ML Update
A CPI(ML) Weekly News Magazine
Vol. 13, No. 20, 11 – 17 MAY 2010
Inaugural Speech by CPI(ML) General Secretary at the Founding Conference of All India Kisan Mahasabha at Patna on 10 May, 2010
(In lieu of editorial)
Comrades and friends, It gives me immense pleasure to inaugurate this important all-India assembly of revolutionary peasant activists. On behalf of the Central Committee of CPI(ML), I extend my warm revolutionary greetings to all of you assembled here, delegates from the four corners of the country and our esteemed guests from Maharashtra and our close eastern neighbour, Bangladesh. Special thanks are also due to our comrades outside of this hall, especially comrades of Bihar who have defied all odds to organize this conference.
Today is the 153rd anniversary of the great uprising of 1857, the first war of India’s independence which was a powerful peasant war in its essence. And this state of Bihar and its capital Patna were among the leading theatres of that glorious national awakening. We recall this legacy with great pride, and resolve to carry forward the great spirit of peasant revolts against imperialism and feudalism, for real freedom and democracy.
Indeed, 1857 signalled the beginning of a long history of militant peasant struggles in Bihar and several other parts of the country. Bihar also served as an early Gandhian laboratory where Gandhi got the impetus to impart a mass peasant dimension to an otherwise elitist Congress. The peasant masses in Bihar however soon began to get disillusioned with the compromising pro-feudal politics of the Congress. From passive supporters of Congress politics, peasants began to turn into active fighters for social transformation and national liberation.
Leading this transition in Bihar and UP were Swami Sahajanand and his comrades. Communist organizers were also engaged in a similar mission in different parts of the country. Against this backdrop, the foundation of the All India Kisan Sabha in 1936 laid a powerful basis for a broad-based anti-imperialist unity of Left forces and gave a fillip to organized and militant peasant struggles across the country. We salute and inherit this rich legacy of peasant mobilization and organization.
It was this legacy that lay behind the historic Telangana uprising in the 1940s and the great Naxalbari and Srikakulam uprising two decades later. Just when the Indian state thought it had snuffed out the fire of Naxalbari, Bhojpur and soon the whole of Bihar rose in revolt unfurling the banner of dignity and democracy. Defying any number of massacres perpetrated by the state or by private armies operating under state patronage, the fire of revolutionary peasant struggle has continued to spread in Bihar and today it simmers across the country from Punjab to Orissa, and Bengal to Andhra. As we assemble here to launch an all-India organization of the labouring and fighting peasantry, we pay our heartfelt tributes to all our great leaders and martyrs who blazed this great trail of radical peasant assertion in India.
If Indian agriculture has managed to overcome the worst shackles of landlordism, bondage and usury, the achievement must be attributed above all to this live legacy of peasant assertion. It was the great Telangana uprising and the host of struggles against landlordism during the first half of the previous century that forced the agenda of elimination of landlordism on the post-colonial Indian state. Likewise, it was the Naxalbari-inspired revolts of the rural poor which compelled the state to go for land ceiling legislation and legal protection of tenancy and share-cropping.
Yet, the state always limited and subverted the land reform agenda in the interest of the landed gentry. Land apart, the landed rich also derived maximum benefits from whatever agricultural and allied infrastructure was developed through public investment while the landless poor and the small peasantry were left to fend for themselves. The green revolution further intensified the socio-economic inequalities and regional disparities, and when under WTO Indian agriculture was subjected to unequal competition with the highly developed and heavily subsidised capitalist agriculture of the western world, the result was an unprecedented agrarian crisis.
Over the last two decades, the crisis has engulfed almost the entire agricultural economy in the country. Even as successive governments boast of 8% economic growth, during the last ten years agriculture has been stagnating at less than 2% annual growth. In the last two years, the rate has actually dropped to 1.6% and minus 0.2% respectively. Peasant suicides have been continuing unabated – whether there is a crop failure or there is a glut in the market, miseries continue to mount for peasants driving many to a suicidal end. And to top it all, now we have an unprecedented 20% food inflation, which hurts most peasants as much as it hurts the non-agricultural working people.
What has been the state’s response to this deepening agrarian crisis? Only a one-off loan waiver before the 2009 Lok Sabha election which certainly helped the Congress retain power but did little to arrest, let alone resolve, the crisis. The Congress had projected the loan waiver as a decisive boon for marginal and small farmers, but the fact remains that the waiver could hardly make any dent into the problem of indebtedness. According to a study done by Professor Harjinder Singh Shergill of Institute for Development and Communication, Chandigarh, the average indebtedness in Malwa region of Punjab actually grew from Rs. 52,000 in 1997 to Rs. 139,000 in 2008. He estimates Punjab’s total farm debt to have gone up from Rs. 5700 crore to Rs. 30,394 crore over this period.
Contrast the government’s indifference to the issues of agrarian crisis and food inflation to its concern for saving Indian big capital from any possible adverse impact of the global economic crisis. In three instalments of bailout package, the government pumped in no less than Rs. 3.5 lakh crore, and this when the number of Indians in the global list of billionaires doubled from 24 in 2008 to 49 in 2009! Add to the bailouts the direct tax exemptions the government hands out in a routine manner in every budget to corporate tax payers (Rs. 2,08,000 crore in last three budgets) and it could fund as many as eight loan waivers in last three years!
The government’s indifference to the agrarian crisis is actually driven by a cynical calculation. The crisis is being sought to be used as an instrument to compel more and more peasants to move out of agriculture, or in any case to give up independent agriculture, thereby facilitating increasing corporate appropriation of resources involved in the agricultural and rural economy. The enactment of the SEZ Act, the state-corporate combined drive for forcible land acquisition, the introduction of GM crops and MNC seeds, steps towards privatization of water resources are all happening against the backdrop of the raging agrarian crisis.
The new agricultural policy of the Indian government and every aspect of Indo-US cooperation in the agricultural field are aimed at intensifying this drive towards corporate restructuring of Indian agriculture. US penetration in Indian agriculture has not yet attracted the kind of public attention and debate that we saw in the case of the nuclear deal, but in terms of scale and implications, the growing US intervention in Indian agriculture is no less detrimental to the interests of India and Indian people.
Under the Indo-US Knowledge Initiative in Agriculture (KIA), signed during the Bush presidency, Indian agricultural knowledge and research has virtually been mortgaged to the US research establishment and it is well known that the interests of US MNCs are closely associated with this venture. Representatives of notorious US agribusiness MNCs Monsanto and Cargill are on the board of directors of KIA. And now the UPA government has initiated a new Agriculture Dialogue with the Obama regime aimed at a comprehensive deal on “Agricultural Cooperation and Food Security” which talks of ‘robust cooperation between the governments’ in a whole range of areas from ‘crop forecasting, management and market information’ to ‘expanding private sector investment in agriculture’.
In the 1960s when India was faced with a major food crisis, the Indian state had peddled the US-sponsored Green Revolution as the answer to that crisis. Today when the green revolution model has collapsed, and India’s food security and food sovereignty are at stake, the Indian state has ironically once again turned to the same American establishment for so-called second generation green revolution and food security! This is the sure recipe for subjugation and destruction of Indian agriculture.
For capital, agriculture is just another source of profit, and appropriation of natural resources is a proven way to gain greater economic control and rapid accumulation of wealth. At the other end of the spectrum, for the vast majority of agricultural population, agriculture is the only or primary source of livelihood. And in spite of the declining share of agriculture in the country’s GDP, a vibrant agricultural economy can be the only reliable foundation for food security and food sovereignty of a populous country like India. The peasant movement today is essentially a battle between these two contending visions of Indian agriculture – it is a broad-based patriotic-democratic answer to the narrow corporate-imperialist blueprint of corporatized agriculture.
Immediate completion of the unfinished agenda of land reforms, comprehensive and timely assistance for people who are directly involved in agriculture, increased public investment in agriculture and adequate indigenous research and extension service to suit the diverse needs of peasants in different fields – these are the four key components of a pro-peasant alternative direction of agricultural development in today’s India. In fighting for this alternative direction, fighting peasants – call them poor and middle peasants or marginal and small farmers – must make common cause with both agricultural labourers and tenant-farmers or share-croppers.
Agricultural economy in India is marked by uneven development of capitalism, and agriculture being most closely linked to the rural society, the peasant masses also have to contend with well entrenched feudal forces on different levels. The fighting peasants and their allies thus invariably find themselves pitted against the combined might of the old feudal forces as well as the emerging kulak-corporate nexus. In spite of uneven economic development and socio-cultural diversities, the agrarian crisis today looms large over the entire country, providing a new sense of urgency and unity among the fighting peasant forces across the country.
In the heydays of green revolution, the rich peasants in relatively advanced areas were quite vocal in advocating liberalization of Indian agriculture. Today the ideologues of rich peasants have either become outright advocates of corporatization or have lost all initiative in the face of acute agrarian crisis. Maharashtra, which had emerged as the cradle of the rich peasant movement led by Sharad Joshi, has today turned into the number one graveyard of Indian farmers even as another leader of Maharashtra kulaks and sugar lobby officiates as the country’s agriculture minister. The crisis has broken down the wall between the so-called advanced capitalist areas and backward feudal regions and the ground is now ready for revolutionary peasant activists from all over the country to take the lead in forging a nationwide peasant resistance.
I wish the conference every success in this direction. May your proposed All India Kisan Mahasabha emerge as a powerful platform of peasant unity and peasant struggle, linking backward regions with advanced areas, peasants with workers, and the peasant movement with the wider current of patriotic-democratic assertion of the Indian people. Since its inception, the CPI(ML) has drawn its greatest sustenance from the revolutionary peasant movement in the country and may I conclude by reiterating the Party’s resolve to march ahead along this path of protracted people’s struggle through every future twist and turn.
Red salute to the fighting legacy and spirit of the Indian peasantry!
Conference Report
National peasant conference held at Patna in SriKrishna Memorial Hall on 9-10 May successfully concluded with the founding of “Akhil Bhartiya Kisan Mahasabha” (all-India peasant alliance). The venue for the historic occasion was named Comrade Master Jagdish Hall, Swami Sahajanand Saraswati Nagar. Well-known peasant leader Ruldu Singh from Punjab and CPI(ML)’s Central Committee member and an ex-MLA Rajaram Singh were elected its President and General Secretary respectively. The Conference also elected a 101 member National Council and a 35 member National Executive.
The Conference has also elected eight vice presidents and seven national secretaries among whom are many well known faces from West Bengal, Bihar, Orissa, Chhatisgarh, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Uttarakhand, Maharashtra and Rajasthan. The eight VPs are Comrades Kartik Pal (W.Bengal), Kshitish Biswal (Orissa), KD Yadav and Rajaram (Bihar), Heera Gope (Jharkhand), Prem Singh Gahalawat (Haryana), DS Chauhan (Chhatisgarh) and Subhash Kakupte (Maharashtra); and the seven national secretaries are Comrades Ishwari P.Kushwaha (UP), Arun Singh (Bihar), Puran Mahto (Jharkhand), Suvimal Sengupta (WB), Ashok Pradhan (Orissa), D Harinath (Andhra Pradesh) and Purushottam Sharma (Uttarakhand).
Apart from the above, the 35 member NE includes names of Gurunam Singh Bhikhi (Punjab), Ramchandra Kulhare (Rajasthan), Rajendra Bhawake (Maharashtra), Jay Prakash Verma, Chandranath Bhai Patel and Anwar Hussain (Jharkhand), Ananda Prasad Bhattacharya, Pavitra Singh and Tapan Batbyal (WB), Afroz Alam (UP), Jagat Martoliya (Uttarakahnd), Suvirjit Sinha (Tripura) and Amarnath Yadav, Ramadhar Singh, Sudama Prasad, Chandradeep Singh, Shivsagar Sharma, Rajendra Patel from Bihar.
The participants to the National Peasant Conference included 1475 delegates from 16 states, 251 guests and 500 observers. Renowned historian RS Sharma and senior lawyers in the Patna High Court SP Mukherjee and Indu Shekhar Singh sent their compliments for the Conference. Peasant leader from Bangladesh Abdussalam addressed the Conference and delegates from Maharashtra’s Lal Nishan Party (Leninist) declared themselves allied with AIKM for working for peasants’ movement nationally.
The Conference was inaugurated by CPI(ML) General Secretary Comrade Dipankar Bhattacharya. The flag for this founding Conference was hoisted by veteran CPI(ML) leader Comrade Ram Naresh Ram. Celebrated leaders of peasant movement – Nemo Singh (Naxalbari), Com. Triveni Sharma Sudhakar, Ramswarup Singh, Azad ji and guests from Bangladesh and Maharashtra were felicitated by the Conference. Comrade Swadesh presented them mementos.
Well known economist Prof. NK Chaudhary welcomed the delegates and guests to the Conference on behalf of the 25 member welcome committee constituted of senior citizens of Patna. Apart from peasant leaders and delegates, Dhirendra Jha, GS of All India Agricultural Labourers’ Association (AIALA), AIPWA’s GS Meena Tiwari, RYA’s National President Mohammad Salim among others also addressed the Conference.
CPI(ML)’s state secretaries from different states were also present- Comrades NK Prasad (Bihar), Sudhakar Yadav (UP), Rubul Sharma (Assam), N Murthy (AP), Kumaraswami (TN), and also senior Party leaders – Comrades RJ Sharma, Ramji Rai, BB Panday, Bangar Rao and K Krishnan.
The proceedings of the Conference were conducted by a team of Comrades IP Kushwaha, Rajaram Singh, Shivsagar Sharma, Purshottam Sharma and other peasant leaders. Conference concluded with Com. KD Yadav giving the vote of thanks. The Conference also passed the Manifesto, Constitution and 7-point political resolution of the All India Kisan Mahasabha.
Other highlights of the event
The Conference began by garlanding the statue of hero of 1857 in Bihar- Kunwar Singh. From there and enroute Conference venue the delegates in the form of a procession stopped at Gandhi Maidan where Shaheed Peer Ali was martyred and garlanded his photo. The procession then stopped at Bhagat Singh crossing where his statue was garlanded. At the Conference venue Swami Sahajanand Saraswati’s picture was garlanded and a giant welcome gate in the name of martyr Peer Ali was erected.
A large number of places in Patna that were hosting the delegates and guests were all renamed for the occasion after great martyrs of peasant, communist and radical movements. Memories of many martyrs not so well known outside of revolutionary left movement were resurrected through renaming of dozens of venues. Apart from the above mentioned venues, welcome gates, dais, guest houses, lodging places, registration halls, youth hostels, MLA guest house, women’s hostel were all renamed for the historic occasion in the names of martyrs- Comrades Rameshwar Yadav (comrade with Master Saab), Gambhira Shah (peasant leader, Champaran, 1970’s), Bachchan Singh (Bhojpur-Rohtas, 1980’s), Rajeshwar Mochi (martyred by RJD-PWG goons in 2004 in Paliganj), Birda Manjhi (Patna, 1970’s), Ramayan Ram (Bhojpur, 70’s), Karyanand Sharma (associate of Swami Sahajanand) and the three student-youth leaders who fearlessly sacrificed their lives for Bihar’s progress- Prashant Chaudhary (martyred during Bhagalpur jailbreak, 70’s), Brajesh Mohan Thakur (killed by feudal lords of Purnia, 80’s) and Chandrashekhar (killed by Shahabuddin’s goons in 1997); Virendra Vidrohi (cultural fighter who blackened the face of then CM Bhagwat Jha Azad to protest a series of massacres), Rameshwar Muni (people’s poet, Magahi), Santu Mahato (peasant leader of North Bihar), Mahendra Singh (fierce voice of oppressed and common people of Bihar and Jharkhand, 2005), Nakshtra Malakar and Ajit Sarkar (people’s leaders in Koshi region), Lahari and Sheela (women comrades martyred by marauding police’ bullets in 1970’s) and Manju (CPIML leader and Dist. Councilor martyred in 2002 by Ranveer Sena).
Entire streets and street corners in Patna were decorated with flags and banners.
Backdrop: The Conference was held in the backdrop of a concerted ruling class mobilisation across parties in Bihar against the implementation of the D Bandopadhyaya Commission recommendations on land reform and sharecroppers' rights. The CPI(ML) has been campaigning for implementation of land reform - and has exposed the Nitish Government which, under pressure from feudal forces has betrayed its promise of implementing the Bandopadhyaya Commission recommendations. The CPI(ML) has succeeded in making land reform the key political issue in Bihar today. Just one day before the All India Peasants Conference, various feudal leaders across parties (including the ruling JD(U) as well as RJD and Congress held a 'Kisan Mahapanchayat' in Patna aggressively announcing their fierce opposition to land reform and sharecroppers' rights. The Conference was a fitting answer to the feudal resistance to land reform and an exposure of Nitish Kumar's anti-feudal pretensions.
IIMS Sessions at Trivandrum and Calicut in Kerala
Indian Institute of Marxist Studies (IIMS) Kerala organized a couple of interactive sessions comprising radical and progressive people representing various sections of Kerala intelligentsia with the General secretary of CPI(ML), during his visit to Kerala from 2-4 May. Com. KM Venugopalan, State Convener of IIMS, chaired the sessions.
Com. Dipankar made a presentation on ‘Contending Trends in Indian Communist Movement (ICM) and the Challenges in India Today’ at the session at Kozhikode on 2nd evening. He made a distinction between three major strands of the ICM, viz., social democracy, revolutionary Left and anarcho-militarist. The presentation was followed by a serious discussion. Many thought provoking ideas on various issues ranging from Marxist approach towards caste and class, bourgeois parties, participation in parliament and the role of armed struggle came up in the course of the debate. The discussion was very lively and participatory. Some important senior activists of ML movement of the ‘70s also took part in the discussion.
The session at Trivandrum on 4th too was quite lively. Activists from various backgrounds ranging from feminist movement to trade union movement and also some academics took part in the discussion. In the course of discussion Com. Dipankar said that looking at Marxism through the prism of ‘Marxists’ in Kerala should be done away with. He also said that revolutionary communist movement is theoretically quite capable of handling complexities of caste and class. He said that identity based struggles too can form part of larger class struggle because class struggle is not merely an economic category. In a country like India with stubborn feudal remnants, class is not always expressed in pure form and hence, feminist movements to dalit movements play a role in anti-feudal struggle in various ways. He said that class differentiation within caste is also assuming significant proportions in the process of capitalist development today.
Onchiyam Martyrdom Day Observed by Left Coordination Committee in Kerala
Left Coordiantion Committee in Kerala comprising various organizations floated by forces which have come out of CPI(M) in recent past, considered to be dissenters and detractors of CPI(M), organized Onjium Martyrdom Day. Onjium village, near Vadakara and part of Kozhikode district, has a significant place in the history of peasant struggles in Kerala along the lines of Punnapura Vayalar and Kaiyur struggles. More than 10 peasants from Onjium village became martyrs in the course of peasant struggle. This time around, Com. Dipankar was the Chief Guest in Onjium Martyrs Memorial Convention organized by the Left Coordination Committee while, quite ironically, Pinarayi Vijayan, state secretary of CPI(M) was the Chief Guest in a similar programme organized by their party in the same village. The seminar was a culmination of a week-long campaign in memory of the martyrs and was attended by more than 1000 people.
Com. Dipankar called upon genuine Left forces in the State to join the struggle for rejuvenation of the Left movement in the State against the political opportunism and degeneration of the government-centric CPI(M) and the forces of social democracy. Comrade Chandrasekar, president of the Left Coordination Committee and Com. Hariharan, State Committee member and editor of Janshakthi, their magazine, also addressed the convention. Com. Hariharan called for the formation of broad Left forum for the revival of the Left movement in the state.
Comrades Shankar, CCM, John K Erumeli, state secretary of CPI(ML), Joy Peter, SLTM, Venugopalan of IIMS, Balasubramanian and Jayaprakash, working class vanguards from Pricol, Coimbatore also participated in the convention.
Tamilnadu Reports
AICCTU held solidairty meetings and demonstrations on May 10, the day AIKM is being founded. In Chennai, a small public meeting was held in Ambattur Industrial Estate. Speakers lambasted the TN govt, for going back on its promise to allot 2 acres of land for the rural poor and remaining a mute spectator in the Judge Dinakaran illegal land grab issue. Com. Devaki, State VP of AIPWA demanded equal wages be paid for women in NREGA. In Tirunelveli, a demonstration was held in Kallur of Suthamalli panchayat, where agricultural workers live in large numbers. In Kanyakumari, a demonstration was held, in which around 100 unorganised workers participated.
AISA Shows Black Flag to Chidambaram
Hundreds of students participated in a massive protest demonstration on the night of 5th May 2010 in JNU, greeting Home Minister P. Chidambaram with black flags and slogans when he came to address an NSUI public meeting on 'Naxalism: A Threat to Indian Democracy and Internal Security'. A large number of students spontaneously responded to All India Students' Association's (AISA’s) call to protest Chidambaram’s visit. Some other groups including the DSU too called for a protest.
The students protested Operation Greenhunt, draconian acts like the UAPA and AFSPA, the Home Ministry’s refusal to allow a judicial enquiry into the Batla House ‘encounter,’ and reluctance to ban terror-tainted Sangh outfits like Abhinav Bharat, and inaction in bringing those responsible for the Babri Masjid demolition and communal violence to justice.
