ML Update 02 / 2014

ML Update

A CPI(ML) Weekly News Magazine

Vol. 17, No. 02, 08 – 14 JANUARY 2014

The Battle for Relief, Rehabilitation and Justice 

for the Riot Victims of Muzaffarnagar

The story of Muzaffarnagar continues to become more and more shameful and horrific with every passing day. If ever there was a riot engineered with the most sordid electoral calculation, it was the orchestrated communal violence that shook Muzaffarnagar through September and October 2013. The district which till recently had no antecedent of communal violence fell to the vicious design of the Sangh brigade after Amit Shah, Narendra Modi's trusted lieutenant from Gujarat was entrusted with the charge of the BJP in Uttar Pradesh. The SP government failed miserably in checking the riot, but no one could realise that the government's failure in stopping the violence would only prove to be a precursor to a prolonged chapter of complete abdication of its responsibilities. Today the SP government stands thoroughly complicit in the crimes being perpetrated against the riot survivors of Muzaffarnagar.

With tens of thousands of people displaced from the riot-torn villages just before the onset of winter, the government should have taken the lead in carrying out relief work on a war footing, but relief operations were left to the initiative of various community organisations. And when sections of the media started reporting on the plight of the riot victims in relief camps, especially the most shocking cold-wave deaths of infants and children, the government began shutting down the camps. Mulayam Singh even went on to say that the people in relief camps were not riot victims but activists of opposition parties. His brother described the relief camps as a conspiracy to grab forest lands. As the mercury dipped and the number of deaths kept increasing, the principal secretary of the UP government told us that people could not possibly die of cold – how else do people survive in Siberia, he asked – even as the father and son duo were immersed in New Year festivities.

The riot-displaced people are understandably reluctant or afraid to return to their villages even as relief camps are being bulldozed and they are being re-evicted. Whatever land and other property they had in their villages is being systematically grabbed in what can only be described as a campaign of communal cleansing. Most shockingly, it is the state government which is endorsing this campaign with its seal of official approval. Riot survivors who have received compensation from the government have had to give written undertakings promising never to return to their villages or claim any compensation for the loss or damage of property suffered. And now with police stories of attempted LeT recruitments from among Muzaffarnagar riot survivors claiming media attention, the agenda of relief and rehabilitation is getting further sidelined.

Starved of relief and rehabilitation and living precariously in the shadow of fear, will the riot survivors of Muzaffarnagar ever get justice? Will the guilty ever be prosecuted and punished? Hundreds of people travelled all the way from Muzaffarnagar to Jantar Mantar on 16 December to seek justice. A public hearing took place in Lucknow on 6 January. More than 6000 people are named in 500-odd FIRs, yet only some 200 have been arrested, and many have already been released on bail. BJP MLAs Sangeet Some and Suresh Rana, two of the key accused, were felicitated at Narendra Modi's Agra rally. The shocking rape cases reported by riot survivors are yet to see any judicial progress. Ironically enough, while the Muzaffarnagar violence once again underscored the need for effective legislative measures against communal violence, the UPA government failed to bring the long-promised communal violence bill, even in its most diluted form, in the winter session of Parliament.

So far, the Central government has remained a silent spectator to the shocking aftermath of the Muzaffarnagar violence. Under Article 355 of the Indian Constitution, the Centre has the power to intervene in such situations and instruct the state government to discharge its constitutionally mandated responsibility. But as on many previous occasions, the Centre has once again failed to intervene and guarantee relief, rehabilitation and justice for the riot victims of Muzaffarnagar.

A major implication of the Muzaffarnagar violence is a disturbing communal division within the peasantry. The Bharatiya Kisan Union led by the late Mahendra Singh Tikait has become acutely communal and this means a major political blow for the agricultural population in western UP who had already been reeling under a deep agrarian crisis and growing pressure of corporate land-grabbers. Already the sugar barons have taken full advantage of this situation ensuring that the cane growers got a raw deal.

As well as extending all-out support to the battle for relief, rehabilitation and justice for the riot victims of Muzaffarnagar, revolutionary communists must also work to rebuild the unity of the peasantry and the working people and intensify peasant resistance to the growing state-corporate assault on agriculture.

Nationwide Protests on 2^nd January 2014 against Closure of Muzaffarnagar Relief Camps; for Ensuring Proper Relief and Rehabilitation for the Riot Victims

Arrest of all Perpetrators to Pave the Way for Safe Return of Survivors

Party Demands from the President to Ensure effective intervention under Article 355 of the Indian Constitution

 

New Delhi: Large number of people – from CPI(ML) activists to workers, youths, students, women and several others – sat on a dharna at Jantar Mantar protesting against the Uttar Pradesh Govt's extremely insensitive action of bulldozing of the relief camps meant for riot survivors of Muzaffarnagar thus forcefully evicting them. The Party sent a demand letter to the President of India asking him to issue an advisory directing the Central Govt under Article 355 to intervene for ensuring relief, rehabilitation and justice to the riot victims.

The dharna emphatically raised the demand that the UP Govt's attempts to shut down the relief camps be prevented and every riot-hit family be guaranteed security, relief materials and proper rehabilitation. Acting on Article 355, all those named in hundreds of FIRs for rioting, raping and killing be immediately arrested and a SC guided SIT be instituted to look into all the reported cases of Muzaffarnagar riots. Dharna also demanded for the passage of Communal Violence Bill in the upcoming session of the Parliament.

Students from all the universities of Delhi participated in this dharna in significant numbers. Organisation of the Ex-AMU students in Delhi-NCR also participated in this dharna. CPI(ML) Politburo member Comrade Swapan Mukherjee, RYA leader Aslam Khan, AISA leaders Shweta, Farhan, JNUSU President Akbar Chaudhary, JNUSU Jt.Secy. Sarfaraj Ahmed, AMU Old Boys' Association Delhi-NCR President Irshad Ahmad, GS Muddassir Hayat andtreasurer Shamsad Khan among others spoke at the dharna. The protest dharna was conducted by Comrade Ravi Rai, RYA General Secretary.

 

Uttar Pradesh: Dharna and demonstrations were held at Lucknow and Robertsganj. Party activists from Sitapur, Faizabad, and Ambedkarnagar participated in the Lucknow dharna. Public meeting was held at Chandauli in Mughalsarai after a procession. At Mirzapur a demonstration was held. In Ghazipur a march was taken out before the dharna. In Gorakhpur, Varanasi, Allahabad, and Deoria processions were held before culminating into protest meetings. Dharna was held at district HQs of Mau, Ballia, Bhadohi, Jalaun, and Muradabad. In Lakhimpur-Khiri, dharna was held at two centres, district HQ and Palia tehsil. Programmes were held at several other places.

The protest dharnas sent a demand letter addressed to the President of India through the District Magistrate or Collector. In Mathura too a party delegation handed over a demand letter to the DM.

