ML UPDATE 23 / 2010

ML Update

A CPI(ML) Weekly News Magazine

Vol.  13 No. 23  1 - 7 JUNE 2010

 

Gyaneshwari Express Tragedy:

Will We Ever Know the Truth?

Close on the heels of the Mangalore air crash, the Gyaneshwari Express accident near Jhargram in West Midnapore district of West Bengal has taken another heavy toll of human lives. Even nearly a week since the tragedy struck, the death toll is still rising and many of the critically injured are battling for their lives. Unlike most accidents, this one is however not attributed to usual factors like 'human error' or 'structural deficiency'. Reports link this tragedy to a suspected act of sabotage. While condoling this huge loss of lives, every justice-loving Indian would want this sabotage unearthed beyond any doubt and stern punishment meted out to the saboteurs.

 

The timing of the tragedy had its own political resonance. It happened soon after the beginning of a protest week called by Maoists in the five states of Chhattishgarh, Odisha, West Bengal, Jharkhand and Bihar. In the political context of West Bengal, one could not also miss the fact that it happened just two days before polling was to take place for Kolkata Corporation as well as 81 other municipalities in the state. While the state government was quick to indicate a Maoist hand in the sabotage, Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee began talking of high-level political conspiracy and called for a CBI probe into the incident. The Union Home Minister, on his part, has gone public with his observation that the 'needle of suspicion' points to the Maoists.

 

The Maoists are yet to make any official statement in this regard, but a statement attributed to one Bapi Mahato of the People's Committee against Police Atrocities (the most prominent banner of the Lalgarh agitation) has reportedly regretted the tragedy while owning responsibility for the damage done to the railway track. According to this statement, the PCPA had only wanted to derail a goods train and had not expected the Gyaneshwari Express to bear the brunt. If this statement is true, this is a shocking commentary on the anarchist degeneration of a movement that till recently boasted of a high degree of militant mass involvement. Sabotages and indiscriminate targeting and destruction of human lives cannot be accepted as a means of protest against police atrocities. 

 

For Chidambaram and the UPA government, the Gyaneshwari Express tragedy has come in handy to intensify the ongoing Operation Green Hunt. On the eve of the June 3 meeting of the Cabinet Committee on security, Defence Minister AK Antony has already held a meeting with the three Service chiefs – Air Chief Marshal PV Naik, Admiral Nirmal Verma and General VK Singh – to discuss 'all dimensions' of the security situation. There is a growing clamour for Army involvement in Operation Green Hunt – after air support, there is now talk of pressing a few of the 63 battalions of Rashtriya rifles, the Army's specialized counter-insurgency force now operating in Jammu and Kashmir into the OGH campaign.

 

Municipal elections over (Mamata Banerjee has already swept the Kolkata Corporation polls and registered major advances in the 81 other municipalities that went to poll on May 30), it remains to be seen how far Mamata Banerjee will insist on her demand for CBI probe. Chidambaram's purpose has also been served, the 'needle of suspicion' is sufficient for him to ask for a 'wider mandate' to intensify Operation Green Hunt. Will we then ever get to know who really was responsible for the Gyaneshwari Express tragedy?

 

What lends credence to the 'needle of suspicion' theory is the growing list of actual Maoist actions like blowing off of roads, tracks and bridges and targeting of buses, trains and passengers. Such acts have nothing to do with the legacy of Naxalbari and the revolutionary communist trail blazed by this historic peasant rebellion. And this can certainly not be the way to oppose Operation Green Hunt. Even in Nepal, with all their visible mass strength, the Maoists found it difficult to enforce a general strike beyond a few days. Here Maoists are repeatedly calling bandhs without any mass involvement – resorting only to disruptive activities in the name of protest. Such disruptive tactics must be rejected by all forces involved in the battle for justice, democracy and social transformation.

 

Condemn the Israeli Government's act of terrorism against humanitarian aid workers

Demand International Sanctions on Israel

Demand an immediate end to India-Israel Arms deals

In flagrant violation of all international laws, Israeli commandos attacked a flotilla of aid carrying ships, firing at and killing over 19 unarmed peace activists, leaving dozens others injured. CPI (ML) condemns this blatant act of war crime and a crime against humanity in no uncertain terms. The ships were part of a peaceful humanitarian response by citizens from 50 countries against the continuation of a three-year old unlawful siege which has resulted in great physical and mental distress to the 1.5 million people entrapped within Gaza.

 

The Israeli government and its propaganda machinery have predictably sought to show the attack as an act of self defence, with the Israeli PM, Binyamin Netanyahu, giving his "full backing" to the Israeli Defence Forces after the raid, and the Defense Minister Ehud Barak blaming the Flotilla organizers for inciting the attack. Outdoing the two, Deputy Defence Minister, Danny Alalon said that the activists aboard the ship were linked to international terrorist organizations and were trying to smuggle in arms, claiming shamelessly that weapons were found on board. Video footage of the assault clearly shows that the Israeli commandos dropped from a helicopter onto the Turkish passenger ship, Mavi Marmara, and began to shoot the moment they landed on the deck at peaceful civilians without provocation. In short, it was premeditated slaughter in cold blood.

 

The Israeli actions have prompted an avalanche of protests the world over calling for international sanctions and isolation of Israel, with several European countries summoning their Israeli ambassadors for explanation. Closer home, the Ministry of External Affairs has issued an insipid condemnation while choosing to be conveniently silent on the increasing strategic and military intimacy between India and Israel. The words of condemnation will remain hollow and ritualistic until all arms deals with Israel are scrapped.

 

Since 2008, Israel has gained the status of India's top defence supplier. While these deals, secured in utmost secrecy, remain mired in corruption allegations, the moot issue is that through these deals India actually subsidises Israel's massive war economy and in fact contributes to the killings of Palestinians. 

 

CPI(ML) stands in solidarity with the demand for international sanctions against the state of Israel and demands for an immediate lifting of the blockade in Gaza.

CPI(ML) calls for an urgent scrapping of India's military and strategic ties with Isreal.

CPI(ML) appeals all to protest against this blatant act of war crime and a crime against humanity.

 

Opportunist Combinations Responsible for Crisis –

CPI(ML) Warns against Misuse of President's Rule

After a month of political uncertainty, Jharkhand has once again been placed under President's Rule with the State Assembly kept in suspended animation. The opportunist BJP-JMM combine could not survive for even six months. Apart from the JMM's increasingly opportunist political role, the desperate political contention between the BJP and the Congress to control the seat of power in Ranchi is also squarely responsible for the current state of affairs in Jharkahnd.

 

While the Constitution provides for imposition of President's Rule in the absence of any government, there is every apprehension that the interregnum will be used to indulge in horse-trading and manufacture majority through unprincipled deals. In the event of no combination staking claim to form government, the CPI(ML) is opposed to the idea of a prolonged period of President's Rule and would instead favour fresh elections.

 

The State Standing Committee held an emergency meeting in Ranchi on 1 June in the presence of the Party GS to take stock of the Jharkhand situation. While maintaining political vigilance against any possible misuse of the President's Rule, the CPI(ML) has resolved to intensify mass struggles on the burning issues facing the people of Jharkhand and build a sustained campaign against eviction, mining loot, all-round corruption and state repression.

