ML UPDATE 34 / 2010

ML Update

A CPI(ML) Weekly News Magazine

Vol. 13, No. 34, 17 – 09 AUGUST 2010

The All India Left Coordination:

Towards Realignment of Left Forces and Radicalisation of the Left Movement

-          Dipankar Bhattacharya

Four fighting organizations of the Left – CPI(ML)(Liberation), CPM(Punjab), Lal Nishan Party (Leninist) of Maharashtra and Left Coordination Committee (Kerala) – formed an All-India Left Coordination through a joint Convention held in New Delhi on August 11, 2010. The Convention adopted a Delhi Declaration with a 12-point agenda which will serve as a guideline for coordinated action and intervention by the four organizations in the coming days. In its Declaration, the AILC rejected both class collaboration/parliamentary cretinism and Left adventurism/anarcho-militarism and resolved to strengthen the Left movement by all means while exploring opportunities for broader Left unity and cooperation with democratic forces. As its first all-India action, the AILC called for observing August 20 as a National Day of Solidarity with the People of Kashmir and Protest against State Repression.

The AILC was certainly not formed overnight, it was the upshot of years of mutual cooperation and shared quest for a united platform to radicalize and rejuvenate the Left movement in the country. The CPI(ML)(Liberation) and LNP(L) have a history of working together for nearly two decades. Ever since the CPI(M) split in Punjab in the wake of the Thiruvananthapuram plenum in 2000 leading to the formation of CPM Punjab, CPI(ML) and CPM Punjab have had close ties of cooperation. The LCC (Kerala) of course came into existence only recently, but it was preceded by years of ideological struggle inside the CPI(M) and ever since it started taking shape as an independent organization, it evinced keen interest in becoming part of an all-India process of realignment and radicalization of the Left.

This united move surely marks a first step towards fulfilling a long-felt need. For much of the last three decades, the CPI(M) and CPI had virtually monopolized the Left space in the dominant media and naturally also in the layman's perception. The CPI had a bigger presence than the CPI(M) in the Hindi belt while the CPI(M) dominated the show in West Bengal, Kerala and Tripura. Over the last few years, the CPI has been reduced to a pale shadow of its past in the Hindi belt and now increasingly the CPI(M) too is facing a similar situation in West Bengal and Kerala. This marks both an opportunity and challenge for all sincere and radical forces of the Left to step up their role and dispel all notions of a 'terminal crisis' and 'irrelevance' of the Left in India. The AILC has its role cut out in this context.

The other significant feature regarding AILC is that it is not yet another proverbial case of 'birds of the same feather flocking together'. Neither is it an attempt at unity of ML forces nor is it a case of erstwhile CPI(M) forces reuniting among themselves. Rather it is a case of historically diverse and also to an extent geographically separated streams of the Left seeking a common all-India ground in today's critical situation. A closer look at the constituents of the AILC will bring out this important aspect.

Here is, for example, LNP(L) of Maharashtra which had branched out of the CPI in the 1940s questioning the CPI's 1942 line, played an active and important role in subsequent years in many worker/peasant/general democratic movements in Maharashtra right from the Sanyukta Maharashtra Movement to the historic textile strike of the 1980s, and moved away again in the late 1980s from the parent Lal Nishan Party's increasingly pro-Congress reformist stance to reiterate its Leninist moorings. This is what paved the way for close cooperation between the LNP(L) and the CPI(ML)(Liberation).

The CPI(ML) too has evolved in two different directions – while CPI(ML)(Liberation) has emerged as an all-India revolutionary communist party rooted in militant mass struggles, the PWG of Andhra Pradesh has moved away from the CPI(ML) stream to acquire a 'Maoist' identity by merging with the Maoist Communist Centre. As far as the CPI(M) is concerned, in the later years of 1970s, it had benefited considerably from the first phase of the CPI(ML) movement – the CPI(ML) base in many areas had returned to the CPI(M) and in states like West Bengal and Kerala, it was the CPI(M) which succeeded in appropriating much of the impact of the CPI(ML)-led struggles and the people's desire for democracy following the dark years of semi-fascist terror of the Congress.

Yet the CPI(M) promoted a hostile attitude to the CPI(ML) and tried to suppress every voice of ideological dissent within the party as a sign of 'Naxalism'. The CPI(ML) on the other hand always stressed Left unity on the basis of independent assertion, and today, Left forces coming out of the CPI(M) find a warm welcome from the CPI(ML) precisely on this common ground.

As noted in the Delhi Declaration, the AILC marks only a modest beginning. As of now, it is just a platform of coordination with a shared approach and understanding on most urgent issues of the day. But as representatives of all the four organizations remarked in the convention, it is a modest first step, which nurtured properly, may well grow into an important long march; a small beginning hinting at great possibilities of realignment and radicalization of the Indian Left. Let us carry it forward in this desired direction.

 

Delhi Declaration
All India Left Coordination

(Adopted at All-India Left Convention sponsored by

CPI(ML)(Liberation), CPM Punjab,

Lal Nishan Party (Leninist) Maharashtra, and Left Coordination Committee, Kerala, and held at Constitution Club, New Delhi on 11 August 2010)

 

Recent years have been witness to an aggressive US imperialism pushing the world into renewed war and occupation as well as an unprecedented financial crisis. In the name of globalisation, imperialism has intensified attempts to appropriate and exploit the natural and human resources of the developing world, but while accentuating exploitation and disparities, globalisation has also led to intensification of all the inherent contradictions of global capitalism and new waves of popular anti-imperialist resistance the world over.