The demand letters to the President mentioned that the SP Govt in Uttar Pradesh has failed in preventing the riots and upholding its duty towards the victims of the Muzaffarnagar riots. Therefore the Centre should intervene under Article 355 and prevent the closure of the relief camps apart from other measures. Party's State and district leaders led the protests.

 

Tamilnadu: In TN, protests have followed fund raising for the riot victims. Protests were held in Chennai, led by Comrade Munuswamy and main speaker was Party's Politburo member Comrade Kumaraswamy. RYA leader Comrade Bharathi also addressed the protest.

At Mayiladuthurai several party members, people and Muslim organisations participated in the protest. Comrade TKS Janardhanan conducted the programme. Here the protest was also addressed by district secretary of CPI Comrade Srinivasan, Mr. Jubair, dist president of TMMK, dist secretary of MMK Mr. Muzafuddin, Mr. Jafar Ali on behalf of Tauheed Jamath apart from CPI(ML) leaders including Comrade Ilangovan.

At Pudukottai a demonstration was held led by Comrade Kalai Selvan and CPI(ML) district secretary Comrade Asai Thambi. Demonstrations were held in Rasipuram led by Comrade Velmurugan and participated by TMMK leaders Raja and Bakhruddin; and Kumarapalyam in Namakkal district was led by Comrade K Govindaraj and KR Kumaraswamy; Vilupuram Collectorate- addressed by Comrade Venkatesan, district secretary of CPI(ML); at Karanodai in Thiruvellore district – addressed by Comrade Janakiraman, DS, apart from AISA leaders.

Demonstration was also held at Coimbatore led by Comrade Balasubraminian, district secretary, and RYA and AICCTU leaders also spoke at the protest.

 

Uttarakhand: At Srinagar in Grhwal, CPI(ML) and AISA activists burnt an effigy of the Samajwadi Party Govt of Uttar Pradesh. Here the protest was addressed by party leader Comrade Indresh Maikhuri. He accused the SP and BJP of colluding in Muzaffarnagar riots. The protest vehemently condemned the SP for its utter insensitiveness towards the riot victims.

At Rudrapur, CPI(ML) leaders and AISA activists led by district secretary Comrade KK Bora and AISA leaders Lalit Matiyali, Kavita Verma among others handed over a demand letter for President to the DM. At Haldwani too the demand letter to be sent to the President was presented to the SDM by Nainital district secretary Comrade Kailash Pandey and Party leader BS Jangi. In Bhikiyasaind the letter was given to the SDM by Comrade Anand Negi.

 

2 January 2014

 

Memorandum

 

To

The President,

Union of India

 

Subject: Ensure effective intervention under Article 355 of the Indian Constitution, to stop closure of relief camps in Muzaffarnagar, ensure relief and rehabilitation for all survivors, and arrest of all perpetrators to pave the way for safe return of survivors

 

Dear Sir,

 

The new year dawns with horror stories from Muzaffarnagar's relief camps that are an affront to democracy. Thousands of people, who have watched their loved ones killed in cold blood, and who have been raped, and lost their homes and means of survival, languish in the relief camps of Muzaffarnagar. The Uttar Pradesh Government seems to have abdicated its duty to ensure relief, rehabilitation and justice for the survivors, and arrest of those accused of communal violence and rape. Instead the UP Government is bent on forcibly closing the relief camps, evicting the survivors and preventing their safe return to their villages. Relief camps at Loi and Bhora are already faced with bulldozers, with the riot survivors given ultimatums to leave within a few hours. Children have died of cold and lack of medicines. Women who have been raped see no prospect of justice: even in cases where FIRs have been filed and perpetrators named, no arrests have followed.

In such circumstances, it is far from enough for political leaders from the ruling party at the Centre to make visits and score political points. What is needed is effective intervention to correct this travesty of justice and democracy.

We appeal to your office to act without any moment of delay, to ensure that steps are taken under Article 355 that allows the Central Government to intervene if a State Government fails to defend its Constitutional obligations.

The CPI(ML) is holding protests all over the country today, observing a National Protest Day.

Our demands:

1)                That an advisory be issued under Article 355 to the UP Government immediately to prevent closure of relief camps and ensure adequate relief and rehabilitation measures for all survivors, to be monitored by the President's office

2)                Steps be taken under Article 355 to ensure arrest and prosecution of all named accused in riot and rape FIRs

3)                An SC-monitored SIT be sought to investigate the communal violence cases

4)                Enacting of the Prevention of Communal and Targeted Violence (Access to Justice and Reparation) Bill in the next session of Parliament

 

Sir, these measures brook no delay. The Central Government's inaction and apathy in 2002 came under fire as much as the Gujarat State Government's role. In the case of Muzaffarnagar, undoubtedly the communal Sangh forces are responsible for the communal violence. But the UP State Government's role is criminally reprehensible. The Central Government's role here is crucial, and your office must intervene to ensure that the Central Government acts to defend the Constitution.

 

Sincerely yours,

Sanjay Sharma

Secretary, Delhi State Committee

CPI(ML) Liberation

 

WB Govt's New Lows after Madhyamgram Repeated Gangrape and Murder

The Madhyamgram double gangrape and murder of the 16 year old girl, abduction of the victim's body and attempts by police to forcibly cremate it has brought out once again the deeply misogynistic hostility towards victims of sexual assault and a ruthless oppression of all voices of dissent that has come to define the two-and-a-half year old TMC rule in West Bengal. The fact that a survivor of gang-rape was gang raped again while returning after lodging a complaint with the police and was later burnt to death reflects how extremely insecure and vulnerable the women have become under the Mamta Banerjee-led TMC rule. Not only did the state police fail to provide her with any security following her complaint, far from accepting its failure, it first tried to paint her brutal murder as an act of suicide and then shamefully hijacked the body and tried to cremate it without her family's consent. When the aggrieved parents appealed for justice, the police reportedly told them to 'go back to Bihar', from where they originally belong.

The incident and the utter apathy of the administration has shocked the people of WB. On New Year's Day, the victim's father, who is a member of CITU, took part in a funeral procession organized by CITU and joined by representatives of all other central trade unions. On the same day, AISA along with other progressive students' organizations took out a protest march from College Square condemning police' role and administrative apathy. The March blocked the busy Esplanade crossing for some time. Several other protest marches and demonstrations were organized on the same day by concerned citizens, human rights groups and cultural organizations. An AIPWA delegation met the Women's Commission on 3^rd January. Comrades Meena Tiwari, Chaitali Sen and others from the delegation visited the girl's parents. A street-corner meeting was held on the following day in front of Moulali Dargah. The meeting was addressed by Comrades Kavita Krishnan and Meena Tiwari among others. A candlelight march followed where local people and passers-by joined spontaneosly. Same day, AISA and AIPWA jointly protested in front of the Banga Bhavan in Delhi.