 

Support Air India Employees' Struggle for Trade Union Democracy and Workers' Rights

Even as workers from Gurgaon to Coimbatore are rising in struggles for Trade Union recognition, the headlines read 'recongition withdrawn for unions' and 'union offices sealed'. 

 

Are the managements expecting the unions to act according to their wishes? Are the managements trying to send away the union from their premises as they send the non-conforming workers? It is the task of the Trade Unions to fight for the rights of the workers and definitely not dancing to the tunes of the managements.

 

The era of globalization has seen some Trade Unions convincing the workers about the 'views and worries' of the managements and bringing them in line with what the managements wish. This practice is now taking its toll and the employees of Air India, their Trade Unions have fallen victims. Air Corporation Employees Union and All India Aircraft Engineers Association, Trade Unions of Air India workers are derecognized by the Air India management and the offices of the said Trade Unions all over the country are sealed by the management.

 

Right from Goldman Sachs of America, through Satyam to BSNL have shown that the managements both in private and public sector seldom worry about the well being of the organization and its work force. Corruption rules the roost and the interests of the organization and the workers are driven to the backstage. We also witness that even Indian Army is no exception. Air India flight crash on May 22 has sent shock waves throughout the country and the black box was found only after 3 days. One will have to wait for the explanations of the American experts to know the cause of the crash.

 

But, one of the office bearers of the unions told the media that negligence of the management is the main reason behind the tragedy. Everything came to the fore from this point. Citing the gag order of the management that the employees cannot go public on anything that would cause disrepute to the organization, the management took action on the employee for breaking the gag order. Over 20,000 employees all over country resisted this move with their flash strike on May 25. Things came to a standstill and some business interests affected. This is more than enough for the management to go on further victimization. Management went to the court to get the strike declared illegal. Mumbai HC was hesitant to pass such an order, but Delhi HC acted promptly and declared the strike illegal.

 

The striking workers demanded withdrawal of the gag order. Is it not one of the tasks of the Trade Unions to question the inefficiency or negligence of the management? And more so, when it is a PSU and interests of not only the organization but also that of the public is at stake. Over 100 Air India employees are now dismissed and suspended for discharging their social responsibility!

 

Air India employees have not got their May salary till the day they began their strike. This is also one of their demands. Employees of Jet Airways were given pink slips last September all of a sudden. Two pilots were dismissed for forming union. They all together went on a strike but this heroic struggle ended with the striking workers agreeing for reduced salary. During this whole period too, the Air India employees were not getting their salary in time.

 

During last year struggle, the registration of National Aviation Guild, union of the pilots, itself was cancelled. When the union held that the Labor Commissioner cannot cancel registration and went to the Mumbai HC, they were denied justice. Now they are preparing to approach the industrial tribunal and the pilots are saying that they will knock the doors of SC too if necessary. Now, over 2,000 pilots all over the country have formed Airlines Pilots Association of India. Will they ever get any justice from a 'globalised' Supreme Court?

 

Air India management, which has cancelled the recognition and sealed the offices of the fighting unions which enjoy the support of majority of the employees, has announced that it is negotiating with other unions in the organization. Aviation minister Praful Patel has categorically said that there is no review on the action taken against the striking employees. He also said that the management is free to go on further actions on more employees if necessary. He said that he is concerned only about the interests of the organization. Now, who will punish the minister who ran his ministry in such a way that more than 150 people were charred to death? Is this the way to protect the interests of the organization? Air India employees have announced their next round of struggles against victimization from June 12, though the Delhi HC has banned any strike action till June 13.

 

Beyond the debates and discussions on how the Air India employees planned and conducted this strike action, and whether the timing of the action was right, the forthcoming struggle of the Air India employees is a struggle for Trade Union democracy and workers' rights. The Trade Union non-recognition ghost created by the private corporates of the land and MNCs has begun to haunt the PSUs too. This must be nipped in the bud. It is the immediate duty of the Indian working class to rise in solidarity with the Air India employees in their struggle for Trade Union democracy and Trade Union rights and the show the ruling class that it is not that easy to crush the Trade Union movement in the country.

 

AICCTU Protest in Delhi

AICCTU held a protest demonstration in capital at parliament street on 31 May and strongly condemned the series of unprecedented clampdown measures taken against Air India employees and their unions - ACEU and AIAEA.

 

Addressing the meeting held on this occasion, comrade Swapan Mukharjee, AICCTU General Secretary strongly condemned the unconstitutional actions of Air India Management. He said that in spite of the fact that the unions had withdrawn the strike after the intervention of CLC (central) and High Court orders, the management's crack-down measures clearly smack of utterly vindictive attitude. The civil aviation minister Mr Praful Patel came openly in support of management's unconstitutional, undemocratic and unprofessional actions. How can we forget that this is the same civil aviation minister, two months back, whose daughter diverted an Air India plane for the sake of watching a IPL cricket match!

 

AICCTU has supported the call of the above unions to go for strike on June 12 against the dictatorial attitude of the management and has demanded immediate withdrawal of all vindictive actions including terminations and suspensions taken against the employees and union office bearers. AICCTU demands of the govt. and management to immediately enter into dialogue with the unions to resolve the issues in the interest of employees, the national carrier and the public.

 

The protest was led by Santosh Rai, AICCTU Delhi Secretary, VKS Gautam, Construction workers union leader, Jagnarayan, Mathura Paswan, Shyam Kishore and many others.  

 

'Rasta Roko' in Kalahandi

Thousands of CPI(ML) activists organised a 'Rasta Roko' (blockade) in Ulladani in Kalahandi district of Odisha to press for the demand of a bridge construction on Rahul river and land pattas to all tribals as per the 2006 Forest Rights Act.

 

The protesters also demanded to put a stop to illegal machine works under the MNREG Scheme, atrocities by forest department employees on tribals. The protest blockade resulted in the jam of more than 200 trucks and buses on the highway. This was lifted after the district administration came and assured of fulfilling the demands within two months.

Nilachal Bhattacharya and Ajaya Mandhata State Commitee Members of CPI(ML), Mahendra Parida State Secretary of AICCTU, Litulal, Convener of AISA in Kalahandi and Arjun led this protest. The demonstrators also demanded proper recognition by the state of the Tribal icon of the region Rindo Majhi and that his statue and a memorial be constructed.

 

New Branch Office at Gangavati

A new branch office of AICCTU was inaugurated by Com. Shankar, CCM, on May 31 at Gangavati in Karnataka. This second office was constructed through contributions from rice mill workers, who are in the path of struggles against illegal closures, demanding ESI benefit, PF and such other issues. There is no semblance of implementation of any labour law in the entire region of rice mills in which more than 10,000 workers are employed. They work in pathetic conditions where not even muster rolls are being maintained.

The workers organised a rally on March 23 demanding action against the management. On 20 May, hundreds of workers gheroed the office of local BJP MLA stressing their demands. Industrial disputes and other legal proceedings are going on. In the meanwhile, workers are exerting pressure on the administration, the MP and MLAs. Workers strongly condemned the pro-management attitude of the political bigwigs and the BJP government against the suffering workers.