The Indian ruling classes have adopted a strategy of integrating India into this US-led imperialist order on economic as well as strategic plane. Reckless implementation of pro-imperialist, pro-corporate policies – coupled with the pro-landlord agrarian strategy being pursued since Independence – by the Indian ruling classes has pushed the country into alarming depths of an all-round crisis marked by relentless rise in prices, chronic mass hunger, widespread unemployment and rampant corruption. Even as tens of millions of the country's poorest people reel under starvation, the debt-trap-turned death-trap continues to claim the lives of crisis-ridden peasants in their hundreds and thousands. Amidst systematic loot and siphoning of the country's wealth and precious resources, the working people are being relentlessly exploited, displaced and dispossessed in the name of 'development'.

The recent farcical verdict on the world's biggest industrial genocide which happened a quarter century ago in Bhopal has unmasked a most reprehensible and thoroughly corrupt nexus among state power and corporate power undermining every principle of justice and human and national dignity. Meanwhile, the growing incidence of oppression of dalits and women and the shocking spectacle of 'honour killings' in the National Capital Region and its surroundings point to an ugly social reality beneath the gloss of glamourised and globalised development.

While the Indian people are seeking answers to these maladies and alternatives to these disastrous anti-people policies and the corrupt and criminalized political culture, the ruling classes and their parties, whether in power or in opposition, are making a clamour for greater liberalization to give more concessions to capital and a harder state to unleash more repression and restrictions on the people.

Against this backdrop, four fighting organizations of the Left, viz., CPI(ML)(Liberation), CPM Punjab, Lal Nishan Party (Leninist) Maharashtra, and Left Coordination Committee, Kerala, have resolved to come together and form an All-India Left Coordination with a view to strengthening the Left movement in the country.

While pursuing the goal of a countrywide Left resurgence, the AILC will focus on the following key areas of a democratic agenda:

(i)      Resisting the whole gamut of neo-liberal pro-corporate pro-imperialist policies being followed almost without exception by all governments at the Centre and in the states, and fighting for an immediate halt to the ongoing spree of disinvestment/privatization measures and for curbing penetration of FDI in key sectors of our national economy and other sectors of strategic/national importance,

(ii)    Opposing Indo-US strategic partnership and growing subordination of Indian foreign policy to the global hegemony of imperialist forces, US imperialism in particular; promoting friendly relations, especially people-to-people ties, with neighbouring countries, and uniting with the struggles of the peoples of the world against globalisation, war and imperialist machinations,

 

(iii)  Fighting for an alternative path of self-reliant and people-centred development as against the present imperialist-dictated, corporate-driven and big capital-led 'profit-centred development' resulting in relentless rise in prices, growing hunger and unemployment, sharp regional and social inequalities, landgrab, displacement, resources-grab/deprivation and serious environmental degradation – an alternative that would promote relatively more egalitarian and employment-intensive and less energy-, resources- and capital-intensive path of development,

 

(iv)   Fighting for a comprehensive policy regime ensuring fundamental rights to food, shelter, education, healthcare, basic amenities, work and social security for all,

 

(v)     Fighting against every facet of agrarian crisis, for adequate protection of Indian agriculture from the adverse WTO diktats, for scrapping of SEZ Act 2005 and Land Acquisition Act, 1894, for thorough-going implementation of land reforms and promotion of small peasant-centred agricultural development,

 

(vi)   Launching struggles for the nationalisation of wholesale trade of foodgrains and for creation and strengthening of a Universal Public Distribution System (PDS) for essential commodities of daily use as well as for subsidised agricultural inputs and automatic inclusion of all agricultural and other rural workers, small peasants, artisans, unorganised and contract workers in the BPL category,

 

(vii)            Resisting the growing state-led assault on democracy, fighting for a democratic political solution of the long-standing problems of Kashmir, North-East and the Maoist insurgency, for scrapping of draconian laws like Armed Forces Special Powers Act and Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, disbanding of Salwa Judum, and halt to Operation Green Hunt and anti-minority witch-hunt in the name of combating terrorism,

 

(viii)          Resisting communal violence, and caste and gender oppression and fighting for minority rights and affirmative action for development of deprived sections within minority communities, and the rights and dignity of dalits, adivasis, women and all marginalized sections,

 

(ix)   Fighting for labour rights for all sections of workers, especially the right to living wages, job security, universal health and social insurance, trade union rights including mandatory recognition through secret ballot and democratization of the workplace/industrial relations, adequate protection for migrant workers and unorganized workers including agricultural labour, and against contractualisation, outsourcing, hire-and-fire, and indiscriminate privatisation which are hallmarks of the neoliberal offensive;

 

(x)     Promoting the women's movement against patriarchy and oppression, to struggle for gender equality, justice, and women's dignity, as well as equal rights and opportunities in society as well as in the workplace; resisting violence both within and outside the home; challenging obscurantist practices that demean women; resisting all attempts to curb women's freedom in the name of upholding tradition or culture; demanding speedy legislation against sexual harassment in workplaces, 'honour' killings and sexual violence, as well as for 33% reservation in Assemblies and Parliament.

 

(xi)   Promoting the student-youth movement to secure 'right to education and employment', demand a Common School System to ensure schooling of high quality for all, and resist commercialization and pro-imperialist restructuring of education and denial of democratic rights to the student community,

 

(xii)             Promoting people's cultural awakening against the corporate cultural invasion that denigrates women and working people, the feudal culture of 'honour killing' and various retrograde social and cultural practices that seek legitimacy in the name of tradition, fighting for democratization of social, professional and inter-personal life and supporting the progressive democratic aspirations of the intelligentsia.

 

The AILC will strive to build a countrywide movement over these issues while also fighting for the resolution of various pressing local problems.

The AILC rejects all kinds of fundamentalism, terrorism and national/sub-national chauvinism and upholds the values of democracy, secularism and social progress in every sphere of national life

Within the Left movement, AILC will fight against the trend of class collaboration and rightward drift and degeneration while rejecting the line of Left adventurism/anarcho-militarism.

To advance the Left-democratic agenda and strengthen the Left and democratic movement, the AILC will work consistently for broader Left unity and seek cooperation with various democratic forces including individual activists.