A protest meeting was held at Madhyamgram 4-point crossing on 5^th January. Kavita Krishnan, Meena Tiwari, Partha Ghosh and others addressed the gathering. CPI(ML) called for observing an all-India Protest Day on 6^th January. The day was observed in memory of the Madhyamgram victim and all other victims of gender violence, with local-level rallies and street-corner meetings in most of the districts. Students in Jadavpur University held a march condemning the whole incident and Govt's role, on the 7^th.

CPI(ML) has called for a massive protest rally from College Square to Dharmatala on the 9^th of January. The following demands will be reiterated in the rally:

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee must apologize publicly and answer for the Kolkata Police's role in abduction and attempted cremation of the victim's body. The Kolkata Police Commissioner must be sacked for the Police's role. The Commissioner of Bidhan Nagar Commissionarate must be sacked immediately for failing twice to provide safety to the victim and trying to masquerade murder as self-immolation by keeping the victim's dying declaration secret for a week. A fast-track court must be set in motion to ensure swift and exemplary punishment to the culprits of double rape, murder and those responsible for repeatedly threatening the victim and her family. Administration must provide adequate compensation and security to the grieving parents so that they can live their lives in safety and with dignity.

On Bangladesh Polls

The recently held elections in Bangladesh in which the Awami League swept, inspire little confidence and credibility. With 27 parties including the main opposition party and Left parties boycotting elections, widespread poll violence and deaths in police firing, and extremely low voter turnout, the ruling party could win unopposed. We stand by the people of Bangladesh in their quest for peace, an end to violence and fear, and genuine democracy.

Statement on ethnic violence in Karbi Anglong

The clashes between militant groups KPLD and NSCN (IM) in Karbi Anglong have claimed the lives of common people and left them homeless. In the North East and Assam in particular, such clashes are often the fallout of the Congress Governments' policy of denying the demands of local people for autonomy and democracy, and patronage to various militant outfits. We demand that Karbi Anglong be granted autonomous statehood under Article 244 A of the Constitution, and long pending border disputes be resolved democratically through dialogue. All the displaced must be rehabilitated speedily, and all affected suitably compensated.

5^th Pudukottai District Conference of CPI(ML)

5^th District conference of CPI(ML) was held at Venmani Martyrs Hall, Karambakudi on 31.12.2013. A 7 member presidium conducted the proceedings. Com TKS Janarthanan was the State Committee observer. Outgoing istrict secretary Comrade Asaithambi presented the draft document. It is noteworthy that the Party membership in the district has crossed 1000 this time. 135 delegates and 41 observers attended and endorsed the draft document after deliberations. Conference's focus was on consolidating the branches, Mobilisation of 2000 members for the February rally on people's issues, and preparation for the forthcoming Lok Shaba elections. Comrade S Kumarasamy, Politburomember addressed the conference. Resolutions passed in the conference include an appeal to the Central and State Governments to take immediate steps to protect migrant workers of this district working in Singapore, Compensation to the slain worker Kumarvelu of this district who was killed in a road accident at Singapore which sparked violence and subsequent arrest of workers of Indian origin, demand to implement MGNREGA with Government announced rates of wages and extending it to Town panchayat and also to the lands of small and marginal farmers, to declare the district as drought hit and waive all loans of farmers etc. The Conference elected a 31 member District Committee. This committee in turn re-elected Com Asaithambi as its secretary.

 

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 01 / 2014

ML Update

A CPI(ML) Weekly News Magazine

Vol. 17, No. 01, 01 – 07 JANUARY 2014

CC Call for 2014

All for the Big Battle of 2014!

All for the Victorious Assertion of the People!!

(In lieu of editorial)

2013

 had begun on a high note of popular assertion and the momentum continued through the year. The unprecedented upsurge of young India triggered by the December 16 incident of the brutal gang-rape of Nirbhaya in a Delhi bus forced Parliament to pass a stricter and more sensitive legislation against rape and various forms of sexual harassment. As the year draws to a close, we can see women in India throw up a powerful challenge against forces and practices of patriarchal reaction on every front, pulling down powerful men including one notorious self-proclaimed godman, a famous journalist and a retired judge of Supreme Court, from their high pedestals and forcing the laws and institutions of the land to wake up and act on cases of rape and sexual harassment that many men in positions of power, authority and influence considered their unquestionable privilege.

Indeed 2013 has been a year of inspiring resistance against systemic injustice. While the resistance itself sends out a powerful message against the forces of oppression and inspires many hitherto unorganised and uninvolved sections of the people to get involved and organised for change, it has also succeeded in forcing the media, judiciary and even the legislature to respond to the growing power and momentum of popular protests. One of the high points of judicial recognition of popular resistance was when the Supreme Court referred the Vedanta's bauxite mining project at Niyamgiri hills in Odisha to the gramsabhas and all the twelve gramsabhas identified by the state government unanimously rejected the mining project.

Faced with popular protests, the government has had to repeal the infamous colonial era legislation on land acquisition, replacing the 1894 land acquisition act with a new law. While the repeal of the old law testifies to the growing strength of peasant and adivasi anger and resistance against land acquisition, the new law however continues to reject the core demand of the peasantry to save agricultural land. While limiting the role of the state in land acquisition and promising relatively better compensation to land-losers in cases of state-led acquisition, it actually expands the scope of land acquisition and leaves the crisis-ridden peasantry at the mercy of predatory corporate capital which is out to grab as much land as possible on various pretexts.

Similarly, the Lokpal Bill which has now been passed under popular pressure goes only halfway to create a new institutional architecture without addressing the root of the problem – the intricate nexus between big business and state power. Corporate capital which is the biggest beneficiary of all recent scams remains conspicuously exempted from the jurisdiction of the Lokpal which is being projected as a credible and effective bulwark against corruption. There can be no credible cleansing of governance without a paradigm shift in policies – the corporate-centric policies must give way to people-centric policies and governance must become transparent and accountable. That the policies of liberalisation and privatisation are at the root of most of the recent scams was indirectly admitted by Manmohan Singh and P Chidambaram when in the context of the CBI probe on coalgate they openly asked the CBI to stay within its limits and not question policies which were a prerogative of the executive.

The popular quest for change has started making its presence felt in the electoral arena too. While the Sangh brigade is desperate to engineer riots and vitiate the atmosphere – Muzaffarnagar being the most alarming case in point – and hijack the public mood for change by projecting an aggressive BJP led by the party's PM aspirant Narendra Modi as the alternative to a thoroughly discredited and near-incapacitated Congress, the growing quest for change beyond the Congress-BJP bracket became stunningly visible in the Assembly elections in Delhi. The fact that a one-year old party could make such a spectacular debut right in the national capital shows, first and foremost, not just the intensity of the people's anger against the ruling party but more importantly the intensity of the people's desire for some positive change, for people-centric policies and people-centric politics.