 

The subsequent meeting of hundreds of workers, after inauguration of the office, chaired by J Bharadwaj, State Leading Team member of the party, was organized at a mill premises whose owner has been absconding for more than three months. The entire mill premise has been occupied by workers and is being used for the purpose of workers' meetings and struggles. Rice mill workers have started joining AICCTU rejecting established social democratic unions and their corrupt local leaders for their treachery.

 

AISA Demo Against Donations at HPHalli

AISA organized a rally and demonstration on 1 June against collection of exorbitant fees and donations for admissions in colleges in Harapnahalli taluk. They forced the college managements to repay excess amounts collected from students. The spirited rally was led by DM Prasad, member, NEC, and the subsequent meeting was addressed by Parameshwar, VP of AISA, Raghavendra, NCM, committee members Kumar and Manju. The meeting was presided over by Santosh, taluk president of AISA. Com. E. Ramappa, State Secretary called upon students to join the struggle for democracy and social transformation rejecting established political parties.

 

A new team of student leaders and hundreds of members have recently joined AISA in the taluk, deserting SFI due to its hand in glove operations with hostel warden against students. AISA leaders thwarted attempts by the warden for a compromise. Now, the students are being extended all facilities entitled to them, which was so long denied by the warden in connivance with the then student organization.

 

AIALA gives a call for an all India Rural Strike on 7 July 2010

AIALA has called for an All India Rural Strike on 7 July 2010. The deep agrarian crisis has resulted in the lack of food security, galloping price rise and the impoverishment of the rural poor. While NREGA was implemented by UPA under pressure of peoples' movements, its budgetary allocations still indicate lack of seriousness in ensuring any teeth to the implementation of the Act. The State governments without exception have failed to reach to the needs of livelihood, shelter and resource of the rural poor and have thus endangered their lives.

 

The All India Rural Strike has been called to demand a separate legislation for agricultural workers, ensure employment, higher wages and homestead land, ensure land reforms, check price rise and provision of work for each willing hand. The strike will be called in all areas of agricultural operations with the slogan 'Dam Bandho Kam Do' or Check Price Rise, Ensure Work.

 

AIALA has appealed to all democratic, progressive, pro-people peasant, women, student organisations and trade unions to stand in solidarity with the rural poor and ensure the success of the strike.

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Hunger Death in Gaya

Ramashray Bhagat, 45, died of hunger on 14 May 2010 in his village Aanti which comes under Konch block of Tikari sub-division in Gaya district. No post-mortem was conducted in spite of the fact that the mukhiya knew the real cause of the death. Many people in the village had earlier demanded from the mukhiya to provide help to the starving family, but he refused to heed. The only help this poor family received from the govt. was after his death, a 'cremation fund' of Rs. 1500 under a govt. scheme through the mukhiya with the instructions of immediately cremating the body. This was meant to hush up the matter so that the world should not know someone died of hunger under Nitish regime. Party refused to accept the administrative 'report' of this death and demanded an action. The CPI(ML) organised a dharna at sub-division headquarter in Tikari on 18 May. The politics in this village is divided among various political trends as usual in Bihar villages. The local leaders of ruling JD(U) 'accused' us of raising this issue, while few families who are said to be supporters of CPI(Maoists) too abstained from this protest! But the general public came openly is support and they themselves collected fund for hiring a vehicle to reach the protest venue in Tikari.

 

An investigation team led by All India Kisan Mahasabha National General Secretary Rajaram Singh and CPI(ML) District Secretary Niranjan Kumar visited the village on 19 May. Incidentally, a Public Hearing on 'Starvation Deaths and the Question of Food Security' was held on the same day in Gaya town. This was attended by Supreme Court appointed Special Food Commissioner Harsh Mander and many other prominent citizens. Comrade Rajaram Singh also addressed this Public Hearing where he held government policies and intentions for the increasing food insecurity and hunger. He asked why people like Ramashray are deliberately excluded from the BPL lists? 

 