The formation of the AILC marks only a modest beginning and we appeal to all activists and well-wishers of the Left and democratic movement to join and help us in this endeavour.

 

All India Left Convention Held at New Delhi

A day-long All India Left Convention was held on 11 August 2010 at Speaker's Hall, Constitution Club, New Delhi, jointly sponsored by CPI(ML)(Liberation), CPM(Punjab), Lal Nishan Party (Leninist) of Maharashtra and Left Coordination Committee (Kerala). With more than three hundred activists from across the country attending the Convention, the Speaker's Hall was packed to capacity.

 

The convention was chaired by a four-member presidium comprising Comrades Ramji Rai, Bodh Singh Ghuman, K S Hariharan, and Bhalchandra Kerkar. The secretaries of the four parties - Comrade Mangat Ram Pasla, Secretary, CPM Punjab, Comrade Bhimrao Bansode, Secretary, Lal Nishan Party (Leninist) Maharashtra and Comrade M R Murali, Secretary, Left Coordination Committee Kerala, and CPI(ML) General Secretary Comrade Dipankar Bhattacharya – were also present on the dais.

 

Inaugurating the Convention on behalf of the four parties, CPI(ML) General Secretary Comrade Dipankar Bhattacharya welcomed the gathered activists and leaders, and also briefly introduced each of the four parties. Outlining the ruling class assaults on people's rights and democracy, and the range of people's resistance movements, he said that real forces of the Left were naturally committed to championing these movements. The Convention aimed at addressing these issues and advancing these struggles by launching an All India Left Coordination to forge a closer unity and coordination among these movemental left forces. As a broad guideline for this coordination and unity, he said, the four parties had prepared a 'Delhi Declaration' to be discussed and adopted by the Convention.

 

Following the inaugural address, the 'Delhi Declaration' was read out – in English by Comrade Harkanwal Singh of the CPM Punjab and in Hindi by Comrade Ramji Rai of CPI(ML) Liberation. More than a dozen leaders and activists placed their views on the various issues, challenges and perspective outlined by the Declaration.

 

Addressing the Convention, AISA General Secretary Ravi Rai said that if peasants' land was being grabbed for corporate loot, similarly students' education too was a victim of corporate loot, and the students' movement would resist the assaults on democratic rights – not just in campuses but in the whole of society. Comrade Kumarankutty of the LCC Kerala drew a shocking portrait of the Kerala CPI(M)'s growing forays into business and the blurring of the line of demarcation between communist politics and bourgeois commerce.

CPM Punjab leader Comrade Harkanwal Singh highlighted the need for an assertion of the revolutionary Left agenda at a time when the official Left had jettisoned that agenda. LNP(L) leader Comrade Uday Bhat spoke of the working class movement in Mumbai and Maharashtra, especially the revival of textile workers' struggles against the corporate grab of mill land. Comrade V Shankar of the CPI(ML) expressed the hope that the emerging unity of fighting Left forces would facilitate the independent assertion of the revolutionary Left over the capitulationist politics of parliamentary opportunists.

CPM Punjab leader Comrade Raghvir Singh spoke about farmers' resistance to imperialist agricultural policies imposed in the name of WTO. Comrade Uddhav Shinde and Comrade Raju Bauke of the LNP(L) spoke of the acute agrarian crisis in Maharashtra and other parts of the country where farmers were committing suicide. Comrade Inderjeet Singh Grewal (leader of the CPM Punjab's trade union organisation, the CTU) spoke of the struggles against power privatisation in Punjab, and called for struggles to be intensified against the repressive anti-people and pro-imperialist policies of the Governments at Centre and States.

Comrade Kavita Krishnan, National Secretary of AIPWA, spoke about the assaults on women's rights and freedoms in the name of 'honour', and also of how women were bearing the brunt of state repression in the 'Operation Green Hunt' areas. Comrade Malleswar Rao of the CPI(ML) spoke about the recent police firing in Sompeta, Andhra Pradesh, and the struggles against land grab and loot of mineral resources in Orissa and Andhra Pradesh.

 

After the detailed discussion, the Convention adopted the Delhi Declaration enthusiastically. Comrade Swapan Mukherjee of the CPI(ML) presented a series of resolutions which were also adopted by the house. The Convention adopted a resolution condemning the brutal repression and bloodshed of civilians in Kashmir, demanding a democratic political solution to the Kashmir issue and calling for a 'National Day of Solidarity with the Kashmiri People' to be observed all over the country on August 20, 2010. Other resolutions included one against the UPA Government's utter failure and callous attitude towards price rise, a demand for a probe into the corruption at the Commonwealth Games, and another demanding scrapping of the Nuclear Liability Bill. Another resolution adopted extended full support to the Central Trade Unions' call for a General Strike on 7 September 2010. Comrade Swapan Mukherjee also outlined the plans for the AILC to hold Conventions at several state capitals and other centres, and also to send solidarity/fact-finding teams to various centres of people's resistance.

 

The Convention culminated with the address by top leaders of the four parties. Comrade Mangat Ram Pasla, General Secretary, CPM Punjab said that the Left Coordination marked a small beginning, but one that was destined to grow big in the coming days. He said the four organisations were aware of their mutual differences but were determined to unite on the basis of the essential points of agreement. He called upon comrades to implement the Delhi Declaration with the commitment and courage that Bhagat Singh epitomised. LNP(L) Secretary Comrade Bhimrao Bansode gave a brief account of the historical evolution of the LNP(L) and said it had been overly preoccupied with trade union struggles but was determined to play a more active political role. Comrade Unnithan, leader of the LCC Kerala, presented a speech on behalf of his party, observing the degeneration of the official Left, and calling upon the Left Coordination to take up the banner of the heroic struggles of Punnapra Vayalar and Kayyur and the sacrifice of hundreds of communists – a banner that was being abandoned by the revisionist leadership of the CPI(M) today.

