Party's State Secretary) among several others addressed the meetings.
 
Chhatisgarh: Condolence meeting was held at Bhilai on 27 October attended by all leading comrades of Bhilai, Party's State Secretary Com. Brijendra Tiwari and AIPWA's National Secretary Com. Kavita Krishnan.
 
Uttarkhand: Condolence meeting was organised at CPI(ML)'s State Office in Haldwani in Nainital District, where Com. Raja Bahuguna (Party's State incharge) spoke about the revolutionary life of Comrade Ram Naresh Ram. Comrades Rajendra Pratholi (Party's CCM), BS Jangi, KK Bora were present among other comrades.

At Deghat in Almora district, comrades Purushottam Sharma, Vijaylakshmi, Shanker, Dinesh Pant, Geeta Sharma and many other comrades paid tributes to the departed comrades.

Meetings were also held in Dharchula led by Com. Jagat S Martoliya, at Munsyari led by Com. Surendra Brajwal, Srinagar in Garhwal dist. where comrades Kailash Pandey, Indresh Maikhuri, Malti Haldar among others addressed the meetings. Apart from this, the Nainital Film Festival (29-31 October) also paid tributes to the departed comrades.

 

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 45/2010

ML Update

A CPI(ML) Weekly News Magazine

Vol. 13, No. 45, 02 – 08 NOVEMBER 2010

 

Two Indias: Rahul Gandhi's Rhetoric and the Grim Reality of Congress-Ruled India

In the course of the ongoing AICC session, Congress 'crown prince' Rahul Gandhi obliquely acknowledged the reality of 'two Indias,' one that is rich and 'moving forward fast' while the other is that of the poor which is in crisis. While being forced to recognize this chasm, Rahul Gandhi however chose to obscure the real role of the ruling class and the UPA Government in particular in creating and deepening this chasm. Instead he asserted that only the Congress party could 'connect and unite' the rich and poor Indias. Citing his experience of travelling all over the country, he claimed that only the poor could take the country forward, and in turn, only PM Manmohan Singh's strategy of 'economic growth' could take the poor forward!

 
Meanwhile Congress President Sonia Gandhi too, in her remarks, made similar expressions of concern for India's poor in times of inflation. Paying tribute to Manmohan Singh's leadership for achieving high rates of economic growth even in times of global financial crisis, she added that "booming stock markets and record capital inflows do not reflect the difficulties faced by the majority of our people," and called to balance such growth with efforts to curb inflation and address environmental concerns.
 
Such rhetoric by Rahul and Sonia Gandhi signal the Congress' realization of simmering resentment among the common people against the growing chasm between the rich beneficiaries of the Manmohan regime's 'growth' and 'progress' and its poor victims on the other. These pious pronouncements however carry little conviction with people who have already faced the bitter reality of Congress' betrayal of its 'aam aadmi' promises. Even the same AICC session has been marked by conspicuous silence on a host of embarrassing scams in which Congress Governments and leaders have been embroiled.
 
In Maharashtra, top Congress and NCP leaders along with top army personnel stand implicated in the Adarsh Housing Society Scam. This scam, in which a housing society in the name of Kargil war veterans and war widows became a pretext for real estate sharks to grab prime land and construct high rises in violation of coastal regulations, with top politicians and army personnel vying to secure illegal allotments, is reminiscent of the revelations of corruption in defence transactions and purchase of coffins for soldiers during the NDA regime. The efforts of environmental activists brought the scam to light – and not only the Maharashtra CM but other top leaders of the Congress and NCP are mired in this scandal. Coming on top of the CWG scam (involving the Congress-ruled Delhi Government as well as top Ministers in the UPA-II Government) and the Spectrum 2G scam involving the UPA-II Telecom Minister, the Adarsh Society scam is yet another instance of the rampant corruption and misuse of public resources and funds by Congress governments and leaders which cruelly underline the empty character of the Congress' pro-poor rhetoric.
 