During the Home Minister's visit to JNU, he found support from activists of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) - who raised slogans in favour of the Operation Green Hunt.
Edited, published and printed by S. Bhattacharya for CPI(ML) Liberation from U-90, Shakarpur, Delhi-92; printed at Bol Publication, R-18/2, Ramesh Park, Laxmi Nagar, Delhi-92; Phone:22521067; fax: 22442790, e-mail: mlupdate@cpiml.org, website: www.cpiml.org
Thursday, May 20, 2010
ML UPDATE 19 / 2010
ML Update
A CPI(ML) Weekly News Magazine
Vol. 13, No. 19, 04 – 10 MAY 2010
May Day 2010: Working Class Actions for Wages, Work and Industrial Democracy
Workers all over the country observed the historic May Day this year with protests against anti-worker policies, price rise and state repression. It has been apparent for some time that we are witnessing growing working class assertion against the erosion in wages, shrinking livelihood and curbing of trade union rights. As working class militancy was being declared a thing of the past, workers from Mumbai to Coimbatore to Gurgaon have time and again demonstrated the indomitable spirit of working class struggles and the power of working class actions.
The AICCTU in Tamil Nadu had declared a working class padayatra (Long March) on the issue of trade union rights, to start from Coimbatore – the scene of Pricol workers’ struggle for industrial democracy in the face of repression – and to travel across the state to culminate on May Day at the state capital, Chennai. The TN Government and police, in keeping with their efforts to keep Coimbatore as a ‘No-Trade-Union Zone’ and ‘No Workers’ Protest Zone’, did all they could to ban the padayatra from being launched at Coimbatore. But the workers eventually emerged triumphant and the padayatra was launched in a huge mass meeting at Coimbatore on April 23. The workers’ March then made its way across several districts to culminate in a massive pledge-taking meeting at Chennai on May Day, in which some 4000 workers from across the state participated. The success of the padayatra reflected the working class’ determination to uphold their right to unionise and struggle.
In Mumbai, there was yet another demonstration of workers’ solidarity and struggle with the railway motormen’s hunger strike on the issue of wage revision and filling up of vacant posts. These demands of Mumbai motormen had been pending since January 26 this year, when their first strike was averted by the Railway authorities’ assurance that a fast track committee would look into their demands. The motormen had then warned of a strike in May if the demands were not resolved. The fast track committee reportedly did not meet the workers even once and the motormen then announced an indefinite hunger strike. Just a few hours of hunger strike brought Mumbai to a grinding halt. The Maharashtra Government invoked Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA), dismissed 10 motormen and arrested 170 – but the workers’ action continued nevertheless. The Government was forced to come to the negotiating table, and the hunger strike was called off after Maharashtra Home Minister R R Patil assured that a special fast-track committee set up by the Railways would consider the demands of the motormen and will submit its report by June 15, and that dismissed motormen would be taken back.
The Mumbai strike highlighted the burning wage question in workers’ struggles today. In the backdrop of soaring prices, workers’ wages, instead of being increased, are shrinking. Wages are being linked with the productivity, recruitments are being reduced and workers are bearing the burden of increased workload and erosion in real wages. In the light of this, AICCTU raised the demand for monthly wages of Rs. 11,000 to be accepted as a national floor level minimum wage and Rs. 2,000 as monthly pension for all unorganized workers.
The signs of growing working class resistance and solidarity are welcome and the revolutionary working class movement must prepare to honour its May Day resolve and wage bigger and stronger battles for wages, livelihood, social security, rights and dignity.
Jharkhand Crisis: New Act in the Political Theatre of Opportunism and Corruption
Jharkhand is witnessing a new act in the theatre of the absurd that has marked the state’s politics in the decade since its formation. In the past ten years, the state saw seven governments, with the state’s ruling parties appearing willing to display dizzying political gymnastics in keeping with every opportunistic compulsion. Once again, the Jharkhand government stands racked by crisis and uncertainty as various ruling class political players including JMM leaders, the BJP and the Congress explore new and more advantageous political alignments. In a short span of time, all these political forces displayed their total absence of scruples and principles as they blithely made and unmade partnerships.
The drama began with the Chief Minister and JMM Chief Shibu Soren (who is the Dumka MP and yet to be elected an MLA) unaccountably led his party to vote in support of the Central Government on the cut motion moved by the Opposition. The JMM’s alliance partner in the Jharkhand Government, the BJP, reacted to this “betrayal” by announcing its withdrawal of support.
Four months ago, the JMM, erstwhile UPA partner, had struck an alliance with the BJP to form Government. The Government founded on opportunism is now witnessing a series of new opportunistic twists. The BJP, having announced withdrawal of support, was then seen eating its own words. Even as the Congress hinted at a new alignment of the JMM-Congress-JVP, the BJP restored its partnership with the JMM based on the promise of a BJP Chief Minister. Shibu Soren offered an absurd explanation for his cross-over on the floor of Parliament by pleading confusion induced by Alzheimer’s! Subsequently, the BJP was seen to reconcile itself to a JMM Chief Minister, and as of now Shibu Soren continues as CM.
Meanwhile a factional struggle within the JMM also unfolds, with various contenders vying for the CM post and five JMM MLAs raising the banner of revolt against JMM’s cross-voting on the cut-motion. Time is running out for Shibu Soren to get himself elected to the Jharkhand Assembly – which he must do by June 30 if he is to remain CM. As of now he is finding it difficult to get anyone to vacate a seat for him to contest.
The Jharkhand political drama is far from over. No matter what alignment is in power once the dust settles, the present episode has underlined the self-serving and corrupt character of ruling class politics in the state. Before the last Assembly elections, the multi-crore mining scam involving former CM Madhu Koda had exposed how the entire ruling structure in Jharkhand is mired in corruption and implicated in facilitating corporate grab of the state’s precious resources at the cost of the livelihood and lives of its adivasi people. As Jharkhand’s people and its democracy are again the casualty while its rulers continue to indulge in unprincipled and corrupt political gymnastics, the CPI(ML) and its lone MLA in the Jharkhand Assembly are once again the only consistent force in the State to voice the aspirations of the people for justice, development and dignity.
1st May – International Workers’ Day
The historic May Day (in 1886, when the workers of the world organised and declared that they will only let eight hours of their labour power to be appropriated by Capital a day) was observed by CPI(ML) and All India Central Council of Trade Unions (AICCTU) in India with different initiatives.
Delhi: Raising slogans to Provide Livelihood & Jobs to All; Rights & Dignity for each member of the Working Class & Peasantry; Guarantee Rs.11,000 in Monthly Wages and Social Security; Curb Price Rise- thousands of workers in Delhi and the NCR organised under the banner of CPI(ML) and AICCTU held demonstrations, meetings and colourful rallies exposing the pro-rich, anti-people and anti-workers policies of the Centre’s UPA and Delhi’s Sheila Dikshit Govt., and demanding immediate roll-back of these policies and implementation of the promises made to the poor.
Raliies and other May Day programmes were held at Patparganj industrial area and Kondli in East Delhi. Procession was held at Mandawli in the evening (7 pm). At
Noida one hundred rickshaw pullers took out a rally with their cycle rickshaws well decorated with red flags and sharply criticizing both the UPA and Mayawati’s Govt. While another rally was held at Jaitpur near Badarpur at 9 am. The DTC workers and technicians held gate meetings at Central Workshop (2nd) at 12 pm condemning the anti-people transport policies of Sheila Dikshit Govt. and the attempts to privatize the DTC. At Wazirpur and Bhorgarh industrial areas (Narela) in north Delhi workers held rallies and meetings at 8 am. It is notable that Delhi State Committee decided to hold May Day rallies and programmes locally at several places in Delhi in contrast to the long practiced joint May Day rallies. This has helped in consolidating our working class membership and also boosted the confidence of workers while simultaneously highlighting boldly the local issues with wider issues. Hundreds of workers and Party members participated in the programmes.
Orissa: 100 members of different workers’ union participated in a day long programme organised by the AICCTU at the Nagbhushan Bhawan in Bhubaneswar. The AICCTU flag was hoisted by Com. Khitish Biswal Orissa’s State Secretary of CPI(ML) followed by a public meeting which gave a call to all unorganised and organised workers for intensification of struggle for fixing minimum wages at Rs.200/day, social security and comprehensive health cover for all workers.
AICCTU also observed May Day at Rourkela, Gunupur, Rajkanika, Bhadrak and Puri. Com. Radhakant Sethi addressed the meeting at Rajkanika and Com. Tirupati Gamango addressed at Gunupur.
Tamil Nadu: May Day meet was attended by over 4000 workers from all over the State. The meeting was presided over by Com. T Sankarapandian, State Vice-President, AICCTU. Com. KG Desikan, State Secretary, AICCTU, read out the pledge and the participants repeated aloud the pledge to gear toward preparations for a more vigorous struggle against the pro-corporate policies of the Govt. Party’s General Secretary Com. Dipankar Bhattacharya honoured the padayatris and presented them a set of 8th Party Congress Documents.
Com. S Kumarasami, PBM and AICCTU’s All India President said that the demand for Trade Union (TU) Recognition Act was first raised by Pricol workers and now the Tamilnadu assembly has shown its intentions to amend TU Act to provide for recognition of TU with majority of workers. He said the TN police attempted to decimate AICCTU in TN, but, AICCTU thwarted all its attempt and has successfully completed the journey from Coimbatore to Chennai raising workers issues all through. He said that the attempts of the TN police to portray those disseminating Marxist–Leninist ideology in TN as criminals and the ideology to be something afraid of, the workers vigorous participation and firm adherence to the principles and fight for justice along with CPI(ML) and AICCTU has squarely foiled their designs, and the workers of the State now know that it is their main hope for securing justice and their fundamental rights.
Com. Dipankar said that if the Centre and State governments are relentless in developing no-trade-union-zones in the country, every factory in the Country will become a zone of struggle. He called upon the workers to rise in struggles and let it known that they will not allow the Govt. to hand over the wealth of the country to the corporates and that all mineral wealth must be nationalized. He said that the Pricol workers have taken up the padayatra on the issues of working people of all sections and did not limit it to their own demands and such a move was sure to take the unity and struggle of Indian working class to newer heights.
Uttar Pradesh: May Day was observed in several districts of the State including Lucknow. A large number of construction workers affiliated to AICCTU took out a rally from Gomti Nagar to Patrakarpuram in Lucknow led by Com. Balmukund Dhuria. Meeting followed the Flag hoisting. The extremely exploitative condition of construction workers was highlighted and the speakers held Mayawati Govt. directly responsible for continuation of such situation.
A public meeting was organised by CPI(ML) and All India Agricultural Labourers’ Association (AIALA) at Bhadaura and Jakhania in Gazipur dist. AICCTU held a march in Allahabad. AICCTU leaders addressed a meeting of workers following the Flag hoisting at Kanpur. AICCTU and its affiliate Kamgar Union respectively held marches at Ayodhya and Maya Bazaar in Faizabad. Martyrs were paid tributes in many other districts.
Assam: May Day programmes were organised with great enthusiasm at many places in the State. At Borgong in Sonitpur dist. the Asom Sangrami Chah Shramik Sangha (ASCSS) mobilized two thousand workers, mostly tea workers. At Tinsukia too, the joint organisation committee headed by AICCTU mobilized more than 2000 workers. Highlight of the programme was 200 ASHA workers in their uniform and specially prepared umbrellas and carrying hundreds of placards and red flags that made the rally very colourful. Many cultural performances were part of the entire procession. The ASCSS and Sadou Asom Gramin Shramik Santha (SAGSS) jointly organised May Day in Jorhat. More than 200 workers each mobilized by ASCSS participated in programmes at Maijan and Tingkhong in Dibrugarh Dist. At Myang and Bonda SAGSS and AICCTU mobilized 200 and 300 workers respectively. Large number of workers from United Workmen’s Union (affiliated to AICCTU) gathered at the gates of Guwahati Refinery for May Day meeting. In Nagaon also programmes were held at 2 places.
Chhatisgarh: One thousand workers from Raipur, Bilaspur, Durg, Rajnandgaon, Mahasamund and other districts participated in the ten kilometer long May Day rally starting from Bilaspur railway station to the DM’s office. The rally was organised by Chhatisgarh Mukti Morcha and AICCTU. After the rally the meeting was addressed by AICCTU National Secretary Com. Brijendra Tiwari and CMM’s President and AICCTU’s National VP Com. Bhimrao Bagde among many others. After the meeting a memorandum and demand letter for the Chief Minister was handed over to the SDM demanding immediate arresting and action on those who kidnapped and assaulted Com. AG Quraishi, injured workers be compensated immediately among other demands. The speakers said that loot and repression has become a hallmark of the Raman Singh Govt. The Administration tried to disrupt the programme but the participants thwarted their attempt.
Rally comprising 350 workers was held in Bhilai demanding restitution of the workers who were sacked just for demanding payment of minimum wages. May Day was observed in rock mines at Mura in Raipur and Jagdalpur in Bastar where 150 workers participated. TUCI was a joint organiser here.
Madhya Pradesh: Meetings of workers took place at Gwalior and Bhind participated by hundred workers at each place. Com. Rajaram attended the meeting at Gwalior and Com. Devendra Singh Chauhan was present at Bhind.
Gujarat: At Vilad in Valsad Dist. hundred workers from Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation participated in the May Day programme addressed by Com. Prabhat Kumar, CCM. At Himmat Nagar, headquarter of Sabarkantha Dist. Com. Ranjan Ganguly addressed a meeting of hundred workers on May Day.
Workers’ Padayatra Continues
In the last issue this newsletter reported about Pricol workers’ padayatra to highlight the issue of working class in Tamilnadu. Update on that Yatra follows.
Yatra reached Sriperumbudur on April 28. A public meeting was held in the evening in which over 150 workers participated. CITU and AITUC leaders also addressed the meeting in Sriperumbudur. Com. Thamizharima presided over the meeting. CITU leader E. Muthukumar said that Pricol workers have created a model in the working class movement of TN and that they have taken the initiative on TU Recognition Act and on issues of trainees in TN. He also said a joint struggle of AICCTU, CITU and AITUC should be taken up to carry the struggle for these demands forward.
On April 29, padayatris reached Redhills of Tiruvallore district welcomed by the Tiruvallore comrades at the bus terminus. A 500-strong rally and a public meeting were held. Com. S Janakiraman, SCM, presided over the public meet. The comrades reached Ambattur on April 30 at the public meeting venue after a rally held along the areas where unorganized workers live in large numbers. Com. Sekar, AICCTU State Secretary, led the rally and Com. Mohan, AICCTU State Executive Committee member, presided over the public meeting in which 250 workers participated. In all these meetings, Com. Krishnamurthi, President, Pricol Workers’ Union and State Secretary, AICCTU, Com. Janakiraman and Com. Gurusami of Pricol Workers’ Union addressed the meetings. Com. S Kumarasami, AICCTU’s National President, addressed all these meetings.
Reports from Puducherry
A State level Party School was organised by the Puduchery unit of CPI(ML) on 24th April 2010 on the occasion of the 41st anniversary (22nd April) of CPI(ML). The subject for the School was ‘Communist Movement and Maoism’. Party State Committee members, local committee secretaries and its members, branch secretaries, and branch leading team members and a few mass organisations’ leaders took part in the Party education camp.
The day long camp was conducted by the CCM Com. V. Shankar, Com. S. Balasubrmanian State Secretary of the Party explained the salient features of the April 22nd call and underlined the emphasis given in the call for its effective practice at all levels. A lively debate ensued in the second session with most students participating.
The nationwide general strike called by the Party was implemented in the State with much enthusiasm. All the affiliated unions of AICCTU observed a total strike on that day. Previously the unions issued notice of strike to their respective managements and handed over a 10 point demand charter. CPI(ML) and AICCTU conducted street corner meetings in and around places of Puduchery town appealing people for participating in the strike and making it successful. On the strike day 27th April, a protest demonstration was led by the State Secretary of CPI(ML) Com. S Balasubramanian. All the shops in Puduchery and Karaikal regions including Mahe and Yanam were voluntarily closed by the traders. Autoricshaws, private stage carriers were off the road.
AIALA’s Intervention for Social Auditing of NREGA in Madurai
The District Committee of the Party has formed three Local Committees in Vadipatti Union of Madurai district. It decided to strengthen the committees by involving them in organizing AIALA work at Panchayat Level. May 1 is the customary day of Social Auditing of NREGA. AIALA decided to intervene in it. A Work Shop on NREGA and Social Auditing was held for selected comrades on 25th April. The workshop decided to concentrate in a single panchayat- Kachakatti. We prepared 10 questions regarding implementation of NREGA and distributed leaflets in all the panchayats where we have work. All the leaders of the Local Committee met people in every street, conducted 'thinnai meetings' as summer rain was lashing the area.
On May 1 people started towards the Panchayat Office and found no one there. The Panchayat did not do anything to conduct a Gram Shaba meeting. As more than 200 men and women assembled and the police-Union Officer reached the spot, the Panchayat woke up late and shifted the venue to near by community hall. There were a lot of scuffles as the Panchayat could not answer any of the question raised by our comrades and general public. They said that they measure volume of work allotted to the workers but they never scaled the volume of the work done. When people asked, “and then how you pay by volume?”, the Panchayat authorities remained silent. This initiative helped us to thoroughly expose the DMK Government which is ruling one of the Model state in implementing NREGA. AIALA is planning to bring out a leaflet containing the fact brought out during the Gram Sabha. Comrades Muthamma and Pambaiamma wee leading the agitations.
Party Foundation Day in Haryana
Party foundation day was observed in Upalana village of Asandh block of Karnal district in Haryana. After Flag hoisting party's call was read and discussed. Comrade PS Gahalawat addressed the meeting. Haryana Pradesh Mazdoor Kisan Sangathan's Asandh block conference was also held on that day in Upalana. The Conference was inaugurated by Com. PS Gahalawat. A five-member body was elected with comrades Ishwar Pal as President, Satpal as Vice President, Secretary Karmavir, and Cashier Satyawan. During the campaign a membership of 795 was achieved in various villages of this block.
CPI(ML)-led Struggle is Victorious in Mirzapur
Mansa Devi’s 3-year old son Rohan died due to drowning when she was working at the site digging pond as part of Mahatma Gandhi NREGA work. Had the rules been followed for arrangement of caretaker/balwadi for workers’ children at the worksite, Rohan would have been alive and such tragedy may have been avoided. Demanding action against those responsible for violating the rules and compensation for Mansa Devi, CPI(ML), All India Progressive Women’s Association (AIPWA) and other mass organisations were on a dharna at Jamalpur block since 27 March 2010. Initially, the Administration tried its best to shrug off its accountability by ignoring the dharna. But it had to relent in the face of continued dharna and compensation was finally awarded and announcement was made for removal of Panchayat Secretary and BDO was publicly reprimanded.
In another incident from Mirzapur earlier reported in this newsletter, where musclemen of Atari village had beaten up women on 17 April on the issue of filling water from a handpump, and that the police adding insult to injury had again got the women beaten up when it came to the village after a complaint was filed against the goons, a couple Usha Sharma and her husband Rajendra Sharma have been critically injured in this repeat assault and are in district hospital for 10 days. CPI(ML) recently organised a protest demonstration at the DC office for urgent action and punishment to the goons and irresponsible policemen.
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
A CPI(ML) Weekly News Magazine
Vol. 13, No. 19, 04 – 10 MAY 2010
May Day 2010: Working Class Actions for Wages, Work and Industrial Democracy
Workers all over the country observed the historic May Day this year with protests against anti-worker policies, price rise and state repression. It has been apparent for some time that we are witnessing growing working class assertion against the erosion in wages, shrinking livelihood and curbing of trade union rights. As working class militancy was being declared a thing of the past, workers from Mumbai to Coimbatore to Gurgaon have time and again demonstrated the indomitable spirit of working class struggles and the power of working class actions.
The AICCTU in Tamil Nadu had declared a working class padayatra (Long March) on the issue of trade union rights, to start from Coimbatore – the scene of Pricol workers’ struggle for industrial democracy in the face of repression – and to travel across the state to culminate on May Day at the state capital, Chennai. The TN Government and police, in keeping with their efforts to keep Coimbatore as a ‘No-Trade-Union Zone’ and ‘No Workers’ Protest Zone’, did all they could to ban the padayatra from being launched at Coimbatore. But the workers eventually emerged triumphant and the padayatra was launched in a huge mass meeting at Coimbatore on April 23. The workers’ March then made its way across several districts to culminate in a massive pledge-taking meeting at Chennai on May Day, in which some 4000 workers from across the state participated. The success of the padayatra reflected the working class’ determination to uphold their right to unionise and struggle.