ML UPDATE 22 / 2010

ML Update A CPI(ML) Weekly News Magazine Vol. 13, No. 22, 25 – 31 MAY 2010 UPA Unmasked: Intensify Mass Struggles against this Corrupt, Callous and Repressive Regime   It has now been one year since the incumbent UPA government assumed office in May 2009. Going by the poll-time promises and pronouncements of the Congress, "inclusive development" was to have been the keyword for the UPA-II. A government that cares for the aam aadmi, a government that would deliver essentials like employment guarantee and food security – this was the great promise that saw the UPA comfortably return to power in the last Lok Sabha election. But at the end of the first year, the poll promises are mostly forgotten – the rhetoric of food security has been overshadowed by the grim reality of unprecedented food inflation even as the government is preoccupied with Operation Green Hunt, threatening to gag every dissenting voice under the draconian UAPA. It's time the ruling coalition renamed itself as the UAPA government!   The big promise of food security turned into the UPA's biggest act of betrayal. On the one hand, agricultural growth rate went further downhill, turning negative last year, and on the other hand, food prices kept spiraling away. Just when the threat of starvation loomed larger and larger and more and more people badly needed some food support, the UPA government stopped paying even lip-service to its food security rhetoric! A shameless UPA government even went so far as to cite food inflation as the reason for delaying the food security legislation! And the draft of the government's intended food security framework indicated a further dilution of the existing PDS provisions, with no signs of any serious correcting move to end the BPL fiasco.   Along with food prices, fuel prices too contributed heavily to the general surge in prices of almost all essential commodities. Fertiliser prices were hiked on the eve of the budget, while the budget itself announced yet another major increase in fuel prices. Having survived the cut motion voting in parliament, the government has again returned to announcing fresh hikes in fuel prices. As a special anniversary gift to the people, the government has already announced a massive hike in CNG and piped gas prices and an Empowered Group of Ministers headed by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee is scheduled to meet on June 7 to decide on freeing petrol and diesel prices! As the UPA completes the first year of its second term, the people can expect celebratory fireworks in the form of a fresh surge in prices.   Corruption has emerged as another hallmark of this government. When the country was reeling under back-breaking inflation, UPA ministers were busy with the money-spinning corporate carnival of the IPL. By easing the flamboyant Sashi Tharoor out of office, the government hopes to hush up the entire IPL racket, but the chinks are clearly showing in the armour of different ministries. From A Raja of DMK to Sharad Pawar and Praful Patel of the NCP, the list of tainted ministers is getting longer.   Even after the Central Vigilance Commission recommended a CBI probe into the 2G spectrum scam and the CBI raided telecom minister A Raja's office in October 2009, the UPA government has been protecting the minister in the name of 'coalition dharma'. And now they are trying to brush the 2G scam under the 3G carpet by pointing to the 'unexpected' earnings of Rs. 67,710 crore in 3G auction. Let us however note that even the 3G booty is pretty small by global standards – a similar auction in the UK had fetched almost three times as much amount way back in 2000 (£22.47bn in 2000 as against £8.3 billion yielded by the 3G auction in India in 2010). And if the 3G license could be auctioned through competitive bidding why on earth did the ministry issue the 2G license on a hush-hush first-come-first-served basis?   This corrupt corporate-friendly government is also proving to be extremely callous and arrogant. When Shashi Tharoor equated economy class to cattle class, many might have thought it was a slip of the tongue (keyboard?) on the part of an inexperienced politician who is yet to master the language of mass communication. But what about a seasoned politician like Sharad Pawar who advised the people to stop taking sugar if they found sugar prices too high? Or for that matter, what about the 'leader of the masses' Mamata Banerjee who blames passengers for a stampede caused by the criminal inefficiency and negligence of her own department? These are not aberrations, but characteristic glimpses of governance, UPA style!   The BJP often accuses the UPA government of speaking in multiple voices while some media analysts paint a picture of drift and disarray. Well, Jairam Ramesh's statement issued in China, describing the Home Ministry's attitude to Chinese telecom companies operating in India as "alarmist and paranoid", was surely sacrilegious not only for the Congress but for the entire Indian ruling elite – and Ramesh will surely have to pay a price as Tharoor has had to do for his acts of indiscretion. But to try and find a real contradiction between Digvijay Singh and P Chidambaram, or what is even more ridiculous, between Sonia Gandhi's article in "Congress Sandesh" and the Manmohan-Chidambaram take on Maoism and internal security is only height of wishful thinking. The BJP would of course like to push the discourse further rightward and towards a harder state so it can regain its lost initiative and brush up its faded identity, but the Left and democratic forces will only be befooled if they take the so-called 'differences' within the Congress too seriously.   Behind all these 'multiple voices' there is a singularity of purpose – to confuse the opposition and the people and hold on to power. The way the Congress first accepted the Telangana statehood demand and then referred it to Justice Sri Krishna Committee, not to mention the divisive game it played on this issue by whipping up people's sentiments, or the way it got the women's reservation bill passed in the Rajya Sabha only to put it back in cold storage are no ordinary flip-flops. These are all characteristic features of an unscrupulous power game that India's oldest ruling party is quite adept in playing. It played it at the time of the nuke deal vote in 2008 and it played it again to defeat the cut motions on April 27.   The people of India are however not amused and will certainly not remain silent spectators to the Congress power games. The popular response to the April 27 Bharat Bandh, the renewed spurt in worker-peasant struggles in different parts of the country and the voices of protest against the UPA's UAPA-OGH regime are a clear pointer to the shape of things to come.   The Network of 'Hindutva' Terror   Almost a year and a half after the Maharashtra ATS arrested Sadhvi Pragya and a serving officer in the Indian Army, Lt. col. Purohit, for their alleged involvement in the Malegaon bomb blasts of 2008, the Rajasthan ATS arrested Devendra Gupta and Chandrashekhar Barod, men with close links to the RSS and its assorted organizations, as key suspects in the Ajmer Sharif blasts of 2007. The CBI has now revealed that in fact Hindutva groups may have been behind all the blasts that rocked the country that year—from the Samjhauta Express (February 2007) to Mecca Masjid in Hyderabad (May 2007) to the Sufi shrine in Ajmer (October 2007). The CBI joined the dots between the three blasts on the basis that all bombs had the same arming devices, which were procured from Indore; further the nature of phone timer devices, kinds of explosives used, common identity proofs used to obtain sim cards point to the links between these blasts.   These 'unusual' suspects in the form of serving and retired army officers, sadhus and sanyasin, and members of groups that go by the names of Hindu Sansathan, Jai Vande Matram Kalyani Samiti and Abhinav Bharat could not be farther removed from the Bashars and Falahis who are routinely rounded up by various anti-terror agencies, to be paraded as prize catches and 'masterminds'. Unusual the CBI's revelations may look initially, but really, civil rights groups have been arguing for a while now that the Pavlovian response of the police and security agencies – of declaring the culpability of a 'Jihadi' organization followed by rampant detention and torture of Muslim youth after every bomb blast – reeks of rank communal profiling. There has been a consistent refusal to acknowledge the presence, extent and scale of Hindutva terror outfits. (And one is talking here of just the plain, mainstream definition of the term terrorism – as in bomb blasts – discounting Hindutva's indulgences in cleansing minority populations, bringing down mosques, burning down churches, forcibly breaking inter community marriages, and attacking women in pubs etcetera).   Our political discourse, in a desperate imitation of the US' 'war on terror', normalizes the use of 'Islamic' in conjunction with 'terrorism', and legitimates witch hunt as an act of national security. No wonder, Raj Kumar Pandiyan, the IPS officer accused of killing Sohrabuddin in cold blood and passing it off as an 'encounter' of a terrorist on his way to 'eliminate' Narendra Modi, lamented after his arrest that he should have been honoured, not hounded. Seeking bail from the Supreme Court, Pandiyan's counsel argued on his behalf that "I am supposed to have killed the most notorious criminal…Maybe he [Sohrabuddin] is killed in a fake encounter, but for that the process of law cannot be subverted" [i.e., his bail application ought not to be rejected on the mere ground that Sohrabuddin was killed by him in a fake encounter]. No wonder too, that the Congress and BJP wish to outdo each other in demonstrating their iron will to combat 'terror': the Congress scored a Batla House against Modi's harvest of encounters; not wanting to sound partisan when it came to matters of national security, the Union Home Ministry's affidavit seconded the Gujarat government's claim that the teenaged college girl Ishrat Jehan was a Lashkar e Tayyiba operative. But what can be surprising is how supposedly secular and respectable media houses such as the Hindu can become willing partners in this propaganda (just google for all the Hindu columns that were written in the aftermath of the Mecca Masjid and dargah blasts, which screamed HUJI and Lashkar connections).   But to return to the recent revelations, this is not the first time that such a link between the three blasts has been suggested. In November 2008 itself, soon after Hemant Karkare's ATS made these daring arrests, Mahant Amritanand alias Dayanand Pande, an aide of Pragya and Purohit, had been questioned in connection with the Samjhauta Express blasts by the Haryana ATS. There were other clues too: the suitcase in the Samjhauta Express was traced to Indore—the epicenter of Hindutva activities (along with Dangs); in 2008 itself the Maharashtra ATS had communicated to the Hyderabad police the sensational claim by Purohit that he had provided the RDX used in Mecca Masjid blast (Times of India, May 06, 2010). Purohit had been chargesheeted for procuring the RDX from the army inventory when he was posted in Jammu and Kashmir in 2006. However, there was no willingness to question and disturb the neat and easy connections between 'terrorism' and 'Jihadist' groups.   