With all its communication skill, networking strategy and resource mobilisation capacity, AAP could not possibly have created such a powerful undercurrent without touching a basic chord with the working people of Delhi and this it did, not just around the agenda of Lokpal, but by taking up issues like electricity and water, education and health, which helped it make deep inroads among the urban poor and the toiling people of Delhi beyond its initial fund of middle class support and goodwill. As subsequent developments have clearly shown, the ruling elite has no fundamental problem with the idea of a Lokpal (of course the degree of its independence and the extent of its powers may be an issue), but it is distinctly uncomfortable with the idea of supplying cheap electricity, clean water, quality education and healthcare for all, or for that matter, the idea of regularisation of contract workers and enforcement of the principle of equal pay for equal work, issues that have figured prominently in the AAP charter of promises made to the Delhi electorate.

Politically, the emergence and rise of AAP was marked by a strong tinge of anti-Congressism. But ironically, it now finds itself positioned against the BJP with the Congress offering it 'unconditional support' to form the next government in Delhi! It remains to be seen how AAP handles this post-poll phase and its contention with the BJP especially because 31% of AAP supporters had been reported to have a prime ministerial preference for Narendra Modi. But no matter how AAP evolves as a political entity, its emergence has exposed the vulnerability of the status quo while highlighting the need for turning the anti-corruption movement into a positive struggle for securing people's rights and defending the country's resources from corporate plunder.

This is where revolutionary communists will have to boldly intervene and play their due role, drawing on the developing situation and the positive aspirations and energy of the people and carrying the movement forward against all odds. All through 2013, CPI(ML) took a series of impressive initiatives. Beginning with a powerful and energetic intervention in the anti-rape movement and determined and organised participation in the historic February strike of the Indian working class, the party successfully held its 9th Congress in Ranchi where it came out with enriched guideline to orientate and improve its growing multifarious practice. In the student elections in JNU and DU, AISA put up a great performance, winning all posts of JNUSU and emerging as an effective third force in DU. In a way, the student union results were an early reflection of the changing political mood in Delhi with more and more people looking beyond the Congress-BJP (in DUSU elections NSUI-ABVP) bipolarity to welcome a third force.

Following the BJP-JD(U) split in Bihar, the two parties tried their best to polarise the political scene around their new-found contention and hostility. Sustained agitations and initiatives spearheaded by the CPI(ML) have checked this polarisation and laid the basis for a powerful Left assertion countering the BJP's feudal-communal offensive while challenging the non-performing Nitish Kumar government on every front. The tremendous courage demonstrated by party ranks at the October 30 Khabardar Rally in Patna effectively foiled the BJP's sinister game plan to create an environment of terror and frenzy following the blasts during Narendra Modi's October 27 Hunkaar Rally. And the party has also effectively built up a comprehensive movement for justice in opposition to the increasingly repressive rule of the Nitish Kumar government, the serial massacre of justice and acquittal of massacre convicts and the witch-hunt of Muslim youth in the name of anti-terrorist operations. The collection of millions of signatures demanding justice for the massacre survivors and reinstatement of the Amir Das Commission marked a new high in the oppressed poor's protracted battle for justice and democracy in Bihar.

With an utterly discredited Congress fast losing ground, the BJP has unleashed an aggressive campaign to grab power at the Centre. Regional parties do have their pockets of influence but barring a few of them, most have shown a readiness to collaborate with the BJP in the past. It is the Left that has historically offered the most courageous and credible ideological resistance to the communal fascist agenda of the Sangh brigade, but the continuing decline of the CPI(M) in West Bengal and the opportunist tactical line pursued by the CPI(M) and CPI have weakened the Left bloc nationally. CPI(ML) must make its presence felt in this challenging situation with a powerful election campaign. Every gain made by the CPI(ML) in this critical hour will be a powerful rebuff to the BJP's fascist campaign and the pro-corporate policies of the ruling classes. Every forward step of the party will be a vindication of people's struggles and facilitate a resurgence of the Left vis-a-vis the growing offensive of the Sangh brigade. All for the big political battle of 2014; all for the victorious assertion of the people!

Central Committee, CPI(ML)(Liberation)

CPI(ML) Welcomes Formation of AAP Government

Hopes AAP Will Fulfil People's Aspirations for a Reversal of Corrupt, Anti-People Governance

New Delhi, December 28: CPI(ML) welcomes the emergence of AAP as a powerful third force in Delhi and the fact that it brought to the fore a democratic agenda concerning some basic demands and interests of the common people in Delhi. The rise of AAP has revalidated the relevance of agitation-based politics, exposed the political vulnerability of the status-quo, and highlighted the people's quest for an alternative to the parties of the status-quo, the Congress and BJP in particular.

AAP's manifesto includes many of the burning issues of the toiling people of Delhi – and it is Delhi's people who have given AAP its strength. On the eve of formation of the AAP Government, slum evictions have been attempted near Mansarovar Park and Mayur Vihar (stalled by timely protests), and CNG prices have gone up. We hope that in the face of these assaults on the rights of Delhi's poor and common people, the AAP Government will live up to its manifesto and defend people's aspirations for a thorough reversal of corrupt and anti-people governance.

While AAP began by tapping into the popular anger against corruption and the Congress, it attracted not just anti-Congress votes but perhaps primarily erstwhile or traditional pro-Congress votes. Many sections of traditional or core Congress voters – whether in the resettlement colonies or in Muslim-dominated neighbourhoods or among government employees – have voted for AAP, triggering a collapse of the Congress and placing AAP objectively in contention with the BJP. AAP is now running a Government backed by the Congress. In the days to come, how AAP handles this new phase of contention with BJP will be important to observe.

- Sanjay Sharma, Secretary, CPI(ML) Delhi State Committee

December 18th: Comrade VM's 15th Death Anniversary Commemorated

Uttar Pradesh: Tributes were paid to Comrade VM in the State at several places by holding different political programmes. In Lucknow a Party GBM was organised and the meet took stock of the recently held Assembly elections, reviewed Party's activities in the district so far in 2013 and discussed plans for 2014.

In Ghazipur district GBMs were held in five blocks – Sadar, Jamania, Bhadaura, Saidpur, and Jakhania, paying tributes to Comrade VM. GBMs were held in Benaras and Cholapur in which urban and rural area Party comrades respectively were present. GBMs were held at Bhadohi and Suriyawan. A jansabha (people's assembly) was held at Madihan tehsil in Mirzapur in which hundreds of people paid tributes to Comrade VM. A meeting was also held at the district HQ.

In Sonbhadra's Dhiwahi village and Gorakhpur's Uruwa block, Party conferences of the local committee were organised. GBMs and cadre meetings held at Nichlaul tehsil HQ in Maharajganj, Bankatta in Deoria, Allahabad and Kanpur. At Urai, Jalaun's HQ, seminar was held at the Party office while a dharna was held at Kudebhar in Sultanpur. Apart from these place different programmes were held in Gonda, Faizabad and Pilibhit. In Sitapur's five blocks the programmes were held on 23rd December.