In Mumbai, there was yet another demonstration of workers’ solidarity and struggle with the railway motormen’s hunger strike on the issue of wage revision and filling up of vacant posts. These demands of Mumbai motormen had been pending since January 26 this year, when their first strike was averted by the Railway authorities’ assurance that a fast track committee would look into their demands. The motormen had then warned of a strike in May if the demands were not resolved. The fast track committee reportedly did not meet the workers even once and the motormen then announced an indefinite hunger strike. Just a few hours of hunger strike brought Mumbai to a grinding halt. The Maharashtra Government invoked Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA), dismissed 10 motormen and arrested 170 – but the workers’ action continued nevertheless. The Government was forced to come to the negotiating table, and the hunger strike was called off after Maharashtra Home Minister R R Patil assured that a special fast-track committee set up by the Railways would consider the demands of the motormen and will submit its report by June 15, and that dismissed motormen would be taken back.
The Mumbai strike highlighted the burning wage question in workers’ struggles today. In the backdrop of soaring prices, workers’ wages, instead of being increased, are shrinking. Wages are being linked with the productivity, recruitments are being reduced and workers are bearing the burden of increased workload and erosion in real wages. In the light of this, AICCTU raised the demand for monthly wages of Rs. 11,000 to be accepted as a national floor level minimum wage and Rs. 2,000 as monthly pension for all unorganized workers.
The signs of growing working class resistance and solidarity are welcome and the revolutionary working class movement must prepare to honour its May Day resolve and wage bigger and stronger battles for wages, livelihood, social security, rights and dignity.
Jharkhand Crisis: New Act in the Political Theatre of Opportunism and Corruption
Jharkhand is witnessing a new act in the theatre of the absurd that has marked the state’s politics in the decade since its formation. In the past ten years, the state saw seven governments, with the state’s ruling parties appearing willing to display dizzying political gymnastics in keeping with every opportunistic compulsion. Once again, the Jharkhand government stands racked by crisis and uncertainty as various ruling class political players including JMM leaders, the BJP and the Congress explore new and more advantageous political alignments. In a short span of time, all these political forces displayed their total absence of scruples and principles as they blithely made and unmade partnerships.
The drama began with the Chief Minister and JMM Chief Shibu Soren (who is the Dumka MP and yet to be elected an MLA) unaccountably led his party to vote in support of the Central Government on the cut motion moved by the Opposition. The JMM’s alliance partner in the Jharkhand Government, the BJP, reacted to this “betrayal” by announcing its withdrawal of support.
Four months ago, the JMM, erstwhile UPA partner, had struck an alliance with the BJP to form Government. The Government founded on opportunism is now witnessing a series of new opportunistic twists. The BJP, having announced withdrawal of support, was then seen eating its own words. Even as the Congress hinted at a new alignment of the JMM-Congress-JVP, the BJP restored its partnership with the JMM based on the promise of a BJP Chief Minister. Shibu Soren offered an absurd explanation for his cross-over on the floor of Parliament by pleading confusion induced by Alzheimer’s! Subsequently, the BJP was seen to reconcile itself to a JMM Chief Minister, and as of now Shibu Soren continues as CM.
Meanwhile a factional struggle within the JMM also unfolds, with various contenders vying for the CM post and five JMM MLAs raising the banner of revolt against JMM’s cross-voting on the cut-motion. Time is running out for Shibu Soren to get himself elected to the Jharkhand Assembly – which he must do by June 30 if he is to remain CM. As of now he is finding it difficult to get anyone to vacate a seat for him to contest.
The Jharkhand political drama is far from over. No matter what alignment is in power once the dust settles, the present episode has underlined the self-serving and corrupt character of ruling class politics in the state. Before the last Assembly elections, the multi-crore mining scam involving former CM Madhu Koda had exposed how the entire ruling structure in Jharkhand is mired in corruption and implicated in facilitating corporate grab of the state’s precious resources at the cost of the livelihood and lives of its adivasi people. As Jharkhand’s people and its democracy are again the casualty while its rulers continue to indulge in unprincipled and corrupt political gymnastics, the CPI(ML) and its lone MLA in the Jharkhand Assembly are once again the only consistent force in the State to voice the aspirations of the people for justice, development and dignity.
1st May – International Workers’ Day
The historic May Day (in 1886, when the workers of the world organised and declared that they will only let eight hours of their labour power to be appropriated by Capital a day) was observed by CPI(ML) and All India Central Council of Trade Unions (AICCTU) in India with different initiatives.
Delhi: Raising slogans to Provide Livelihood & Jobs to All; Rights & Dignity for each member of the Working Class & Peasantry; Guarantee Rs.11,000 in Monthly Wages and Social Security; Curb Price Rise- thousands of workers in Delhi and the NCR organised under the banner of CPI(ML) and AICCTU held demonstrations, meetings and colourful rallies exposing the pro-rich, anti-people and anti-workers policies of the Centre’s UPA and Delhi’s Sheila Dikshit Govt., and demanding immediate roll-back of these policies and implementation of the promises made to the poor.
Raliies and other May Day programmes were held at Patparganj industrial area and Kondli in East Delhi. Procession was held at Mandawli in the evening (7 pm). At
Noida one hundred rickshaw pullers took out a rally with their cycle rickshaws well decorated with red flags and sharply criticizing both the UPA and Mayawati’s Govt. While another rally was held at Jaitpur near Badarpur at 9 am. The DTC workers and technicians held gate meetings at Central Workshop (2nd) at 12 pm condemning the anti-people transport policies of Sheila Dikshit Govt. and the attempts to privatize the DTC. At Wazirpur and Bhorgarh industrial areas (Narela) in north Delhi workers held rallies and meetings at 8 am. It is notable that Delhi State Committee decided to hold May Day rallies and programmes locally at several places in Delhi in contrast to the long practiced joint May Day rallies. This has helped in consolidating our working class membership and also boosted the confidence of workers while simultaneously highlighting boldly the local issues with wider issues. Hundreds of workers and Party members participated in the programmes.
Orissa: 100 members of different workers’ union participated in a day long programme organised by the AICCTU at the Nagbhushan Bhawan in Bhubaneswar. The AICCTU flag was hoisted by Com. Khitish Biswal Orissa’s State Secretary of CPI(ML) followed by a public meeting which gave a call to all unorganised and organised workers for intensification of struggle for fixing minimum wages at Rs.200/day, social security and comprehensive health cover for all workers.
AICCTU also observed May Day at Rourkela, Gunupur, Rajkanika, Bhadrak and Puri. Com. Radhakant Sethi addressed the meeting at Rajkanika and Com. Tirupati Gamango addressed at Gunupur.
Tamil Nadu: May Day meet was attended by over 4000 workers from all over the State. The meeting was presided over by Com. T Sankarapandian, State Vice-President, AICCTU. Com. KG Desikan, State Secretary, AICCTU, read out the pledge and the participants repeated aloud the pledge to gear toward preparations for a more vigorous struggle against the pro-corporate policies of the Govt. Party’s General Secretary Com. Dipankar Bhattacharya honoured the padayatris and presented them a set of 8th Party Congress Documents.
Com. S Kumarasami, PBM and AICCTU’s All India President said that the demand for Trade Union (TU) Recognition Act was first raised by Pricol workers and now the Tamilnadu assembly has shown its intentions to amend TU Act to provide for recognition of TU with majority of workers. He said the TN police attempted to decimate AICCTU in TN, but, AICCTU thwarted all its attempt and has successfully completed the journey from Coimbatore to Chennai raising workers issues all through. He said that the attempts of the TN police to portray those disseminating Marxist–Leninist ideology in TN as criminals and the ideology to be something afraid of, the workers vigorous participation and firm adherence to the principles and fight for justice along with CPI(ML) and AICCTU has squarely foiled their designs, and the workers of the State now know that it is their main hope for securing justice and their fundamental rights.
Com. Dipankar said that if the Centre and State governments are relentless in developing no-trade-union-zones in the country, every factory in the Country will become a zone of struggle. He called upon the workers to rise in struggles and let it known that they will not allow the Govt. to hand over the wealth of the country to the corporates and that all mineral wealth must be nationalized. He said that the Pricol workers have taken up the padayatra on the issues of working people of all sections and did not limit it to their own demands and such a move was sure to take the unity and struggle of Indian working class to newer heights.
Uttar Pradesh: May Day was observed in several districts of the State including Lucknow. A large number of construction workers affiliated to AICCTU took out a rally from Gomti Nagar to Patrakarpuram in Lucknow led by Com. Balmukund Dhuria. Meeting followed the Flag hoisting. The extremely exploitative condition of construction workers was highlighted and the speakers held Mayawati Govt. directly responsible for continuation of such situation.
A public meeting was organised by CPI(ML) and All India Agricultural Labourers’ Association (AIALA) at Bhadaura and Jakhania in Gazipur dist. AICCTU held a march in Allahabad. AICCTU leaders addressed a meeting of workers following the Flag hoisting at Kanpur. AICCTU and its affiliate Kamgar Union respectively held marches at Ayodhya and Maya Bazaar in Faizabad. Martyrs were paid tributes in many other districts.
Assam: May Day programmes were organised with great enthusiasm at many places in the State. At Borgong in Sonitpur dist. the Asom Sangrami Chah Shramik Sangha (ASCSS) mobilized two thousand workers, mostly tea workers. At Tinsukia too, the joint organisation committee headed by AICCTU mobilized more than 2000 workers. Highlight of the programme was 200 ASHA workers in their uniform and specially prepared umbrellas and carrying hundreds of placards and red flags that made the rally very colourful. Many cultural performances were part of the entire procession. The ASCSS and Sadou Asom Gramin Shramik Santha (SAGSS) jointly organised May Day in Jorhat. More than 200 workers each mobilized by ASCSS participated in programmes at Maijan and Tingkhong in Dibrugarh Dist. At Myang and Bonda SAGSS and AICCTU mobilized 200 and 300 workers respectively. Large number of workers from United Workmen’s Union (affiliated to AICCTU) gathered at the gates of Guwahati Refinery for May Day meeting. In Nagaon also programmes were held at 2 places.
Chhatisgarh: One thousand workers from Raipur, Bilaspur, Durg, Rajnandgaon, Mahasamund and other districts participated in the ten kilometer long May Day rally starting from Bilaspur railway station to the DM’s office. The rally was organised by Chhatisgarh Mukti Morcha and AICCTU. After the rally the meeting was addressed by AICCTU National Secretary Com. Brijendra Tiwari and CMM’s President and AICCTU’s National VP Com. Bhimrao Bagde among many others. After the meeting a memorandum and demand letter for the Chief Minister was handed over to the SDM demanding immediate arresting and action on those who kidnapped and assaulted Com. AG Quraishi, injured workers be compensated immediately among other demands. The speakers said that loot and repression has become a hallmark of the Raman Singh Govt. The Administration tried to disrupt the programme but the participants thwarted their attempt.
Rally comprising 350 workers was held in Bhilai demanding restitution of the workers who were sacked just for demanding payment of minimum wages. May Day was observed in rock mines at Mura in Raipur and Jagdalpur in Bastar where 150 workers participated. TUCI was a joint organiser here.
Madhya Pradesh: Meetings of workers took place at Gwalior and Bhind participated by hundred workers at each place. Com. Rajaram attended the meeting at Gwalior and Com. Devendra Singh Chauhan was present at Bhind.
Gujarat: At Vilad in Valsad Dist. hundred workers from Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation participated in the May Day programme addressed by Com. Prabhat Kumar, CCM. At Himmat Nagar, headquarter of Sabarkantha Dist. Com. Ranjan Ganguly addressed a meeting of hundred workers on May Day.
Workers’ Padayatra Continues
In the last issue this newsletter reported about Pricol workers’ padayatra to highlight the issue of working class in Tamilnadu. Update on that Yatra follows.
Yatra reached Sriperumbudur on April 28. A public meeting was held in the evening in which over 150 workers participated. CITU and AITUC leaders also addressed the meeting in Sriperumbudur. Com. Thamizharima presided over the meeting. CITU leader E. Muthukumar said that Pricol workers have created a model in the working class movement of TN and that they have taken the initiative on TU Recognition Act and on issues of trainees in TN. He also said a joint struggle of AICCTU, CITU and AITUC should be taken up to carry the struggle for these demands forward.
On April 29, padayatris reached Redhills of Tiruvallore district welcomed by the Tiruvallore comrades at the bus terminus. A 500-strong rally and a public meeting were held. Com. S Janakiraman, SCM, presided over the public meet. The comrades reached Ambattur on April 30 at the public meeting venue after a rally held along the areas where unorganized workers live in large numbers. Com. Sekar, AICCTU State Secretary, led the rally and Com. Mohan, AICCTU State Executive Committee member, presided over the public meeting in which 250 workers participated. In all these meetings, Com. Krishnamurthi, President, Pricol Workers’ Union and State Secretary, AICCTU, Com. Janakiraman and Com. Gurusami of Pricol Workers’ Union addressed the meetings. Com. S Kumarasami, AICCTU’s National President, addressed all these meetings.
Reports from Puducherry
A State level Party School was organised by the Puduchery unit of CPI(ML) on 24th April 2010 on the occasion of the 41st anniversary (22nd April) of CPI(ML). The subject for the School was ‘Communist Movement and Maoism’. Party State Committee members, local committee secretaries and its members, branch secretaries, and branch leading team members and a few mass organisations’ leaders took part in the Party education camp.
The day long camp was conducted by the CCM Com. V. Shankar, Com. S. Balasubrmanian State Secretary of the Party explained the salient features of the April 22nd call and underlined the emphasis given in the call for its effective practice at all levels. A lively debate ensued in the second session with most students participating.
The nationwide general strike called by the Party was implemented in the State with much enthusiasm. All the affiliated unions of AICCTU observed a total strike on that day. Previously the unions issued notice of strike to their respective managements and handed over a 10 point demand charter. CPI(ML) and AICCTU conducted street corner meetings in and around places of Puduchery town appealing people for participating in the strike and making it successful. On the strike day 27th April, a protest demonstration was led by the State Secretary of CPI(ML) Com. S Balasubramanian. All the shops in Puduchery and Karaikal regions including Mahe and Yanam were voluntarily closed by the traders. Autoricshaws, private stage carriers were off the road.
AIALA’s Intervention for Social Auditing of NREGA in Madurai
The District Committee of the Party has formed three Local Committees in Vadipatti Union of Madurai district. It decided to strengthen the committees by involving them in organizing AIALA work at Panchayat Level. May 1 is the customary day of Social Auditing of NREGA. AIALA decided to intervene in it. A Work Shop on NREGA and Social Auditing was held for selected comrades on 25th April. The workshop decided to concentrate in a single panchayat- Kachakatti. We prepared 10 questions regarding implementation of NREGA and distributed leaflets in all the panchayats where we have work. All the leaders of the Local Committee met people in every street, conducted 'thinnai meetings' as summer rain was lashing the area.
On May 1 people started towards the Panchayat Office and found no one there. The Panchayat did not do anything to conduct a Gram Shaba meeting. As more than 200 men and women assembled and the police-Union Officer reached the spot, the Panchayat woke up late and shifted the venue to near by community hall. There were a lot of scuffles as the Panchayat could not answer any of the question raised by our comrades and general public. They said that they measure volume of work allotted to the workers but they never scaled the volume of the work done. When people asked, “and then how you pay by volume?”, the Panchayat authorities remained silent. This initiative helped us to thoroughly expose the DMK Government which is ruling one of the Model state in implementing NREGA. AIALA is planning to bring out a leaflet containing the fact brought out during the Gram Sabha. Comrades Muthamma and Pambaiamma wee leading the agitations.
Party Foundation Day in Haryana
Party foundation day was observed in Upalana village of Asandh block of Karnal district in Haryana. After Flag hoisting party's call was read and discussed. Comrade PS Gahalawat addressed the meeting. Haryana Pradesh Mazdoor Kisan Sangathan's Asandh block conference was also held on that day in Upalana. The Conference was inaugurated by Com. PS Gahalawat. A five-member body was elected with comrades Ishwar Pal as President, Satpal as Vice President, Secretary Karmavir, and Cashier Satyawan. During the campaign a membership of 795 was achieved in various villages of this block.
CPI(ML)-led Struggle is Victorious in Mirzapur
Mansa Devi’s 3-year old son Rohan died due to drowning when she was working at the site digging pond as part of Mahatma Gandhi NREGA work. Had the rules been followed for arrangement of caretaker/balwadi for workers’ children at the worksite, Rohan would have been alive and such tragedy may have been avoided. Demanding action against those responsible for violating the rules and compensation for Mansa Devi, CPI(ML), All India Progressive Women’s Association (AIPWA) and other mass organisations were on a dharna at Jamalpur block since 27 March 2010. Initially, the Administration tried its best to shrug off its accountability by ignoring the dharna. But it had to relent in the face of continued dharna and compensation was finally awarded and announcement was made for removal of Panchayat Secretary and BDO was publicly reprimanded.
In another incident from Mirzapur earlier reported in this newsletter, where musclemen of Atari village had beaten up women on 17 April on the issue of filling water from a handpump, and that the police adding insult to injury had again got the women beaten up when it came to the village after a complaint was filed against the goons, a couple Usha Sharma and her husband Rajendra Sharma have been critically injured in this repeat assault and are in district hospital for 10 days. CPI(ML) recently organised a protest demonstration at the DC office for urgent action and punishment to the goons and irresponsible policemen.
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 18 / 2010
ML Update
A CPI(ML) Weekly News Magazine
Vol. 13, No. 18, 27 APRIL – 03 MAY 2010
Bharat Bandh: Bourgeois Parties Backtrack in Parliament,
the Fighting People March on the Streets
T
hirteen non-NDA non-UPA parties had given a call for a countrywide mass strike against price-rise on April 27. Considering the severity of the price situation and the need to sharpen and intensify the movement, the CPI(ML) along with the Maharashtra-based Lal Nishan Party (Leninist) and Punjab-based CPM(Punjab) also endorsed the strike and called for strengthening the all-India mass action against the UPA government’s inflationary economic policies and its failure to provide any relief to the aam aadmi. The strike call issued by the CPI(ML), LNP(L) and CPM(Punjab) also focused on the issue of growing state repression and corporate loot and demanded food security for the people and nationalization of the mineral sector.
Reports received from different states showed widespread countrywide mass support for the strike. The strike was understandably more effective in states or regions where the parties sponsoring it have a strong presence, but the level of mass participation and spontaneous support reflected not just the relative strength of the concerned parties but a much wider public anger against the UPA government’s failure and betrayal. The people are angry not just over the UPA’s failure or refusal to control prices but more particularly with its utter lack of concern for the common people. Budget 2010 only added fuel to the inflationary fire without bothering to provide any relief and worse still, while the masses reeled under soaring prices, UPA ministers and managers remained merrily immersed in choreographing the corrupt corporate carnival of IPL.
While the people expressed their anger by marching on the streets, the Lok Sabha was scheduled to have a showdown over two cut motions. Considering the parliamentary strength of the parties that had called the bandh and the declared position of several other non-UPA parties, the cut motion voting should have meant a very close call for the government. But the results were 289 votes for the government and 201 for the motion with 55 MPs abstaining from voting. What increased the government tally despite one absence each from the Congress, NCP and TMC was the support extended by the BSP’s 21 MPs and Jharkhand Chief Minister Shibu Soren. The opposition tally was reduced not just by a few absences in the NDA camp, but most notably by the decision of the SP and RJD to abstain from the voting. Also joining the abstention brigade were the JD(S) and the lone MP of the SUCI.
The voting pattern reveals a clear rupture between the popular anger and agitational mood and the political calculations of several ‘opposition’ parties. The RJD, for example, has been quite vocal on the question of price rise, having already observed a Bihar bandh on the issue in January. But when the budget came, the country saw Lalu Prasad speaking not so much on the budget but against the women’s reservation bill, and now at the decisive hour of voting on the cut motion, he once again chickened out along with his SP partner from UP. Maybe the Congress will now reciprocate by putting the women’s reservation bill on the backburner. The BSP and the Congress seem to be engaged in an intense turf war in UP, but that did not stop the BSP from coming to the rescue of the Congress at the Centre. Time will tell us what sealed this deal – maybe the Centre’s assurance of a soft line on Mayawati’s mounting court cases, or the nod for the 5,500-crore Greater Noida international airport project!
With the bourgeois opposition parties displaying their characteristic vacillation, the responsibility for carrying forward the agitation against the UPA’s anti-people policies lies squarely with the revolutionary Left. The developing political situation and the people’s response to the countrywide mass strike have vindicated our agenda and assessment. Mass pressure must be increased on the UPA government for automatic inclusion of all agricultural, rural and unorganized workers and small peasants in the BPL list and for immediate enactment of food security legislation. The question of democracy too is fast coming up on the forefront of public discourse – even as the debate on Green Hunt intensifies, bourgeois opposition leaders too complain of telephone tapping and growing curbs on democracy and freedom.
The UPA may have survived the cut motion in Lok Sabha, but parliamentary deals must not be allowed to dampen the fighting spirit and tempo of the masses. The governments that inflict misery on the people and wage war on democracy will have to be halted in their tracks.
CPI(ML) Congratulates Working Class and Aam Admi for Voicing their anger against Price Rise and increasing State Repression and making the 27 April Countrywide General Strike a Success
CPI(ML) General Secretary Arrested with Thousands of Bandh Supporters in Patna
Bihar: Demanding immediate check on food-prices and essential items’ prices, inclusion of all poor in the BPL list, complete withdrawal from the policies of privatisation, nationalisation of minerals and natural resources, stopping all assaults on democracy and operation green hunt, immediate implementation of comprehensive food security bill and progressive land reforms, the CPI(ML) supported Bharat bandh was totally successful in Bihar and elsewhere in the Country.
