ML Update 39 / 2013

ML Update

A CPI(ML) Weekly News Magazine

Vol.  16            No. 39                                                                    17 - 23 SEP 2013

Message of Student Elections in Delhi Campuses

On September 13, student elections were held simultaneously in JNU and DU – two premier centres of higher education in the national capital. JNU has once again voted in a big way for AISA, and equally significantly, students of Delhi University also extended huge support to the AISA panel, enabling it to emerge as a powerful contender against the ABVP and NSUI in the traditionally bipolar DU campus. This is the best ever showing for AISA in both the campuses and it clearly shows a growing aspiration among students for a powerful and progressive student movement. Refuting the media hype surrounding the so-called 'role models' and 'youth icons' of the Indian ruling elite, Rahul Gandhi and Narendra Modi, thousands of students have reposed their faith in AISA, the student platform of the revolutionary Left movement.

Two decades ago AISA had announced its arrival in campuses across the Hindi belt as a new beacon of hope for progressive students when the BJP was trying to drown the country in a communal bloodbath and bourgeois ideologues the world over were gloating over the collapse of the Soviet Union. Generations of AISA activists braved administrative hostility and even mafia violence to keep the flag high and fight for the unfulfilled dreams of their beloved martyr Comrade Chandrashekhar. Today when the country is reeling under a deep economic crisis, the legitimacy of the present government has been seriously dented by corruption and all-round non-performance, and the Sangh brigade is desperately trying to exploit this juncture to advance its communal- and corporate-fascist agenda, the advance made by AISA has come as a shot in the arm not only for the radical student movement but for all who care for democracy, secularism and social transformation.

Like agricultural land and mineral resources and rivers and forests, the sphere of higher education too is today facing a massive corporate-imperialist onslaught. From rampant commercialisation and fee hike to the FYUP (Four Year Undergraduate Programme) imposed on Delhi University students and teachers, there is a systematic attempt to subvert the process and content of higher education to suit corporate-imperialist interests. Simultaneously attempts are on to regiment the syllabus and curtail campus democracy. AISA has been in the forefront of the battle for democratisation of education and for academic freedom and excellence against the designs of corporate restructuring and saffronised subversion and regimentation. Its consistent struggle has been vindicated by the results.

The sphere of higher education is of course no isolated island, and the battle for campus democracy and academic freedom must therefore go hand in hand with the larger battle for people's rights and social transformation. AISA has firmly upheld this principle, a principle rooted in the finest traditions of student activism whether in India or anywhere else in the world, and its agenda has always been informed by broader social concerns. In recent times, Delhi has emerged as a powerful bastion of people's protests and AISA has been one of the most energetic, courageous and consistent platforms of popular activism. Whether against corporate plunder or assaults on women, AISA has been in the forefront of the battle for freedom, democracy and justice on every major issue. The vote for AISA has been a vote for this fusion of student movement with the larger people's movement.

The performance of AISA in the September 13 elections promises a vibrant future for the progressive student movement. If AISA can sustain this momentum, it can well end the ABVP-NSUI monopoly in DU and free the aspiration and activism of students in the DU campus from the existing bourgeois political stranglehold. JNU is traditionally regarded as a bastion of Leftwing student politics, but it is AISA which has successfully stopped the right from making any major inroads in the campus in the era of pro-corporate economic reforms, communal and anti-Mandal frenzy, and post-Soviet bourgeois triumphalism. It was AISA's powerful presence and the growing radical democratic mood of the campus that forced a revolt and split in SFI, the CPI(M) student wing. In the 2012 elections, JNU gave an opportunity to the SFI rebels, but the new organisation failed to champion the radical agenda of student movement. AISA has now emerged undisputedly as the leading banner of Left student movement in the national capital and it has to live up to this role.

The strengthening of AISA in Delhi raises hopes of exciting possibilities beyond the campuses. The anti-corruption movement and the youth upsurge in the wake of the brutal rape and murder of Nirbhaya have already revealed glimpses of these possibilities. The expansion of Delhi into the glittering National Capital Region of India is a story replete with retrograde and repressive features. It is a region marked by indiscriminate land acquisition and eviction, privatisation and denial of industrial democracy, khap panchayats and honour killings, communal violence and social oppression, and fake encounters, witch-hunt and suppression of dissent. To be sure, these instances of injustice and oppression are no longer going unchallenged. India looks forward to a bold assertion of student power in this broader arena of struggle which alone can be a true tribute to the legacy of India's ultimate youth icon Bhagat Singh and his dream of 'inquilab'.

CPI(ML) Statement on AISA Advance in Delhi

AISA's Advance Is A Fitting Rebuff to the Myth of 'Modi Magic'

The sweeping victory of AISA in JNU student union elections and the emphatic emergence of the organisation as a growing third force in Delhi university mark a great moment in the history of the revolutionary student movement in the country. It is a powerful rebuff to the myth of 'Modi magic' the BJP is trying to sell among the Indian youth and reflects the aspiration of young India for a progressive political shift in the country from the disastrous policies of the Congress and the communal fascist agenda of the BJP. In recent times Delhi has emerged as a citadel of popular democratic protests and AISA as the most energetic and consistent platform of student aspirations for progressive change. CPI(ML) Central Committee salutes the progressive students of Delhi and congratulates AISA on this great victory. The revolutionary student movement led by AISA must march ahead as a bulwark of popular resistance against the Congress legacy of scams and deepening crisis and the Modi mission of communal-and-corporate fascism.

Dipankar Bhattacharya

General Secretary, CPI(ML)(Liberation)

Landslide Mandate Once Again for AISA in JNUSU

AISA Bags All 4 Central Office Bearer Posts and a Majority of the Councillor Posts in JNUSU

AISA Registers Strong Presence As a Credible Students' Alternative in DUSU 

AISA swept JNUSU elections in a landslide win, with Akbar Chawdhury on President with 1977 votes with a margin of 1317 votes over his nearest rival from the DSF; Anubhuti Agnes Bara on VP with 1966 votes with a margin of 1052 votes over her rival from the DSF; Sandeep Saurav on GS with 1657 votes with a margin of 953 votes over his nearest rival from NSUI; and Sarfaraz Hamid on Joint Secretary with 1705 votes with a margin of 59 votes over his rival from the DSF.

In the recently held DUSU polls too, AISA made impressive advances, emerging as a strong third force. AISA Presidential candidate Anjali polled 3rd with 8229 votes, Ankit Pandey on VP with 6437 votes, Charul Negi for GS with 5702 votes and Md. Khan Siddiqui for Joint Secretary with 6621 votes. This is the first time in several decades that a Left organization has presented such a strong challenge in DU to the NSUI-ABVP duo. 

Mandate for AISA: Rejection of Modi-Rahul Binary

The emphatic victory in JNU and unprecedentedly strong showing of a Left organisation AISA in DUSU polls is a mandate by common students for progressive students' movements against the manufactured myths of Modi or Rahul Gandhi as 'youth icons'. This mandate is a powerful rebuff to the pro-corporate corruption of Congress and corporate-communal fascism of the BJP. AISA's role in the movements against corruption, against rape and for women's freedom, and against the FYUP and other anti-student measures, have been appreciated and welcomed by students, who want to see more such powerful struggles in the future. It's also a mandate for AISA's track record in the JNUSU, of struggling for admission policies to open JNU's doors to the marginalised sections, and for scholarships, hostels, library and other facilities and rights of students on campus.  