Tamilnadu: In Coimbatore, Hundreds of workers participated in a public meeting on Dec18 Organised by Narasimmanaicken Palayam branch of CPI(ML).The meeting was presided over by District Committee member Com. Narayanan. Main speaker was Com. Kumarasamy, Politburo member.

On Dec 19th, Workers of Shanthi gears and members of Workers' Right Movement organised another public meeting at Coimbatore which was presided over by Com. Gopal, President of Shanthi gears and addressed by Com. Kumarasamy. Com Chandran, District president of AICCTU and General secretary of Shanthi gears employees union also spoke on the occasion.

GBMs of local committees and branches were held at Salem, Tanjore-Nagapattinam, Karur, Chennai, Tirunelveli, Vilupuram and Namakkal districts on December 18th.

CPI(ML) Delegation Meets UP's Chief Home Secretary

A 3-member delegation represented by Comrade Ramji Rai, Politburo member, met the Chief Home Secretary Mr. Anil Kr Gupta on 20 December and demanded adequate and just treatment of the riot hit victims living in camps and elsewhere. The delegation also raised other matters. The delegation expressed its anguish at the carelessness and abdication of responsibility by the destrict administration in looking after those who have taken refuge in the relief camps.

Apart from demanding food, health care and all urgent basic materials for battling the cold, the delegation told the Home Secretary that no administrative pressure should be put on those families who do not want to return to their villages, and the compensation to those families be immediately provided that is commensurate to their losses.

Another demand was the withdrawal of all 8 cases by the state against agitationists and Dr. Mohammad Israr Khan, a Professor of Ruhelkhand Univ. and leader of peasants protesting against forcible land acquisition for a bypass in Bareilly. The issue of no action so far in the matter of murderous attempt on Comrade Ramesh Singh Sengar's life by the mining mafia in UP was also raised and urgent action was demanded.

Fund raising campaign for Muzaffarnagar riot victims

Tamilnadu: The Chennai city committee organised fund collection campaign for the Muzaffarnagar communal riot victims, at Triplicane area and collected Rs.5000 on the first day. The Coimbatore District committee also organised a fund raising campaign and Rs.5000 was collected. People from across all religious affiliations donated for the riot victims. In Salem and Pudukottai also Campaigns are going on and Pamphlets are being distributed among masses detailing the conditions of victims in camps and asked to donate liberally to help victims.

Jharkhand: At Ranchi also, a CPI(ML) team went house to house and shop to shop in markets collecting relief fund for those in relief camps. About 500 houses were visited on the first day of relief collection.

Visit to Muzaffarnagar Relief Camps

A team of leaders & activists of CPI(ML), AISA & JNUSU visited Muzaffarnagar relief camps on 28-29 December and distributed relief materials including 1000 blankets. The team visited two camps and two madrassas. The first was a madrassa at Hussainpur which sheltered 15 families from Mohammadpur, 10 from Kheragani & 5 from Bhorkala. At Budhana camp, about 500 people living in deplorable conditions as they didn't even have tents put up for them. They were all huddled in single large tent which was clearly insufficient to in habitat all of them. At the next madrassa, around 300 blankets were distributed. The last visit was to relief camp Jaula camp of around 3000 people. The victims at this camp belong to the worst affected areas of Fugana, Kutba, Lisadh etc. At this camp, small tents have been put up, small enough to force few family members out in the freezing cold. Then we hear insensitive bureaucrats saying (among many other things) "children [in the camps] have died of pneumonia, not of cold. Nobody can die of cold. If people died of cold, nobody would have been alive in Siberia."

This was the first dispatch of the collected relief material. Soon a team would leave for a second round in the first week of January. The team comprised of JNUSU VP Anubhuti, Jt.Secy. Sarfaraj; Abhishek, AISA activist; DU AISA Secretary Harsh, VP Prerna; Jamia AISA Secretary Farhan, Comrades Prashant, Pradeep from Meerut, Alam from Bareily. The team was accompanied by Comrades Prem Singh Gehlawat (Party's Haryana incharge and Aslam of RYA.

CPI(ML)'s Chennai District conference held

12th Chennai district conference of CPI(ML) was held on 22 December at Ambattur. The Venue was named after Comrade Srinivasan. Outgoing committee's district secretary Sekar Presided. Com. Janakiraman was the observer. Out of 125 delegates elected, total of 111 delegates and 32 observers attended the conference. Total of 32 women comrades including those as observers, attended. It began with the resolution on Martyrs' presented by Com Kumaresh. Comrade Kumarasamy addressed the conference after the deliberations by delegates on the draft document. Rs 1,10,000 towards the subscription of Tamil Party organ "Theepori" of 1,100 persons were handed over to Com Manjula, CC member and also the member of editorial board. Conference debated on election results of Delhi, decline of Maoists in Nepal, on preparing for the forthcoming Parliamentary elections and on how to build an active Party organisation among rural poor of Chennai city.

Many resolutions including a demand for 1000 bed government hospital , Arts college and playground for Ambattur area which is now part of Corporation, House site pattas for the urban poor as promised by ruling party during elections, declare minimum wage as Rs.15000 etc. were passed. It has also been decided to reach out to 2 lakh people with a signature campaign in the month of January 2014 and also organise mass rallies at Ambattur and Sriperumpudur during Feb 2014.

CPI(ML), AISA and RYA Hold Protest against Forcible Eviction of Slum Residents in Delhi

The Delhi Administration came to evict the residents of the slum near Mansarovar Park Metro Station. After protesting at the Northern Railway DRM's office the DRM assured that the residents will not be evicted till March and said that immediately 400 blankets will be distributed among the residents. We demand that Northern Railway and MCD take full responsibility of rehabilitation of the residents of the sum.

Mass convention for the Homeless in Kanyakumari district

Expressing their sufferings due to homelessness, unorganized, semi-urban poor women overwhelmingly urged the AIADMK govt for immediate distribution of house sites and houses to them as was promised in the election manifesto. Around 900 people, almost all women assembled for the CPI(ML)'s people's convention held in Nagercoil on 28th December. The convention resolved that if the long pending demand is not met, we will start an indefinite agitation starting January 26th. Several speakers charged the AIADMK govt for refusing people their due right of house site and houses, but shielding the land-grabbers and real estate barons who are looting public lands. Fifty acres prime land worth of 1000 crore been illegally occupied by a Congress ex-MLA with the connivance of corrupt officials. This land was donated by the King of Travancore to the arachhas (a community).

Condemn WB Police's Abduction of Gang Rape Victim's Body in Kolkata

January 1, 2014

The West Bengal police's attempt to abduct the body of the Madhyamgram gang rape victim in Kolkata, and forcibly cremate it without the family's presence, is shameful and shocking. Clearly the police's attempt was to prevent any public protest from building around the cremation. This latest incident reflects the assault on democratic dissent and the deeply misogynistic hostility towards rape survivors, that has marked the Trinamool Congress Government headed by Mamata Banerjee right from the start, in countless incidents.