In addition to suicides by farmers burdened by debt and crippled by the agrarian policies of the Congress governments at the Centre, now there are reports of peasant suicides linked to high interest rates and coercive loan collection by much-touted private microfinance institutions in Congress-ruled Andhra Pradesh. Rahul Gandhi has only recently had to cancel his proposed trip to AP in the wake of the social and political ferment over the instances of peasants' suicide due to usurious and profit-seeking MFIs. Rahul Gandhi's 2005 visit to SKS, one of the state's leading MFIs, and Sonia Gandhi's awarding of the 'Social Entrepreneur of the Year' Award to the CEO of SKS in 2006, are in the spotlight now in the wake of SKS' spectacular increase in profits (from 2 crore in 2008 to 174 crore currently) and its alleged role in suicides of indebted farmers.
 
Such peasants' suicides, along with the spate of instances of corporate land grab, displacement of poor farmers and deaths of protesting farmers in police firing, as well as Operation Green Hunt are all episodes in the Congress-ruled UPA Government's war on poor India to protect the interests of privileged India. Rahul Gandhi's pro-poor rhetoric cannot erase all the evidence of the role of the Congress Governments' pro-rich, pro-corporate priorities and policies in deepening the chasm between rich and poor in today's India.

 

Comrade Ram Naresh Ram Will Always Remain Alive in Ours Hearts

 

CPI(ML)'s senior-most leader and architect of the people's revolutionary struggles led by the CPI(ML) in Bhojpur, Comrade Ram Naresh Ram (Paras ji) passed away on 26 October 2010 at the age of 86. He was one of the founders of the revolutionary CPI(ML) current in the communist movement in Bihar. With his demise, a glorious chapter in the history of post-independence revolutionary struggles comes to an end. Comrade Ram Naresh Ram was born in 1924, in Ekwari village in the Sahar block of Shahabad district (now called Bhojpur). As an 18-year-old he participated in the Quit India movement of 1942 and thus began his political career with the freedom struggle. Some years later he entered the communist movement and joined the peasant movement. The voice of the peasant insurgency of Telengana touched him and in 1948, he participated in a campaign to collect funds in support of that movement. In 1951 he became a member of the Communist Party of India and in 1952-54, he was one of the leaders of the CPI-led peasants' struggle against hike in the canal irrigation rate by the Bihar Government.

 
At the time of the division of the Communist Party he joined the CPI(M) and in 1965 he contested for the post of mukhiya of Ekwari panchayat. This step was an open challenge to the feudal forces because till then, the feudal forces of Ekwari village had been electing their own candidates unopposed and on this pretext, they tried to stop Comrade Ram Naresh Ram from contesting elections. But he defied every scheme of the feudal forces and, on the strength of the unity of the poor and oppressed of Ekwari under the communist banner he gave a crushing defeat to the feudal candidate and opened a new chapter in the assertion of the oppressed. He was hailed as Ekwari's 'mukhiyaji' ever since.
 
In 1967, he was the CPI(M) candidate in the Bihar Assembly elections. This election became a direct contention with the feudal forces and during the elections, Comrade Ram Naresh Ram's comrade and fellow-fighter 'Master' Jagdish was captured and beaten nearly to death and Comrade Ram Naresh Ram was locked in a room to prevent him being able to come to Comrade Jagdish's rescue. This incident gave birth to the resolve in Comrade Ram Naresh Ram's mind to wage armed struggle against feudal forces.
 
Soon after, the 'spring thunder' of Naxalbari could be heard in Bhojpur and Comrade Ram Naresh could see in it the future trajectory of anti-feudal struggles. He internalized Comrade Charu Mazumdar's idea that people's democratic revolution is the only way ahead, and peasant revolution is its essence. In the phase following Naxalbari, those comrades of Bhojpur who were disillusioned with the CPI(M) went straight to Kolkata to seek out and make contact with the CPI(ML). In 1970, Comrade Ram Naresh along with other comrades of Bhojpur joined the CPI(ML) and as an underground leader, he took responsibility for the peasant struggles led by the party. With this starts the glorious saga of the revolutionary struggles of the Bhojpur plains.
 