NSUI tried its best to corrupt JNU's political culture with a heavy influx of money and offering liquor and other doles – but they have been soundly rebuffed by students. The mandate is also a decisive rebuff to the political plank adopted by the DSF, the organisation that held the JNUSU President's post after breaking away from the CPIM-backed SFI last year. When DSF broke away from SFI in protest against CPIM's bureaucratic, undemocratic functioning and betrayal of Left politics, students gave them a chance to lead the Union. But the DSF and the JNUSU President proved to be a severe disappointment to students' expectations of bold intervention on democratic issues and students' struggles. In particular, JNU students felt that the former JNUSU President from DSF let down the struggle to reduce weightage of viva marks in admissions, and remained unforgivably silent on a range of burning issues including the arrest of a former JNU student on charges of being a 'Maoist,' and on struggles for Telangana and Gorkhaland. They were deeply disappointed by the way the JNUSU President from DSF had defied the JNUSU's mandate and backed ABVP in its bid to falsely implicate the JNUSU General Secretary in a communally motivated way. The JNUSU President from DSF had also been apathetic to the need to mobilise strongly against Modi's visit to Delhi University some months back.  

Immediate Tasks for JNUSU

The newly elected JNUSU President Akbar Chawdhury, who himself hails from near Muzaffarnagar, has declared the JNUSU's intention to intervene against the communal campaign in that region of UP. The JNUSU has also planned a struggle against UPSC's decision to scrap foreign languages (including Arabic and Persian that have been taught in India for centuries, and are the languages in which much of Indian history is recorded) as optional subjects in the UPSC exam. The JNUSU has also declared its intention to support DU students in intensifying the struggle against the FYUP campaign.          

In a statement issued after the JNUSU and DUSU mandate, AISA National President Sandeep Singh said, "We thank the JNU student community for reposing its faith in AISA to lead the JNUSU once again. AISA also thanks the DU student community for showing its trust and confidence in AISA as a force of students' movements. AISA assures the students of JNU and DU that we will do our utmost to live up to their expectations, and defend students,' women's, and people's rights against the ongoing assaults. In particular, AISA is committed to carrying forward the struggle against the FYUP that is playing with students' future." 

AISA also condemned the raid on the DU professor GN Saibaba's house and the earlier arrest of former JNU student Hem Mishra in the name of combating 'Maoism', describing these as acts of the "state's crackdown on voices of dissent" under the notorious 'Operation Green Hunt'.   

Swabhiman Rally In Sasaram

Upholding the Legacy Of The Freedom Struggle And Against Feudal Attacks On Mahadalits

On 15 August (Independence Day) a brutal assault was unleashed on the mahadalits and poor of Baddi village in Shivsagar block of Rohtas district by feudal forces who, citing 1857 freedom fighter Nishant Singh, claimed that the benefits of Independence should be solely theirs and not be shared by mahadalits or landless poor. The latter, according to the feudal forces, deserve only oppression and should not aspire to dignity and the fruits of Independence. The Party has organized a series of protest movements against such attempts to taint the legacy of the dedicated anti-imperialist and anti-feudal struggle for independence which had taken place all over the country and especially in Shahabad, on the question of Baddi. In this series a Swabhiman yatra was taken out in the Shahabad area, which included interaction with villagers, evening meetings, and nukkad sabhas in market places and chattis. Establishing a lively dialogue with the people, the rising morale of feudal-communal forces during Nitish government, the betrayal of mahadalits and the question of their respect and dignity became the topics of discussion.

At several places the campaign team had to face threats from the feudal forces, despite which mahadalits and the poor from many villages joined the yatra in large numbers. The yatra started as padyatras from Katira dalit hostel in Ara, Bathani Tola, Daudnagar (Aurangabad), Mohaniyan (Kaimur) and Vikramganj (Rohtas) which converged on September 15 at Sasaram where the Swabhiman rally was organized. 

On 15 September the entire Sasaram was inundated by red flags. By 11 AM people from every corner of Rohtas district as well as from Bhojpur and other districts had gathered at the Bal Vikas maidan where posters, banners and placards had been put up. Thousands braved the scorching heat to articulate their self esteem and the intention to confiscate the weapons of the feudal powers. The meeting commenced at 1 PM with the arrival of Party General Secretary Com. Dipankar Bhattacharya, Bihar State secretary Kunal, Politbureau member Com. Amar, National Secretary of All India Kisan Mahasabha Com. Rajaram Singh, AIPWA State secretary and Central Committee member Com. Shashi Yadav, State Standing Committee member Com. Anwar Hussain, former MLA and popular leader from Rohtas Com. Arun Singh, U. P. State secretary of AISA Com. Ramayan Ram, State secretary of Khemas Gopal Ravidas, AISA State secretary Ajit Kushwaha, RYA State joint secretary Manoj Manjil, Party leader from Bhojpur Kayamuddin, Rohtas Party secretary Com. Sanjay Yadav, Kaiser Nihal, Party leader from Kaimur Dukhi Ram and others.

At the outset Rohtas district secretary Com. Sanjay Yadav welcomed the gathering. Former MLA Arun Singh explained the context and backdrop of the Swabhimal yatra and rally. The meeting observed one minute's silence to pay tribute to martyr Ramvilas Ram who lost his life in the Baddi violence. The first speaker was Tuntun Ram from Baddi village, who pointed out that as three acres of land were already allotted in the name of Nishan Singh memorial, there was no justification in breaking the statue of the dalit saint-poet Sant Raidas and building a memorial to Nishan Singh in its place. He stressed that the feudal forces were attacking the freedom of the poor in the name of Nishan Singh and the organization of this Swabhiman rally by the CPI-ML to fight for the rights of the Mahadalits is indeed welcome. Five team leaders from the Swabhiman yatra shared their experiences with the gathering, which was followed by the General Secretary's address. The rally concluded with the passing of a six-point political resolution.

Resolutions Passed By The Rally

1.          Licences for the weapons of the feudal forces in Baddi and the entire Bihar should be cancelled with immediate effect.

2.          The killers of Ramvilas Ram in the Baddi incident should be immediately arrested and a memorial to him should be erected in front of the Sant Raidas statue.

3.          A compensation of Rs 10 lakh to Ramvilas Ram's family and Rs 2 lakh to the injured should be made.

4.          A case under section 302 should be registered against the guilty Daroga in the Baddi incident and he should be immediately arrested.

5.          The killers of mahadalit children in Nasirganj should be arrested without delay.

Protests in Bihar Against Communal Hate-Campaign By BJP-RSS 

Observing the State-wide Anti-communal Day organized by the CPI-ML to protest against the inciting of riots in the country by the BJP-Sangh Parivar, protest marches were held in the capital Patna, Ara, Darbhanga and Betiya. A dharna was held in front of the District headquarters in Nawada and a protest march was conducted on September 14 in Siwan.

ML activists began their protest march from the Gandhi Maidan in Patna, marched through Dak Bungalow square and reached Station Golumbar where a protest meeting was organized. The march was led by CPI-ML State standing committee members Com. Santosh Sahar, Rajaram, State committee members Kamlesh Sharma, Rambali Singh Yadav, Naveen Kumar and others.