On New Year's Day last year, the whole country was in the midst of an agitation following the gangrape of Jyoti Singh on December 16th, who also succumbed after a long battle with death. This year, again, another young girl has lost her life after a long and painful struggle. The Madhyamgram victim of gangrape was gangraped again on her way back from filing a police complaint. Later, assailants entered her home and set her on fire - an incident the police tried to paint as an act of self immolation. Finally, on new year's eve, she lost her battle for life.

The West Bengal Govt must resign for its habitual hostility towards rape survivors and for its shameful insult to the rape victim's body.

 

Shraddhanjali

The CPI(ML) Uttarakhand State Committee has expressed profound grief at the sudden demise of Party member in Nainital, Comrade Mohan Singh. He was only 48. A condolence meet was organised at Haldwani State Office attended by many including State Secretary Comrade Rajendra Pratholi. Comrade Mohan Singh joined communist led peasant movement in UP at a very early age in life. He was from Bahedi and fought in many peasant struggles in Bareilly. At present he was leading the sugarcane growers' movement in Bareilly and also actively helping organise Nainital Film Festivals every year. On 31st December 2013, he met with a fatal accident. The condolence meet described the tragedy as a big loss for the communist and peasant movement. In the evening of 31st December he was to lead a big programme of peasants at Bahedi. His death comes at a time when his need for the people's movement was more.

Red Salute to Comrade Mohan Singh!

 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 53 / 2013

ML Update

A CPI(ML) Weekly News Magazine

Vol.  16            No. 53      24-31 DEC 2013

 

The Khobragade-Richards Episode:

Tale of US Govt.'s Racism and High-Handedness, 

and Indian Govt's Class Bias and Irresponsibility 

Several urgent concerns need to be addressed in the wake of the arrest of Indian Deputy Consul Devyani Khobragade on charges of visa fraud and under-paying her domestic worker. The issues of the mutual and reciprocal dignity of nations, reflected in diplomatic protocol, and those of the rights of domestic and migrant workers; the rights and dignity of Devyani Khobragade as an Indian diplomat and those of Sangeeta Richards as an Indian citizen and worker should not be used to undermine each other.  

The charges against Ms. Khobragade are serious. But let us first look at the manner in which the US Government has dealt with them, before coming to the Indian Government's role in the entire affair.

Would the US Government have treated a diplomat from a non-'Third World' country, charged with the same offences, in the same manner? US Attorney Preet Bharara states that she was not hand-cuffed or arrested in the view of her children, but he does admit that a strip search and cavity search – routine in the US – were conducted. But this is neither here nor there. The question is – would a diplomat from, say, the UK or France have been subjected to invasive searches and treated like a common criminal, and would the US allow its own diplomats to be thus treated in other countries? Again, this is not to undermine the seriousness of the charges brought against Ms. Khobragade. Rather, the question is, are the rules somehow different where US diplomats are concerned? When CIA operative Raymond Davis was charged with killing two men in Lahore in broad daylight in 2011, the US quickly claimed diplomatic immunity for him, even though he was not even officially a diplomat. So the US claims 'diplomatic immunity' even for its clandestine operatives charged with heinous crimes like murder, but claims it has no choice but to arrest, invasively search and jail an Indian diplomat? It is really this double standard that is the primary factor behind the anger that many Indians feel at the treatment meted out to Ms. Khobragade. It is difficult to evade the conclusion that imperialist high-handedness, as well as the structural racism of the US criminal justice and prison system, played a part in allowing the US Government to forget diplomatic conventions that it would expect as its due for its own diplomats. Of course, the US was no doubt encouraged in its high-handedness by the fact that the Indian Government never made an issue of the US' refusal to extradite David Headley or Warren Anderson, of the shooting of an Indian fisherman by a US warship in 2012, or of repeated instances of frisking of senior Indian Government representatives in US airports.    

What about the Indian Government's response to the ongoing episode involving Khobragade and Richards? When the issue surfaced several months ago, India's Ministry of External Affairs took no measures to prevent the matter from escalating. The MEA is well aware of the fact that Indian diplomats regularly employ and under-pay domestic help, drivers, gardeners etc from India. The infamous 'double contract' is an open secret – where there is one contract that complies with the US regulations and another 'real' contract that actually governs pay and other conditions. In the past couple of years, there have been other cases involving Indian diplomats accused of employing 'bonded' or 'slave' labour. The diplomats' complaint has been that the MEA does not pay them enough to employ workers at US rates. This cannot, of course, be an excuse for underpaying workers – the point is that the MEA was well aware of the issue and did nothing to resolve it.     

Further, the Indian Government seems to think it owes no duty to the other Indian citizen in the matter: Sangeeta Richards, the domestic worker. Instead, they have endorsed the action initiated by Khobragade against Richards, including charges of blackmail, fraud, theft; making insinuations that Richards was attempting to facilitate illegal immigration of her husband and child; and revoking Richards's passport. Richards attempted to legally raise her grievances, terminate her employment by Khobragade, seek a fresh passport and visa so that she might work elsewhere, and sought a payment of $10,000 since she claimed to have worked 19 hours a day. The Indian Government seems to have decided that for a worker to raise such grievances against an Indian diplomat, amounts to betrayal of the Indian State and Indian nationalism! Disturbingly, the Indian Government seems to ignore the indications that Khobragade's conduct towards Richards (and perhaps of other Indian diplomats towards their employees) amounts to human trafficking.    

The discourse of much of the media and most political parties in India is equally disturbing. Richards's actions are being described as a conspiracy. BJP leader Yashwant Sinha talks of how it's common for servants to get 'star-struck' by the 'glittering lights' of the US, and to want to illegally immigrate and feel dissatisfied with their lot! People have said to me that the domestic worker should be happy with her wages because she would make less in India.  Would these same people agree that an Indian who works in Microsoft in Seattle should make the same as an Indian who works in Infosys in Bangalore? 

The Delhi High Court injunction of September 20 restraining Richards from moving court against Khobragade outside India, says: "It is pertinent to mention here that the plaintiff and her family treated defendant No. 1 [Sangeeta Richards] as a member of their own family...The (plaintiff's) house is equipped with all modern domestic gadgets. Defendant No. 1 was being given leave/off on Sundays when she used to visit a beauty parlour, church and her friends." In India, the most common euphemism for exploitative domestic labour and even child labour is "we treat them like family." "Like family" justifies every feudal relationship with the domestic worker, suggesting that a formal work contract regulated by the law would somehow corrupt the "family relationship." Similarly, of course, any attempt by women to invoke laws regarding dowry harassment or domestic violence inside the household, is painted as a violation of the sacred "family ties." Domestic workers in India face exploitative work conditions, with no norms of work hours, pay, leave, and vulnerable to sexual violence and even bondage and torture. India is yet to ratify the ILO Convention on domestic workers' rights.