The Hyderabad police, already having arrested, illegally detained and tortured scores of Muslim men at private farm houses was in no mood to investigate the Purohit angle. It refused even to take custody of the man for questioning (contrast this with the manner in which various blasts accused linked to a shadowy organization called Indian Mujahideen were made to shuttle between states, as various state police vied to question them). The blame for the Mecca Masjid blasts was conveniently laid at the doors of Harkat-ul-Jihad-e-Islami (HUJI). Indeed, the Maharashtra ATS was asked not to make this public. Similarly, the attack on the dargah in Ajmer was shown to be the handiwork of hardline jihadists waging war against popular Islam. This is likely where the Pune blasts investigations are headed. After pursuing the Hindutva angle for a month, facing heat from an angry opposition, the Maharshtra Home Minister dropped Raghuvanshi as the ATS chief in favour of Rakesh Maria, who since has faithfully deflected the investigation back to the usual track of Indian Mujahideen. Maria, it will be recalled is the man accused by Vinita Kamte, widow of the slain ATS officer Ashok Kamte, of ignoring the then ATS chief Hemant Karkare's calls for reinforcement on the night of 26/11. The trumpeting of the IM angle in Pune is all the more suspect given that the recent chargesheets filed by the NIA in the Goa blast case of 2009 lead to the radical saffron outfit Sanatan Sansthan in Pune.   As the details of the extensive network of Hindutva terror emerge as also the reality that there has been willful suppression of their activities by the investigating agencies – helped along no doubt by the prevailing political climate – all previous investigations need to be revisited. In particular the Malegaon blasts of 2006, where all contrary evidence such as the recovery of fake beard by a local tailor from the dead bodies, were ignored; the ATS' claim at that time that "RDX is only available to Islamic terrorist outfits" was also belied by Purohit's access to RDX. In a severe and damaging rebuff to the prosecution in the Jaipur blasts case of 2008, as many as eleven witnesses have turned hostile, accusing the Rajasthan police of pressuring them to sign statements under duress.   What is required urgently is a thoroughgoing enquiry into all the bomb blasts that have taken place in the last few years: from the blasts in UP, Mumbai train blasts, Delhi, Jaipur, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad as well as Modasa and Nanded, and a strict scrutiny of the Hindutva organizations and their links to the RSS. But above all, there must be an end to impunity. All those who have falsely framed innocents in terror cases, inflicted torture, forged evidence, bullied witnesses, and misrepresented facts in chargesheets ought to be prosecuted. The Special Cells, the ATS, STFs and police departments must be made to realize – through punishments and convictions – that they simply have not been handed a blank cheque, which they can encash every time they spot a Muslim after a bomb blast.   Lalkar March at Mansa   Completion of one year of historic Mansa land struggle was celebrated on May 21st, 2010, with a Lalkaar (defiance) march participated by huge number of landless labourers and Party leaders. The march was welcomed by labourers in each village with great enthusiasm. Vehicles with red flags and revolutionary slogans passed through most of the villages where landless labourers had risen up in assertion for their land rights. In five major villages of the last year's land struggle- Barnala, Nandgarh, Hakam Wala, Gurne Kalan and Khiala -rallies were also held. State Secretary of Mazdoor Mukti Morcha, Bhagwant Singh Samaon and State Secretary of CPI(ML) Com. Rajwinder Rana led the march. AICCTU General Secretary and CC member of CPI(ML) Com. Swapan Mukherjee was the special guest and one of the main speakers. The comrades who were jailed last year were honoured at the occasion. At every rally progressive plays were performed by Punjab Kala Kendra of Surjeet Gami fame. Sukhdarshan Natt, Convenor of Radical People's Forum, AIPWA leader Jasveer Kaur Natt, RYA State Secretary Hasmeet Singh and many other State-level leaders were also present. The successful event was realised through the persevering efforts of many a district level and mass organisations' comrades.   Autonomous State Demand Day in Karbi Anglong   The 24th Anniversary of Autonomous State Demand Day was observed in Karbi Anglong on 17 May – as it has been since the beginning of the Autonomous State movement in hill districts of Assam. This time, CPI(ML) and ASDC(P) jointly observed Autonomous State Day with a colourful procession in Diphu town, starting from the ASDC(P) office premises and marching to the DC office. There a memorandum addressed to the Union Home Minister, P. Chidambaram was submitted to the DC, demanding immediate implementation of Art. 244(A) of the Indian Constitution. After marching through the main roads of the town, the procession culminated in a mass meeting at the ASDC(P) office ground. This meeting was conducted by the secretary of the Diphu district committee of CPI(ML) Com. Daniel Teron and was addressed by KSA President Com. Laisen   Inghi, KNCA General Secretary Com. Pratima Inghipi, CPI(ML) State Secretary and PB member Com. Rubul Sarma, and ASDC(P) President Com. Chandrakanta Terang. Nearly 1000 people participated in the procession and the meeting.   Speakers at the meeting reiterated their resolve never to compromise on this constitutional right of the hill peoples of Assam and warned the Government of intensified struggle if the demand was not met. Addressing the meeting Com. Rubul Sarma said that it was only the CPI(ML) and ASDC(P) combine that was carrying forward the true spirit of "No Autonomous State No Rest." In this long journey of two and a half decades many of the leaders neither rested nor compromised with the Government. During this period some armed outfits were formed demanding self-rule, implementation of Article 3 of the Constitution and even an independent Karbi Anglong. These forces have also come to the ceasefire agreement with the government. On the other hand some breakaway leaders of the Autonomous State Movement, including former RS MP Prakanta Warisa joined the ruling Congress.   The Congress stands exposed as a force fundamentally opposed to Autonomous Statehood. In spite of leading governments both at the centre and the state as well as in the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council and having enough scope and power to grant Autonomous Statehood, is indifferent to the issue of implementation of 244(A), even after announcing a new Telengana state. On the other hand rampant corruption in the Congress-led Autonomous Council has rocked the whole of Assam. The CPI(ML) is also fighting against this corruption and against the soaring prices – another gift of the Congress to the people.   Contrary to the consistent and principled movement of the CPI(ML), the renegade ASDC always displays political opportunism and joins forces sometimes with BJP and other times with Congress. Even in the last RS election on 26/03/10, the lone ASDC MLA Jagat Singh Engti voted for Congress candidate. Thus the ASDC is suffering from an identity crisis.   The militant group UPDS, which is under a cease-fire agreement with the Government, has formed a mass platform, PAPA (Peoples Alliance for Peace Agreement) comprising of ASDC, BJP, NCP etc. In the wake of the announcement of a new separate Telangana state, the demand for implementation of constitutional rights in the form of Autonomous Statehood has gained a new impetus. The enthusiastic participation of people in the Autonomous State Day programme this year reflects their aspirations and their determination.   Kidnapped CPI(ML) Leader Released after Powerful Mass Protests   Com. Rupesh Kumar Singh, CPI(ML)'s Bhagalpur District Committee member and Revolutionary Youth Association's (RYA) District Secretary's kidnapping and subsequent gherao and protests was reported in this newsletter last week. The gherao continued throughout the night and next day Naugachhia observed a daylong bandh. The Party also organised a protest march in Bhagalpur town while the RYA organised statewide protests. Thanks to prompt protests and concerted efforts of comrades in Bhagalpur, Katihar and Purnea districts, Com. Rupesh was eventually recovered near Purnea railway station on the night of 19 May. The Party has filed an FIR and attempts are on to get the administration to act on it.   Conference of Rickshaw Pullers in Noida   The Delhi State Committee of CPI(ML) successfully organised the 1st Conference of cycle-rickshaw pullers at Sec.25 in Noida, adjacent to Delhi. Two hundred rickshaw pullers participated in the Conference. A 15 member committee with Comrades Shyam Kishore Yadav and Suresh Paswan as President and Secretary respectively were elected through the Conference. AICCTU General Secretary Com. Swapan Mukherjee was the chief guest and speaker along with Delhi State Secretary and CPI(ML) CCM Com. Sanjay Sharma.   The Conference passed resolutions on the immediate necessities of the rickshaw pullers. It demanded – (i) to grant licences and recognition to all the pullers along with covering them under BPL and social security, (ii) construction of cycle-rickshaw stands with shades and drinking water amenities, (iii) grant of easy loan and micro credits from banks to free them from usurers and stop all harassment by the police and administration and (iv) not the least, recognise their service as contribution to environment and ecological sustainability.   Dhikkar Saptaah against BJP-Congress in Jharkhand   The BJP which was voted out by the people in Jharkhand just a few months back tried to hold onto power by supporting a JMM-led Govt., and recently sensing an opportunity tried to wrest the CM's chair by enacting a drama of withdrawal from the Govt. and then putting its withdrawal on hold to get the chief ministership. The CPI(ML) launched a week long dhikkar saptaah (condemnation week) from 18th May to orient people's anger into a political force to end this extremely opportunist regime devoid of any commitment to people's aspirations.   Meeting was organised in Chakradharpur on 18th May led by Com. Bahadur Oraon- CC member, and on the same day Party workers marched with black badges in Ramgarh. Protest march and meeting was held at Chhatarpur in Palamu. Dharnas, demonstrations, street corner meetings and effigy burning were held at many places in various districts. Meetings were held in front of block headquarters at Bagodar, Saria, Birni, Rajdhanwar, Ganwa, Teesri, Jamua, Dewri, Bengabad, Gandeya and Giridih in Giridih dist on 24 and 25 May. On these same days similar programmes were held at Nirsa, Chirkunda, Govindpur, Baliapur and Patlabari and block level dharna at Nirsa, Govindpur and Baliapur in Dhanbad dist. Effigy burning and meeting was held at Mohanpur block in Devghar, Jarandih and Gomia in Bokaro dist. and street corner meeting at Chandankiyari and Nayamore in Bokaro. Othere places where similar programmes were held are – Tilaiya and Domchanch in Kodarma district, Kisko block and Lohardaga town, Vishunpur, Ghaghra and Gumla town in Gumla dist, dharna at Hazaribagh dist. HQ, marches and meetings at Topa, Argadda, Bhurkunda, and Rangarh town in Ramgarh dist., Panki in Palamu, dharna and emonstrations at Garhwa town, Nagar Untari, Ramuna, Dhurki, Sagma, Bhawnathpur, Ketar and Bishunpura. March was taken out from State Office to Albert Ekka roundabout in Ranchi.   Congress seems to be gaining the upper hand in the current power tussle and it also seems that the whole situation was engineered by the Congress to grab the reins of government in Jharkhand. We have been exposing this game of Congress and involved parties. Party has decided to organise a massive protest the day Congress assumes power in the State.     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 21 /2010