Carrying placards and posters, the activists shouted slogans against attempts by the BJP-Sangh Parivar to incite communal riots, against corporate-communal fascism, against CM Nitish who encouraged communal fascism and reiterated the readiness of the Party to fight communal forces.

Addressing the meeting at Station Circle, ML leaders said that the BJP-Sangh parivar, Congress and SP, all are responsible for the communal violence in Muzaffarnagar. The Collector and SP of Muzaffarnagar should be immediately removed and stern action taken against them. The SP is indulging in shadow boxing with the communal forces and the Akhilesh government is engaging in the politics of communal polarisation keeping in mind the forthcoming elections. This same attitude came to the fore again in the recent issue of the 84 kosi parikrama of the VHP.

The ML leaders also pointed out that the BJP-Sangh Parivar was behind the recent communal riots in Betiya, Nawada, and Gaya districts in Bihar. Needless to say, these communal forces have been nurtured by Nitish Kumar and therefore he and his government are equally responsible for the communal riots. The 'secular' Nitish government is victimising innocent Muslim youth under pretext of the Bodhgaya bomb blast and the Bhatkal arrest and trying to forcibly prove them to be terrorists. Darbhanga has in fact become the laboratory for the hate politics of the BJP-Sangh Parivar. The victims of the Forbesganj firing are yet to get justice whereas pressure is constantly being put on the witnesses by the DM to take back the case.

The speakers at the meeting said that the CPI-ML warns the feudal-communal-corporate forces not to meddle with the communal harmony in the country.

They pointed out that the darling of corporate fascism Narendra Modi  and the BJP are going to organize a 'Hunkar' rally on October 27 at Gandhi Maidan to inflame communal passions but the people of Bihar will never allow such communal aspirations to flourish. The communal forces shall be roundly answered by the secular people of Bihar in the 'Khabardar' rally on 30 October.

The programme was attended by Ward councillor Tota Chowdhury, Khemas leaders Aklu Paswan, Ram Kalyan Singh, RYA leader Manish Kumar and others. Over 200 Party activists gave 'dharna' at the district headquarters in Nawada. The dharna was addressed by Party district secretary Surendra Ram, AIPWA leader Savitri Devi and others. The programme in Bhojpur was led by RYA leader Dilraj Pritam. A well-attended protest meeting was held in Siwan as well.

Memorial Meeting in Asandh

A memorial meeting was organised to pay tributes to Comrade Ramkishan, who died on 8 September 2013. The meeting was addressed by SUCI leader Kartar Singh Malik, CPI leader Shyamalal, CPI's District Secretary Satpal Beniwal, CPI(ML) members and activists including Mahendra Chopra, Ramkumar, Krishna Saini, Lalit Saini, Satyawan, Rajendra Kashyap, Jagjiwan, Jainarayan and many others. People from Comrade Ramkishan's village Uplana came to attend the meeting. CPI(ML) Haryana in-charge Prem Singh Gahlawat presided.

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

ML Update 38 / 2013

Update

A CPI(ML) Weekly News Magazine

Vol.  16                          No. 38                                                                                                                             10-16 SEP 2013

Muzaffarnagar Killings:

Reject Communal Violence and Polarisation

For the past few days, we are seeing yet another horrific saga of orchestrated communal violence – this time in Muzaffarnagar in Uttar Pradesh. Even as the state government claims that 'curfew' has been imposed, frenzied and organised mobs are ambushing, assaulting and killing Muslims being the prime target. In the midst of widespread arson and rioting, petrol bombs are being thrown into houses; mobs armed with bombs, guns and knives are attacking villagers; mosques and houses are being torched.

The Muzaffarnagar violence is a chilling reminder of how so-called communal 'riots' are engineered by communal fascist forces for their narrow interests. The chain of events leading to the current spree of violence clearly indicts these forces: An argument breaks out between two young men, and a Muslim youth was knifed to death. Afterwards, two men who were allegedly involved in his murder were killed. These incidents were then cynically used by the likes of the BJP and the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU). In a clear move to shamefully milk the issue for their own electoral gains, a fake video was prepared and widely circulated by well-known local BJP leaders. This fake video, which shows two youth being lynched by a large mob, became the tool through which a widespread communal mobilisation was orchestrated, leading to the present violence.

Moreover, even as it was abundantly clear that the BJP, aided and abetted by the local Sanghi network, was openly indulging in a campaign of propagating hate and violence, the local administration allowed a Jat Mahapanchayat to take place. At this mahapanchayat, which blatantly and openly defied 'prohibitory' orders, speech after inflammatory speech was delivered by BJP MLAs such as Hukum Singh, Suresh Rana and Sangeet Singh Som and BKU leaders Naresh Tikait and Rakesh Tikait. These leaders openly incited the audience at the mahapanchayat, and in fact it was only after this that the violence in Muzaffarnagar broke out.

As the 2014 elections draw near, Muzaffarnagar shows us that the BJP has planned to literally walk over corpses in its bid for power. The Muzaffarnagar violence indicates what Narendra Modi, Amit Shah, the BJP and the Sangh have in store for us. Modi's trusted lieutenant Amit Shah has been put in charge of BJP's electoral campaign in Uttar Pradesh. A desperate BJP, having declared the mastermind of the 2002 Gujarat genocide as its Prime Ministerial candidate, is hell-bent on somehow winning the 2014 elections by hook or crook.

In the past too, Advani's rath yatra left in its wake a nationwide trail of blood, and a communally vitiated atmosphere. This time around, with the RSS clearly giving the BJP instructions to once more try the aggressive Hindutva agenda, the Sangh Parivar seems all set to put in place similar divisive, communal, hate-filled campaigns. And for such forces, if a few thousand lives are sacrificed in this process, so be it.

In this whole incident, the role of the Uttar Pradesh government has also been condemnable. To begin with, the attempts at communal polarisation in UP are no secret: anyone familiar with UP knows that for quite some time now, the BJP and various branches of the Sangh Parivar have been aggressively indulging in communal hate campaigns in the state. They have clearly launched a well-planned and orchestrated campaign to spread hate, violence and communal tensions. The Muzaffarnagar incident is therefore no aberration; it is in fact the logical culmination of the Sangh-sponsored ongoing process of communal divide in UP. And yet, the Akhilesh Yadav government did nothing to prevent the spread of communal tensions. In fact, a Jat Mahapanchayat was allowed, defying prohibitory orders, when it was clear that this occasion would be used to stoke communal tensions. Even now, only FIRs have been lodged, but none of the BJP and BKU leaders who shared the fake video have been arrested.

As the 2014 elections draw near, it is extremely important that the progressive and secular forces expose and reject these vicious attempts to spread communal violence. The BJP and its cohorts cannot be allowed to run their electoral campaign over a bed of corpses.

CPI(ML) holds Protest against US Aggression on Syria

Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation observed 9 September as a day of protests nationally against imminent war threat on Syria by Obama administration. The Party called upon all left and democratic forces to come out against this imperialist aggression against Syria and force the Indian Government to oppose US designs, instead of succumbing to the strategic subservience to US imperialism, as successive Indian governments have failed to oppose the war in Afghanistan and Iraq. India had also voted twice against Iran in the IAEA and is now seen globally as a key American accomplice in the US-led war campaign. Party called upon to Indian people to come out boldly against war and American intervention and warn the Indian government against extending any kind of support to the US-led war campaign in Syria and elsewhere.