Yashwant Sinha declared that India should retaliate to the arrest of Khobragade by arresting US diplomats with same-sex partners, since homosexuality is illegal in India. Flaunting homophobia as 'national pride' and implying that minimum wage and anti-trafficking laws are 'foreign' to India is condemnable and truly shames India as a democracy.

It also needs to be pointed out that while employing highly exploited domestic workers is of course more prevalent in the Indian middle class, it is also a major and growing phenomenon in the US among professionals and elites. In the US, large numbers of households employ Latina, Filipina and other migrant women as maids and nannies. Their work conditions are usually exploitative, and they are often profiled as 'illegal' and very vulnerable to harassment. Some years ago,  these 'undocumented' workers participated in huge numbers in a series of massive protests against being branded as 'illegal' by US immigration laws, which, far from protecting such workers, render them much more vulnerable to exploitation. The draconian provisions of the US visa regime under which Khobragade was arrested are in fact primarily targeted at controlling and limiting the rights of these workers themselves.

Instead of muscle-flexing and grandstanding, India and the US must work on resolving the diplomatic impasse, without compromising either on India's sovereignty and the dignity of its diplomats, or on the rights of Indian workers. India must work to end the exploitative practices and trafficking by diplomats and protect all Indian workers from such practices. And India and the US both need to protect the rights of domestic workers in keeping with the ILO Convention norms in their respective countries.      

"Are we expected to bring back the dead to give evidence?"

(Survivors of Bathani Tola and Laxmanpur Bathe Massacres speak at People's Hearing For Justice. A report of the Hearing and the signature campaign and Journey for Justice that preceded it, in which 5 million signatures were collected on a petition to the President of India.)  

"The Bihar government is in connivance with the Ranveer Sena. The lower court had awarded death sentence to 3 of the killers and life imprisonment to 19, but the High Court acquitted all these Ranveer Sena men. The High Court asks for evidence. Are we expected to bring back the dead to give evidence? There are 3 police pickets there, why don't they ask those policemen? 14 witnesses braved life threats to give evidence, yet the High court let the murderers go scot free and called the witnesses liars. When Barmeshwar Singh was killed a CBI enquiry is ordered, but the poor are being subjected to injustice even through the court. We have gone to the Supreme Court to demand justice. Come what may, we will not give up our fight for justice." These were the words of Bathani Tola eyewitness and survivor Naeemuddin Ansari at the People's Hearing conducted at Jantar mantar, New Delhi by the CPI(ML) on 18 December.

In 1996 the Ranveer Sena had brutally massacred 21 people from dalit-minority communities, out of which 6 women and children belonged to Naeemuddin's family. He testified in court as an eyewitness – but the Patna High Court rejected his testimony.

After the Public Hearing, 5 million signatures (collected between 30 October and 10 December in an intense campaign all over Bihar) were submitted to the President of India. Signatories included the general public, well-known intellectuals, litterateurs, cultural activists, journalists, and human rights activists. The petition appealed to the President to raise his voice in support of the struggle for justice, and to intervene to reopen the Justice Amir Das Commission that had identified the political figures behind the Ranveer Sena, but that had been disbanded by the Nitish Government before it could submit its findings.

The signatures had been brought to Delhi in a Nyay Sangharsh Yatra (Journey for Justice) that began on 10 December (Human Rights Day) from Bihar's capital Patna. Traversing through the carnage affected areas and talking to the victims, holding public meetings in Durgavati, Mughalsarai and Benaras on the question of justice, the Yatra arrived in Delhi. Around 60 mass meetings were held during this period. CPI(ML)'s former MLA Arun Singh, Bihar State Committee member Mahanand, Anwar Hussain from Inqulabi Muslim Conference, RYA National President Amarjeet Kushwaha, Raju Yadav and Qayamuddin from Revolutionary Youth Asociation, folk singers Krishna Kumar Nirmohi, Raju Ranjan and others were part of the Yatra. The Yatra culminated in the Public Hearing held in Delhi on December 18th – the death anniversary of former CPI(ML) General Secretary Vinod Mishra.

At the hearing, Laxmanpur Bathe carnage survivor Ramugrah Rajvanshi said: "Nitish took our votes in the name of 'mahadalit' but got the perpetrators of the carnage acquitted, because he wanted to maintain good relations with feudal forces. It is only the CPI (ML) which is with us in our fight for justice."

Laxman Rajvanshi who lost 3 family members in the Bathe carnage said, "After the acquittal, the killers are threatening us, saying now we will kill 116 instead of 58; we are all-powerful from top to bottom, what can you do against us?

Rita Devi, survivor of the Bathani Tola massacre, described the gory scene that greeted her eyes after the massacre – walls spattered with blood and flesh. She said, "People testified at risk to their lives, in the hope of justice – and their hopes were dashed to the ground." Later, speaking to Delhi students, she said, "I had to go to court recently with my little son, in some other matter. My son, seeing the judges in the court, said – 'Are these the judges who let the killers go scot free? I don't want to be a judge when I grow up.'"      

On 15 August 2013 feudal forces had attacked the dalits of Baddi village (Rohtas district) for daring to hoist the flag. Shriniwas Ram, son of 70-year-old Ramvilas Ram who was killed in this attack, said that he had also come to demand justice for his father's murder. Madhuri of AIPWA who has been fighting for the victims' struggle for justice, said that the then President KR Narayanan had called the carnages a national shame. Is the acquittal of the murderers not a shame? Sharing her experiences from the signature campaign she said that women feel that the High court verdict comes as a morale booster for criminals and today the women of Bihar are facing violence from such criminals. These women signed the petition not only to get justice for the carnage victims but also to deter the ongoing violence against women in Bihar.

CPI (ML) Arwal district Secretary Com. Mahanand said that if the Supreme Court does not give us justice we will go back to the same 5 million signatories of the petition for justice. Com. Anwar Hussain, CPI(ML) leader from Bihar, said that the Nitish government has provided all amenities to the villages which attacked Miyanpur, while Miyanpur itself lacks even basic amenities and the licences for weapons which had been provided for self defence are not being renewed.

Prof. Nandini Sundar of Delhi University, Chittaranjan Singh of PUCL, Prof. Sona Jharia Minz and Dr. YS Alone of JNU, Prof. Nawal Kishore Choudhary of Patna University, and JNUSU Vice President Anubhuti Agnes Bara were the Jury members at the People's Hearing. Prof. Nandini Sundar condemned the High Court verdict as the worst possible verdict and said that we all want justice for the victims; this fight is not only for these victims but also for the victims of violence all over the world. Chittaranjan Singh of the PUCL condemned the refusal of the President to give time to meet the deputation from the People's Hearing.

The Jury said that it expects the Bihar government to file an appeal in the Supreme Court without delay, guarantee safety of witneses, reinstate the Amir Das Commission and make its report public. At the same time the Union Home Ministry should also give the necessary directives to the Bihar government. Prof. Nawal Kishore Choudhary said that the Nyay Yatra (journey for justice) is not over yet. The killings at Bathani, Bathe and Miyanpur were not ordinary killings but tantamount to the murder of Indian democracy, Constitutional values and human rights. It is the minimal responsibility of the Indian State to fulfil the demands of this Jury and the duty of every citizen to fight against massacres.