 

The concluding speaker at the Convention, Comrade Dipankar Bhattacharya, said that the Convention and the Coordination just launched represented a ray of hope for unity of the Indian Left movement. "Just as communists part ways at some turning points," he said, "they can also unite at other junctures." He said "Naxalbari was very much a product of the revolutionary tradition of the Indian communist movement - it was an attempt to resurrect Telangana when the ruling classes faced their gravest crisis after 1947 and Charu Mazumdar always described the CPI(ML) as the same Communist Party that produced the heroic martyrs of Kayuur and Telangana, Tebhaga and Punnapra-Vayalar. Today as circumstances around us are changing radically, we need to take a bold and forward-looking step towards realignment of all sincere, struggle-oriented and mass-based Left forces and rejuvenation of the Left movement to meet the challenges of the day."

 

OBSERVE 20 AUGUST AS

NATIONAL DAY OF SOLIDARITY WITH KASHMIRI PEOPLE!

STOP THE MASSACRES IN KASHMIR!

FIND A DEMOCRATIC POLITICAL SOLUTION

TO THE KASHMIR ISSUE!

In solidarity with the democratic aspirations of the Kashmiri people, we demand that the UPA Government: 

· Ensure peace, dignity and democracy for the people of Kashmir!

· Scrap AFSPA - Lift the military shadow from civilian life in Kashmir!

· Ensure a Credible Democratic Political Solution to the Long-Standing Issue of Kashmir!

All India Left Coordination

 

 

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 32 / 2010

              ML Update

A CPI(ML) Weekly News Magazine

Vol. 13, No. 32, 03 – 09 AUGUST 2010

 

Commonwealth Games: Corrupt, Wasteful and Exploitative Continuation of a Colonial Legacy

T

he Commonwealth Games, touted as the Country's pride, is shaping to become the symbol of national shame in more ways than one. The Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) has in a preliminary investigation of Commonwealth Games works in the Capital, found indications of pervasive corruption by virtually all the government organisations involved in executing the works. As we go to press there are reports of the CWG Organising Committee Chairman Suresh Kalmadi's direct involvement in doctoring an email to cover up irregular financial transactions with a London based firm.

The PWD, MCD, DDA, NDMC, CPWD and RITES are among the organizations which stand implicated in corruption. The Chief Technical Examiner Organisation (CTEO) report of the CVC indicates that work has been awarded at higher rates and to ineligible agencies, bids tampered with, irregularities in issue of tenders, and 'upgradation' of various facilities without establishing the need for such upgradation. While the whole raison d'etre of the Games is said to be the setting up of 'world class' sports and infrastructural facilities in the national Capital, the CTEO report of the CVC has listed a series of cases in which quality has been deliberately compromised and quality tests fabricated. Already, the effect of such poor quality constructions are beginning to show: a section of the false ceiling at the Yamuna Sports Complex collapsed after heavy rains, and at a test event at the SP Mukherjee Swimming Complex, a swimmer was hurt thanks to the shoddy construction.

The Congress CM of Delhi as well as senior leaders in the Union Government have tried to dismiss the CVC allegations as unsubstantiated, and the CVC too has issued a clarification that the CTEO report is a 'first step' in the vigilance process and is not a 'final CVC report.' But the fact remains that the denials of the Games organizers and the Governments at Delhi and Centre do not cut any ice.

What are the implications of the CVC allegations?

As it is, the Games extravaganza mocks our country's poor who are reeling under price rise. On top of it the evidence that government officials are lining their own pockets with crores of taxpayers' rupees in the name of the Games is nothing short of a crime against the people who are battling for survival in our country. Further, we might recall that independent groups have established that labour laws and safety regulations are being rampantly violated at Games worksites, resulting in the deaths of a large number of workers in worksite accidents. While casual workers and migrant labourers lose their lives and are robbed even of their due minimum wages, the Games are proving to be a bonanza of loot for the politicians and the bureaucrats. In the name of national pride, the poor are being branded as 'beggars' and evicted from the Capital city, street vendors robbed of livelihood, and slum-dwellers are being insulted by the creation of bamboo hedges to hide their hutments from the view of 'foreign visitors.'

Not only are the Games proving to be corrupt, wasteful and exploitative – the very idea of the 'Commonwealth' Games as a symbol of national pride is a tasteless joke with our legacy of anti-colonial struggle. The 'Commonwealth' – a collection of former British colonies in unity with Britain, all symbolized by the British Crown and Queen – is an anachronism at best and a shameful survival of the colonial legacy at worst.

Far from the glitter and glamour that the Congress Government seeks to project through the Games, the Commonwealth Games have provided a pretext to the Congress Government to rush through the liberalization agenda of evicting street vendors and the homeless, as well as a golden opportunity for massive loot of public money. Such an exploitative and spectacularly corrupt extravaganza – that is a colonial hangover to boot – should be exposed and resisted by all democratic voices in our country.

"Intensify the Militant People's Movement against Scamster, Autocratic Nitish Govt."

On 28 July, 38th martyrdom anniversary of CPI(ML)'s founder Comrade Charu Mazumdar, the Bihar State Committee of the Party organised a State-level Convention at Srikrishna Memorial Hall in Patna with the call to "Intensify the Militant People's Movement against Scamster, Autocratic Nitish Govt." At 11 a.m. a march was held from Party's State Office to the Convention Hall led by General Secretary Comrade Dipankar Bhattacharya, State Secretary Comrade Nand Kishore Prasad, PB members Ramjatan Sharma and Amar and other Central and State Committee members. When the march reached the Convention Hall a minute's silence was observed in memory of the martyrs and thereafter Comrade Charu Mazumdar's portrait was garlanded followed by cultural performance by Hirawal.