A militant protest against US war aggression was organised in Bhubaneshwar, capital of Odisha. This was addressed by Party's General Secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya and leaders of the Odisha state committee. AICCTU national executive members present in Bhubaneshwar for a meeting also took part in this protests.

The day Obama was trying to convince Ameriacan Senate for aggression on Syria, protests were held throughout Bihar as a part of nationwide day of protest. A citizens' resistance march was organised in Patna which condmned pro-US stance of UPA as well as NDA. This march was led by CPI(ML) Central Committee leader KD Yadav, AIPWA leaders Mina Tiwary, Saroj Chaube, Shashi Yadav, Party State Committee members Kamlesh Sharma, Navin Kumar, ward councillor Tota Chaudhary and others. Literateur Shekhar was also present in the protest.

Protests were also held at ten places in Bhojpur region in which thousands of people took part. Mass meetings were held and effigies burnt at various places.

Protests were held in places like Maner and Bihta in Patna Rural, Jahanabad, Ratni and Hulasganj; Arwal, Kurtha and Karpi; and Daudnagar in Aurangabad. Also in many blocks in West Champaran, Darbhanga, Samastipur, Khagaria, Laheriasarai, Katihar and Bhagalpur.

In Uttar Pradesh, people protested in front of state Assembly as well as at various district headquarters including Kanpur, Allahabad, Gorakhpur, Ghazipur, Lakhimpur, Pilibhit, Sitapur, Jalaun, Bhadohi, Sonbhadra, Deoria, Mau, Balia, Gonda and many other places. Effigies of Obama were burnt at many places.

In national capital Delhi, party activists and members of Inquilabi Mazdoor Kendra, Jan Sanskriti Manch, TUCI and PDFI demonstrated at Jantar Mantar. It was demanded from the government of India to oppose US war efforts at every level. The protesters shouted slogans "Obama, hands off Syria and Iran!" and "Down with US Aggression and Imperialism". The protest was addressed by CPI(ML) Politburo members Swapan Mukherjee, and Prabhat Kumar, Party's Delhi State Secretary Sanjay Sharma, AICCTU leader Santosh Roy, RYA leader Aslam Khan. PDFI's Arjun Prasad, Jan Sanskriti Manch's Sudhir Suman, Inquilabi Mazdoor Kendra's Nagendra and TUCI's com. Nayak.

Protests were held throughout West Bengal, as part of the national protest day.  In Kolkata, a march led by state secretary Partha Ghosh and Polit bureau member Kartick Pal started from Esplanade and concluded in front of the American Information Centre. A brief meeting was addressed by Partha Ghosh braving police barricades. Amidst chanting of slogans condemning US imperialism, an effigy of Barack Obama was burned. The rally declared that if the US government goes ahead with its war plans, more militant and overwhelming protests would surge.

Similar protest demonstrations were held at Siliguri, Jalpaiguri,  Krishnanagar and Dhubulia of Nadia, Burdwan town and Bankura.

In Puducherry, a protest demonstration against US War plan in Syria and Irran was organised by CPI (ML) District Committee Puducherry and AICCTU State Council.  Like-minded parties and organisations like AIFB, RSP, Dravidar Kazhagam (DK), Senthamizhar Iyakkam (SI) participated in the protest. S. Balasubramanian, State Secretary of CPI(ML), said that American Senators must defeat the war appeal in US congress as the rest of the world are not going to tolerate any sort of war or limited military action against Syria and Iran. He also demanded that the govt. of India  should firmly stand by Syrian people.  G. Palani, District Secretary CPI(ML) presided the demonstration.  K. Lenin, State Secretary RSP, U. Muthu, State General Secretary AIFB, S.Veeramani, State President DK, N.M. Tamizhmani, of SI and S. Mothilal, State General Secretary of AICCTU addressed the demonstrators. 

In several districts of Tamil nadu, CPIML held protests. In Salem, a joint protest was organized by CPIML, Marxist Party, SUCI and Tamil nadu Muslim Munnetra Kazhagam. CPIML district secretary Mohana sundaram presided over. Natarajan of SUCI, Neelakandan of Marxist Party, Ibrahim of TMMK and Balasundaram, State Secretary of CPI(ML) addressed the protest. The  Obama administration is not respecting anti-war sentiments of its own people and preparing for war shows utter disrespect to democracy, said Balsundaram. The Obama administration who is espionaging its own people, speaking democracy in other countries is totally hypocratic. This time the US is finding it difficult pro-war support even among its friendly nations, he further said. India must stand with Syria and Iran, he warned. Satyakrishnan of AISA, Chandra Mohan, State Committee member, and other district leaders of party and mass orgnisations were present along with leaders and activists of Marxist Party, SUCI, TMMK.

In Coimbatore, gate meetings were held in two plants of Pricol. In plant I Balasubramanian, District Secretary of the party addressed the gate meeting. Around 250 workers participated. In plant III N.K. Natarajan, SCM and State President of AICCTU addressed the workers. Around 150 workers participated.

In Mayiladuthurai (Nagappattinam dt), protest was held in front of RDO office. Party activists participated with placards denouncing war and Obama. State Committee leaders Ilangovan, TKS Janardhanan, Rameshwar Prasad led this protest.

In Nagercoil (Kanyakumari) protest was held in front of collectorate which was led by Anthonimuthu. In Kandarvakottai (Pudukkottai dt) a protest demonstration was organised which was led by District Secretary of party Valathan and other party activists.

In Chennai's Ambattur Industrial area a protest was held. State Committee members Sekar and Thenmozhi (State President of AIPWA) addressed the protest. Poster campaigns was also  organised in many districts of Tamil Nadu.

In Uttarakhand CPI(ML) activists and cadres burnt an effigy of the US Govt in Lalkuan, Nainital, to condemn America's war-mongering over Syrian crisis. The protesters marched through the town to the Railway Chowk raising slogans against US imperialism and its terrorizing wars. After effigy burning the CPI(ML) leaders addressed the gathering accusing the US of aiding, abetting and spreading terror throughout the world covertly and overtly, to serve its own imperialist interests. The speakers called for more unity among the third world countries to counter US' imperialism. Those leading the protest included comrades Bahadur Singh Jangi, Pankaj Inquilabi, Anand Sijwali, Mubarak Shahs, Rajendra Shah, Lalit Matiyali, Goving Jeena, Pushkar Dubadiya, Ruby Bhardwaj, and Kamlapati Joshi among others.

In Pithoragarh, US imperialism's effigy was burnt at Gandhi Chowk. Addressing the gathering after the effigy burning, CPI(ML) district secretary Comrade Jagat Martoliya demanded that the Nobel prize given for peace to Barack Obama should be taken back for the countless murders he has ordered through drone strikes on Pakistan, war in Afghanistan and now for being bent on attacking Syria. He also demanded from the Indian Govt to take a firm stand against any strike and in support of Syria. Others who spoke included comrades Hira Singh, Raju Joshi, Abid Ansari and Naveen Singh Gheeghan.