At the start of the People's Hearing Bihar State Committee member and former MLA Arun Singh said that the Ranveer Sena was not just a criminal gang, it had the full protection of political parties. Feudal-communal in character, it was supported by the BJP, and also by the Lalu-Rabdi and Nitish governments. On this occasion the founder of People's Front of India (PFI) and Supreme Court lawyer Tahir Hussain said that even in the case of a single murder, the High Court has to think a hundred times before overturning a Lower Court verdict; the acquittal by the High Court of these brutal mass murderers is astounding. Taramani Rai of the CPRM said that he would mobilise public opinion on this issue in Darjeeling. Atul Dighe of the Lal Nishan Party (Leninist) said that the fight against feudal forces would continue till the end, and PFI National Vice President Satyapal Singh assured full support in the fight for justice. Former CPI(ML) MP Rameshwar Prasad was also present on the dais.

Addressing the People's Hearing, CPI (ML) General Secretary Com. Dipankar Bhattacharya said that after a long and brave fight the people got justice from the lower court but the High Court cast suspicion on the witnesses, which is a matter of great shame. Today this fight belongs not only to Bathani, Bathe and Miyanpur but to all poor, oppressed, dalit, and working people of the entire country. This fight is related to the fight for justice and freedom for women which the streets of Delhi have seen during the past year. It is related also to the fight for justice for the oppressed minorities in the relief camps at Muzaffarnagar. From Kashmir to the North East, wherever people are fighting for their rights, we are fighting with them. Com. Dipankar said that the CPI(ML) is going to launch a countrywide campaign in the new year, on 2nd January, to demand justice for the Muzaffarnagar victims. He stressed the demand for an effective anti-communalism law, pointing out that throughout the country youth belonging to the minority communities were being hounded and witch-hunted. The question of people's justice includes the release of all the innocent people languishing in jail.

The proceedings were conducted by Com. Ravi Rai, RYA General Secretary. Com. Krishna Kumar Nirmohi, Raju Ranjan, and Nanhaku Paswan presented folk songs on the theme of justice: "Kaahe bhayil Bathani se beimaani, Bathe se beimaani ho judge sahib poochh taani, nyay ke murti hoke anyay kari dihal, nyay sange kayil manmaani" (Why did you betray Bathani and Bathe, we ask you Mr.Judge, being a representative of justice why you do this injustice, why did you interpret the law according to your whims?)

Lokpal Act: Inadequate Measure Against Corruption

The Lokpal law has finally been passed by both houses of Parliament. This historic achievement has been possible only because of the enormous public awareness and movement against corruption. 

But the Lokpal that has been enacted falls short of an institution that can effectively combat corruption. The appointment of the Lokpal will be by PM, Leader of Opposition, Speaker, CJI and one jurist nominated by these four. This still fails to ensure a Lokpal that is truly independent of the political representatives. Removal of the member of the Lokpal also lies in the hands of elected political representatives alone, and no citizen can initiate a move to remove a Lokpal member.     

The Lokpal fails to include corporations and conduct of MPs in Parliament in its ambit. This means that the crucial corporate element in huge scams, as well as scams like questions-for-cash or cash-for-votes, will remain outside the ambit of the Lokpal.  PPP projects are also left out of the ambit of the Lokpal – in spite of the fact that these are the norm in the neoliberal regime, and PPP projects have been known to be riddled with corruption. 

The Act fails to have any provision for protection of whistleblowers – and surely, without this provision, it will be much harder to establish corruption. Not only that, the Act actually has a provision that will intimidate potential whistleblowers – it states that a person who makes a false or frivolous complaints can be jailed for up to one year. The law also does not mandate States to enact Lokayuktas. Corruption in the judiciary and armed forces is yet to be addressed.

The Lokpal Act passed by Parliament, therefore, shies away from confronting and correcting the worst practices of corruption that we witness today.

Demand Relief, Rehabilitation, and Justice for Muzaffarnagar's Riot Survivors

Observe National Protest Day on 2nd January 2014

 

Friends,

The bitterly cold winter has begun. And the stories of Muzaffarnagar's relief camps jolts our conscience.

Thousands of people, who have watched their loved ones killed in cold blood, and who have been raped, and lost their homes and means of survival, languish in the relief camps of Muzaffarnagar. The Uttar Pradesh Government had pleaded earlier that they were helpless to prevent the communal violence. But why has the Government turned a blind eye and a deaf ear to the plight of those in the relief camps?

•         28 children have died in relief camps in Shahpur, Budhana, Malarpuur and Sunhati due to the cold, and lack of medicines.

•         There have been instances of rapes in the relief camps. FIRs have been filed in rape cases that took place during the communal violence – but the accused are yet to be arrested.

•         Meanwhile, the BJP shamelessly felicitated its MLAs who are accused of leading the communal violence.

•         And the Akhilesh Government issued an order forcibly evicting the riot-hit from the relief camps, and pressurising them to accept a Rs 5 lakh payment in exchange for giving up their right to return to the villages from where they were evicted! In exchange for the Rs 5 lakh, they are being asked to sign an affidavit saying ""Main aur mere parivar ke sadasya apne gram mein hui hinsatmak ghatnaon se bhayakant hokar gaon va ghar chhodkar aaye hain, tatha in kinhi bhi paristhitiyon mein ab apne mool gaon evam ghar nahin lautenge (I and my family left our village and our home due to the violent incidents there. We will not return to our village and home under any circumstances)."

•         Also, the the UP forest department has booked thousands of Muzaffarnagar riots victims for setting up relief camps by "encroaching" on forest land.

•         The report submitted to the UP Government by the 10-member committee of Ministers  under the leadership of senior SP Minister Shivpal Yadav, appallingly, blames the madarsas running of the relief camp for not wanting to wind up the relief camps in spite of the situation having returned to 'normal'!

•         The SIT constituted to enquire into the riots is doing a mere token job of it and not bothering even to talk to the victims. 

We cannot watch this travesty of justice in silence.

The CPI(ML) appeals to people all over the country to contribute funds that can be used to buy relief materials (warm clothing, firewood, medicines, food) that are urgently for the Muzaffarnagar riot-affected. A CPI(ML) team will visit Muzaffarnagar on 28 December to distribute the first batch of relief materials collected. 

CPI(ML) also appeals to begin the new year with a resolve to secure justice for Muzaffarnagar's riot victims. On 2nd January 2014, the CPI(ML) has called for an all-India protest day demanding immediate arrest and prosecution of all rioters and rape-accused named in FIRs, and demanding that the State Government of UP ensure urgent relief and rehabilitation measures for the riot-displaced and riot-affected people.

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