ML Update
A CPI(ML) Weekly News Magazine
Vol. 13, No. 21, 18 – 24 MAY 2010

Resist Operation Green Hunt, Reject ‘Maoist’ Anarcho-Militarism!

After ambushing 75 CRPF men in early April, Maoists have struck again in Dantewada. On 17 May afternoon, a passenger bus was blown up in a landmine blast that left more than 30 passengers killed and at least another 15 passengers seriously injured, some of them reportedly quite critical. The bus was carrying some 50 odd passengers including some Special Police Officers (recruited by the state in the course of the Salwa Judum campaign), but there were no state police or CRPF personnel. In 2003, the PWG had targeted a bus in Warangal in Andhra Pradesh, for which they had subsequently offered regrets and apologies, but this time around the Maoists have feigned their ignorance about civilians being present in the bus.

In terms of casualties, this is the fourth major Maoist action since February. While two of these actions concerned only the state forces (the attack on the EFR camp in Silda in West Bengal in February and the ambush of CRPF personnel in April), the other two incidents, a massacre in a village in Bihar’s Jamui district and the blowing of the passenger bus in Dantewada, involved large numbers of civilian casualties, including many poor adivasis. Such indiscriminate attacks, divorced from any immediate context of people’s struggle, and the resultant large-scale loss of human lives, are clearly indefensible. Removed from the issues and struggles of the people, such incidents only alienate the broad masses and end up strengthening the very state and its repressive campaign the Maoists claim to be fighting.

The state has indeed been quick to exploit the situation. In an interview to NDTV, Chidambaram called for a ‘larger mandate’ to tackle Maoist insurgency that would possibly involve air-support. He said security forces and concerned chief ministers all had been demanding air-support for anti-Maoist operations. The same channel also cited a survey which indicated considerable ‘popular’ support for army intervention. Chidambaram said the ‘people’ were ready for harder options while it was only the government which was exercising caution and restraint! While some Congress leaders, Digvijay Singh in particular, attribute the Chhattisgarh incidents to the utter failure of the BJP government in the state on the ‘development’ front, the BJP is accusing the Congress of pursuing a soft and half-hearted line.

By all indications, there is a growing ruling class consensus for a more aggressive military campaign even while ruling out the option of direct army deployment in the immediate context. The issue of anti-Maoist strategy however figured quite prominently in the May 17-19 Army commanders’ conference in New Delhi, and the Army is clearly getting ready for a larger and more central role, however indirect. Television channels too have lost no time to project the Dantewada episode as a ‘turning point’ in the ongoing operation. The so-called Digvijay Singh school of ‘democratic’ opinion in the Congress is no dissenting voice giving primacy to development and political solution – it is essentially a contention between two repressive strategies, the BJP’s discredited and defeated Salwa Judum model of Chhattisgarh model versus the Andhra model of the Congress.

Meanwhile, the Home Ministry has intensified its campaign against human rights activists and civil society organizations that have questioned the theory and practice of Operation Green Hunt. Chidambaram misses no opportunity to threaten dissenting intellectuals with dire consequences under the draconian UAPA. After the latest incident in Dantewada, he immediately demanded an answer from the intellectuals and civil society activists as if they were responsible for the incident! The May 22 issue of Tehelka talks of some IB communiqué listing 57 organisations including prominent civil liberty organizations like PUCL, PUDR and APDR and well-known communist parties like CPI(ML)(Liberation) as ‘front’ organizations for Maoists! With every passing day, Operation Green Hunt is increasingly turning out to be nothing but Operation Witch Hunt!

This witch hunt will certainly have to be resisted, and resisted by insisting on and carrying forward the logic of people’s struggle and democracy. It is true, that peaceful protests are often considered weak and subjected to state repression, as is happening right now in Orissa where the government is trying to crush all opposition to the Tatas in Kalinganagar and POSCO in Jagatsinghpur by unleashing state repression and state-sponsored corporate coercion. But this cannot justify the indiscriminate acts of the Maoists which only alienates the masses and ultimately ends up weakening people’s movements and strengthening the state. The resistance to operation green hunt will therefore have to go hand in hand with the rejection of Maoist anarcho-militarism.

Handout issued by CPI(ML) General Secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya at press conference held in the Party’s Bihar State Office in Patna on 16 May

1. The CPI(ML) strongly condemns the unprovoked firing and arson carried out by the Orissa state police yesterday (15 May, 2010) against a peaceful dharna of farmers and fisherfolks opposed to the proposed POSCO steel project in Jagatsingpur district. Over 100 people have been injured and many shops and houses in Balitutha village, the site of the dharna, have been set on fire by the policemen. It should be noted that hundreds of villagers had been sitting in a peaceful dharna since 26 January 2010 to express their dissent against the proposed plant.
The police assault on the PPSS (Posco Pratirodh Sangharsh Samiti) activists is only the latest example of a continuing reign of state terror and corporate coercion in Orissa. In Kalinganagar region too, people opposed to the Tata plant and demanding justice for Kalinganagar massacre victims, are faced with daily doses of police raids, intimidation and assault.