CPI(ML) General Secretary Com. Dipankar Bhattacharya along with State Secretary Nand Kishore Prasad, Polit Bureau member Ramji Rai, CC member KD Yadav, Patna Dist. Secretary Kunal, RYA GS Kamlesh Sharma and Pradip Jha along with dozens of other Party leaders and hundreds of bandh supporters were arrested in Patna while leading a march. More than five thousand CPI(ML) members were arrested in 27 April Bharat Bandh in Siwan, Darbhanga, Nawada, Chhapra, Naugachia, Begusarai, Betiah and other places in Bihar apart from Patna.
To make the Bandh successful large rallies were organised by Party committees in Patna, Arrah, Bhabua, Buxar, Sasaram, Gaya, Arwal, Aurangabad, Jahanabad, Nalanda, Nawada, Sheikhpura, Siwan, Samastipur, Gopalganj, Darbhanga, Bettiah, Muzzafarpur, Bhagalpur, Purnia, Begusarai, Araria, Supaul and other districts led by senior Party leaders. Bandh supporters held dharna and blockades on railway lines and national highways thus completely paralysing the traffic. All major commercial, official and educational institutes remained shut.
Com. Dipankar citing the successful bandh said that if the Central and State Governments do not take lesson from this and stop repressive measures like price rise and green hunt, it will have to be prepared to be dislodged from power.
Uttar Pradesh: In Lucknow, CPI(ML) and AIPWA jointly took out a march in support of the general strike. AIPWA’s entire national council was present in the march. When the march was stopped by the police from proceeding, the marchers sat on the street forming a dharna. Later the City Magistrate declared them arrested.
At Mirzapur, CPI(ML) State Secretary Com. Sudhakar Yadav led the rally. Party cadres were arrested in Ghazipur, Varanasi, Jalaun and Sultanpur when they were implementing the bandh call. Rallies were also taken out at four centres of Ghazipur dist.- Dist. HQ, Jamania, Bhadaura and Saidpur; Mughalsarai, Chakia, Sakaldiha and Naugarh in Chandauli dist.; Ahiraura, Rajgarh, Jamalpur, Lalganj and Dist. HQ in Mirzapur; Hargaon, Mahauli, Biswan and at Sitapur dist.HQ. Apart from these places CPI(ML) members in hundreds also took to street at Sonbhadra, Ballia, Dewaria, Gorakhpur, Mau, Bhadohi, Kanpur, Ambedkar Nagar, Khiri, Pilibhit, Gonda, Azamgarh etc. to make the bandh successful.
Chhatisgarh: Dharna was organised at Sector-1 in Bhilai in support of the bandh call on 27 April.
Delhi: The activists and members of CPI(ML) and AICCTU organised mass actions in various parts of Delhi to make the All India General Strike a great success. The Wajirpur Industrial Area remained closed as hundreds of CPI(ML) and AICCTU workers started picketing since early morning followed by a massive demonstration and public meeting. Thousands of workers supported the bandh call and came out in streets for the whole day. The strike in this area was led by AICCTU leader Com. Mathura Paswan, Munna Yadav, RP Singh and many others.
AICCTU also participated in strike call in other parts of Delhi like Okhla, Jhilmil, Bhorgarh and adjoining NOIDA. The demonstration in NOIDA was led by Com. Shyam Kishore Yadav and Pramod Singh.
Orissa: CPI(ML) protested price rise at at Bhubaneswar, Rayagada, Gosani, Rajkanika and Pattamundei, Gunupur, Padmapur and Bhadrak. Demands to curb price rise and stop green hunt immediately were raised vigorously by the bandh supporters along with Party members. Com. Mahendra Parida of AICCTU, State Secretary of AICCTU- COM Yudhistir Mohapatra, State Commitee member of CPI(ML), Tirupati Gamango and Ashok Pradhan, Comrades Bidhan Das, Samar, Banshi Dhar Parida, Radha Kanta Sethi and others took part in the rally at different places. Protest was very attractive and colourful and the speakers lambasted the Naveen Patnaik and Central UPA Govt. for its repressive policies.
Uttarakhand: Effigies of Manmohan Singh and State Chief Minister Nishank were burnt at Srinagar in Garhwal, Deghat and Bhikiyasain in Almora, Munshiari and Pithoragarh District Headquarters, and Haldwani in Nainital to protest the price rise and assaults on democracy in the name of combating the Maoists.
AISA and RYA Protest against Operation Green Hunt
Activists of the All India Students' Association (AISA) and Revolutionary Youth Association (RYA) protested in Kolkata on 23rd April against operation green hunt. They also burnt effigies of Union Home Minister P Chidambaram and WB Chief Minster Buddhadeb Bhattacherjee. More than five hundred student and youth in a well decorated rally attracted the attention of the people and media for the exclusive issue what many political organizations are not daring to address. Standing both against the pro-state mainstream Left trend, which has succumbed to congress led UPA Government and the anarcho-militarist political trend, AISA and RYA condemned the operation "Green Hunt" launched by United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government describing it as a virtual war against the tribals and other poor Indian people to grab the land, mines, forests, and rivers for the sake of monopolist capitalists. Assault on democracy in its various forms was fiercely condemned. Malay Tewari and Jul Mukherjee, State Secretary and Jt.Secretary, AISA; Souvik Ghoshal and Apurba Ghosh State President and Secretary, RYA led the rally.
AICCTU’s Resolute Fight in Tamil Nadu Boosts Morale of Working Class
AICCTU had sought permission for holding a padayatra from Coimbatore to Chennai from April 17 to May 1, with an inaugural meeting in Coimbatore. The Coimbatore SP denied permission for the whole padayatra till May 1, which is out of his jurisdiction, citing Roy George’s murder as reason. He also said in his letter denying permission that the padayatra can not be allowed as it is going through ‘highly industrialized districts’ and that AICCTU members are the murderers in Roy George case.
This letter was challenged in Madras High Court and the Court at the outset said the Coimbatore SP can not pass orders for the whole padayatra and the DGP will have to give permission and thus the SP’s letter holds no more value. DGP also denied permission citing the same reasons placed by SP and passed an order to that effect on 16.04.2010. She also added in her letter that AICCTU has a violent history. As it was already time for April 17 program, AICCTU wrote another letter seeking permission for the padayatra with a revised schedule. The court asked the DGP to pass orders on AICCTU’s rescheduled padayatra program before April 21.
However, the DGP did not pass any order till April 21. The Madras HC on April 22 asked the Govt. pleader why the DGP did not act as per Court’s direction and it again notified the DGP for immediately passing the orders. By 14:45, the DGP’s order was served in the court.
This order did not mention anything about the earlier allegations on AICCTU levelled by the SP and DGP to deny permission. The new order granted permission for the padayatra from 23-30 April. It directed the concerned SPs and commissioners to provide security for AICCTU’s programmes.
The Coimbatore and TN police’ undemocratic attempt to deny AICCTU entry into Coimbatore, of course at the behest of Coimbatore industrialists, was thus foiled.
Pricol Workers Hold Successful Public Meeting on 1 hour’s Notice: As DGP’s order granting permission for the padayatra came at 2:45 pm on April 22, the Pricol workers were informed at 4 pm to get ready for the public meeting same evening at 6pm. This was first public programme in Coimbatore after the police’s witch-hunt against Pricol workers and our Union in September–October last year. The meeting was held at the same venue where the Pricol workers organised their 8000 strong May Day rally in 2007. Pricol workers were eagerly waiting for such an occasion. They started gathering by 5 pm at the venue which is around 20 km away from their dwelling place. By 6 pm more than 1500 Pricol workers, some with their families filled the venue.
Meeting started at 6.15 pm. Speaker after speaker were cheered and welcomed by the Pricol workers with great enthusiasm and the mood of the meeting amply showed the victory of the workers over the biased police. Pricol workers also donated funds for the forthcoming yatra under AICCTU leadership. Only in 5 minutes over Rs.50,000 was contributed by the workers. There were more workers waiting and as that would take at least another half an hour, they were requested by the organizers to give the funds later.
Com. Kumarasami, who addressed the gathering, recalled various victorious stages in their 3-year long struggle and said they would emerge victorious in the coming days too and called for the workers to carry forward their struggle to newer heights.
The public meet was presided over by Com. N Krishnamurthy, Pricol Workers’ Union leader. Comrades S Kumarasami, AICCTU’s National President, NK Natarajan, AICCTU’s State GS and others addressed.
Yatra: Following the successful public meet in Coimbatore, the Pricol workers began their Yatra (tour) the following day passing through various districts of Tamil Nadu highlighting the issues and demands of the working class of TN and demanding discussion on workers issues in the current Assembly session. The Yatra is being led by Comrades S Kumarasami and NK Natarajan. On April 24, they held public meetings and rallies in Erode, Pallipalayam and Komarapalayam, where power loom workers are in large numbers. On April 25 they moved to Salem, Villupuram on 26 and Virudhachalam on 27 April. At all these places, rallies and public meetings were held.
22nd April 2010: CPI(ML) Celebrates its 41st Foundation Day
Cadre Meeting in Tamil Nadu: On April 22, a State-level cadre meeting was held at Salem. Apart from State Committee members, district standing body members, dist. in-charges and more than 23 local committee secretaries also participated in the meeting.
April 22 call was read. Participants expressed their opinions and raised certain clarifications. Com. Kumarasamy, PBM, explained the call in detail. He called upon the cadres to find out ways and means to translate the Party’s call into a living practice. “Raising the level of mass assertion and expanding Party’s political initiatives” is very much linked to the style of work and level of practice of the party structures and cadres. In this regard he cited from Mao’s writing, ‘Style of work’ and ‘Method of Leadership’. ‘Speaking a lot about mass work and doing less on mass work’ is one important gap we see in our practice. This must be overcome. This particular gap must be eliminated by active implementation of the call both in letter and spirit.
More than 23 local committee secretaries placed reports about implementation of the special fund drive, levy collection and Theepori subscription enrolment. The meeting resolved to strengthen the local committees as the vibrant leading centre of Party and mass work. Every dist. Party organization should take up this as a key task. All the decisions of the party and mass organizations must be translated into active day-to-day by actively mobilizing local level party structures. The meeting also proposed to hold a convention of local committee secretaries.
The meeting decided to actively participate in the 27th April general strike and decided to make a big success the May Day workers’ rally at Chennai against price rise, state repression and for workers’ rights and dignity. Several resolutions were passed in the meeting. The meeting began with flag hoisting by Com. Mohanasundaram, Dist. Secretary of Salem. Com. Ponrasu, Dist. In-charge of Tuticorin-Virudhunagar paid tributes to the martyrs and departed leaders. The meeting observed 2 minutes silence. Balasundaram, Party State Secretary, also addressed the cadre meeting.
Delhi: Flag hoisting and meetings were held at many places in Delhi. Flag hoisting and paying of tributes to martyrs was organised at Wajirpur, Mandawali, Okhla, Shahdara, Kondli, Khora and Noida. A public meeting was also organised at Wajirpur Industrial area. The 22 April call was discussed and pledge taken at all these places.
Rajasthan: Dharna, demonstrations and cadre meetings were held on 22 April by the Party and its mass organisations in Jaipur, Jhunjhunu, Pratapgarh, Ajmer and Udaipur districts.
Road blockade and mass meeting was organised by Party activists and members at Salumber sub-division of Udaipur dist. Prior to that a rally was taken out through the main streets led by Com. Gautam Meena. The mass meeting exposed the failure of the Ashok Gehlot Govt. and his Party’s Central UPA Govt. Another speaker Com. Unkar mentioned that hundreds of mines are being operated illegally in Udaipur’s tribal areas since many years and even minimum wages are not being given to the workers, leave alone any security. Workers are dying regularly due to unsafe mining and the State Govt. is hand in glove with the mine owners. The mass meeting resolved to end this mafia rule and the grave injustice. About 400 peasants, women and rural workers laid the blockade of the main highway. A memorandum was also submitted to the SDM.
Dharna and demonstration was held at Dhariawad town of Udaipur dist led by Dist. Secretary Com. Chandradeo Ola. He said that the promise made by Ashok Gehlot before coming into power to settle the land issues of the tribal people ahs been betrayed and the forest dept. is rejecting the claims of adivasi people under directions from local Congress politicians, or even worse the pattas are being distributed to the Congress cadres. The Congress politicians are involved in NREGA corruption too. A memorandum for the President of India was submitted to the ADM. The Dharna was only lifted when the ADM assured of urgent action on local issues.
In Pratapgarh, a rally led by Comrades Karulal, Sambhulal Rawal and Shantilal Trivedi marched through the main streets of the town before reching the DM’s office where a dharna was held. Com. Jafar Khan charged the Govt. of abetting the land mafia’s intention of bulldozing the unregularised colonies where no basic civic amenities are being provided. Comrades Shahnaj and Sosar Bai said that the Govt. has turned a blind eye to the crisis of drinking water despite repeated demands from AIPWA for resolving it.
At Ajmer, hundreds of women and men led by Com. Bhanwari held a demonstration for inclusion of urban poor into NREGA and providing basic civic amenities.
In Jaipur, a cadre meeting was organised in the Party office led by State Secretary Com. Mahendra Chaudhary and CCM Com. Srilata Swaminathan. Com. Mahendra called forth for taking up the challenge of building Party organisation in whole Rajasthan and especially in Jaipur dist.
At Jhunjhunu a cadre meeting was held in the Party office presided by Com. Phoolchand Dhewa. Members of the Grameen Mazdoor Sangathan and Bhatta Mazdoor Sangathan also participated. At Khetri, a sub-division, a dharna and demonstration was organised at the Electricity Dept. office led by Com. Ramchandra Kulhari. The main demand here was that the Congress Govt. keep its promise of providing minimum 8-hours of full voltage power to the peasants and farmers for agricultural work, and also make proper arrangement for drinking water. Hundreds of peasants attended the dharna and raised slogans against Central and State Govts.
All India Progressive Women’s Association (AIPWA)’s Rajasthan unit held demand demonstrations at District Headquarters of four districts- Jaipur, Ajmer, Udaipur and Pratapgarh demanding passing of the Women’s Reservation Bill in the current session of the Parliament. In Jaipur a 15-member delegation led by AIPWA incharge Com. Manjulata handed over a memorandum to the Governor. At Ajmer 50 women led by AIPWA’s State President Bhanwari Bai met the Dist. Magistrate and gave him a memorandum demanding that UPA Govt. stop its theatrics of building consensus and immediately pass the 33 percent reservation bill. In Udaipur and Pratapgarh as well the AIPWA leaders and members met the DM and handed over similar memorandums. In Pratapgarh Comrades Abida and Shahnaj led the demonstration and delegation. The speakers at the demonstration also exposed the anti-women face of the UPA Govt.
Chhatisgarh: A cadre convention was organised at Bhilai on 22nd April. Main speaker was Party’s CCM Com. Rajaram. Party’s call was read after observing silence and paying tributes to the martyrs. The Convention was conducted by State Secretary Com. Brijendra Tiwary. Party members also held meetings and discussion on Party’s 22 April call at Jagdalpur in Bastar, Bangoli in Raipur and at Lal Khadan in Bilaspur.
Peasant Conferences were organised at Masurchi block in Bilaspur on 18 April and at Deveda under Berla block in Durg dist. on 25th April. These conferences were addressed by Com. Rajaram and Narottam Sharma of AIALA. Various issues were raised and Raman Govt’s Gram Suraaj Abhiyan was termed as pretentious, meant for causing confusion among masses and for covering-up the rule of loot and repression.
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
A CPI(ML) Weekly News Magazine
Vol. 13, No. 18, 27 APRIL – 03 MAY 2010
Bharat Bandh: Bourgeois Parties Backtrack in Parliament,
the Fighting People March on the Streets
T
hirteen non-NDA non-UPA parties had given a call for a countrywide mass strike against price-rise on April 27. Considering the severity of the price situation and the need to sharpen and intensify the movement, the CPI(ML) along with the Maharashtra-based Lal Nishan Party (Leninist) and Punjab-based CPM(Punjab) also endorsed the strike and called for strengthening the all-India mass action against the UPA government’s inflationary economic policies and its failure to provide any relief to the aam aadmi. The strike call issued by the CPI(ML), LNP(L) and CPM(Punjab) also focused on the issue of growing state repression and corporate loot and demanded food security for the people and nationalization of the mineral sector.
Reports received from different states showed widespread countrywide mass support for the strike. The strike was understandably more effective in states or regions where the parties sponsoring it have a strong presence, but the level of mass participation and spontaneous support reflected not just the relative strength of the concerned parties but a much wider public anger against the UPA government’s failure and betrayal. The people are angry not just over the UPA’s failure or refusal to control prices but more particularly with its utter lack of concern for the common people. Budget 2010 only added fuel to the inflationary fire without bothering to provide any relief and worse still, while the masses reeled under soaring prices, UPA ministers and managers remained merrily immersed in choreographing the corrupt corporate carnival of IPL.
While the people expressed their anger by marching on the streets, the Lok Sabha was scheduled to have a showdown over two cut motions. Considering the parliamentary strength of the parties that had called the bandh and the declared position of several other non-UPA parties, the cut motion voting should have meant a very close call for the government. But the results were 289 votes for the government and 201 for the motion with 55 MPs abstaining from voting. What increased the government tally despite one absence each from the Congress, NCP and TMC was the support extended by the BSP’s 21 MPs and Jharkhand Chief Minister Shibu Soren. The opposition tally was reduced not just by a few absences in the NDA camp, but most notably by the decision of the SP and RJD to abstain from the voting. Also joining the abstention brigade were the JD(S) and the lone MP of the SUCI.
The voting pattern reveals a clear rupture between the popular anger and agitational mood and the political calculations of several ‘opposition’ parties. The RJD, for example, has been quite vocal on the question of price rise, having already observed a Bihar bandh on the issue in January. But when the budget came, the country saw Lalu Prasad speaking not so much on the budget but against the women’s reservation bill, and now at the decisive hour of voting on the cut motion, he once again chickened out along with his SP partner from UP. Maybe the Congress will now reciprocate by putting the women’s reservation bill on the backburner. The BSP and the Congress seem to be engaged in an intense turf war in UP, but that did not stop the BSP from coming to the rescue of the Congress at the Centre. Time will tell us what sealed this deal – maybe the Centre’s assurance of a soft line on Mayawati’s mounting court cases, or the nod for the 5,500-crore Greater Noida international airport project!
With the bourgeois opposition parties displaying their characteristic vacillation, the responsibility for carrying forward the agitation against the UPA’s anti-people policies lies squarely with the revolutionary Left. The developing political situation and the people’s response to the countrywide mass strike have vindicated our agenda and assessment. Mass pressure must be increased on the UPA government for automatic inclusion of all agricultural, rural and unorganized workers and small peasants in the BPL list and for immediate enactment of food security legislation. The question of democracy too is fast coming up on the forefront of public discourse – even as the debate on Green Hunt intensifies, bourgeois opposition leaders too complain of telephone tapping and growing curbs on democracy and freedom.
The UPA may have survived the cut motion in Lok Sabha, but parliamentary deals must not be allowed to dampen the fighting spirit and tempo of the masses. The governments that inflict misery on the people and wage war on democracy will have to be halted in their tracks.
CPI(ML) Congratulates Working Class and Aam Admi for Voicing their anger against Price Rise and increasing State Repression and making the 27 April Countrywide General Strike a Success
CPI(ML) General Secretary Arrested with Thousands of Bandh Supporters in Patna
Bihar: Demanding immediate check on food-prices and essential items’ prices, inclusion of all poor in the BPL list, complete withdrawal from the policies of privatisation, nationalisation of minerals and natural resources, stopping all assaults on democracy and operation green hunt, immediate implementation of comprehensive food security bill and progressive land reforms, the CPI(ML) supported Bharat bandh was totally successful in Bihar and elsewhere in the Country.
CPI(ML) General Secretary Com. Dipankar Bhattacharya along with State Secretary Nand Kishore Prasad, Polit Bureau member Ramji Rai, CC member KD Yadav, Patna Dist. Secretary Kunal, RYA GS Kamlesh Sharma and Pradip Jha along with dozens of other Party leaders and hundreds of bandh supporters were arrested in Patna while leading a march. More than five thousand CPI(ML) members were arrested in 27 April Bharat Bandh in Siwan, Darbhanga, Nawada, Chhapra, Naugachia, Begusarai, Betiah and other places in Bihar apart from Patna.
To make the Bandh successful large rallies were organised by Party committees in Patna, Arrah, Bhabua, Buxar, Sasaram, Gaya, Arwal, Aurangabad, Jahanabad, Nalanda, Nawada, Sheikhpura, Siwan, Samastipur, Gopalganj, Darbhanga, Bettiah, Muzzafarpur, Bhagalpur, Purnia, Begusarai, Araria, Supaul and other districts led by senior Party leaders. Bandh supporters held dharna and blockades on railway lines and national highways thus completely paralysing the traffic. All major commercial, official and educational institutes remained shut.