In underground life, Comrade Ram Naresh Ram was known as 'Parasji.' He had become a popular mass leader whose relations with the masses were as deep as that of fish with water. This was why, even while he was underground, he was successful in ensuring the participation of the masses in CPI(ML)'s revolutionary struggles, and in the decade of the 1970s, the armed struggle of Bhojpur's peasants always had a mass character and the emphasis in these struggles remained on opening the doors for people's initiatives and on mass actions. In 1974, after the reorganization of the party, it was Bhojpur's experience that showed the party the way for the rectification campaign and even in underground circumstances it was in Bhojpur under Comrade Ram Naresh Ram's supervision that the party's special All India Conference was successfully held.
 
In the CPI(ML)'s Third Congress (1982) Comrade Ram Naresh Ram was elected a member of the party's Central Committee, since when he remained a member of the Central Committee all his life. After the Congress he took up the post of the party's Bihar State Secretary and in the 1980s he led the fresh upsurge of the peasant struggle in Bihar. Later he was given responsibility of Secretary of the special regional committee which functioned under direct leadership of the Central Committee. In 1990 Comrade Ram Naresh Ram took on the responsibility of the party's open front and in the same year, addressed the massive 'Dam Bandho Kam Do' Rally organized by the Indian People's Front (IPF) at Delhi as CPI(ML)'s representative. After this, he was elected National Vice President of the IPF and attended the CPI's Vijaywada Congress as the fraternal representative of the CPI(ML)-IPF. Comrade Ram Naresh Ram was a Polit Bureau member of the party between 1989-1992 and 1995-2007.
 
In 1995 when CPI(ML) decided to participate in elections for the first time in the Party's own name, Comrade Ram Naresh Ram led the election campaign, and filed nominations in the name of Parasnath in the Sahar Assembly constituency. This caused great consternation in the ruling class camp. The Government and administration put up many hurdles to his candidature and indulged in widespread slander. In the face of all this, he won the seat by a wide margin. Thus, after a relentless struggle of 28 years, he entered the Bihar Assembly and took up the post of the party's legislative group – a responsibility he retained till the end.
 
Comrade Ram Naresh Ram's victory caused deep demoralization among the feudal and communal forces. The Ranveer Sena (a private feudal militia) was born out of this demoralization and reaction, and then began the phase of barbaric massacres in dozens of poor hamlets like Bathani Tola, Bathe, Nagri, Shankarbigha, Narayanpur, Miyanpur, etc. In these massacres, the Ranveer Sena took the lives of hundreds of dalits and poor people, including a large number of unborn babies, children, women and old people. Under the perceptive political guidance of Comrade Ram Naresh Ram and the leadership of the CPI(ML), the poor people of Bhojpur and Bihar defeated this feudal ploy. Today the Ranveer Sena along with all other private armies no longer exist in Bihar.
 
His role as an MLA representative of the revolutionary opposition was unparalleled, and a model for all communist legislators. As an MLA, he always led the people's struggles of his constituency from the front and always posed a challenge to the Government and administration. In particular, he waged powerful struggles inside and outside the Assembly on the question of political patronage to the Ranveer Sena and imposition of draconian laws (especially TADA) on the struggling poor. On the other hand, he himself gave direct leadership to the process of establishing people's supervision and regulation over the development undertaken by government machinery and in reining in the corruption by government officials and contractors. As a result he became such a popular MLA from his constituency that all his opponents considered him invincible.
 