The Orissa unit of CPI(ML) has announced a series of mass protest actions in Orissa. The CPI(ML) appeals to trade unions, peasant and agriculture labour associations and all democracy-loving people to rise in protest against the Orissa government’s repressive campaign.

2. The opportunist NDA government in Jharkhand has pushed the state into the abyss of anarchy. The BJP first talked of withdrawing support and then shamelessly put the proposal on hold to explore the possibility of foisting some BJP leader as the next Chief Minister! The power-hungry politics of the BJP has thus been fully exposed in
Jharkhand. The CPI(ML) has called upon the Jharkhand Governor to take steps for convening an immediate session of the State Assembly. The party will observe “dhikkar saptah” in Jharkhand from 18 to 25 May to mobilize public opinion against the ongoing mockery of democracy in Jharkhand.

3. The CPI(ML) congratulates the poor and middle peasants and small tenants and sharecroppers of Bihar for their overwhelming response to the ongoing movement for land and tenancy reforms. Following the successful March 30 Jan Adhikar Rally in Patna and the May 10 founding conference of All India Kisan Mahasabha, the CPI(ML) Polit Bureau, which met in Patna on 11-12 May, has called for countrywide intensification of the battle for land and tenancy reforms, food and social security and greater employment guarantee and increased wages under MNREGA. In this context, the party welcomes the AIALA’s move for a one-day countrywide rural strike on 7 July and appeals to all mass organizations of the working people to extend full support to this proposed strike.

4. The CPI(ML) welcomes the recent verdicts on Laxmanpur-Bathe and Bathanitola massacres as an elementary victory in the protracted battle for justice. But for the courage shown by the fighting poor in these villages and the sustained involvement of the CPI(ML), the battle for justice could not have been brought to this point. While the masterminds of the Ranvir Sena are yet to be brought to justice, the punishment awarded by the lower court to even a few of the perpetrators of these heinous massacres amounts to a strong indictment of the previous as well as current government. While Lalu Prasad’s government had allowed the Ranvir Sena to kill with impunity, Nitish Kumar disbanded the Amir Das commission to protect the political patrons of this killer gang. The CPI(ML) therefore appeals to the justice-loving people of Bihar to intensify the battle for justice and give a fitting political rebuff to all the forces who have been responsible for perpetrating and patronizing such brutal mass killings.

Protest against Kalinganagar firing and Posco crackdown in Delhi

Scores of CPI(ML) members held a protest demonstration at the Orissa Bhawan in New Delhi on 19 May to protest the highhandedness of police and administration and crackdown on the peaceful protests in Kalinganagar and Jagatsinghpur. A five-member delegation from the protesters handed a memorandum for Orissa’s Governor to the resident commissioner of Orissa at Orissa Bhawan.

The Governor, Orissa.

Subject: Request for urgent intervention to stop police atrocities on peaceful protestors against corporate land grab in Orissa

Dear Sir,

We gathered today at Orissa Bhavan in the national capital to protest against the recent spate of police firing and atrocities on peaceful protestors in Orissa to facilitate the loot of land and resources by corporations like Tata and POSCO.
Since May 15, there has been a massive armed assault by 25 platoons of the Orissa police, deploying crude bombs, bullets and batons against a dharna that thousands of peaceful villagers have held since January 2009 against forced displacement to make way for the proposed steel plant of South Korean MNC POSCO in Jagatsinghpur district, Orissa. More than 100 people, including women and children, are reportedly injured, five of them seriously. Those (such as the local CPI MP) attempting to visit the area in solidarity with the protestors are being arrested.

Two days before that, Orissa police opened fire on villagers in Kalingangar agitating against proposed displacement to make way for a Tata steel plant. One person was reportedly killed and several injured.

In both Kalinganagar and Jagatsinghpur, the villagers have been carrying out peaceful agitation against their displacement for the last five years. Goons patronized by the government and corporations have been attacking the peaceful agitations - looting houses and burning foodgrain on March 30 in Kalinganagar and throwing crude bombs of kerosene and petrol amongst the protesters on dharna at Jagatsinghpur.

It is strongly condemnable that the Orissa Government’s stock response to any mass agitation is a cold and calculated strategy of outright repression. This was witnessed at Narayanpatna some months back, when tribals agitating for land rights promised by the Government and against atrocities on women during a police raid were fired upon and their leaders shot dead. The police firing at Kalinganagar and Jagatsinghpur are further proof of the same policy. Worse, sections of the local population are being mobilized in gangs patronized by government, ruling parties and corporate houses, in a style reminiscent of Salwa Judum as well as of attacks by the ruling party in Singur and Nandigram, to launch armed attacks on the peaceful protestors.

We wonder if the present spate of attacks is an extension of Operation Green Hunt in Orissa – combining as it does the multiple aims of facilitating corporate land grab, suppression of people’s movements and branding of the latter as ‘terrorist.’
We demand your urgent intervention to put a stop to the state repression and corporate coercion in Orissa.

Stampede in New Delhi Station: Mamata Must Resign

The CPI(ML) deeply condoles the death of two passengers in a stampede in New Delhi railway station on 16 May afternoon. The stampede, caused by a last-minute announcement of change of platform of two Bihar-bound trains, also left scores of passengers injured. In the past too, New Delhi station has witnessed such stampedes. Instead of investigating the reason behind this lapse and taking steps to check its recurrence, the railway ministry is trying to deny the stampede itself, let alone the lapse on the part of the railway administration that triggered it, instead blaming the passengers themselves for the deaths and injuries. It is widely known that the Minister for Railways, Ms Mamata Banerjee, pays little attention to her ministry and remains preoccupied with West Bengal politics. Even after this completely avoidable tragedy she refused to express any regret or listen to any criticism, arrogantly claiming that she was least bothered about whatever may happen in Delhi! The CPI(ML) therefore demands her immediate resignation as railway minister.

“The Crisis of the Left and Prospects of Future” - Seminar by Left Coordination Committee of Kerala

A national seminar on “The Crisis of the Left and Prospects of Future” was organized by the Left Coordination Committee (LCC) of Kerala at Calicut on 14 May 2010. Com. Muralidharan, State Secretary of LCC, chaired the inaugural session and Com. Mangatram Pasla, General Secretary of CPM (Punjab), inaugurated the seminar. Pasla said that the CPI(M) has deviated from 1964 party programme and from its own commitments. He called upon all Left forces to come together to fight CPI(M)’s opportunism. Com. Chandrashekar, State President of LCC, welcomed the gathering and Advocate Kumaran Kutty introduced the topic.

Speaking in the second session, Com. V. Shankar, CCM of CPI(ML), called for revitalization and rejuvenation of the Left movement in the present juncture of major crisis in the social democratic Left camp. He proposed the formation of a platform of alternative Left forces, which would act as a platform of people’s struggles and provide a radical alternative to social-democratic bankruptcy and betrayal. At the present juncture, such a forum could focus on a common agenda that might include burning and basic issues like price rise, land reform and state repression and corporate coercion. He cited the April 27 Bharat Bandh in which CPM(Punjab) led by Com. Pasla and LNP(L) of Maharashtra had joined hands with the CPI(ML)(Libertion).