This was a unique cadre convention in a way as two thousand cadres from 38 districts including State Committee, District Committee and Prakhand Committee members, branch secretaries and leading women comrades who led the political literacy campaign attended the Convention.

Comrade Ram Naresh Ram, part of the seven member presidium, welcomed all the cadres. Com. Nand Kishore Prasad discussed the changes in different aspects of Party life in the interim of one year since last cadre convention and mentioned about the important initiatives of the Party. On the current situation of Bihar he said that the slimy face of Nitish Kumar's vikas yatra and now vishwas yatra (development march and trust march) stand exposed in the face of massive treasury fraud and earlier refusal to implement the LRC report. The illegally withdrawn money in the name of rural poor' welfare is a massive cheating on them whose punishment will be pronounced not by the judiciary and CBI but the people of Bihar.

After this, Com. Arun Singh, Party's second in command inside the Bihar Legislative Assembly describing in detail the course of events during Monsoon session spoke of how the Govt. engineered attacks on opposition MLAs and MLCs under a well thought plan and carried on with its self-styled functioning in a opposition free Assembly after autocratically suspending them for the rest of the Monsoon session. Comrade Rajaram Singh and gave detailed account of various initiatives being taken by the Kisan Front (All India Kisan Mahasabha) in different districts and Comrade Dhirendra Jha, GS of All India Agricultural Labourers' Association (AIALA) apart from other initiatives on agricultural workers front discussed the 7 July strike of rural workers against the massive loot by the Govt. in NREGA. He also announced the intensive campaign that AIALA has planned for the first fortnight of August. AIPWA's State President Comrade Saroj Chaubay informed the cadres in detail about the Party's political literacy campaign conducted among women. 674 classes were held all over the State in which 15 thousand members/active elements participated, for which 146 women (apart from men) were trained. Decision was taken that one representative form each of the 674 class will attend the Convention. The classes have not only raised the level of political consciousness of the women but also exposed Nitish Govt's betrayal to women. Other women comrades Leela Verma from Patna rural, Sohila Gupta from Siwan and Rita Varnaval from Gaya recounted their experiences in their respective districts.

Jayprakash Paswan, mukhiya of Behrama panchayat in Patna shared his experiences about the distribution of certificates and diesel to sharecroppers. Comrades Satyanarayan, Mahanand, Sunil Yadav and Satyadev Ram from Patna, Jahanabad, Gopalganj and Siwan respectively spoke about the developments in their work areas. Comrade KD Yadav discussed the peasant movement in different districts.

Summing up the varied developments on organiational front and developing political situation in Bihar, Party's GS Comrade Dipankar discussed the campaign and movemental responsibilities in the next phase. The convention concluded with revolutionary slogans after passing a seven point resolution.

Shame on VS Achhutanandan's Slur on Muslim Minorities

Kerala Chief Minister VS Achhutanandan, in a recent press conference in Delhi, in the course of commenting on the barbaric attack on a teacher by an outfit called the PFI, accused the said Muslim outfit of 'luring youth for conversion' and seeking to 'Islamicise Kerala' through 'money and marriage.'

Later, the CPI(M) and VS Achhutanandan himself on the floor of the Assembly, did not deny the statement but clarified that the remarks pertained to the PFI alone and not to the Muslim community as a whole. Whether the remark pertained to the Muslim community as a whole or to a particular outfit is immaterial. What is undeniable is that the statement echoed and gave credence to the mainstays of Sangh Parivar hate-speak against Muslims: the bogey of Muslims seeking to outnumber the Hindu 'majority' through conversion, 'love jehad' (i.e marriage with and conversion of non-Muslims) and population increase. As it is, it calls to mind the West Bengal CM's 2002 statement that "Madrasas are ISI dens" and appears to be a transparent ploy to capitalize on communal sentiment towards the Kerala polls. Such a sentiment can only embolden the Hindutva brigade – and is a shameful utterance for any Left leader.

CPI(ML) Central Committee

Stop the Ongoing Massacre of Kashmiri Civilians by Armed Forces

The CPI(ML) Central Committee took serious note of the relentless killing of Kashmiri civilians in firing by armed forces. It is deeply disturbing and shameful that no less than 8 people were killed yesterday on the streets of Kashmir, while in the period since 15 June, some 32 civilians including a large number of children and youth have been killed in firing. The killing of children in police firing or fake encounters would evoke outraged protest anywhere in the country. But when the Kashmiri people hit the streets, their protests are being branded as "terrorist-inspired" in order to justify further repression and killings. The firing on protestors in Kashmir is no one-off instance – it is clearly a policy of repression that has the blessings of the UPA Governments at the State and Centre.

The firing on street protests and daily bloodshed of innocents, as well as the Government's attempts to insult the Kashmiri people by branding their valid and natural protest as 'inspired by terrorism', must stop. We demand the resignation of the Omar Abdullah Government as well as the Union Home Minister and nothing short of immediate withdrawal of troops from Kashmir.

CPI(ML) Central Committee, Statement issued during CC Meet, Mirzapur,

August 2, 2010

No Commonwealth Games at the Cost of Common People! AISA Organises Public Hearing in Delhi

Students, workers, vendors, trade unionists and teachers attended a Public Hearing on 2nd August in Delhi University and spoke on the reality of the Commonwealth Games (CWG). The members of the Jury were Dunu Roy of Hazards Centre, Dr. Manoj Jha of Dept. of Social Work, DU, Dr. Maninder Thakur from JNU, Vijay Singh-Academic Council Member, DU, and Santosh Roy, General Secretary, AICCTU Delhi. Paintings of Anupam Roy on the condition of workers in the CWG projects were also exhibited.