Com. Dipankar citing the successful bandh said that if the Central and State Governments do not take lesson from this and stop repressive measures like price rise and green hunt, it will have to be prepared to be dislodged from power.
Uttar Pradesh: In Lucknow, CPI(ML) and AIPWA jointly took out a march in support of the general strike. AIPWA’s entire national council was present in the march. When the march was stopped by the police from proceeding, the marchers sat on the street forming a dharna. Later the City Magistrate declared them arrested.
At Mirzapur, CPI(ML) State Secretary Com. Sudhakar Yadav led the rally. Party cadres were arrested in Ghazipur, Varanasi, Jalaun and Sultanpur when they were implementing the bandh call. Rallies were also taken out at four centres of Ghazipur dist.- Dist. HQ, Jamania, Bhadaura and Saidpur; Mughalsarai, Chakia, Sakaldiha and Naugarh in Chandauli dist.; Ahiraura, Rajgarh, Jamalpur, Lalganj and Dist. HQ in Mirzapur; Hargaon, Mahauli, Biswan and at Sitapur dist.HQ. Apart from these places CPI(ML) members in hundreds also took to street at Sonbhadra, Ballia, Dewaria, Gorakhpur, Mau, Bhadohi, Kanpur, Ambedkar Nagar, Khiri, Pilibhit, Gonda, Azamgarh etc. to make the bandh successful.
Chhatisgarh: Dharna was organised at Sector-1 in Bhilai in support of the bandh call on 27 April.
Delhi: The activists and members of CPI(ML) and AICCTU organised mass actions in various parts of Delhi to make the All India General Strike a great success. The Wajirpur Industrial Area remained closed as hundreds of CPI(ML) and AICCTU workers started picketing since early morning followed by a massive demonstration and public meeting. Thousands of workers supported the bandh call and came out in streets for the whole day. The strike in this area was led by AICCTU leader Com. Mathura Paswan, Munna Yadav, RP Singh and many others.
AICCTU also participated in strike call in other parts of Delhi like Okhla, Jhilmil, Bhorgarh and adjoining NOIDA. The demonstration in NOIDA was led by Com. Shyam Kishore Yadav and Pramod Singh.
Orissa: CPI(ML) protested price rise at at Bhubaneswar, Rayagada, Gosani, Rajkanika and Pattamundei, Gunupur, Padmapur and Bhadrak. Demands to curb price rise and stop green hunt immediately were raised vigorously by the bandh supporters along with Party members. Com. Mahendra Parida of AICCTU, State Secretary of AICCTU- COM Yudhistir Mohapatra, State Commitee member of CPI(ML), Tirupati Gamango and Ashok Pradhan, Comrades Bidhan Das, Samar, Banshi Dhar Parida, Radha Kanta Sethi and others took part in the rally at different places. Protest was very attractive and colourful and the speakers lambasted the Naveen Patnaik and Central UPA Govt. for its repressive policies.
Uttarakhand: Effigies of Manmohan Singh and State Chief Minister Nishank were burnt at Srinagar in Garhwal, Deghat and Bhikiyasain in Almora, Munshiari and Pithoragarh District Headquarters, and Haldwani in Nainital to protest the price rise and assaults on democracy in the name of combating the Maoists.
AISA and RYA Protest against Operation Green Hunt
Activists of the All India Students' Association (AISA) and Revolutionary Youth Association (RYA) protested in Kolkata on 23rd April against operation green hunt. They also burnt effigies of Union Home Minister P Chidambaram and WB Chief Minster Buddhadeb Bhattacherjee. More than five hundred student and youth in a well decorated rally attracted the attention of the people and media for the exclusive issue what many political organizations are not daring to address. Standing both against the pro-state mainstream Left trend, which has succumbed to congress led UPA Government and the anarcho-militarist political trend, AISA and RYA condemned the operation "Green Hunt" launched by United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government describing it as a virtual war against the tribals and other poor Indian people to grab the land, mines, forests, and rivers for the sake of monopolist capitalists. Assault on democracy in its various forms was fiercely condemned. Malay Tewari and Jul Mukherjee, State Secretary and Jt.Secretary, AISA; Souvik Ghoshal and Apurba Ghosh State President and Secretary, RYA led the rally.
AICCTU’s Resolute Fight in Tamil Nadu Boosts Morale of Working Class
AICCTU had sought permission for holding a padayatra from Coimbatore to Chennai from April 17 to May 1, with an inaugural meeting in Coimbatore. The Coimbatore SP denied permission for the whole padayatra till May 1, which is out of his jurisdiction, citing Roy George’s murder as reason. He also said in his letter denying permission that the padayatra can not be allowed as it is going through ‘highly industrialized districts’ and that AICCTU members are the murderers in Roy George case.
This letter was challenged in Madras High Court and the Court at the outset said the Coimbatore SP can not pass orders for the whole padayatra and the DGP will have to give permission and thus the SP’s letter holds no more value. DGP also denied permission citing the same reasons placed by SP and passed an order to that effect on 16.04.2010. She also added in her letter that AICCTU has a violent history. As it was already time for April 17 program, AICCTU wrote another letter seeking permission for the padayatra with a revised schedule. The court asked the DGP to pass orders on AICCTU’s rescheduled padayatra program before April 21.
However, the DGP did not pass any order till April 21. The Madras HC on April 22 asked the Govt. pleader why the DGP did not act as per Court’s direction and it again notified the DGP for immediately passing the orders. By 14:45, the DGP’s order was served in the court.
This order did not mention anything about the earlier allegations on AICCTU levelled by the SP and DGP to deny permission. The new order granted permission for the padayatra from 23-30 April. It directed the concerned SPs and commissioners to provide security for AICCTU’s programmes.
The Coimbatore and TN police’ undemocratic attempt to deny AICCTU entry into Coimbatore, of course at the behest of Coimbatore industrialists, was thus foiled.
Pricol Workers Hold Successful Public Meeting on 1 hour’s Notice: As DGP’s order granting permission for the padayatra came at 2:45 pm on April 22, the Pricol workers were informed at 4 pm to get ready for the public meeting same evening at 6pm. This was first public programme in Coimbatore after the police’s witch-hunt against Pricol workers and our Union in September–October last year. The meeting was held at the same venue where the Pricol workers organised their 8000 strong May Day rally in 2007. Pricol workers were eagerly waiting for such an occasion. They started gathering by 5 pm at the venue which is around 20 km away from their dwelling place. By 6 pm more than 1500 Pricol workers, some with their families filled the venue.
Meeting started at 6.15 pm. Speaker after speaker were cheered and welcomed by the Pricol workers with great enthusiasm and the mood of the meeting amply showed the victory of the workers over the biased police. Pricol workers also donated funds for the forthcoming yatra under AICCTU leadership. Only in 5 minutes over Rs.50,000 was contributed by the workers. There were more workers waiting and as that would take at least another half an hour, they were requested by the organizers to give the funds later.
Com. Kumarasami, who addressed the gathering, recalled various victorious stages in their 3-year long struggle and said they would emerge victorious in the coming days too and called for the workers to carry forward their struggle to newer heights.
The public meet was presided over by Com. N Krishnamurthy, Pricol Workers’ Union leader. Comrades S Kumarasami, AICCTU’s National President, NK Natarajan, AICCTU’s State GS and others addressed.
Yatra: Following the successful public meet in Coimbatore, the Pricol workers began their Yatra (tour) the following day passing through various districts of Tamil Nadu highlighting the issues and demands of the working class of TN and demanding discussion on workers issues in the current Assembly session. The Yatra is being led by Comrades S Kumarasami and NK Natarajan. On April 24, they held public meetings and rallies in Erode, Pallipalayam and Komarapalayam, where power loom workers are in large numbers. On April 25 they moved to Salem, Villupuram on 26 and Virudhachalam on 27 April. At all these places, rallies and public meetings were held.
22nd April 2010: CPI(ML) Celebrates its 41st Foundation Day
Cadre Meeting in Tamil Nadu: On April 22, a State-level cadre meeting was held at Salem. Apart from State Committee members, district standing body members, dist. in-charges and more than 23 local committee secretaries also participated in the meeting.
April 22 call was read. Participants expressed their opinions and raised certain clarifications. Com. Kumarasamy, PBM, explained the call in detail. He called upon the cadres to find out ways and means to translate the Party’s call into a living practice. “Raising the level of mass assertion and expanding Party’s political initiatives” is very much linked to the style of work and level of practice of the party structures and cadres. In this regard he cited from Mao’s writing, ‘Style of work’ and ‘Method of Leadership’. ‘Speaking a lot about mass work and doing less on mass work’ is one important gap we see in our practice. This must be overcome. This particular gap must be eliminated by active implementation of the call both in letter and spirit.
More than 23 local committee secretaries placed reports about implementation of the special fund drive, levy collection and Theepori subscription enrolment. The meeting resolved to strengthen the local committees as the vibrant leading centre of Party and mass work. Every dist. Party organization should take up this as a key task. All the decisions of the party and mass organizations must be translated into active day-to-day by actively mobilizing local level party structures. The meeting also proposed to hold a convention of local committee secretaries.
The meeting decided to actively participate in the 27th April general strike and decided to make a big success the May Day workers’ rally at Chennai against price rise, state repression and for workers’ rights and dignity. Several resolutions were passed in the meeting. The meeting began with flag hoisting by Com. Mohanasundaram, Dist. Secretary of Salem. Com. Ponrasu, Dist. In-charge of Tuticorin-Virudhunagar paid tributes to the martyrs and departed leaders. The meeting observed 2 minutes silence. Balasundaram, Party State Secretary, also addressed the cadre meeting.
Delhi: Flag hoisting and meetings were held at many places in Delhi. Flag hoisting and paying of tributes to martyrs was organised at Wajirpur, Mandawali, Okhla, Shahdara, Kondli, Khora and Noida. A public meeting was also organised at Wajirpur Industrial area. The 22 April call was discussed and pledge taken at all these places.
Rajasthan: Dharna, demonstrations and cadre meetings were held on 22 April by the Party and its mass organisations in Jaipur, Jhunjhunu, Pratapgarh, Ajmer and Udaipur districts.
Road blockade and mass meeting was organised by Party activists and members at Salumber sub-division of Udaipur dist. Prior to that a rally was taken out through the main streets led by Com. Gautam Meena. The mass meeting exposed the failure of the Ashok Gehlot Govt. and his Party’s Central UPA Govt. Another speaker Com. Unkar mentioned that hundreds of mines are being operated illegally in Udaipur’s tribal areas since many years and even minimum wages are not being given to the workers, leave alone any security. Workers are dying regularly due to unsafe mining and the State Govt. is hand in glove with the mine owners. The mass meeting resolved to end this mafia rule and the grave injustice. About 400 peasants, women and rural workers laid the blockade of the main highway. A memorandum was also submitted to the SDM.
Dharna and demonstration was held at Dhariawad town of Udaipur dist led by Dist. Secretary Com. Chandradeo Ola. He said that the promise made by Ashok Gehlot before coming into power to settle the land issues of the tribal people ahs been betrayed and the forest dept. is rejecting the claims of adivasi people under directions from local Congress politicians, or even worse the pattas are being distributed to the Congress cadres. The Congress politicians are involved in NREGA corruption too. A memorandum for the President of India was submitted to the ADM. The Dharna was only lifted when the ADM assured of urgent action on local issues.
In Pratapgarh, a rally led by Comrades Karulal, Sambhulal Rawal and Shantilal Trivedi marched through the main streets of the town before reching the DM’s office where a dharna was held. Com. Jafar Khan charged the Govt. of abetting the land mafia’s intention of bulldozing the unregularised colonies where no basic civic amenities are being provided. Comrades Shahnaj and Sosar Bai said that the Govt. has turned a blind eye to the crisis of drinking water despite repeated demands from AIPWA for resolving it.
At Ajmer, hundreds of women and men led by Com. Bhanwari held a demonstration for inclusion of urban poor into NREGA and providing basic civic amenities.
In Jaipur, a cadre meeting was organised in the Party office led by State Secretary Com. Mahendra Chaudhary and CCM Com. Srilata Swaminathan. Com. Mahendra called forth for taking up the challenge of building Party organisation in whole Rajasthan and especially in Jaipur dist.
At Jhunjhunu a cadre meeting was held in the Party office presided by Com. Phoolchand Dhewa. Members of the Grameen Mazdoor Sangathan and Bhatta Mazdoor Sangathan also participated. At Khetri, a sub-division, a dharna and demonstration was organised at the Electricity Dept. office led by Com. Ramchandra Kulhari. The main demand here was that the Congress Govt. keep its promise of providing minimum 8-hours of full voltage power to the peasants and farmers for agricultural work, and also make proper arrangement for drinking water. Hundreds of peasants attended the dharna and raised slogans against Central and State Govts.
All India Progressive Women’s Association (AIPWA)’s Rajasthan unit held demand demonstrations at District Headquarters of four districts- Jaipur, Ajmer, Udaipur and Pratapgarh demanding passing of the Women’s Reservation Bill in the current session of the Parliament. In Jaipur a 15-member delegation led by AIPWA incharge Com. Manjulata handed over a memorandum to the Governor. At Ajmer 50 women led by AIPWA’s State President Bhanwari Bai met the Dist. Magistrate and gave him a memorandum demanding that UPA Govt. stop its theatrics of building consensus and immediately pass the 33 percent reservation bill. In Udaipur and Pratapgarh as well the AIPWA leaders and members met the DM and handed over similar memorandums. In Pratapgarh Comrades Abida and Shahnaj led the demonstration and delegation. The speakers at the demonstration also exposed the anti-women face of the UPA Govt.
Chhatisgarh: A cadre convention was organised at Bhilai on 22nd April. Main speaker was Party’s CCM Com. Rajaram. Party’s call was read after observing silence and paying tributes to the martyrs. The Convention was conducted by State Secretary Com. Brijendra Tiwary. Party members also held meetings and discussion on Party’s 22 April call at Jagdalpur in Bastar, Bangoli in Raipur and at Lal Khadan in Bilaspur.
Peasant Conferences were organised at Masurchi block in Bilaspur on 18 April and at Deveda under Berla block in Durg dist. on 25th April. These conferences were addressed by Com. Rajaram and Narottam Sharma of AIALA. Various issues were raised and Raman Govt’s Gram Suraaj Abhiyan was termed as pretentious, meant for causing confusion among masses and for covering-up the rule of loot and repression.
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 17 / 2010
ML Update
A CPI(ML) Weekly News Magazine
Vol. 13, No. 17, 20 – 26 APRIL 2010
Not Cricket: Put a Stop to IPL's Corrupt Corporate Carnival
"What do they know of cricket who only cricket know?" – that is how Trinidadian Marxist and noted cricket writer CLR James had commented on the deep interweaving of cricket with imperialism and racism. The remark takes on a new significance with the controversy unfolding in the IPL – where corporate profits, corruption, betting, Bollywood and other externals play a far greater role than the sport itself.
The controversy erupted when the IPL Chairman Lalit Modi accused former Union Minister Shashi Tharoor of misusing his office to further the interests of a commercial enterprise run by a close friend, who had received a whopping 19 per cent 'sweat equity' worth Rs. 70 crores in the consortium which secured the franchise for the IPL's Kochi team for no discernible services rendered. The accusation, however, brought Lalit Modi himself under the scanner. An IT department investigation was revealed to be in the possession of the government for several months, that exposed Modi's involvement in black money, money laundering, betting and match-fixing in cricket. According to the report, Modi was a failed businessman in his pre-IPL days, but post-IPL, he now enjoys a sumptuous lifestyle – with a private jet, a luxury yacht and a fleet of luxury cars. Moreover, the entire controversy exposed the intricate and shady nexus between politicians, corporates and cricket.
The BJP and other opposition parties have made use of the episode to put the UPA Government in the dock over the charges of cricket-related corruption against one of its Ministers. The UPA Government has sought to contain the damage to its credibility caused by Tharoor's involvement by ensuring that Tharoor steps down as Minister, and by ordering an enquiry into the IPL. But Tharoor is not the only UPA leader nor by far the only politician to be implicated in the murky world of commercial cricket, nor is the BJP itself free of such taint.
Lalit Modi himself is known to be close to the BJP as well as NCP leader and UPA Minister Sharad Pawar, who is former BCCI President and a member of the IPL governing council.
The intimate embrace of politics and cricket is not confined to the corruption and open advocacy by powerful politicians and Ministers of corporate and commercial interests in the cricket industry. The IPL enjoys public resources to the tune of crores, in many guises – waiving of entertainment tax, concessions in land leases, stadium rentals and security, and many other waivers and concessions. The full extent of these write-offs is shrouded in as much secrecy as are the particulars about shareholding and ownership. These enormous concessions for the corrupt commercial bonanza like the IPL is in contrast to the Government's policy of understating poverty and cutting down on food subsidies even in the face of evidence of severe and widespread hunger and soaring prices of food and essentials.
The situation calls for a sharp line to be drawn between sport and commercialisation, as also between politics and Government and commercial interests. Any probe into IPL must ensure full transparency regarding funding, sponsorship and ownership – and the Indian people must assert that public funding and political patronage of a corrupt corporate carnival in the name of cricket is unacceptable and will not be tolerated.
Protest Demonstrations at various places in Bihar demanding Punishment to the Political Patrons of Ranveer Sena
Bathe villagers demand punishment for massacre masterminds: Immediately after the verdict punishing some of the perpetrators of the Bathe carnage of 1997, affected families and witnesses faced intimidation and threats. In response, villagers under the banner of CPI(ML) held a demonstration on 10 April at the memorial to the Bathe martyrs in Bathe village itself. Many of the affected families, including many women, participated. They were not fearful, and were determined to keep up the resistance. Through the protest, they asked why Ranveer Sena chief Barmeshwar Singh did not even face trial in this case and why the Amir Das Commission was wound up before it could reveal the political patrons of the Ranveer Sena (a private militia of landlords in Bihar).
The villagers also made plans to keep night vigils in anticipation of retaliatory attacks. On the night of 18 April, there were again some sporadic attacks on dalit homes, initiated by the kin of some of the Bathe convicts of neighbouring Kamta–Phulwari village, where, on 30 November 1997, on the eve of the Bathe massacre, a major Ranveer Sena gathering took place and a 'mega massacre' was planned. On 19 April, anniversary of the infamous Arwal police firing of 1986, rural poor in Arwal held a Protest March for Justice, demanding that the findings of the Amir Das Commission be made public and Barmeshwar Singh as well as the political masterminds of the Bathe massacre face justice. Their main slogan was - "Arwal-Bathe Jansanhar – Asli Mujrim Kyon Farar? Nitish Sarkar Jawab Do" (Why are the real culprits of the Arwal and Bathe massacres escaping justice - the Nitish Government must answer). Over a thousand people marched to the Gandhi Pustakalaya (library) where the brutal savagery was perpetrated.
Patna: CPI(ML) members and urban poor held a protest march in Patna on 10th April demanding reinstating of the Amir Das Commission, punishment to the political patrons of Ranveer Sena and capital punishment for its chief Barmeshwar Singh. Slogans were raised aloud marching through city’s main streets to reach Patna Junction Railway Station. Party leaders addressing the protest meeting in the end said that pro-feudal face of Nitish Kumar’s regime has been unmasked while shocking attempts are being made by his Govt. to save Barmeshwar Singh.
Patna’s Urban Poor Front's Demonstration Seeking Accountability
Hundreds of thousands of rupees worth property belonging to small shopkeepers was destroyed in an intense fire that raged through Patna’s Rajendra Nagar subzi mandi on 28 March 2010. But the Dist. Administration shirked away from its responsibility by merely handing Rs.3750/- per hutment to 20 hutments that infuriated the local people. Thousands of women-men-children under the banner of Urban Poor Front held a protest demonstration in front of the DC demanding five lakh rupees as compensation per shopkeeper, distribution of PDS grains and Kerosene even on the burnt/half-destroyed coupons, reconstruction of all burnt shops, potable water and immediate arrangement of electricity and lavatories. Convenor of the front Ashok Kumar, Secretary of Shopkeepers’ Federation Vijay Chaudhary, Shanti Devi, Parvati Devi among others led the protest and it wa addressed by Patna Municipal Councillor Comrade Tota Chaudhary, Navin, RYA leader Dr. Prakash, CPI(ML) town committee member Panna Lal among others.
The ADM entrusted with relief operations has asked for 15 days time for awarding of compensations. Apart from 216 shopkeepers, 325 street vendors have submitted application for compensation, who have collectively coughed up millions of rupees as rent and security to the Administration in the past. However, there is no development or protection (such as from fire) worth the name. Recently, prior to the fire, when the Front launched a campaign demanding hisab (accounts) and details of what development work was undertaken, the Administration quickly suspended the official (who collected the money) under the allegation of embezzlement of Govt. funds, but actual accounts was never presented to the people. The Front has been waging struggle since many years against police repression, extortion by criminal gangs, and contract system etc. Due to the Front’s initiatives CPI(ML) has been the only reliable organisation for these self-employed traders.