In Ghatgarh Bazaar, Syalde, an effigy of the US war-mongers was burnt at Ghatgarh Bazaar of Syalde block in Almora district, following a procession. Afterwards the gathering was addressed by CPI(ML) State Committee member Comrade Purushottam Sharma who said that the rebels, also comprising Al-Qaeda and its various affiliates, are being backed by the USA. It clearly exposes the US' double dealing on terrorism. Others present were comrades Dayal Singh, Surendra Singh, Khimanand Tiwari, Dev Singh, Mathura Ram, Balam Maithani and Kishnanand Pupnoi among others.

Seminar on 'Lessons and Challenges from the Devastation' in Shrinagar

The frighteningly terrible aftermath of the devastation caused in June 2013 in the Himalayan State of Uttarakhand is far from normalising. Most of the roads could not be opened. The BRO, whose responsibility is to maintain the NH roads going to the borders of the State, has failed in resuming normal traffics on the NHs. Vijay Bahuguna-led Congress Govt of the State, that so badly failed in managing the situation, is desperately trying for an acceptable image of itself by bombarding us with constant advertisements in popular media.

The CPI(ML) through several agitations constantly tried to expose the truth on the issues of providing relief to and rehabilitation of the victims, be it Dharchula or Munsyari in Pithoragarh, or whether it was Joshimath in Chamoli district. In the process the Govt's utterly insensitive face was unmasked. Simultaneously, the Party is also sustaining a process of dialogue and debate on the reasons behind the severity of calamities and on the possible ways to tackle them. As a part of this effort a discussion/seminar was organised by the CPI(ML) on 1 September 2013 at Srinagar in Garhwal. The seminar was titled "Lessons and Challenges from the Devastation"

Addressing the gathering as the main speaker, Party CCM Comrade Raja Bahuguna said that Uttarakhand has been made to bear such a gigantic brunt of nature's rage primarily due to a combination of certain factors- egos of different governments and not heeding to the warning bells being rung for long by scientists, political-social activists, and common people of the State. There is a lot of talk happening regarding the reconstruction of Uttarakhand, however, the reconstruction without thoroughly altering the model of development will only wreak more havoc for sure. A people-friendly rebuilding of Uttarakhand is possible only by completely subverting the currently dominant anti-people policies. He said that saffron leaders like Uma Bharti and Swarupanand Saraswati are attempting to deflect people's attention from real issues, objective reasons for the devastation, and Govt's failure by spreading superstitions and dogmas. The NGOs that sustain on big funding from domestic and foreign funding agencies are also big obstacles towards the goal of social transformation. He said that the State Govt and Vijay Bahuguna lack any vision and that the latter is a Chief Minister sponsored by corporate houses, and one who have no concern about the common working people of Uttarakhand. The relief fund is being swindled away and therefore the State Govt must publicise the details of relief funds received and spent.

Geologist Dr. SP Sati of HNB Garhwal University addressing the audience said that the mindless use of explosives in roads construction, hydro-electric projects and unregulated growth, and the dumping of resultant rubble in the rivers amplified the destructiveness of cloud-burst several times over. Citing the data from recent researches on large number of hydro-electric projects in the lap of Himalayas he said that the region is turning into a 'water bomb'. He also added that for the Govts each such destruction is a mere opportunity (for selfish gains).

CPI(ML)'s Garhwal Committee member Comrade Atul Sati citing various scientific opinions on big dams and destruction in Himalayas and the incredible number of deaths in recent deluge said that the hydro-electric projects are chiefly responsible for the scale of devastation. He firmly voiced his opinion for holding the owner companies of these projects responsible and accountable for the destruction and filing of criminal cases against them, along with claiming compensation from them. He announced that on 9 September a maha-panchayat of those villages under Joshimath block will be organised at Joshimath that are awaiting rehabilitation since long time. There are hundreds of villages that have borne the brunt of such a catastrophic event in past decades and are still to be rehabilitated. The State Govt is deliberately lowering the number of affected villages just like the refusal to admit the actual number of deaths or those injured.

The President of Teachers' Federation at Garhwal University, Dr. Mahaveer Singh expressed his appreciation for such a seminar called to discuss and debate the different aspects of such a cataclysmic event. He felt that the disaster multiplied in its ferocity due to collapse of "sarkari tantra" (State)

Subhash Gairola, President of Karnaprayag nagar panchayat, said that the commercial establishments on the encroached land of river banks will continue posing a threat. Many others who have suffered the consequences of catastrophic events also spoke and shared their varied thoughts on possible ways to prevent such scale of disaster and how to effectively organise a relief work. Most of them held the Govt responsible for the massive loss which could have been substantially minimised if not entirely prevented.

The floods in June dumped massive amount of debris in more than 50 houses in Srinagar (Garhwal). This debris was dumped by the GVK company that is overseeing the Srinagar hydro-power project. Manav Singh, ex-President of HNB University students' union and a victim of the disaster said that it is time to initiate struggles too along with this kind of debates and seminars. The local Administration is not able to gather enough courage even to hold the GVK responsible and this business house has the gall to try divisive tactics by offering money and contracts to a group of individuals to win them over after the June disaster.

A concept paper for the seminar was read by CPI(ML)'s Garhwal committee member Ashish Kandpal. The paper contended that the disaster of June 2013 should be called State or system-manufactured rather than calling it natural. Proposing ideas about land for resettlement and rehabilitation the paper said that it is not sufficient to simply relocate people randomly in rural areas, rather their farming, cattle grazing land, water source everything should be part of resettlement. The paper elaborated on possible land sites for relocating the victims of disaster and it also pointed to thousands of acres of land being held illegally by erstwhile landlords, and several thousand acres of farm land whose lease has gotten over are still being held onto by private interests.

The seminar paid tributes to the martyrs of Khatima incident during the Uttarakhand State agitation on 1 September 1994. The retired Principal and CPI(ML)'s Garhwal committee member Comrade KP Chandola presided over the proceedings of seminar. There was enthusiastic participation by a large number of teachers, students and people from and outside of Srinagar.

Seminar on Public Health

A seminar on "Community Participation in Public Health" preceded the 7th State Conference of Forum For People's Health on 1 September at East Calcutta Medical Club, Kolkata. The main speaker was Dr. Binayak Sen and other speakers were Dilip Ghosh, Chaitali Sen and Dr. Siddhartha Gupta. Dr. Debashis Dutt was the moderator. The audience actively participated in the discussions and a significant section of them were ASHA. The role of the government, panchayats and local bodies, elected representatives, ASHA or Community Health Workers and civil society organisations in community participation was extensively discussed. There is ample evidence in India and abroad that community participation is beneficiary in the process, on service delivery and accountability, still there is continued aversion on the part of the government to adopt this process, and this must be denounced. ASHA plays a major role in realising the rights and entitlements of the community, yet they are deprived of their due respect. The speakers voiced against the neglect of ASHA. The seminar concluded that 'Universal Health Coverage coupled with Community Participation' is the primary demand of health movement.

Day of Protests in UP

CPI(ML) activists protested killing of its activist Narottam Singh, 40, by forest guards in Kanp-Tanda village of Lakhimpur Kheri district on 9 September. Memorandum to the President and Governor of UP were sent through the protests through district headquarters.