Comrade Ram Naresh Ram always remained a major challenge for the ruling class. Be it the Congress Government, the 'social justice' government of Laloo-Rabri or the Nitish Government with its rhetoric of 'good governance-development', all felt threatened by him. Not only during the Emergency but during Laloo's rule (1995 and 1997), Rbari Devi's rule (2000) and during Nitish Kumar's rule (currently), fresh false cases were concocted and filed against him and there were plots to arrest him. In one such false case, a warrant for his arrest was issued which was never scrapped even till the day of his death, in spite of the fact that the entire Opposition united inside the Bihar Assembly to protest the police's attempt, through this warrant, to brand him an 'extremist,' and even the Bihar CM was forced to issue a statement on this question.
 
From the first war of independence of 1857 through the 1942 Quit India struggle, and beyond, Comrade Ram Naresh Ram was a torch-bearer of the revolutionary anti-imperialist anti-feudal legacy of the entire freedom struggle. It was this legacy that he carried forward by leading the revolutionary communist movement. In his constituency he had a memorial to 1942 martyrs constructed at Lasarhi – something which no previous MLA of this constituency had undertaken in 50 years of India's independence. Every year a 'Shaheed Mela' would be organized at this memorial and this year too Comrade Ram Naresh Ram actively participated in this event.
 
During the freedom struggle Swami Sahajanand Saraswati had played a vanguard role in lighting the spark of anti-feudal and anti-colonial struggles among India's peasants; in the period of India's 'second Independence struggle,' Comrade Ram Naresh Ram under the leadership of the Communist Party played the same role – lighting the revolutionary spark of political assertion in the most oppressed sections of society from the initial phase till the revolutionary anti-feudal struggles of the Bihar plains. As a result of these struggles, the dalit-backward rural poor of independent India achieved their basic democratic right – the right to vote – for the first time and not only sent their representatives to the Parliament and Assembly but also changed the balance of forces in local self-governance bodies. Comrade Ram Naresh raised the issue of land reform in Bihar with such commitment that he can be called the Swami Sahajanand of independent India. At the founding Conference of the All India Agricultural Labourers' Association (AIALA) at Ara in 2003, he was elected the National President of the organization and till the end, he remained the Honorary President of AIALA.
 
In spite of the travails of old age and serious illnesses, Comrade Ram Naresh Ram remained active till his last days and participated actively in mass programmes. He not only addressed the Jan-Adhikar (People's Rights) Rally this very year in Patna, he was even present at the mass meeting for the nomination of party candidates in Ara a few days before his demise. Expressing outrage at the arrest of Comrade Rameshwar Prasad during nominations, he asked the assembled people to ensure the victory of Comrade Rameshwar as a fitting rebuff to this unjust and biased move of the administration.
 
Comrade Ram Naresh Ram's wife passed away last year. He is survived by two daughters. Comrade Ram Naresh Ram's personality was steel tempered in the fire of revolutionary struggles. He was a peerless leader from among the dalit-oppressed people, speaking their own language. On the one hand he was known for his simplicity, his friendly and simple nature and his humility and on the other for his firm principles and his dauntless commitment. He was a unique icon of struggle and simplicity. He grasped a range of immensely varied responsibilities given to him by party and successfully undertook them with great commitment. His entire struggling life will be a lighthouse of inspiration not only for the present but for the coming generations.
 
Comrade Ram Naresh Ram is no longer physically present among us. As long as oppression, exploitation and inequality remain in society, until struggles for land reforms and social transformation achieve their goal, Comrade Ram Naresh Ram will continue to guide our way like a flaming torch in fields of struggle of Bihar and India's democratic revolution. Only by marching in the light of that flaming torch to realize his dreams can we pay true homage to Comrade Ram Naresh Ram.

 

Red Salute to Comrade Ram Naresh Ram!

Central Committee,

CPI(ML) Liberation

 
 

Condemn the Attacks of Communal Fascists on Arundhati Roy's Residence

 
The attack by a BJP Mahila Morcha mob on writer Arundhati Roy's residence, ostensibly in reaction to her views expressed at a recent Seminar on Kashmir, is a highly condemnable assault on freedom of expression and democracy.
 