CPI(ML)’s Fact Finding Team’s Report on Nitish Govt.’s Relief Effort in Purnia-Araria after the Cyclone
The CPI(ML) Bihar State Committee sent a 3-member fact finding team comprising of State Committee comrades SK Sharma, Pankaj Singh and Araria Party Dist. Secretary Naval to asses relief work in 35 villages under 8 village panchayats of 3-blocks in Purnia- Kaswa, Jalalgarh and Vayasi and 18 villages under 5 village panchayats of two blocks in Araria Dist- Forbisganj and Raniganj.
The 3-member team, after meeting thousands of affected victims found out that even after 90 hours had passed since the cyclonic storm, no relief material or food-grain had reached the people and the victims were left to perish under the open sky, blazing Sun and acute hunger. Compensations have not been given to all the families of those who were killed by the storm. Hollow promises are being made by the ministers concerned. The number of families affected by the storm is over a hundred thousand. Crops have been damaged and the MLA’s are more concerned about them being shot by camera-persons while giving away compensation cheques. Roofs of the huts belonging to over a lakh of people have been blown away, and the damage to the small peasants, share-croppers etc. is to the tune of Rs.6 billion. The number of injured is in thousands and no arrangement has been made for their treatment. Hundreds of cattles and other animals have perished and thousands are injured and no arrangement has been made for their recovery too. Thousands of trees have been uprooted and those still standing are badly damaged. In brief, the destruction in human, livestock, natural and property terms is massive and an equally massive relief work is needed to salvage the economic and social fabric of the region.
The CPI(ML) has launched a series of protests and initiatives to force the Nitish Govt. to urgently speed up the relief effort. Several demonstrations have already taken place to force the officials to do everything necessary.
Rights’ Rally in Puducherry
A massive peoples’ rights rally was held on 31st March 2010 at Puducherry. The rally was organized by the state unit of CPI(ML) and led by Com. S Balasubramanian, State Secretary. The rally was organized against Anti-people policies of the UPA as well as Puducherry Congress Govt. for the recent budgets. The rallyists demanded roll back of price hike of petroleum products in particular and in general price increase of all essential commodities. They also demanded jobs and houses for all and for thorough-going land reforms in the Union Territory of Puducherry. Com. S Kumarsamy, PB member addressed the rallyists
The rally started from the old bus stand of Puducherry town and passed through main streets of Puducherry. It culminated into a big demonstration in front of the Legislative Assembly of Puducherry. A detailed peoples rights charter was submitted to the Chief Minister of Puducherry. Comrades P Sankaran of AIALA, S Motilal- Secretary AICCTU, P Ravikumar- State Secretary RYA addressed the gathering. Hundreds of women including mass organisations' cadres and members participated in the rally.
AICCTU Leader Kidnapped & Assaulted in Chhatisgarh
Chattisgarh Mukti Morcha’s (CMM’s) Voce President and All India Central Council of Trade Unions' (AICCTU’s) national councillor AG Quraishi was kidnapped and assaulted at 16:30 on 9th April by the goons hired by Satish Aggarwal, owner of Jai Hind Coal Benification Pvt. Ltd. of Sipat in Bilaspur. Whatever was being carried by him including his identity cards, letter pads of the unions were snatched and he was forced to sign false agreements on the union letter head under duress.
It is to be noted that 200 workers from surrounding villages are working in Aggarwal’s company. While the minimum wages in the State is Rs.134, they are being paid only Rs.80. Com. Quraishi was drawing Administration’s attention towards these blatant violations of minimum wage and due to his efforts the an agreement was made on 8th April (eve of his kidnapping) in the presence of Administration officials to pay Rs.100/- to the workers and also implementing other labour laws.
As soon as the news of this incident spread the workers stopped all work on 10th April and gheraoed the Sipat police station. Protest was addressed by AICCTU’s national VP Comrade Bhimrao Bagde.
Call to Observe Nationwide General Strike on 27 April 2010
With Powerful Mass Actions against Price Rise and State Repression
(Following statement was issued by the Party on 19 April)
New Delhi, April 19 2010: The working class and poor in our country are reeling under the cruel onslaught of unabatedly rising prices of food and essential commodities. Far from protecting the poor from the impact of the steep rise in prices, the Congress-led UPA Government is intensifying the price rise offensive, and doing nothing to ensure employment and increased wages, while at the same time doling out enormous subsidies to the some of the richest corporate houses in the country. Governments at the Centre and States are united in a policy of playing down poverty by pushing the poor out of the BPL lists and the Food Security Bill drafted by the Central Government is proving to be a farcical blueprint for food insecurity and hunger.
The UPA-II regime has opened up all manner of public sector enterprises for private loot – be it banking, telecom, insurance, transport, railways, health, or education. Government policy is facilitating corporate loot of the country's rich mineral resources: undermining the public sector, rolling out the red carpet for private corporations and MNC miners, and facilitating export of minerals.
Meanwhile, a concerted offensive on all forms of dissent, workers' struggles and people's movements has been launched throughout the country. Workers' movements and people's protests are being met with batons and bullets in all States. A virtual war has been launched on India's tribal population. While Maoists are the ostensible pretext for this war, it is clear that the real agenda is to suppress potential resistance to corporate grab of land, minerals and forest resources, and intimidate all manner of democratic voices, activists of working class struggles and people's movements.
We call upon the working class and the country's poor to give expression to the rising anger and resentment against the crushing burden of prices and against the offensive of state repression by observing a Nationwide General Strike on 27 April 2010. The Strike will focus on the demand for inclusive food security for all India's people, inclusion of all unorganised workers, agricultural labourers and small farmers in the BPL list, a full stop to the policy of privatisation, nationalisation of mineral and other natural resources, and an end to the assault on democracy and 'Operation Green Hunt'. We call upon all mass organisations to mobilise workers, students, women and common people in powerful mass actions to ensure the success of the General Strike all over the country.
Mangat Ram Pasla, General Secretary, CPM Punjab
B Kerkar, Secretariat, Lal Nishan Party
Dipankar Bhattacharya, General Secretary, CPI(ML) Liberation
Interview with Comrade Swadesh Bhattacharya by Bangladesh paper
A three member delegation led by CPI(ML) PB member comrade Swadesh Bhattacharya and including PB member Comrade Kartick Pal and Tripura State Secretary Comrade Mrinmoy Chakravarty attended the 8th Congress of the Revolutionary Workers' Party of Bangladesh which was held recently at Dhaka.
Reproduced (from: www.weeklyholiday.net) below is the report of an interview with Comrade Swadesh Bhattacharya as printed in a Bangladesh newspaper the Weekly Holiday.
South Asians must unite against imperialist clique: India should strive for developing good neighbourly relations with Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka for making collective progress in the South Asian region. There should be people's alliances among the democratic and revolutionary forces to compel the ruling compradors serve the people of their respective nations in stead of collaborating with imperialists designs. This was viewed by Comrade Swadesh Bhattacharya, the second in command and a politburo member of the Communist Party of India (CPI-ML) while giving an interview to the Holiday during his stay in Dhaka last week. He led a three-member party delegation to attend the 8th Congress of Revolutionary Workers Party of Bangladesh.
CPI (ML) strives for accomplishing people's democratic revolution in India, availing extra-parliamentary as well as parliamentary forms of struggle. The Party is engaged in developing a comprehensive revolutionary practice through an organic combination of all necessary forms of struggle and organization. Apart from its popular fronts among the workers, women and youth, CPI(ML) has got its elected representation in the Bihar and Jharkhand State Assembly. CPI (ML) aims at overthrowing the rule of the big bourgeois-landlord alliance. "We are pushing ahead our total movement for a victorious revolution that will usher in the rule of workers, peasants and other revolutionary classes and democratic strata a people's democratic state", said Kartik Paul, another politburo member who accompanied Comrade Swadesh Bhattacharya. The delegation also included Tripura State committee Secretary Mrinmoy Chakravartee. "We are against the hegemonic attitude of India and support Bangladesh people's struggle in this regard", said Kartik Paul adding that CPI (ML) is strongly promoting unity among democratic and revolutionary left forces in South Asia hoping that such a unity would enhance the anti-imperialist struggle in the region.
Turbulence in South Asia: "Currently regarded as the world's most vital continent in economic and geopolitical terms, Asia is subjected to growing imperialist exploitation and interference. We in India have had a bitter taste of this in the shape of the US bear-hug and the harmful fallouts of the West-dictated policies of liberalisation. And naturally we are more concerned about developments in the neighbouring countries in South Asia", the party mentioned in its political agenda.
The CPI (ML) observes that the brazenly pro-US foreign policy persuaded by Manmohan Singh government had added a new dimension of tension and instability in the region. This US-India-Pakistan triangle is making South Asia one of the most volatile and vulnerable regions of the world. Instead of India sorting out all her outstanding issues with Pakistan and China through bilateral negotiations, increasing US intervention in the region is only driving a deeper wedge between India and China and India and Pakistan. This also makes India more suspect in the eyes of her smaller neighbours in the region, explained Comrade Swadesh Bhattacharya.
Risks of regional instability: "The whole idea of being a US-backed regional power and policing South Asia on behalf of the number one enemy of the world people is not only an insult to the legacy of our historic fight against British colonialism but is also fraught with grave risks of regional instability and arms race and hence completely detrimental to our interest of socio-economic development", he added.
Against terrorism: Comrade Swadesh also observed that with increased US intervention in South Asia, the region has also become more vulnerable to terrorism. Afghanistan and Iraq are two clear examples of how US intervention breeds and reinforces terrorism. With Pakistan and India playing two key allies of the US, terrorist incidents are now happening quite frequently in the subcontinent. CPI(ML) opposes the present armed attacks in the name of Maoists in different parts of India. It also observes that the insurgencies in Kashmir and the North-East also have strong local roots and are continuing in the absence of any serious attempt at finding a political solution to the specific historical questions and democratic aspirations of the people of these areas.
On Islam and Hindutva: Responding to religious terrorism, Comrade Swadesh Bhattacharya explained that a key component of the US-Israel war campaign is the tagging of terrorism with Islam to make almost every Muslim appear as a potential terrorist, a point which is explicitly shared by the Hindutva brigade in India and tacitly endorsed by the Congress.
Another related point on which the Sangh discourse matches entirely with the US-Israel nexus is the clamour for a strong state with stringent anti-terrorist laws. The imperialism-terrorism spiral thus poses a serious threat to democracy and in the concrete conditions of India such an environment will always provide fertile ground for rabidly rightwing and communal fascist forces. "While rejecting terrorism we must vigorously resist every assault on democracy and vilification and persecution of any community in the name of combating terrorism" the CPI(ML) leader said.
UPA's faults in hilly regions: Turning to domestic situation, CPI(ML) leaders said the Congress-led UPA government in India did nothing to diminish the alienation and popular anger of the people of the North East and Kashmir against the intense repression of their basic democratic rights and their aspiration for self-determination. The hill districts of Assam and West Bengal have witnessed long-standing movements for autonomy or separate statehood. The belated move by the UPA-LF combine to accord Sixth Schedule status to Gorkhaland has only angered the people of the hill region. The situation has been further vitiated by the opportunist "divide-and-rule" politics of the CPI(M) and various chauvinist forces. A meaningful political solution can only emerge by fulfilling the democratic aspirations of the hill people and while upholding the tradition of class and popular unity of Nepali- and Bengali-speaking people.
Crisis within: The CPI(ML) views that with the entire range of ruling parties and coalitions virtually converging in terms of their policy orientation, the working people everywhere are waging battles for their survival and basic human dignity and rights. At the same time, the democratic people of India are also faced with the question of defending their national sovereignty and national dignity in the face of growing imperialist offensive and the collusive nexus between imperialism and comprador rulers. "In other words, the basic questions regarding the true nature of our democracy and independence have also come up in public discussion" CPI(ML) leader said.
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
A CPI(ML) Weekly News Magazine
Vol. 13, No. 17, 20 – 26 APRIL 2010
Not Cricket: Put a Stop to IPL's Corrupt Corporate Carnival
"What do they know of cricket who only cricket know?" – that is how Trinidadian Marxist and noted cricket writer CLR James had commented on the deep interweaving of cricket with imperialism and racism. The remark takes on a new significance with the controversy unfolding in the IPL – where corporate profits, corruption, betting, Bollywood and other externals play a far greater role than the sport itself.
The controversy erupted when the IPL Chairman Lalit Modi accused former Union Minister Shashi Tharoor of misusing his office to further the interests of a commercial enterprise run by a close friend, who had received a whopping 19 per cent 'sweat equity' worth Rs. 70 crores in the consortium which secured the franchise for the IPL's Kochi team for no discernible services rendered. The accusation, however, brought Lalit Modi himself under the scanner. An IT department investigation was revealed to be in the possession of the government for several months, that exposed Modi's involvement in black money, money laundering, betting and match-fixing in cricket. According to the report, Modi was a failed businessman in his pre-IPL days, but post-IPL, he now enjoys a sumptuous lifestyle – with a private jet, a luxury yacht and a fleet of luxury cars. Moreover, the entire controversy exposed the intricate and shady nexus between politicians, corporates and cricket.
The BJP and other opposition parties have made use of the episode to put the UPA Government in the dock over the charges of cricket-related corruption against one of its Ministers. The UPA Government has sought to contain the damage to its credibility caused by Tharoor's involvement by ensuring that Tharoor steps down as Minister, and by ordering an enquiry into the IPL. But Tharoor is not the only UPA leader nor by far the only politician to be implicated in the murky world of commercial cricket, nor is the BJP itself free of such taint.
Lalit Modi himself is known to be close to the BJP as well as NCP leader and UPA Minister Sharad Pawar, who is former BCCI President and a member of the IPL governing council.
The intimate embrace of politics and cricket is not confined to the corruption and open advocacy by powerful politicians and Ministers of corporate and commercial interests in the cricket industry. The IPL enjoys public resources to the tune of crores, in many guises – waiving of entertainment tax, concessions in land leases, stadium rentals and security, and many other waivers and concessions. The full extent of these write-offs is shrouded in as much secrecy as are the particulars about shareholding and ownership. These enormous concessions for the corrupt commercial bonanza like the IPL is in contrast to the Government's policy of understating poverty and cutting down on food subsidies even in the face of evidence of severe and widespread hunger and soaring prices of food and essentials.
The situation calls for a sharp line to be drawn between sport and commercialisation, as also between politics and Government and commercial interests. Any probe into IPL must ensure full transparency regarding funding, sponsorship and ownership – and the Indian people must assert that public funding and political patronage of a corrupt corporate carnival in the name of cricket is unacceptable and will not be tolerated.
Protest Demonstrations at various places in Bihar demanding Punishment to the Political Patrons of Ranveer Sena
Bathe villagers demand punishment for massacre masterminds: Immediately after the verdict punishing some of the perpetrators of the Bathe carnage of 1997, affected families and witnesses faced intimidation and threats. In response, villagers under the banner of CPI(ML) held a demonstration on 10 April at the memorial to the Bathe martyrs in Bathe village itself. Many of the affected families, including many women, participated. They were not fearful, and were determined to keep up the resistance. Through the protest, they asked why Ranveer Sena chief Barmeshwar Singh did not even face trial in this case and why the Amir Das Commission was wound up before it could reveal the political patrons of the Ranveer Sena (a private militia of landlords in Bihar).
The villagers also made plans to keep night vigils in anticipation of retaliatory attacks. On the night of 18 April, there were again some sporadic attacks on dalit homes, initiated by the kin of some of the Bathe convicts of neighbouring Kamta–Phulwari village, where, on 30 November 1997, on the eve of the Bathe massacre, a major Ranveer Sena gathering took place and a 'mega massacre' was planned. On 19 April, anniversary of the infamous Arwal police firing of 1986, rural poor in Arwal held a Protest March for Justice, demanding that the findings of the Amir Das Commission be made public and Barmeshwar Singh as well as the political masterminds of the Bathe massacre face justice. Their main slogan was - "Arwal-Bathe Jansanhar – Asli Mujrim Kyon Farar? Nitish Sarkar Jawab Do" (Why are the real culprits of the Arwal and Bathe massacres escaping justice - the Nitish Government must answer). Over a thousand people marched to the Gandhi Pustakalaya (library) where the brutal savagery was perpetrated.
Patna: CPI(ML) members and urban poor held a protest march in Patna on 10th April demanding reinstating of the Amir Das Commission, punishment to the political patrons of Ranveer Sena and capital punishment for its chief Barmeshwar Singh. Slogans were raised aloud marching through city’s main streets to reach Patna Junction Railway Station. Party leaders addressing the protest meeting in the end said that pro-feudal face of Nitish Kumar’s regime has been unmasked while shocking attempts are being made by his Govt. to save Barmeshwar Singh.
Patna’s Urban Poor Front's Demonstration Seeking Accountability
Hundreds of thousands of rupees worth property belonging to small shopkeepers was destroyed in an intense fire that raged through Patna’s Rajendra Nagar subzi mandi on 28 March 2010. But the Dist. Administration shirked away from its responsibility by merely handing Rs.3750/- per hutment to 20 hutments that infuriated the local people. Thousands of women-men-children under the banner of Urban Poor Front held a protest demonstration in front of the DC demanding five lakh rupees as compensation per shopkeeper, distribution of PDS grains and Kerosene even on the burnt/half-destroyed coupons, reconstruction of all burnt shops, potable water and immediate arrangement of electricity and lavatories. Convenor of the front Ashok Kumar, Secretary of Shopkeepers’ Federation Vijay Chaudhary, Shanti Devi, Parvati Devi among others led the protest and it wa addressed by Patna Municipal Councillor Comrade Tota Chaudhary, Navin, RYA leader Dr. Prakash, CPI(ML) town committee member Panna Lal among others.
The ADM entrusted with relief operations has asked for 15 days time for awarding of compensations. Apart from 216 shopkeepers, 325 street vendors have submitted application for compensation, who have collectively coughed up millions of rupees as rent and security to the Administration in the past. However, there is no development or protection (such as from fire) worth the name. Recently, prior to the fire, when the Front launched a campaign demanding hisab (accounts) and details of what development work was undertaken, the Administration quickly suspended the official (who collected the money) under the allegation of embezzlement of Govt. funds, but actual accounts was never presented to the people. The Front has been waging struggle since many years against police repression, extortion by criminal gangs, and contract system etc. Due to the Front’s initiatives CPI(ML) has been the only reliable organisation for these self-employed traders.
CPI(ML)’s Fact Finding Team’s Report on Nitish Govt.’s Relief Effort in Purnia-Araria after the Cyclone
The CPI(ML) Bihar State Committee sent a 3-member fact finding team comprising of State Committee comrades SK Sharma, Pankaj Singh and Araria Party Dist. Secretary Naval to asses relief work in 35 villages under 8 village panchayats of 3-blocks in Purnia- Kaswa, Jalalgarh and Vayasi and 18 villages under 5 village panchayats of two blocks in Araria Dist- Forbisganj and Raniganj.
The 3-member team, after meeting thousands of affected victims found out that even after 90 hours had passed since the cyclonic storm, no relief material or food-grain had reached the people and the victims were left to perish under the open sky, blazing Sun and acute hunger. Compensations have not been given to all the families of those who were killed by the storm. Hollow promises are being made by the ministers concerned. The number of families affected by the storm is over a hundred thousand. Crops have been damaged and the MLA’s are more concerned about them being shot by camera-persons while giving away compensation cheques. Roofs of the huts belonging to over a lakh of people have been blown away, and the damage to the small peasants, share-croppers etc. is to the tune of Rs.6 billion. The number of injured is in thousands and no arrangement has been made for their treatment. Hundreds of cattles and other animals have perished and thousands are injured and no arrangement has been made for their recovery too. Thousands of trees have been uprooted and those still standing are badly damaged. In brief, the destruction in human, livestock, natural and property terms is massive and an equally massive relief work is needed to salvage the economic and social fabric of the region.
The CPI(ML) has launched a series of protests and initiatives to force the Nitish Govt. to urgently speed up the relief effort. Several demonstrations have already taken place to force the officials to do everything necessary.
Rights’ Rally in Puducherry
A massive peoples’ rights rally was held on 31st March 2010 at Puducherry. The rally was organized by the state unit of CPI(ML) and led by Com. S Balasubramanian, State Secretary. The rally was organized against Anti-people policies of the UPA as well as Puducherry Congress Govt. for the recent budgets. The rallyists demanded roll back of price hike of petroleum products in particular and in general price increase of all essential commodities. They also demanded jobs and houses for all and for thorough-going land reforms in the Union Territory of Puducherry. Com. S Kumarsamy, PB member addressed the rallyists
The rally started from the old bus stand of Puducherry town and passed through main streets of Puducherry. It culminated into a big demonstration in front of the Legislative Assembly of Puducherry. A detailed peoples rights charter was submitted to the Chief Minister of Puducherry. Comrades P Sankaran of AIALA, S Motilal- Secretary AICCTU, P Ravikumar- State Secretary RYA addressed the gathering. Hundreds of women including mass organisations' cadres and members participated in the rally.