It was demanded to arrest the forest ranger who fired and killed Narottam Singh, when villagers were opposing forcible eviction from gram-sabha land on September 5. It was also demanded to stop eviction of villagers in the name of 'Project Tiger' with immediate effect. Compensation to the family of deceased and to those injured was demanded.

AIKM Road Blockade in Dharchula

The people affected by the disaster in June 2013 in Gothi bordering Nepal in the State of Uttarakhand blockaded the National Highway for six hours under the banner of All India Kisan Mahasabha on September 5. NH got lined up with hundreds of vehicles due to the blockade. The district officials tried to assure the protesters to lift the blockade but only when they returned and came back with concrete proof of plan of action and showed protesters the documents of amount sanctioned for various relief measures that the protesters liflted their blockade. The affected people also accused the Dharchula administration of having become a puppet of the local MLA.

Led by AIKM district president Comrade Jagat Martoliya hundreds of villagers of Bonn, Dugtu and Kalika under Gothi took out a march before demonstrating at Gothi and subsequently laying the blockade near SSB chowki. The SDM reached within an hour and made several assurances for lifting the blockade. The protesters firmly asked to give a written assurance for every issue they have raised. The SDM had to go back. The protesters only allowed ambulances and vehicles carrying sick people to go. Army and para-military vehicles were also stranded in the jam. Slogans raised demanding SDM to be freed from the slavery of local MLA.

There was heavy police deployment since morning at Gothi. When the administration failed in their hollow assurances the Tehsildar was sent with official documents as proof of impending plans to resolve the demands. One of the main demand is to build a check-dam that will ensure flood control along with assured water for irrigation of the farming in the region. After lifting the blockade Jagat Martoliya congratulated the people for their resolve and said that they will now have to maintain a vigil on the irrigation department to do a high quality work. He also said that the attempts of the Congress Party workers at sabotaging this agitation badly failed in the face of people's determination at Gothi. He also advised the MLA (from Congress) to help the people rather than harassing them.

Obituary

Comrade Ahamadi

Comrade Ahamadi, a popular militant leader in Uttar Pradesh, breathed her last in a hospital in Varanasi after she took poison. She was district committee member of party's Mirzapur committee and district President of AIPWA. Born in a middle class Muslim family, she lived her life with examplary courage amidst innumerable difficulties and intolerable tragedies. Just after the birth of her child, she had to face divorce by her husband. Her fater later gave her a two-room house and very small piece of land to live. But after the death of her father, brothers started quarelling with her, while few people started occupying the little piece of land. She bravely fought for her rights and during this struggle she came to know Party and joined. Party took initiative and an impressive protest was organised which ultimately made land grabbers to run away and also brother too stopped harassing her. This process brought her to cross the boundaries of home, and she became a dedicated activist of party. But she had to continuously face accusations and opposition from various corners, and sadly, tragedies never parted from her life.

Her younger brother was very close to her. He was murdered but this death was reported as an accident, adding more to her painful life. After some time, when she was going to attend a rally in Lucknow, her son was died of a snake bite at Chunar railway station.

Comrade Ahamadi had no formal education. She used to earn for herself and her son through very good handicrafts she used to make. After the tragic demise of her son, she denied taking maintenance money from her ex-husband and gradually she transformed her into a whole-time activist. She was always ready to go for the party work at any place and at any time. She was capable of organising people in very odd and difficult situations, whenever needed. She used to collect resources from the people themselves for various programmes. She used to be at the forefront in all the struggle in Mirzapur district. Recently she led a struggle against the killing of a adivasi youth in police custody.

Some time back, her brothers snatched away the piece of land under her occupation after producing a fake Will, and also locked both the rooms under her possession. Comrde Ahamadi sued them in court. And under Party's pressure the locked rooms again came under her possession. But this again led to the escalation of enmity from those brothers.

On 15 August 2013, she was sexually assaulted and beaten up in an auto while returning from some work. She reported to higher officials of the district. Her FIR was not lodged even after repeated protests and requests. She sat on a protest dharna along with three of her women comrades at district headquarters on 22 August. Central Committee member Salim and UP State Committee member Shankar along with many local comrades went to dharna place and talked to the administrative official who came there. It was assured that the FIR will be lodged. The dharna was concluded, but FIR was not lodged instead police started investigating the matter afresh.

This incident left comrade Ahamadi with a deep sense of hurt and wounded. She went into depression. She fought a whole life against every injustice met to her by society, suddenly took poison in the night of 3 September and left us in the wee hours of 4 September in a hospital. Her body was brought to her village in the evening, covered with revolutionary red flag. Hundreds of villagers, Party's Politburo member Ramji Rai, UP State Secretary Sudhakar Yadav, CCM Md. Salim, many leaders of the State Committee and many more comrades accompanied her in her last journey. She was burried with full revolutionary respect and a condolence meeting was held in her village. Mirzapur District Committee has called for a 'Sankalp Sabha' on 14 September in her memory.

The loss of a very promising and militant women leader has rightly caused deep feelings of shock among our ranks in UP. Comrade Ahamadi's struggle for freedom, for a just and humane society must be carried forward. We must dedicate ourselves to accomplish her goal.

We will never forget Comrade Ahamadi !

Red Salute to Comrade Ahamadi, her struggles and her life !!

Comrade Ramkishan

A long time Comrade in Haryana, Ramkishan, nearly 55, suddenly left us after an illness. He was instrumental in initiating our Party in Haryana and was a member of the State Leading Team. We pay him tributes and condolences to his bereaved family.

Long live Comrade Ramkishan !

 

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ML Update A CPI(ML) Weekly News Magazine U-90 Shakarpur Delhi - 110092 INDIA PHONE: 91 11 22521067 FAX: 91 11 22442790 Web: http://cpiml.org

Fwd: ML Update 37 / 2013

ML Update

A CPI(ML) Weekly News Magazine

Vol.  16      No. 37                                               3-9 SEP 2013

Obama Administration, Hands off Syria and Iran!

Even as the US and NATO forces claim to be contemplating their exit from Afghanistan, the Obama Administration has chosen Syria as America's next war target. Of course, Obama does not call it war, only a 'limited military action'. And the excuse is to punish the Syrian government for using chemical weapons against the Syrian people. Never mind if the team of UN inspectors is yet to study the samples from Syria. Never mind if reports coming in from Syria indicate that the chemical weapons were used accidentally by Syrian rebels and supplied deliberately by the Saudi Arabian intelligence. Never mind if a former US Chief of Staff sees Israel's hand behind the chemical weapons and terms it a 'false flag' operation aimed at implicating Bashar Assad's regime.

Never mind if the US attacking another country in the name of stopping chemical weapons is bound to be seen by every informed citizen of the world as one of the worst hypocrisies in history. The US is the only country to have used nuclear weapons nearly seven decades ago. And who can forget the 'Agent Orange' and the napalm bombs that the US dropped on the children of Vietnam? The Iraqi people continue to experience the horrific effects of the depleted uranium used in US attacks. As a Senator, Obama had questioned America's Iraq war. As President he evolved his own distinct 'Drone' way of continuing with the war without running the risk of getting bogged down in a military occupation. And now with Syria, Obama is finally stepping right into the shoes Bush had left for him.