The University Administration has evacuated the UG Hostels of different colleges for the CWG without caring to provide alternative accommodation to ousted hostellers. In Delhi University, over 2000 students have been evicted suddenly from their hostels to make room for CWG athletes and officials. University Administration which has been aggressive in pushing its agendas (in the name of academics) recently despite widespread opposition did not bother to give even a trifle of thought- for this eviction which will surely impact the students quite adversely. The landlords in nearby areas have increased the rent manifold (some charging as high as `10000 per student) as they know that the students have no alternative left.

AICCTU leader Comrade Santosh Rai said that violations of workers' rights are rampant at CWG sites. Neither minimum wages nor overtime payments are provided. Working conditions are unsafe and worksite facilities, crèches or even proper housing are absent. Over a hundred workers have died at these sites from accidents or diseases such as cerebral meningitis, but their death is as cheap as their lives and their labour. Dunu Roy, Jury member said that in the wake of this assault, all forces of the affected students, vendors, teachers and workers need to join hands to defend their rights. The hearing resolved to continue the struggle against these aspects of the games, in a united manner.

PUNJAB AISA: Gidderbaha, a tehsil town, falls under Muktsar district of Punjab. It is known as the home turf of Badals (the present ruling family of the state).MLA from this constituency, Manpreet badal is also the current finance minister of the State. Some years ago Badals illegally acquired the building of the only government college Gidderbaha had. Building was allotted to Badal's own private school and the college was shifted 4-5 kms away from the town. There it was allotted land by a local dera and now for some years the town has only a single college, a private aided college, MM DAV College.

This college is controlled by a managing committee that consists of some Congress politicians. Any type of student organisation is strictly curbed by the college management. College management is so authoritarian in their approach that even for a mild protest students were expelled from the college. Any type of disciplinary action is in the form of suspension/expulsion or monetary fine.

At the start of this year's session in July, a new dictatorial decision was taken by the college management. Classes of boys and girls were separated without any reason. Both male and female students opposed such a move. When students protested college authorities called in the police and also ordered expulsion of three students. Hence the students brought the whole matter to AISA leadership.

Next day on 30th July a strike was observed under the banner of AISA which forced the Administration to call for talks. A delegation under the leadership of AISA leaders met college authorities and after an unyielding stance by AISA, delegation was successful in making authorities accept most of the demands of the students. Students raised radical slogans at this victory. This has attracted students to get to know more and associate with AISA.

ORISSA AISA: In recent history Orissa has been marked by state repression in Kalinganagar and Jagatsinghapur and by people's resistance in these two places and also beyond. State Govt's policy in this phase has facilitated rampant loot of nation's mineral by MNC's of various hues and education sector has been thrown open to private players. While the State run college and universities have witnessed drastic degeneration, the democratic aspirations of the student community has been trampled with while private institutes have mushroomed all over the State.

All India Student's Association has started organizing student community against state's above mentioned policies in Koraput, Raygada, Bhadrak, Puri, Bhubaneswar and Khurda districts. A convention was held recently on 29 July in Gunupur Town in Raygada district to shape the rising student unrest against the State's policy of repression and facilitating indiscriminate loot and plunder of resources by Corporates. Convention was organized by Raygada district committee of AISA and was inaugurated by Comrade Tirupati Gomango, State Committee member of CPI(ML) and a popular mass leader. Com. Jul Mukherjee, National Joint Secretary of AISA, along with Com. Littu Lal (Orissa convener of AISA), Ruposwini Tatitu, Laba Dora spoke on the occasion. More than hundred students from adjacent four colleges were present braving ABVP smear campaign and a Maoist strike in the area.

Maha Dharna Held in Hyderabad

The Andhra Pradesh State Committee of the party took up a campaign to expose the anti-people policies of the State Government, widely distributing a leaflet in the form of an 'Open Letter to the Chief Minister' with a charter of demands focussing on corporate land grab, state repression and the firing at Sompeta, illegal mining, corruption in NREGA, and the demand for a white paper into fake encounters. The week-long political campaign comprised padayatras, cycle rallies, street corner meetings in a number of mandals, towns, panchayats and some district HQs covering nearly 9 districts. The campaign concluded on 28 July with a massive dharna at Indira Park, Hyderabad, in which more than a thousand people participated from several districts. The dharna was addressed by Comrades N Murthy, B Bangar Rao, M Malleswar Rao, D Haranath, R Nagamani, B Viplav Kumar, B Vasudev Rao, CK Damodar, Siva Reddy and T Aruna. The Jan Sanskriti Manch unit of AP led by Dr. Satyanarayana held a captivating cultural performance. Comrade K Randhir presided over the meeting and Comrade Swamy made concluding remarks.

A Class for Workers in Bangalore

Bangalore unit of the Party organised a daylong class for workers on 25 July. More than 50 workers from to RMC and RDC readymix concrete companies and construction industry attended the class. Prof. Lakshminarayana spoke on the role of working class in social change and the need for a revolutionary theory to the proletariat in a simple way with many practical examples. District president of AICCTU Appanna spoke on the issues related to the construction labour welfare board, the benefits and the challenges involved in organising them as a political force. Com. Gandhimathi, AIPWA leader spoke on legal issues and the necessary approach of the trade union movement. Com. Shankar, CCM, spoke on the need for greater politicisation and larger role of workers in the present day politics dominated by the mining mafia in the state. Com. Somu, district secretary presided the session while Thomas of RMC and Sunil of RDC conducted it.

Rally demanding House-sites

On 2 August, AICCTU organised a 500-strong rally of workers from rice mills and auto industry demanding house sites for workers in the town. Hundreds of angry workers marched on the streets of Gangavati against the local BJP MLA and corrupt officials who divided the house sites allotted under 'Asare' scheme among themselves. The scheme meant to construct house and provide shelter to the houseless poor people was used to promote the interests of local ruling party politicians and officials. The militant rally was led by J Bharadwaj, SLTM of the party and the demonstration in front of the municipal office was addressed by AICCTU leaders Ismail, Virupaksha, Uma Shankar and Hari. Com. Linge Gowda of AIALA also addressed the protestors.