AICCTU Leader Kidnapped & Assaulted in Chhatisgarh
Chattisgarh Mukti Morcha’s (CMM’s) Voce President and All India Central Council of Trade Unions' (AICCTU’s) national councillor AG Quraishi was kidnapped and assaulted at 16:30 on 9th April by the goons hired by Satish Aggarwal, owner of Jai Hind Coal Benification Pvt. Ltd. of Sipat in Bilaspur. Whatever was being carried by him including his identity cards, letter pads of the unions were snatched and he was forced to sign false agreements on the union letter head under duress.
It is to be noted that 200 workers from surrounding villages are working in Aggarwal’s company. While the minimum wages in the State is Rs.134, they are being paid only Rs.80. Com. Quraishi was drawing Administration’s attention towards these blatant violations of minimum wage and due to his efforts the an agreement was made on 8th April (eve of his kidnapping) in the presence of Administration officials to pay Rs.100/- to the workers and also implementing other labour laws.
As soon as the news of this incident spread the workers stopped all work on 10th April and gheraoed the Sipat police station. Protest was addressed by AICCTU’s national VP Comrade Bhimrao Bagde.
Call to Observe Nationwide General Strike on 27 April 2010
With Powerful Mass Actions against Price Rise and State Repression
(Following statement was issued by the Party on 19 April)
New Delhi, April 19 2010: The working class and poor in our country are reeling under the cruel onslaught of unabatedly rising prices of food and essential commodities. Far from protecting the poor from the impact of the steep rise in prices, the Congress-led UPA Government is intensifying the price rise offensive, and doing nothing to ensure employment and increased wages, while at the same time doling out enormous subsidies to the some of the richest corporate houses in the country. Governments at the Centre and States are united in a policy of playing down poverty by pushing the poor out of the BPL lists and the Food Security Bill drafted by the Central Government is proving to be a farcical blueprint for food insecurity and hunger.
The UPA-II regime has opened up all manner of public sector enterprises for private loot – be it banking, telecom, insurance, transport, railways, health, or education. Government policy is facilitating corporate loot of the country's rich mineral resources: undermining the public sector, rolling out the red carpet for private corporations and MNC miners, and facilitating export of minerals.
Meanwhile, a concerted offensive on all forms of dissent, workers' struggles and people's movements has been launched throughout the country. Workers' movements and people's protests are being met with batons and bullets in all States. A virtual war has been launched on India's tribal population. While Maoists are the ostensible pretext for this war, it is clear that the real agenda is to suppress potential resistance to corporate grab of land, minerals and forest resources, and intimidate all manner of democratic voices, activists of working class struggles and people's movements.
We call upon the working class and the country's poor to give expression to the rising anger and resentment against the crushing burden of prices and against the offensive of state repression by observing a Nationwide General Strike on 27 April 2010. The Strike will focus on the demand for inclusive food security for all India's people, inclusion of all unorganised workers, agricultural labourers and small farmers in the BPL list, a full stop to the policy of privatisation, nationalisation of mineral and other natural resources, and an end to the assault on democracy and 'Operation Green Hunt'. We call upon all mass organisations to mobilise workers, students, women and common people in powerful mass actions to ensure the success of the General Strike all over the country.
Mangat Ram Pasla, General Secretary, CPM Punjab
B Kerkar, Secretariat, Lal Nishan Party
Dipankar Bhattacharya, General Secretary, CPI(ML) Liberation
Interview with Comrade Swadesh Bhattacharya by Bangladesh paper
A three member delegation led by CPI(ML) PB member comrade Swadesh Bhattacharya and including PB member Comrade Kartick Pal and Tripura State Secretary Comrade Mrinmoy Chakravarty attended the 8th Congress of the Revolutionary Workers' Party of Bangladesh which was held recently at Dhaka.
Reproduced (from: www.weeklyholiday.net) below is the report of an interview with Comrade Swadesh Bhattacharya as printed in a Bangladesh newspaper the Weekly Holiday.
South Asians must unite against imperialist clique: India should strive for developing good neighbourly relations with Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka for making collective progress in the South Asian region. There should be people's alliances among the democratic and revolutionary forces to compel the ruling compradors serve the people of their respective nations in stead of collaborating with imperialists designs. This was viewed by Comrade Swadesh Bhattacharya, the second in command and a politburo member of the Communist Party of India (CPI-ML) while giving an interview to the Holiday during his stay in Dhaka last week. He led a three-member party delegation to attend the 8th Congress of Revolutionary Workers Party of Bangladesh.
CPI (ML) strives for accomplishing people's democratic revolution in India, availing extra-parliamentary as well as parliamentary forms of struggle. The Party is engaged in developing a comprehensive revolutionary practice through an organic combination of all necessary forms of struggle and organization. Apart from its popular fronts among the workers, women and youth, CPI(ML) has got its elected representation in the Bihar and Jharkhand State Assembly. CPI (ML) aims at overthrowing the rule of the big bourgeois-landlord alliance. "We are pushing ahead our total movement for a victorious revolution that will usher in the rule of workers, peasants and other revolutionary classes and democratic strata a people's democratic state", said Kartik Paul, another politburo member who accompanied Comrade Swadesh Bhattacharya. The delegation also included Tripura State committee Secretary Mrinmoy Chakravartee. "We are against the hegemonic attitude of India and support Bangladesh people's struggle in this regard", said Kartik Paul adding that CPI (ML) is strongly promoting unity among democratic and revolutionary left forces in South Asia hoping that such a unity would enhance the anti-imperialist struggle in the region.
Turbulence in South Asia: "Currently regarded as the world's most vital continent in economic and geopolitical terms, Asia is subjected to growing imperialist exploitation and interference. We in India have had a bitter taste of this in the shape of the US bear-hug and the harmful fallouts of the West-dictated policies of liberalisation. And naturally we are more concerned about developments in the neighbouring countries in South Asia", the party mentioned in its political agenda.
The CPI (ML) observes that the brazenly pro-US foreign policy persuaded by Manmohan Singh government had added a new dimension of tension and instability in the region. This US-India-Pakistan triangle is making South Asia one of the most volatile and vulnerable regions of the world. Instead of India sorting out all her outstanding issues with Pakistan and China through bilateral negotiations, increasing US intervention in the region is only driving a deeper wedge between India and China and India and Pakistan. This also makes India more suspect in the eyes of her smaller neighbours in the region, explained Comrade Swadesh Bhattacharya.
Risks of regional instability: "The whole idea of being a US-backed regional power and policing South Asia on behalf of the number one enemy of the world people is not only an insult to the legacy of our historic fight against British colonialism but is also fraught with grave risks of regional instability and arms race and hence completely detrimental to our interest of socio-economic development", he added.
Against terrorism: Comrade Swadesh also observed that with increased US intervention in South Asia, the region has also become more vulnerable to terrorism. Afghanistan and Iraq are two clear examples of how US intervention breeds and reinforces terrorism. With Pakistan and India playing two key allies of the US, terrorist incidents are now happening quite frequently in the subcontinent. CPI(ML) opposes the present armed attacks in the name of Maoists in different parts of India. It also observes that the insurgencies in Kashmir and the North-East also have strong local roots and are continuing in the absence of any serious attempt at finding a political solution to the specific historical questions and democratic aspirations of the people of these areas.
On Islam and Hindutva: Responding to religious terrorism, Comrade Swadesh Bhattacharya explained that a key component of the US-Israel war campaign is the tagging of terrorism with Islam to make almost every Muslim appear as a potential terrorist, a point which is explicitly shared by the Hindutva brigade in India and tacitly endorsed by the Congress.
Another related point on which the Sangh discourse matches entirely with the US-Israel nexus is the clamour for a strong state with stringent anti-terrorist laws. The imperialism-terrorism spiral thus poses a serious threat to democracy and in the concrete conditions of India such an environment will always provide fertile ground for rabidly rightwing and communal fascist forces. "While rejecting terrorism we must vigorously resist every assault on democracy and vilification and persecution of any community in the name of combating terrorism" the CPI(ML) leader said.
UPA's faults in hilly regions: Turning to domestic situation, CPI(ML) leaders said the Congress-led UPA government in India did nothing to diminish the alienation and popular anger of the people of the North East and Kashmir against the intense repression of their basic democratic rights and their aspiration for self-determination. The hill districts of Assam and West Bengal have witnessed long-standing movements for autonomy or separate statehood. The belated move by the UPA-LF combine to accord Sixth Schedule status to Gorkhaland has only angered the people of the hill region. The situation has been further vitiated by the opportunist "divide-and-rule" politics of the CPI(M) and various chauvinist forces. A meaningful political solution can only emerge by fulfilling the democratic aspirations of the hill people and while upholding the tradition of class and popular unity of Nepali- and Bengali-speaking people.
Crisis within: The CPI(ML) views that with the entire range of ruling parties and coalitions virtually converging in terms of their policy orientation, the working people everywhere are waging battles for their survival and basic human dignity and rights. At the same time, the democratic people of India are also faced with the question of defending their national sovereignty and national dignity in the face of growing imperialist offensive and the collusive nexus between imperialism and comprador rulers. "In other words, the basic questions regarding the true nature of our democracy and independence have also come up in public discussion" CPI(ML) leader said.
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 16 / 2010
ML Update
A CPI(ML) Weekly News Magazine
Vol. 13, No. 16, 13 – 19 APRIL 2010
Punish the Masterminds of the Bathe Massacre
13 years after the brutal massacre of landless poor by the Ranveer Sena at Laxmanpur Bathe in Jehanabad, Bihar, the verdict of the Additional District and Sessions Court of Patna sentencing 16 Ranveer Sena men to death and 10 to life imprisonment is welcome, though belated. However, those who bear greatest guilt for that massacre are yet to be punished: Ranveer Sena chief Brahmeshwar Singh did not even face trial in this case, and the political patrons of the Ranveer Sena have completely evaded scrutiny and punishment.
The Ranveer Sena was a private landlords’ militia set up with a very similar purpose to the Salwa Judum – to spread terror among the landless poor and dissuade them from joining the CPI(ML) movement. The Ranveer Sena, backed by a range of leaders across political parties, indulged in several massacres of unarmed landless poor at Bathani Tola, Shankarbigha-Narayanpur and Laxmanpur Bathe to send a barbaric message of the consequences of struggling for land, wages and dignity.
On December 1, 1997, a gang of the Ranveer Sena, a landlords’ private militia, crossed the Sone river and entered Bathe village, using guns and swords to slaughter 58 unarmed and sleeping people. Of these 27 were women (of whom about a third were pregnant) and 10 were children. In an attempt to quiet the outrage that followed this attack and allegations of political patronage for the outlawed Ranveer Sena, the then Rabri Devi Government appointed a Commission of Inquiry headed by Justice (Retd) Amir Das on December 27, 1997, to probe the political links of the Ranveer Sena. The Commission had repeatedly complained about non-cooperation and denial of sufficient resources by the RJD Government. In 2006, when the Commission was on the point of preparing its final Report and had requested for a final extension of its tenure, the JD(U)-BJP alliance headed by Nitish Kumar disbanded the Commission in one of its first actions after it came to power.
The complicity of topmost leaders of the Nitish Kumar Government in the massacre and the Government’s own role in suppressing justice is underlined by Justice (Retd) Amir Das’ statement following the verdict, in which he declared that the masterminds of the Bathe massacre are in power in Bihar today. Justice Amir Das has said that his Report would have indicted 42 political leaders across the political spectrum, mostly from the BJP and JD(U) but also the RJD and Congress. This list includes BJP leaders like the present Deputy CM of Bihar – Sushil Kumar Modi and former Union Minister C.P. Thakur and former RJD Minister Shivanand Tiwari who is currently the JD(U) spokesperson.
Not only have these leaders evaded justice by scuttling the Amir Das Commission, they have also managed to protect the Ranveer Sena Chief Brahmeshwar Singh. The CID did not even investigate the case against Brahmeshwar Singh on the grounds that his name figured in the 1998 chargesheet among the “absconders.” Brahmeshwar Singh was arrested in 2003 and has since been in prison in Bihar – yet he continued to be treated as an “absconder” and was never charged by the police in the context of the Bathe massacre. Laxmanpur Bathe was the biggest massacre perpetrated by the Ranveer Sena; yet there was no attempt by the CID to probe the role of its Chief into the massacre – in spite of the fact that he was in prison and available for interrogation! This selective omission of Brahmeshwar Singh clearly indicates that the political patrons of the Ranveer Sena ensured that he was protected from any probe.
The Nitish Government’s commitment to protect and appease the feudal forces of big landlords who were the mainstay of the Ranveer Sena is further proved by its refusal to implement the recommendations of the Land Reforms Commission.
All defenders of democracy and justice have a stake in ensuring that the Bathe verdict is upheld and all political ‘masterminds’ who patronised the perpetrators of gruesome massacres of rural landless poor are brought to book. And as Nitish Kumar embarks on his pre-election “Vishwas yatra”, the justice-loving people of Bihar must get ready to punish him for his treacherous act of “vishwasghat” (betrayal).
CPI(ML) Liberation, CPM Punjab and Lal Nishan Party (Leninist)
Call upon Working Call and the Country's Poor to Observe
Nationwide General Strike on 27 April 2010
With Powerful Mass Actions
Against Price Rise and State Repression
Attack by Congress goons on CPI(ML) Supporters in Pilibhit
On April 3, Congress leader B M Singh and his supporters forcibly began erecting a dais on the land of Madhu Mandal, a peasant who is a supporter of CPI(ML). When Madhu Mandal objected, Congress goons entered his house and beat him up. Villagers then gathered to protest and Congress goons beat up other CPI(ML) supporters too.
B M Singh’s mass meeting took place the same evening. Hundreds of residents of Rahul Nagar showed black flags to B M Singh and expressed their anger and protest. The Congress supporters unleashed a pre-planned attack on the CPI(ML) supporters, and dozens were injured on both sides. On the previous day itself, CPI(ML) had informed the police and administration that an attack was impending, but the latter did not respond. When CPI(ML) activist Sayeed was at the hospital attending to the wounded, B M Singh arrived and threatened to abduct and kill him. B M Singh was arrested following a written complaint by the CPI(ML) in the police station. But in retaliation, the administration sent PAC into Rahul Nagar, which entered the homes of CPI(ML) supporters as identified by Congress supporters, and severely beat up people. CPI(ML) supporters immediately began a dharna at the DM’s office demanding an end to the PAC terror. The PAC-sponsored violence then stopped but various serious criminal charges including the Seventh Criminal Amendment Act were invoked against CPI(ML) CC Member Krishna Adhikari and several other leaders, activists and peasant supporters. Five CPI(ML) activists including AIALA leader Devashish were arrested and jailed. The CPI(ML) has called for party foundation day April 22 to be observed with a massive mass meeting against repression.
Congress leader B M Singh and his supporters have been trying for long to evict people from the Rahul Nagar workers’ settlement and capture the land. Some months back, B M Singh had threatened to clear the village and his goons had entered the home of CPI(ML) district committee member Comrade Nagina Ram and attacked him and family; an FIR (number 409/09 was registered in the police station). Most residents of the Rahul Nagar workers’ settlement are dalits, extremely backward or peasants and workers of the migrant Bengali community – most of whom are CPI(ML) supporters. This village is now being branded a ‘Maoist’ haven in a systematic campaign of misinformation and slander by media outfits (for instance see the Sunday Nai Duniya, a UP weekly, dated 14 February 2010).
The village came into being under a government ‘colonisation grant scheme.’ Later the Forest Department laid claim to the village but could not prove it. The dispute over the land is now in the Court and the peasants have got a stay from the HC in their favour. In spite of this, CPI(ML)’s opponents especially the Congress led by B M Singh have an eye on this land. B M Singh is the owner of huge farms and several farm houses. He wants to clear out Rahul Nagar and establish a farm house on that land.
The CPI(ML) held a dharna at Shahid Smarak in the UP State Capital of Lucknow on April 5 in protest against the assault by Congress supporters led by Congress leader BM Singh and police on party supporters in Rahul Nagar, Pilibhit. The party demanded that charges of rioting be registered against B M Singh, his henchmen be arrested, the PAC camp be removed from Rahul Nagar, false cases against CPI(ML) activists be withdrawn and they be released unconditionally, and land be regularised in the names of the residents of Rahul Nagar. A memorandum addressed the Chief Minister with these demands was submitted. The dharna was addressed by CPI(ML) Politburo member Ramji Rai, who said that B M Singh was fomenting riots and violence to capture the land of the workers’ settlement at Rahul Nagar. If the Mayawati Government were to ensure that residents of Rahul Nagar got their due rights over the land, this would not be possible. The dharna was also addressed by Kranti Kumar Singh, Balmukund Dhuria, Tahira Hasan, and Shiv Kumar. On April 5, a Protest March was also held at Puranpur, Pilibhit on the same question and a memorandum submitted to the SDM.
CPI(ML) demands release of hunger striking comrades at Gorakhpur
On 9 April CPI(ML) held a protest demonstration at the office of the mandalayukt to demand release of the nine activists including three women activists who had been jailed while holding a hungher strike at the Collector's office.
Hundreds of protestors led by State Standing Committee member Rajesh Sahni raised slogans at the mandalayukt's office, after which the latter met a delegation and assured them that action would be taken. The protestors then went to the city magistrate's office and held a dharna there. And finally the nine comrades were released.
On April 8, nine comrades – including Vinod Bharadwaj, Nandu Prasad, Bajrangi Nishad, Manorama Chauhan (all district committee members), Talbeda Begum and Anari Devi – were arrested and jailed while on hunger strike. Anari Devi was on hunger strike at the DM's office in protest against the grabbing of her land by the husband of the village pradhan, Anari Devi's family has resided on land in the Jangal Pakdi village of Pipraich thana in Sadar Tehsil for the last 40 years. Shivratan, the husband of the village pradhan had made attempts to evict Anari Devi's family and grab the land. He then meddled with the land deeds and tried to grab the land. The administration here ranged itself with Shivratan and his men who were forcibly capturing Anari Devi's land. Anari Devi and her family are party supporters and it as in her support that the hunger strike was being held.
Contractor Workers continue movement in Guwahati Refinery
Contract and unorganised workers in the Guwhati Refinery are continuing their movement on some longstanding problems. A nexus of the Refinery management, contractors and the anti-worker Refinery Workers’ Union has been depriving these temporary workers from their minimum rights and dignity for a long time. The agreement signed with the United Workmen Union has been violated. Recently this nexus resorted to retrenchment and repressive measures. Recently one women worker was discharged from her job. Contract workers under the banner of the AICCTU-affiliated United Workmen Union has led a series of protest programmes that includes wearing of black badges on 5 and 6 April, a dharna on 7 April, hunger strike on 8 April and dharna and gate meeting on 9 April this year. The management-contractor-RWU nexus has filed a case in Noonmati P. S. against three leaders of United Workmen Union including its General Secretary. Apart from the AICCTU-affiliated trade unions, other trade unions also extended support to this movement.
AIALA Road Blockade in Assam
In continuation of the movement launched by Sadou Asom Gramin Sramik Santha (Assam unit of AIALA), Asom Sangrami Chah Sramik Sangha and Karbi Anglong & N C Hills Kisan Sramik Sabha held a road blockade in different districts of Assam, on 23 March, 2010 to press their longstanding demands. On 21st January, 2010, nearly 5000 rural workers submitted a 11-point mass memorandum to the Governor of Assam at a Rajbhawan March programme. It was a culmination of a mass signature campaign in Assam’s major districts of AIALA’s work.
One of the major demands was a Special Assam Assembly Session to discuss the work of the Rural Development department, but there was no response from the Government. These issues were ignored by the Government even during the ongoing budget session of the Assam Assembly.
The Road blockade was effective at many places. In Tinsukia nearly 500 people gathered to block the main road for an hour. In Dibrugarh district the blockade was held at Lahowal and Tingkhong where nearly 1000 people took part. In Bargang, Behali (Sonitpur district) nearly 2000 agrarian workers and tea workers imposed a road blockade for nearly an hour. In Nagaon the blockade was held at two places - Nagaon town (1200 people) and Jakhalabandha (200 people). In Jorhat 500 people gathered to block the Assam Trunk Road for 45 minutes. In Chandrapur (Kamrup district) 300 people took part in the programme. From Barpeta a memorandum reiterating the demands was sent to the Governor through the DC, Barpeta. In Karbi Anglong district the blockade was held at Bokajan.
The Demands raised included:
i) Hold Special Assam Assembly Session to discuss works of Rural Development department,
ii) Curb prices and provide ration card and 25 essential commodities,
iii) Provide all rural families with job cards, 100 days works, Rs. 200 as minimum wage, otherwise provide unemployment allowance,
iv) Provide all poor families with BPL cards, IAY house and sanitary latrine,
v) Special reservation tea tribe people in panchayat schemes,
vi) Settle landless tea workers in ceiling surplus land and build IAY house for them,
vii) Ensure land rights for forest dwellers and provide them patta,
viii) Scrap immediately anti-people land policy imposed by Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council,
ix) Form an autonomous state combining Karbi Anglong and N C Hill by implementing Article 244(A) of the Indian Constitution and adopt a resolution in Assam Assembly,
x) Immediately withdraw the proposal of separating Assam Asset from Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC),
xi) Stop Sixth Edition of Kaziranga national park project and safeguard the life and livelihood of people living riverine strertch.