Ever since the Second World War it has been established time and again that the US loves war, not on its own soil but in any other part of the world. The US economy is predominantly a war economy; arms and ammunitions, war technology and post-war reconstruction fetching endless contracts and profits for the US and its corporations. US foreign policy has always been one of engineering and conducting war, the theatres of war keep changing but the trajectory goes on. It is this political economy of war which has sustained America's global power and domination and control over key resources. So after Afghanistan and Iraq, America's war machine has kept moving on, somewhat surreptitiously in Africa and is now knocking openly on the doors of Syria. What the US and its allies – in this case there are only three of them, Israel, Saudi Arabia and France – want is not just another regime change in the Arab world, but most importantly to corner Iran, the only remaining power in the Middle-East or the entire Islamic world that continues to defy and resist the hegemonic game-plan of the US-Israel nexus.

The Syrian people have their own reasons to fight for change. The aspiration for democracy and pluralism that respects individual liberty and social diversity is undeniable among large sections of the Syrian people. The ongoing civil war in Syria has already exacted an enormous human cost, with thousands killed and hundreds of thousands of people rendered homeless. It is one thing for the international community to intervene diplomatically through the UN to help restore peace and normalcy in the strife-torn country and facilitate a political solution, but unilateral American military intervention will only cripple Syria further and subject the Syrian people to a prolonged state of far greater misery and insecurity.

From Afghanistan and Iraq to Egypt and Libya, there are examples galore to show that American intervention and democracy cannot go together. Egypt has now gone back to a military-dictated order after toppling the elected Islamic Brotherhood government. Democracy and justice remain distant dreams in all countries that have experienced regime change through American invasion or intervention. If the Syrian rebels have any concern for the future of Syria, they must fight their own battle and reject American intervention by all means.

Luckily the war-mongers are not finding it easy this time. In the wake of the severe economic recession the Obama Administration is finding it difficult to hard-sell the idea of another war adventure not only to the American people but even to large sections of a war-weary US establishment. This is why Obama has chosen to appear 'democratic' enough to seek authorisation from the Congress even though he is not constitutionally required to do so. In Britain, Prime Minister David Cameron lost the vote with several from his own party also opposing as for once the House of Commons felt it could not take the risk of imposing another war on the increasingly disillusioned British public. The French President is now wary and says France needs no parliamentary approval. International opinion must now come out still more loudly and forcefully to save Syria from the threat of impending American aggression and push back the US war machine. 

Thanks to the growing strategic subservience of the Indian ruling classes to US imperialism, successive Indian governments have failed to oppose the war in Afghanistan and Iraq. India also voted twice against Iran in the IAEA and is now seen globally as a key American accomplice in the US-led war campaign. We cannot therefore rely on the UPA government to show the courage to take an anti-war position on Syria. The Indian people must come out boldly against war and American intervention and warn the Indian government against extending any kind of support to the US-led war campaign in Syria and elsewhere.

Shame on Saffron Support and Congress Soft-Pedalling 

for Sexual Assault Accused Asaram 

Asaram, a self-styled 'saint' and godman, has been accused by the 16 year old daughter of his own devotees, of having molested her in his Jodhpur ashram in the name of curing some illness. The matter is all the more serious because the girl had been a student at his ashram in Chhindwara, MP, and aides of Asaram at that ashram had falsely claimed the girl was 'in the grip of spirits' and advised her parents to take her to Asaram at Jodhpur for a cure.

A team of activists from women's and people's organisations from Lucknow including Tahira Hasan of AIPWA, Arundhati Dhuru of NAPM and Dr Rooprekha Verma recently visited the complainant's family in Shahjahanpur to extend support. 

The assault happened on 15th August. The complaint was lodged on August 20th in Delhi. But Asaram was arrested 12 days later! The contrast with the prompt arrest of the accused in the Delhi and Mumbai gang rape cases could not be more stark. The Congress Government of Rajasthan kept delaying the arrest on the pretext of 'investigation.' And the Congress also justified the delay in arresting, citing a potential 'law and order' problem since Asaram's supporters and BJP cadres were threatening violence if he were to be arrested. Meanwhile Asaram went to Gujarat and MP, and openly addressed a huge Sangh Parivar-backed gathering in his support, declaring no one could dare arrest him. He also commented on the complainant, saying she is not a minor, she is 'very intelligent' ("Ladki bacchii nahin hai, 12th class ki hai, badi hoshiar ladki hai"). In MP, when the police eventually came to arrest him, he told them, "Very soon the CM will call you. There are so many devotees here, who knows what they will do if you arrest me?". At the gates of his ashram in Indore, was the local BJP MLA Ramesh Maindola, sitting with hundreds of supporters and raising slogans in support of Asaram.

Why is it that Congress Governments are willing to unleash batons, tear gas and water cannons on peaceful protesters in the December 16th gangrape case, but are so deferential and soft in their handling of Sangh gatherings threatening violence in support of a sexual assault accused?

The BJP and Sangh Parivar have been vocal in their defence of Asaram from day one. Uma Bharti tweeted that Asaram was innocent and has her support, since he is a victim of a Congress ploy to defame Hindu saints. Since then, several other BJP leaders have flocked to Asaram's defence. After a spate of such statements, the BJP's campaign chief Narendra Modi (whose Government has been protecting Asaram in Gujarat in pending murder and land grab cases) advised BJP leaders not to defend Asaram officially. Since then the official stance of the BJP has been voiced by Sushma Swaraj when she said 'The law will take its own course.' But how can the law take its course when even after Modi's formal 'advice', BJP and Sangh leaders are openly blocking the course of justice and mobilising in Asaram's favour?!

VHP leader Pravin Togadia declared that "Asaram is innocent, he is a real saint." VHP leader Ashok Singhal at a press conference declared Asaram's arrest to be an "attack on Hindu culture.' Clearly the Sangh's view of 'Hindu culture' involves allowing girls to be molested in its name! Singhal said that the arrest "is telling the Hindu community that we will finish your feelings of respect towards a religious leader." Amazingly he asked if the complainant was "not ashamed" to make an accusation against such an old man, saying "It is understandable if such allegations are made against a young person."

Chhattisgarh CM Raman Singh declared Asaram to be innocent, even as Bajrang Dal and Shiv Sena goons went on a rampage in Asaram's support in Raipur, attacking mediapersons. TV channel camerapersons were attacked in other states as well.

Subramanian Swamy, vitriolic communal hatemonger who has recently joined the BJP, tweeted that "I have sent my legal sharp cookies to assess the police documents on the Asaram Bapu case." His 'legal sharp cookies' will help Asaram, the accused, against a teenage girl, a 16 year old survivor of sexual assault!

Vocal and aggressive in Asaram's defence are the very Sangh terror outfits implicated in Dabholkar's murder – the Sanatan Sanstha and Hindu Janajagaran Samiti. The HJS website proclaims "Saints and Hindu activists unite against defamation of His Highness Asaram Bapu" (http://www.hindujagruti.org/news/17241_asaram-bapu-surat-program.html#.UiLNf8JqbLY.twitter). According to this report, Asaram declared at a massive gathering in Surat, "Nobody can arrest me now or even in future !", and that Pramod Muthalik of the Sriram Sena (of Mangalore pub attack infamy) declared support for Asaram! We recall that Asaram himself had said that the December 16 Nirbhaya was also responsible for the rape, which she could have prevented by calling her assailants 'brother' and begging them to spare her! Moral policers of the saffron brigade unite in defending rape!!