Ms. Roy's views on history on Kashmir's accession to and relationship with India, while they may be unpalatable to the BJP-Sangh Parivar jingoists, are not new in Indian politics and society. Many historians and political commentators, not to mention leaders including even the current Kashmir CM, have expressed similar views. No resolution of the Kashmir issue is possible unless the right of Kashmiri people to express the entire spectrum of their political demands including autonomy and azaadi is unreservedly recognized as a precondition for real political dialogue. The demand that the Central Government confront the sordid history of denial and betrayal of democracy in Kashmir as well as the ongoing brutal repression and human rights violations by security forces cannot be wished away by branding it as 'sedition.'
 
There can be no place in a democracy for mobs who attack a writer for expressing her views freely, and all democratic forces and voices in India must unequivocally condemn such violent assaults on freedom of expression.
 
CPI(ML) Central Committee

 

 
AICCTU Convention in Punjab
 
On 27 October a condolence meeting was organised by the mess workers' union of Punjab Engineering College (PEC) at Chandigarh to condole and pay tributes to two mess workers, Kushal Singh and Kundan, who passed away recently and Comrade Ram Naresh Ram. Among those present were comrades Swapan Mukherjee, General Secretary of All India Central Council of Trade Unions (AICCTU), Kanwaljit (GS, AICCTU Chandigarh) and Satish Kumar, (VP, AICCTU Chandigarh unit).
 
On 30 October, a convention of contract workers was held in Chandigarh in which various unions of city's workers participated who recently joined AICCTU. Some of these are PGI workers, workers' union from 16 Sector Government Hospital, GMCH, Municipal Hospital, Prahari Security Men's Union and PEC mess unions from initial periods. These unions represent a large section of the city's working class. 400 workers participated in the convention.
 
The convention was organised at the rally ground of Sector 25. Apart from AICCTU's National Secretary Com. Santosh Rai, Punjab GS of AICTU Com. C Rana, Com. Harbhagwan Bhikhi of Mazdoor Mukti Morcha, human rights activist Rajwinder Bains, Com. Kanwaljit, Gurjant Mansa of brick kiln workers' union and others were also present at the Convention. The speakers underlined the importance of the day that saw many unions of the unorganised sector contract workers coming together for fighting for their rights. Some of the main demands of the Convention were minimum wage of Rs. 10000/pm, strictly implementing Bonus, EPF, ESI benefits etc. and clearly fixing and declaring the number of holidays.

 

State-level Party School Held in Uttarakhand

 
A three day long state-level Party School was organised on 21-23 October after being postponed in August due to heavy rains that caused massive losses in the State and threw normal life out of gear. For the same reason the School had to be shifted to Party's old area of work – Bindukhatta. The Bindukhatta committee showed appreciable flexibility in organising this School as it did so on a very short notice.
 
The School began at Comrade Deepak Bose memorial hall by observing silence and paying homage to all the martyrs and those who lost their lives in the recent landslides and other calamity caused by rains in the State. Comrade Girja Pathak took the class on committee system and democratic centralism in Party Organisation. Comrade KK Bora discussed the political context of Maoism and Operation Green Hunt. Comrade Pankaj introduced and discussed the contents of booklet on Women's Movement and Communist Party. Comrade Kailash Pandey presented many lesser known facts in his discussion on Agrarian crisis. Leader of the peasant organisation Comrade Purshottam Sharma presented discussion on Agrarian Programme.
 
There was enthusiastic and involved participation of all 40 comrades/students who came from far-flung areas, evident from their questions and inputs. Comrade Rajendra Pratholi summed up the entire debate-discussions of three days and said that comrades must shed the retirement mentality and strengthen flexibility in their work-style. Personal life should be organised such that it uncompromisingly accommodates political responsibilities and necessities. This synergy is very crucial for dislodging the inertia, he said. Party's State incharge Comrade Raja Bahuguna who inaugurated the School, also gave concluding remarks. He asked the comrades to go about organisational tasks and discharging of political responsibilities through the Party branches. He also stressed the importance of effective and constant flow of communication in the Party organisation.

 

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