ASHA 's Campaigns in Assam

The 19th July, being the 6th Foundation day of ASHA was observed in Tinsukia and Dibrugarh. In Tinsukia there was a day long programme and martyr's memorial was inaugurated by Comrade Subhas Sen. Later a huge procession was taken out till the DC office where a memorandum for the Union Health Minister was handed to the DC. In Dibrgarh too 300 ASHA members marched to hand over the memorandum.The All Assam ASHA Association (AAAA) has put forth the following demands: (1) offer permanent status to ASHA as Govt. employees like those of NRHM, (2) fix a monthly salary of `8000 as is given to Central Govt. employees as minimum monthly wage; and other demands like making both NRHM and ASHA permanent, dignified treatment of ASHA as workers and women and to build ASHA Bhawan at every PHC and sub-centres, apart from other crucial demands important for executing their role as rural health professionals. Programmes were also held in Jorhat and Shivsagar where conventions were held.

It is extremely shameful on part of the Govt. that despite alarming rise in cases of life threatening diseases especially in rural areas the Govt. is unwilling to sustain a workforce that could stem the threat by early intervention.

One More Bhopal Type Gas Leak in Sriperumpudur Foxcon Factory

Foxcon is the company manufacturing spares of Nokia cell phones with 7000 workers situated near Chennai. On 23 July there was an accident inside the factory and workers who inhaled fumes started fainting one after another. When 1st batch of women workers fainted, management attributed it to the fasting by women workers during the auspicious Adi Tamil month. Management said that everything was fine and asked others to start their work. But workers were uncomfortable and many of them started vomiting. Both men and women suffered giddiness.

About 250 workers were admitted to hospitals. Condition of some 15 workers is said to be serious. Sriperumputhur solidarity forum intervened timely to bring this issue in the limelight. Comrades of solidarity forum met the hospitalized workers. AICCTU comrades led the efforts in exposing the accident to the media. AICCTU leaders also met the workers in the hospital, enquired about their condition and expressed solidarity.

Foxcon workers working inside as an anciliary of Nokia went on strike in solidarity. Com. Tamilarima of solidarity forum addressed the big gathering of workers. It is learnt that the factory was operating without safety clearances. TN government ordered closure of the factory until investigations are over. The labour minister of TN has also visited the hospital.

Management's move to cover up the whole incident didn't materialize and the incident got wider coverage. Authorities of pollution control board and factory inspectors are investigating. We have been campaigning that investment alone is not enough, safety and security of the workers has to be taken extremely seriously.

We demand- Proper medical treatment and compensation to the victims, factory should not be allowed to open unless safety and security of the workers are ensured with proper certification, a tharough investigation into the incident and report made public, action to be taken on those responsible for the accident.

Protest at Vedanta Plc's AGM in London

The demonstration in London on 28 July organized by a large and vocal group from Foil Vedanta was very successful with about 250 people and a very energetic protest including slogans saying 'Anil Agarwal, Blood on Your hands' 'Who killed Arsi Majhi? Vedanta, Vedanta' and masks of Anil Agarwal as a Wanted Criminal and of David Cameron and Manmohan Singh as accomplices in the crimes of Vedanta.

Despite police efforts to keep the demonstrators away from the building in which the AGM was being held, (The Institute of Civil Engineers, in Westminster, London), they moved partially into it and on to the steps with a large banner proclaiming 'Vedanta plc : Stop the killings! Stop the destruction!'

There were messages of support for the protest from organizations in India as well as Britain, including the All-India Central Council of Trade Unions (AICCTU) and the Greater London Association of Trade Union Councils. Inside the AGM, many shareholders were unhappy about Vedanta's activities. Anil Agarwal chaired the meeting and Naresh Chandra, a Vedanta plc Board Member took all the questions. They were faced by a barrage of questions from shareholders critical of Vedanta, centering mainly on the destruction of the Niyamgiri mountain.

Vedanta tried to counter this by showing a power point presentation by Mukesh Kumar, the Chief Operating Officer of the Lanjigarh refinery, in which he made a number of claims about improvements in the quality of life of Dongria's since the arrival of Vedanta plc in their region. He claimed that the Niyamgiri mountain was no longer worshipped by the Dongria and that they welcomed Vedanta's intervention. These claims were challenged by Samarendra Das (author of the recent pathbreaking book 'Out of this Earth' Orient, Black Swan publishers) about the Aluminium industry who was attending the meeting as a shareholder.

Das, himself from Orissa, with years of experience of working with the Dongrias accused Mukesh Kumar of misleading the shareholders and asked 'How much do you know about the Dongrias? Can you even tell us the name of their God. Tell us if you know it!' Mukesh Kumar was unable to answer and admitted that he did not know. After the rebuttal at AGM, two European banks announced that they were to disinvest in August this year and a representative of Aviva, the insurance company, said his company was also considering disinvesting.

 

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 31 / 2010

ML Update

A CPI(ML) Weekly News Magazine

Vol. 13, No. 31, 27 JULY – 02 AUGUST 2010

Corruption and Authoritarianism: Hallmarks of Nitish-Modi Regime

In parliamentary parlance, MLAs or MPs belonging to the government side are often described as comprising the 'treasury benches'. The treasury is obviously quite central to the notion of any government. Highlighting the centrality of the treasury to Nitish Kumar's theory and practice of 'good governance' in poll-bound Bihar is a staggering Rs. 11,412 crore treasury fraud. Successive annual reports of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) have been pointing to the growing discrepancy in amounts withdrawn from the Bihar treasury and accounts submitted by the Bihar government. Matters came to a head when on July 15 the Patna High Court ordered a CBI probe into this growing hole in Bihar's annual accounts.