The HJS in another report titled, "Outrage throughout Maharashtra against treachery towards Dharma!" (http://www.hindujagruti.org/news/17271.html) tells us that organisations demonstrating in Asaram's support include the "Rashtriya Svayamsevak Sangh, Vishva Hindu Parishad, Art of Living, Bajrang Dal, Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, BJP, Shiv Sena."    

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar of Art of Living, in his tweets, has also made some ambiguous and dubious statements regarding Asaram. He tweeted, "A person should not be considered guilty until the allegations are proven" and "If you're a public figure & have made a mistake, you must publicly admit it. People have bigger hearts than you think. They'll forgive & forget." He also tweeted, "When men with high caliber & integrity make a mistake, they would punish themselves much more severely than the laws, while adding that "doesn't mean that anyone is above Law." Why all this equivocation in a matter of sexual assault? Why should anyone forgive and forget rape and sexual assault? Is Asaram now a man of 'high calibre and integrity' who has just 'made a mistake'?! Or is he in fact some one who has used his power as a godman to coerce and cheat a girl into submitting to his 'ritual' and on that pretext, sexually assaulting her?   

We must offer every support to the complainant, and demand protection and a speedy trial for her, while exposing and resisting the saffron support for Asaram and the Congress' shameful delay in acting against Asaram.

Protest against Soft-paddling of Asharam

Women in Pithoragarh burnt effigy of Asharam and condemned Rajasthan Govt. for being soft towards latter who is accused of sexual harassment of a minor girl. The protest was led by Namrata Bohra, Ambika Mahar, Asham Saun, Madhvi Bohra, Minakshi, Jagat Martolia, Sushil Khatri, Vijeta, Lata, Dhiraj Patni, Alok Samant, Lalit Punera, Vidya Kalkhuria and Vipin Kasnial.

Jan Panchayat in Gumla

CPI(ML) Gumla District Committee organised a Jan Panchayat at district collectorate on 26 August against loot in MNREGA funds and for special district status for Gumla in order to protect it from maneuverings of HINDALCO. It was also demanded to link the district with railway network and to build an aluminum factory soon.

The Jan Panchayat was addressed by Party's State Secretary Janardan Prasad who said that scant monsoon have left whole state drought affected but the state government has failed to take any steps in favour of rural poor and peasants while loot of natural resources by corporates goes on under governmental protection. Jharkhand is continuously facing neglect while state of irrigation, employment, health, education etc. are  deteriorating day by day.

Veteran leader Bahadur Oraon said that law and order situation is worsening further while crimes, particularly crimes against women, are increasing. The Jan Panchayat was also addressed by Bhuvaneshwar Kewat, Vijay Singh, Gajendra Singh, Suresh Bhagat, Prakash Oraon, Aditya Singh, Devanti Mishra, Bharat Gope and Mustakim Ansari.

AIALA Protest in Puducherry

On 19 August 2013 All India Agricultural Labour Association (AIALA) in Puducherry and Karaikal districts of Puducherry Union Territory went on a big demonstration infront of District Magistrate Offices of Puducherry and Karaikal respectively. At Puducherry the demonstrators took out a procession demanding complete food security to all families/individuals who live below poverty line and inclusion of all rural workers as well as all construction workers and other unorganised workers in the BPL list. They also demanded Rs. 3,000/- as monthly pension to all unorganised workers. The demonstrators also insisted on right to livelihood and political rights to the unorganised workers and rural poor. In Puducherry the demonstration was led by R. V. Lenin, District Organiser, AIALA, S. Balasubramanian, National Secretary AICCTU, G. Palani District Secretary CPI (ML), AICCTU Puducherry State Secretary S. Motilal, P. Murugan, Co-Organiser AIALA and M. A. Akbar (AICWF) addressed the protestors. J. Sakthivelu, Organiser Movement for protection of roofless flagged off the procession. A memorandum was submitted to the Chief Minister of Puducherry through the District Magistrate.

At Karaikal the demonstration was led by Com. Ramesh District Secretary, Movement for protection of roofless, P. Sankaran, Vice President AICCTU, A. S. Singaravelu, Local Committee Secretary CPI (ML) and others.

Kisan Mahasabha Protest in Dharchula and Joshimath

Peasants from three villages near Gothi in Pithoragarh under banner of All India Kisan Mahasabha gheraoed the Tehsil premises on 26 August but they found out that the SDM and other officials are not present in the office. The protesters issued an ultimatum of one hour for the SDM to come to listen to the them. Though unsatisfied with latter's answers they declared to hold a chakka-jam on national highway on Sep. 5.

Peasants had earlier held a mass hunger strike on August 1, on the demands of foodgrains, electricity among other things. After 25 days of inaction villagers from Baun, Dugtu and Kalika again assembled near Dak Bungalow and then started a march with the slogan 'SDM Dharchula Haajir Ho'. Even after so many days of the devastating floods in Uttarakhand, many villages are still reeling under fear. Adjoining Kali river is still sweeping away its banks near Gothi and other places leaving people more insecure and terrified, while the administration remains mute, inactive and insensitive. CPI(ML) District Secretary Jagat Martolia blamed local MLA too for this state of affairs in his speech. The administration has been informed of the forthcoming blockade of the national highway if the demands are not met in time.

A Kisan Panchayat was organised in Joshimath which was attended by people from 6 villages. A memo to the State Governor was sent by the Panchayat. 36 villages, including Ganai, Tangari and Molat, in Joshimath block are demanding rehabilitation for many years as they are situated in disaster prone areas leaving people to live in constant fear and imminent danger. The CPI(ML) has demanded an effective and pro-people rehabilitation policy besides immediate resolution of villagers woes.

Obituary:

Comrade Suleiman Hafizi

Comrade Suleiman Hafizi, a popular mass leader and party district secretary of North Dinajpur in West Bengal, passed away on 26th August, at an early age of 59 years, succumbing to cardiac failure. He had had an angioplasty two months back and was advised complete bed rest. It was not in his nature, however, to stay bed-ridden. He was resisting corruption and malpractices surrounding the mid-day meal scheme at the local primary school in Harirampur, where he served as the headmaster. On that day, too, he got involved in protests against the offenders, and came home tired from the exchanges. That afternoon he fell ill and was admitted to the Raygunj Sadar Hospital, where he breathed his last.

Party comrades and local people bid comrade Hafizi farewell in a procession that went from his home to the block party office and finally to his birthplace. Central committee member Abhijit Mazumder, state committee members including comrades Jayatu Deshmukh, Taslim Ali, Pabitra Singh, and several members of the district and local committees paid their last homage along the way.

Comrade Suleiman Hafizi had served as state committee member from 2009 to 2012. In 2008 he stood firmly for the party when the party was going through an organizational crisis in North Dinajpur. He played active role in unifying party organizers and cadres in the district and took up the district secretary's role. Ever since his joining the party in 2000, he fought one Lok Sabha and two State Assembly elections as a party candidate. Apart from being a mass leader, he was also well-known in cultural circles.

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