Com. Alok Mukherjee of CPI(ML) (Janshakti) also spoke in this session and he dealt with some of the major issues confronted by the Left, including caste question and democratic centralism. The session was chaired by Com. Sugathan, state functionary of LCC.

The seminar was also addressed by comrades MM. Somasekharan, one of the prominent and former leaders of the erstwhile CPI(ML) (Red Flag), Dr. KN. Ajoy Kumar, former leader of CPI(ML) (Red Star) led by KN Ramachandran, KC Umesh Babu and KS Hariharan, Editor of Janashakthi, the magazine of LCC.

The seminar was followed by a state level organizational convention of the LCC on the following day. The convention decided to intensify its efforts to form a platform of alternative Left forces in the country and to float its own mass organization of workers and youths. The convention also discussed its strategy for the forthcoming panchayat elections.

The determination to hold on to the Left ground in Kerala against the CPI(M)’s wish of dissident forces getting frittered away reverberated through the entire programme. The Left Coordination Committee comprises of former CPI(M) members and activists in Kerala all of whom have left the party in the recent past. The LCC also intends to bring together all Left forces in the state on a common platform to provide a Left alternative to the CPI(M)-led LDF.

Colourful and militant Processions in Assam

May day celebrations were reported in an earlier issue of this news letter. Here are some updates. AICCTU and its affiliated trade unions observed May Day in different districts of Assam. In Tinsukia an impressive colourful procession of 3000 workers, particularly tea garden, rural, unorganized, contractual, ASHA and power workers was organized under AICCTU led May Day Celebration Committee comprising of different trade unions, and a meeting was held under the President-ship of Comrade Subhas Sen. Jhumur dance and Bihu dance were performed in the procession that added a new dimension to the programme. In Dibrugarh, meetings were held at two places- Lahowal and Tingkhong, where main participants were also tea workers and rural and agrarian workers. In Bihali, Sonitpur district, AICCTU affiliated Assam Sangrami Chah Sramik Sangha (ASCSS) and AIALA organized a massive colourful procession and a mass meeting in New Ketela field (tea garden) and it was presided over by CPI(ML) leader Com. Dharmakanta Haloi and addressed by Com. Bibek Das, Lila Sarma, Lakshi Kurmi etc. and performed Jhumur and Bihu dance and other cultural programmes. In Guwahati May Day meetings were held at Bonda and Guwahati Refinery. Apart from these meetings a joint meeting and a procession of central trade unions including the AICCTU were organized in Guwahati city. In Nagaon, meetings and processions were organised in Nagaon town and Jakhalabandha. In Barpeta district AIALA and CPI(ML) organized a meeting and a procession in Barpeta. In Silchar May Day was observed jointly with different central trade unions. In Jorhat ASCSS and AIALA organized a procession of more than 1000 workers and peasants in Kakajan through NH-37 and held a meeting in Kakajan Kala Krishti Kendra. In Karbi Anglong May Day was observed in Diphu party office, Disobai, Dakmoka, Kheroni, Rongbong way and Hariharjan. CPI(ML), ASDC(P), KANKIS, KSA leaders delivered their speeches in these meetings.

In this year’s May Day programmes, main participants were tea, rural and workers of unorganized sectors, which are worst affected by the pro-corporate policies of the Government. It demands urgent steps to organize and unite these sections of the working class.

Pledge Day in Chhatisgarh

Twentieth shahadat diwas (martyrdom day) of Shaheed Darasram Sahu was observed on 6th May as Sankalp diwas (pledge taking day) at Lal Khadan in Bilaspur. CPI(ML)’s Chhatisgarh Secretary Com. Brijendra Tiwari garlanded the Martyr’s statue and hoisted the flag. Com. Darasram’s wife Sushila Bai presided over the meeting organised in the Party office. Meeting was addressed by CMM’s Bhamudas Vaishnav, Keshav sahu from Raipur, Bilaspur’s Party Secretary Lalan Ram, Bhagwat Pal, Uma Pal, Abhay Narayan Rai and Brijendra Tiwari. Workers from Sipat’s Hind Energy Coal Company also attended the meeting. Post meeting, an 8-member convening body of AICCTU in Bilaspur was also formed. The meeting resolved to intensify the struggle against repressive BJP Govt. in the State and pro-corporate and anti-common man UPA Govt. Meeting also demanded immediate arrest of the kidnappers and assaulters of Comrade AG Quraishi.

CPI(ML) Youth leader Kidnapped in Bihar

Comrade Rupesh Kumar Singh, CPI(ML)’s Bhagalpur District Committee member and Revolutionary Youth Association’s (RYA) Dist. Secretary was kidnapped at noon from Naugachhia Bus Stand on 18 May 2010. Soon 200 Party and RYA members reached the Naugachhia Police Station and have been since continuing to gherao it. Although the police have conducted searches but no clue has yet been uncovered. The gherao of the Thana is on.

JSM Organises Kavita Paath in Delhi

Jan Sanskriti Manch (JSM) organised a poetry recital and seminar on Hindi Poetry at Gandhi Peace Foundation on 16 May in New Delhi. Poet Manglesh Dabral noted that though the reporting and detailing in today’s poetry is more than enough but their tone and tenor is apolitical and that hope cannot be sustained and saved through artificial means.

JSM’s Delhi Secretary Bhasha Singh read out a resolution condemning the threat of arrests issued by Home Minister P Chidambaram to intellectuals and cultural activists for their opposition to Operation Green Hunt and corporate loot. This resolution as well as another one to demand justice for Nirupma Pathak and punishment for her relatives accused of murdering her were passed unanimously by the poets and cultural activists. Many well known poets recited their poetries and it was followed up with lively discussion on “Hindi Kavita – Samkalinta se Aagey”. The proceedings were conducted by Sudhir Suman.

Obituary

Comrade Brajendranath Pandey and his wife Saroj Pandey were murdered at 2.30 am on 12 May 2010. This tragic incident took place in the course of a family dispute over land. Comrade Pandey was 80. He had participated in the freedom struggle and been jailed during the Emergency. He joined the CPI in 1959 and when the CPI split in 1964 he joined the CPI(M). In 1994 he joined the CPI(ML) and remained a member till the end of his life. He attended the Party Congresses at Varanasi and Patna and was a member of the Madhya Pradesh State Committee of the party. Comrade Pandey always raised his voice against deprivation and feudal oppression in Rewa.
His funeral was attended by Central Committee member Comrade Rajaram and Comrade Surendra Tiwari, who bid farewell to him with the red flag. On 14 May a memorial meeting was held in Kothi Compound, Rewa, where his photograph was garlanded and a minute’s silence observed. A condolence resolution was read out by Chhattisgarh State Secretary Comrade Brijendra Tiwari. Apart from his family members, many local people attended the meeting. The meeting was addressed by Comrade Rajaram, the UP AICCTU State Secretary Anil Varma and Allahabad district Secretary Dr. Kamal as well as CPI(M)’s MP State Secretary Comrade Badal Saroj and many lawyers. The meeting demanded the sternest punishment for the killers. The meeting was presided over by Ajay Khare of the Samajwadi Jan Parishad, and conducted by socialist activist Subhash Srivastava.

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