Convention at Khammam for Telangana Statehood
On 23 March the CPI (ML) Liberation organized a big rally and a convention at Khammam demanding separated statehood for Telangana. Nearly 500 people attended the Convention, including party activists, women, students, lawyers and teachers.
The convention inaugurated by CPI(ML) Liberation District Secretary C K Damodhar. The Convention paid homage to the martyrs of the struggle for separate statehood for Telangana as well as Shaheed Bhagat Singh. The editor of Telugu Liberation Comrade P Sathyanarayana, D Harinadh, state committee member, Shelam Swamy of Nalagonda, M Suguna Rao, lawyer, B Sydhulu representing the teachers forum, K Maleesh of the Telangana Students' Joint Action Committee and M Kailash of AISA and B Venkateswara Rao, DC member addressed the convention. Three resolutions were adopted at the Convention: demanding that the UPA Government present and pass the Telangana Separate Statehood Bill in Parliament immediately; Withdrawal of the paramilitary forces from Osmania University Campus; and withdrawal of all cases booked against the students and employees who participated in the struggle. Protest songs were presented by Pammy, a lawyer, Ravi Babu as well as Himavathi of AIPWA.
8th Party Congress of the Revolutionary Workers’ Party of Bangladesh (RWPB)
A three-member delegation of the CPI(ML)(Liberation had been to Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, to attend the 8th Party Congress of the RWPB held on and from 1st April to 3rd April, followed by a grand meet with the leaders of the left and democratic parties/formations of Bangladesh on 4th April evening, including Comrade Saiful Haque, General Secretary, RWPB. The CPI(ML) delegation was led by Politburo member Comrade Swadesh Bhattacharya, and included PB Member Comrade Kartick Pal and Tripura State Secretary and CCM Comrade Mrinmoy Chakravarty. The delegation met with warm welcome, communist fraternity and comradely hospitality. The Party Congress symbolised proletarian simplicity, commitments and bold and tireless struggles towards reorganisation and rebuilding a revolutionary communist party.
RWPB came into existence in 2004 with a split in Workers’ Party of Bangladesh. RWPB leaders it is said, revolted against the class collaborationist opportunist line, parliamentary cretinism and abject surrender to ruling class parties adapted by the WPB leadership. As of now the WBP is a partner of the ruling Awami League led ‘grand alliance’. On the contrary, the RWPB is consistently striving to adapt Marxist-Leninist ideological-political positions, provide revolutionary orientation to workers, peasants’ movements, focusing on agrarian movement as the axis, develop joint forums of trade unions and anti-imperialist political forum with other left parties and democrats, etc. The 8th Party Congress of RWPB reasserted their opposition to the Government’s abject surrender to imperialist forces, especially US and to the domination and dictates of the Indian ruling classes, sway over of free market economy leading to severe agricultural and industrial crisis, price hike and unemployment, and above all, establishing a reign of terror, insecurity – and autocratic rule, and posing of serious threat to country’s sovereignty, national interest, national wealth and security. The Party Congress also noted the danger of growing threat of religio-fascist forces and their militarist terror under direct and indirect patronisation of the ruling elites. The Party Congress outlined policies and programme to combat all such threats, the central slogan being, “Strengthen people’s struggling unity against imperialists, lootera rich-classes” and and religio-fascism”. The Party Congress not only updated and adopted ideological-political resolutions, programme and constitution, but also discussed and adopted two other policy resolutions viz. 1. Policy of financial resources of the Party, focusing on “rely on the members and the masses and ensure transparency”; and 2. Guideline for the Party members, depicting organisational principles and tasks. Finally the councillors (delegates) elected (i) a Central Committee, (ii) Presidium (re-named Politburo) (iii) Central Control Commission, (iv) Alternate members and (v) a batch of central organisers.
The inaugural session deserves special mention as it witnessed on the one hand, popular and powerful peoples’ revolutionary culture, Tagore songs to folk songs to Sukanto- Nazarul recitals and dances by children on the theme of “red sun in the eastern horizon embracing the red flag”. On the other, the session figured the presence of leaders from nearly one and a half dozen parties/formations who greeted the RWPB Congress. Most of them share common political platform with RWPB.
All these parties, added with some other nationalist parties/forums, left and democratic personalities, graced the 4th April Dhaka Press Club lounge talks and exchanges with our neighbouring comrades and friends. Most of them appreciated our views and concerns about the US design in the sub-continent, regional hegemonistic ambitions of the Indian ruling classes as well as the growing prospect of extended resistances, solidarity and united peoples’ movement. All were unanimous for further urgent move in this direction.
A CPI(ML) Weekly News Magazine
Vol. 13, No. 16, 13 – 19 APRIL 2010
Punish the Masterminds of the Bathe Massacre
13 years after the brutal massacre of landless poor by the Ranveer Sena at Laxmanpur Bathe in Jehanabad, Bihar, the verdict of the Additional District and Sessions Court of Patna sentencing 16 Ranveer Sena men to death and 10 to life imprisonment is welcome, though belated. However, those who bear greatest guilt for that massacre are yet to be punished: Ranveer Sena chief Brahmeshwar Singh did not even face trial in this case, and the political patrons of the Ranveer Sena have completely evaded scrutiny and punishment.
The Ranveer Sena was a private landlords’ militia set up with a very similar purpose to the Salwa Judum – to spread terror among the landless poor and dissuade them from joining the CPI(ML) movement. The Ranveer Sena, backed by a range of leaders across political parties, indulged in several massacres of unarmed landless poor at Bathani Tola, Shankarbigha-Narayanpur and Laxmanpur Bathe to send a barbaric message of the consequences of struggling for land, wages and dignity.
On December 1, 1997, a gang of the Ranveer Sena, a landlords’ private militia, crossed the Sone river and entered Bathe village, using guns and swords to slaughter 58 unarmed and sleeping people. Of these 27 were women (of whom about a third were pregnant) and 10 were children. In an attempt to quiet the outrage that followed this attack and allegations of political patronage for the outlawed Ranveer Sena, the then Rabri Devi Government appointed a Commission of Inquiry headed by Justice (Retd) Amir Das on December 27, 1997, to probe the political links of the Ranveer Sena. The Commission had repeatedly complained about non-cooperation and denial of sufficient resources by the RJD Government. In 2006, when the Commission was on the point of preparing its final Report and had requested for a final extension of its tenure, the JD(U)-BJP alliance headed by Nitish Kumar disbanded the Commission in one of its first actions after it came to power.
The complicity of topmost leaders of the Nitish Kumar Government in the massacre and the Government’s own role in suppressing justice is underlined by Justice (Retd) Amir Das’ statement following the verdict, in which he declared that the masterminds of the Bathe massacre are in power in Bihar today. Justice Amir Das has said that his Report would have indicted 42 political leaders across the political spectrum, mostly from the BJP and JD(U) but also the RJD and Congress. This list includes BJP leaders like the present Deputy CM of Bihar – Sushil Kumar Modi and former Union Minister C.P. Thakur and former RJD Minister Shivanand Tiwari who is currently the JD(U) spokesperson.
Not only have these leaders evaded justice by scuttling the Amir Das Commission, they have also managed to protect the Ranveer Sena Chief Brahmeshwar Singh. The CID did not even investigate the case against Brahmeshwar Singh on the grounds that his name figured in the 1998 chargesheet among the “absconders.” Brahmeshwar Singh was arrested in 2003 and has since been in prison in Bihar – yet he continued to be treated as an “absconder” and was never charged by the police in the context of the Bathe massacre. Laxmanpur Bathe was the biggest massacre perpetrated by the Ranveer Sena; yet there was no attempt by the CID to probe the role of its Chief into the massacre – in spite of the fact that he was in prison and available for interrogation! This selective omission of Brahmeshwar Singh clearly indicates that the political patrons of the Ranveer Sena ensured that he was protected from any probe.
The Nitish Government’s commitment to protect and appease the feudal forces of big landlords who were the mainstay of the Ranveer Sena is further proved by its refusal to implement the recommendations of the Land Reforms Commission.
All defenders of democracy and justice have a stake in ensuring that the Bathe verdict is upheld and all political ‘masterminds’ who patronised the perpetrators of gruesome massacres of rural landless poor are brought to book. And as Nitish Kumar embarks on his pre-election “Vishwas yatra”, the justice-loving people of Bihar must get ready to punish him for his treacherous act of “vishwasghat” (betrayal).
CPI(ML) Liberation, CPM Punjab and Lal Nishan Party (Leninist)
Call upon Working Call and the Country's Poor to Observe
Nationwide General Strike on 27 April 2010
With Powerful Mass Actions
Against Price Rise and State Repression
Attack by Congress goons on CPI(ML) Supporters in Pilibhit
On April 3, Congress leader B M Singh and his supporters forcibly began erecting a dais on the land of Madhu Mandal, a peasant who is a supporter of CPI(ML). When Madhu Mandal objected, Congress goons entered his house and beat him up. Villagers then gathered to protest and Congress goons beat up other CPI(ML) supporters too.
B M Singh’s mass meeting took place the same evening. Hundreds of residents of Rahul Nagar showed black flags to B M Singh and expressed their anger and protest. The Congress supporters unleashed a pre-planned attack on the CPI(ML) supporters, and dozens were injured on both sides. On the previous day itself, CPI(ML) had informed the police and administration that an attack was impending, but the latter did not respond. When CPI(ML) activist Sayeed was at the hospital attending to the wounded, B M Singh arrived and threatened to abduct and kill him. B M Singh was arrested following a written complaint by the CPI(ML) in the police station. But in retaliation, the administration sent PAC into Rahul Nagar, which entered the homes of CPI(ML) supporters as identified by Congress supporters, and severely beat up people. CPI(ML) supporters immediately began a dharna at the DM’s office demanding an end to the PAC terror. The PAC-sponsored violence then stopped but various serious criminal charges including the Seventh Criminal Amendment Act were invoked against CPI(ML) CC Member Krishna Adhikari and several other leaders, activists and peasant supporters. Five CPI(ML) activists including AIALA leader Devashish were arrested and jailed. The CPI(ML) has called for party foundation day April 22 to be observed with a massive mass meeting against repression.
Congress leader B M Singh and his supporters have been trying for long to evict people from the Rahul Nagar workers’ settlement and capture the land. Some months back, B M Singh had threatened to clear the village and his goons had entered the home of CPI(ML) district committee member Comrade Nagina Ram and attacked him and family; an FIR (number 409/09 was registered in the police station). Most residents of the Rahul Nagar workers’ settlement are dalits, extremely backward or peasants and workers of the migrant Bengali community – most of whom are CPI(ML) supporters. This village is now being branded a ‘Maoist’ haven in a systematic campaign of misinformation and slander by media outfits (for instance see the Sunday Nai Duniya, a UP weekly, dated 14 February 2010).
The village came into being under a government ‘colonisation grant scheme.’ Later the Forest Department laid claim to the village but could not prove it. The dispute over the land is now in the Court and the peasants have got a stay from the HC in their favour. In spite of this, CPI(ML)’s opponents especially the Congress led by B M Singh have an eye on this land. B M Singh is the owner of huge farms and several farm houses. He wants to clear out Rahul Nagar and establish a farm house on that land.
The CPI(ML) held a dharna at Shahid Smarak in the UP State Capital of Lucknow on April 5 in protest against the assault by Congress supporters led by Congress leader BM Singh and police on party supporters in Rahul Nagar, Pilibhit. The party demanded that charges of rioting be registered against B M Singh, his henchmen be arrested, the PAC camp be removed from Rahul Nagar, false cases against CPI(ML) activists be withdrawn and they be released unconditionally, and land be regularised in the names of the residents of Rahul Nagar. A memorandum addressed the Chief Minister with these demands was submitted. The dharna was addressed by CPI(ML) Politburo member Ramji Rai, who said that B M Singh was fomenting riots and violence to capture the land of the workers’ settlement at Rahul Nagar. If the Mayawati Government were to ensure that residents of Rahul Nagar got their due rights over the land, this would not be possible. The dharna was also addressed by Kranti Kumar Singh, Balmukund Dhuria, Tahira Hasan, and Shiv Kumar. On April 5, a Protest March was also held at Puranpur, Pilibhit on the same question and a memorandum submitted to the SDM.
CPI(ML) demands release of hunger striking comrades at Gorakhpur
On 9 April CPI(ML) held a protest demonstration at the office of the mandalayukt to demand release of the nine activists including three women activists who had been jailed while holding a hungher strike at the Collector's office.
Hundreds of protestors led by State Standing Committee member Rajesh Sahni raised slogans at the mandalayukt's office, after which the latter met a delegation and assured them that action would be taken. The protestors then went to the city magistrate's office and held a dharna there. And finally the nine comrades were released.
On April 8, nine comrades – including Vinod Bharadwaj, Nandu Prasad, Bajrangi Nishad, Manorama Chauhan (all district committee members), Talbeda Begum and Anari Devi – were arrested and jailed while on hunger strike. Anari Devi was on hunger strike at the DM's office in protest against the grabbing of her land by the husband of the village pradhan, Anari Devi's family has resided on land in the Jangal Pakdi village of Pipraich thana in Sadar Tehsil for the last 40 years. Shivratan, the husband of the village pradhan had made attempts to evict Anari Devi's family and grab the land. He then meddled with the land deeds and tried to grab the land. The administration here ranged itself with Shivratan and his men who were forcibly capturing Anari Devi's land. Anari Devi and her family are party supporters and it as in her support that the hunger strike was being held.
Contractor Workers continue movement in Guwahati Refinery
Contract and unorganised workers in the Guwhati Refinery are continuing their movement on some longstanding problems. A nexus of the Refinery management, contractors and the anti-worker Refinery Workers’ Union has been depriving these temporary workers from their minimum rights and dignity for a long time. The agreement signed with the United Workmen Union has been violated. Recently this nexus resorted to retrenchment and repressive measures. Recently one women worker was discharged from her job. Contract workers under the banner of the AICCTU-affiliated United Workmen Union has led a series of protest programmes that includes wearing of black badges on 5 and 6 April, a dharna on 7 April, hunger strike on 8 April and dharna and gate meeting on 9 April this year. The management-contractor-RWU nexus has filed a case in Noonmati P. S. against three leaders of United Workmen Union including its General Secretary. Apart from the AICCTU-affiliated trade unions, other trade unions also extended support to this movement.
AIALA Road Blockade in Assam
In continuation of the movement launched by Sadou Asom Gramin Sramik Santha (Assam unit of AIALA), Asom Sangrami Chah Sramik Sangha and Karbi Anglong & N C Hills Kisan Sramik Sabha held a road blockade in different districts of Assam, on 23 March, 2010 to press their longstanding demands. On 21st January, 2010, nearly 5000 rural workers submitted a 11-point mass memorandum to the Governor of Assam at a Rajbhawan March programme. It was a culmination of a mass signature campaign in Assam’s major districts of AIALA’s work.
One of the major demands was a Special Assam Assembly Session to discuss the work of the Rural Development department, but there was no response from the Government. These issues were ignored by the Government even during the ongoing budget session of the Assam Assembly.
The Road blockade was effective at many places. In Tinsukia nearly 500 people gathered to block the main road for an hour. In Dibrugarh district the blockade was held at Lahowal and Tingkhong where nearly 1000 people took part. In Bargang, Behali (Sonitpur district) nearly 2000 agrarian workers and tea workers imposed a road blockade for nearly an hour. In Nagaon the blockade was held at two places - Nagaon town (1200 people) and Jakhalabandha (200 people). In Jorhat 500 people gathered to block the Assam Trunk Road for 45 minutes. In Chandrapur (Kamrup district) 300 people took part in the programme. From Barpeta a memorandum reiterating the demands was sent to the Governor through the DC, Barpeta. In Karbi Anglong district the blockade was held at Bokajan.
The Demands raised included:
i) Hold Special Assam Assembly Session to discuss works of Rural Development department,
ii) Curb prices and provide ration card and 25 essential commodities,
iii) Provide all rural families with job cards, 100 days works, Rs. 200 as minimum wage, otherwise provide unemployment allowance,
iv) Provide all poor families with BPL cards, IAY house and sanitary latrine,
v) Special reservation tea tribe people in panchayat schemes,
vi) Settle landless tea workers in ceiling surplus land and build IAY house for them,
vii) Ensure land rights for forest dwellers and provide them patta,
viii) Scrap immediately anti-people land policy imposed by Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council,
ix) Form an autonomous state combining Karbi Anglong and N C Hill by implementing Article 244(A) of the Indian Constitution and adopt a resolution in Assam Assembly,
x) Immediately withdraw the proposal of separating Assam Asset from Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC),
xi) Stop Sixth Edition of Kaziranga national park project and safeguard the life and livelihood of people living riverine strertch.
Convention at Khammam for Telangana Statehood
On 23 March the CPI (ML) Liberation organized a big rally and a convention at Khammam demanding separated statehood for Telangana. Nearly 500 people attended the Convention, including party activists, women, students, lawyers and teachers.
The convention inaugurated by CPI(ML) Liberation District Secretary C K Damodhar. The Convention paid homage to the martyrs of the struggle for separate statehood for Telangana as well as Shaheed Bhagat Singh. The editor of Telugu Liberation Comrade P Sathyanarayana, D Harinadh, state committee member, Shelam Swamy of Nalagonda, M Suguna Rao, lawyer, B Sydhulu representing the teachers forum, K Maleesh of the Telangana Students' Joint Action Committee and M Kailash of AISA and B Venkateswara Rao, DC member addressed the convention. Three resolutions were adopted at the Convention: demanding that the UPA Government present and pass the Telangana Separate Statehood Bill in Parliament immediately; Withdrawal of the paramilitary forces from Osmania University Campus; and withdrawal of all cases booked against the students and employees who participated in the struggle. Protest songs were presented by Pammy, a lawyer, Ravi Babu as well as Himavathi of AIPWA.
8th Party Congress of the Revolutionary Workers’ Party of Bangladesh (RWPB)
A three-member delegation of the CPI(ML)(Liberation had been to Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, to attend the 8th Party Congress of the RWPB held on and from 1st April to 3rd April, followed by a grand meet with the leaders of the left and democratic parties/formations of Bangladesh on 4th April evening, including Comrade Saiful Haque, General Secretary, RWPB. The CPI(ML) delegation was led by Politburo member Comrade Swadesh Bhattacharya, and included PB Member Comrade Kartick Pal and Tripura State Secretary and CCM Comrade Mrinmoy Chakravarty. The delegation met with warm welcome, communist fraternity and comradely hospitality. The Party Congress symbolised proletarian simplicity, commitments and bold and tireless struggles towards reorganisation and rebuilding a revolutionary communist party.
RWPB came into existence in 2004 with a split in Workers’ Party of Bangladesh. RWPB leaders it is said, revolted against the class collaborationist opportunist line, parliamentary cretinism and abject surrender to ruling class parties adapted by the WPB leadership. As of now the WBP is a partner of the ruling Awami League led ‘grand alliance’. On the contrary, the RWPB is consistently striving to adapt Marxist-Leninist ideological-political positions, provide revolutionary orientation to workers, peasants’ movements, focusing on agrarian movement as the axis, develop joint forums of trade unions and anti-imperialist political forum with other left parties and democrats, etc. The 8th Party Congress of RWPB reasserted their opposition to the Government’s abject surrender to imperialist forces, especially US and to the domination and dictates of the Indian ruling classes, sway over of free market economy leading to severe agricultural and industrial crisis, price hike and unemployment, and above all, establishing a reign of terror, insecurity – and autocratic rule, and posing of serious threat to country’s sovereignty, national interest, national wealth and security. The Party Congress also noted the danger of growing threat of religio-fascist forces and their militarist terror under direct and indirect patronisation of the ruling elites. The Party Congress outlined policies and programme to combat all such threats, the central slogan being, “Strengthen people’s struggling unity against imperialists, lootera rich-classes” and and religio-fascism”. The Party Congress not only updated and adopted ideological-political resolutions, programme and constitution, but also discussed and adopted two other policy resolutions viz. 1. Policy of financial resources of the Party, focusing on “rely on the members and the masses and ensure transparency”; and 2. Guideline for the Party members, depicting organisational principles and tasks. Finally the councillors (delegates) elected (i) a Central Committee, (ii) Presidium (re-named Politburo) (iii) Central Control Commission, (iv) Alternate members and (v) a batch of central organisers.
The inaugural session deserves special mention as it witnessed on the one hand, popular and powerful peoples’ revolutionary culture, Tagore songs to folk songs to Sukanto- Nazarul recitals and dances by children on the theme of “red sun in the eastern horizon embracing the red flag”. On the other, the session figured the presence of leaders from nearly one and a half dozen parties/formations who greeted the RWPB Congress. Most of them share common political platform with RWPB.
All these parties, added with some other nationalist parties/forums, left and democratic personalities, graced the 4th April Dhaka Press Club lounge talks and exchanges with our neighbouring comrades and friends. Most of them appreciated our views and concerns about the US design in the sub-continent, regional hegemonistic ambitions of the Indian ruling classes as well as the growing prospect of extended resistances, solidarity and united peoples’ movement. All were unanimous for further urgent move in this direction.
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