The discrepancy detected by the CAG goes back to the year beginning on April 1, 2002 and runs through two successive regimes and the intermediate period of President's Rule to March 31, 2008. While the withdrawals thus began during the last years of Rabri Devi's reign as Chief Minister, the fraudulent withdrawals have grown dramatically in recent years and most of the withdrawals have happened under rural development and employment heads like Indira Awas, MNREGA, mid-day meals etc. Nitish Kumar never tires of telling the people of Bihar how he has 'reversed' the negative trends of the Lalu-Rabri era, but the treasury fraud, more than 11 times as big as the infamous fodder scam, serves as a stark reminder of the cruel continuity between Lalu Prasad's widely condemned misrule and Nitish Kumar's much-trumpeted reign of 'good governance'.

The NDA government of Bihar promptly went back to the High Court describing the CBI probe as a judicial infringement on the rights of the legislature. The High Court, while reserving its verdict on this petition has meanwhile stayed the CBI probe till its next order. But the same government revealed its true attitude to the rights of the legislature when as many as 67 opposition MLAs were suspended and women legislators manhandled in the name of enforcing 'order' in the Assembly. Ironically, while the High Court stayed the CBI probe, the government tabled the 2008-09 CAG report on the last day of the monsoon session in an opposition-free Assembly which exposed many more cases of fraudulent withdrawal.

During the fodder scam Bihar had heard stories of how bulls were supposedly transported on scooters. The latest CAG report reveals a similar storyline of foodgrains weighing more than 3,000 quintals which were meant for Kosi flood victims having been reportedly transported by scooters, motorcycles, jeeps and even non-existent vehicles! In maternity benefit schemes, there are withdrawals attributing five childbirths to the same mother over a period of two months! The government admits that there has been 'delay' in submitting accounts and to set it right the government has now ordered senior district and departmental officials to furnish all pending vouchers within a week! Indeed on July 24, the government told the High Court that bills worth nearly Rs. 5,000 crore had already been submitted! If these bills are now probed, we will surely get to hear many more incredible stories of monetary miracles by the Nitish-Modi duo.

The CAG reports clearly corroborate the public perception and experience of growing bureaucratic domination and 'developmental corruption' under the present government. In fact, the people themselves have unearthed many local-level scams related to MNREGA, PDS, housing and many other rural development schemes. We are also aware of the excise scam indicated by the erstwhile excise minister who was shown the doors for daring to write to the CM asking for a probe into the excise evaded by the growing army of liquor vendors. The CBI or any investigative agency will really have to cast its net pretty wide to get a proper assessment of the actual incidence of frauds in Nitish Kumar's paradigm of development and good governance.

If megabuck corruption is back in a big way, can criminalization – the notorious political cousin of corruption during the later years of RJD rule – be far away? The JD(U) and BJP have of course always been known for patronizing their own set of criminal-politicians. The Sunil Pandeys and Dhumal Singhs have been known to be an integral part of the JD(U) camp. And now with elections round the corner, Nitish Kumar is cosying up to a whole set of notorious mafia dons who had once been central to 'governance' under the RJD. Former central minister and RJD leader Mohammad Taslimuddin, a 'powerful' name in Kishanganj region in Bihar-Bengal border, has recently joined the JD(U). The other day Nitish Kumar visited the ancestral house of Anand Mohan in Panchgachia village in Saharsa district. Reports have it that Anand Mohan's wife Lovely Anand, a former MP, has been offered a senior party post in the JD(U). It is also believed that moves are afoot to induct Hina Sahab, wife of Siwan's notorious former MP Mohammad Shahabuddin, into the JD(U) fold.

Both Nitish Kumar and Sushil Modi are products of the historic student-youth movement of 1974 which was directed primarily against corruption and authoritarianism. Today the very combination of corruption and authoritarianism has become the hallmark of the Nitish-Modi regime. Faced with charges of corruption, Nitish Kumar initially sought to dismiss corruption as a grassroot-level problem and now that report after CAG report indicts almost every department of his government for fraudulent withdrawals he is trying to pass it off merely as an issue of 'adjustment of accounts'! The High Court may have 'reserved' its judgment, but the ball is now in the court of the people and the people will surely not brook corruption and authoritarianism in the name of 'development' and 'good governance'!

Time to Encounter Modi's 'Fake Terrorist' Racket

A

mit Shah, who was Gujarat's Minister of State for Home Affairs as well as Law and Justice, has been charge-sheeted by the CBI for involvement in the fake encounters of Sohrabuddin Sheikh and his wife Kauser Bi. The evidence points to an organised racket by the Modi-led BJP Government of Gujarat to stage fake encounters of 'Muslim terrorists' in order to boost the Modi's image as an anti-terrorist hero.

Let us recall the facts. In 2005, the Gujarat police claimed to have killed a Lashkar-e-Taiyyeba terrorist Sohrabuddin Sheikh who had plotted to assassinate Narendra Modi. Sohrabuddin's brother doggedly pursued the truth – and eventually the chilling details emerged. An investigation by the Gujarat CID revealed that Sohrabuddin and his wife Kauser Bi along with close aide Tulsiram Prajapati had been picked up from an AP state transport bus by police personnel of Gujarat, Rajasthan as well as Andhra Pradesh, and taken to Gujarat. There Sohrabuddin had been killed in cold blood and declared a terrorist. The CID investigation found that Kauser Bi too had been killed and her body burnt because she was an eyewitness to Sohrabuddin's abduction and murder. In 2006, when the CID enquiry into Sohrabuddin's death began gaining ground, Tulsiram Prajapati too was shot dead by the Gujarat police. The latter claimed that Prajapati had escaped from jail and was shot in an encounter; but the CID established the encounter to be fake. The Gujarat CID had recommended a CBI enquiry. Since the Gujarat CID was clearly under compulsion and unable to pursue the case, the Supreme Court had handed the case over to the CBI. The CBI enquiry eventually led to the arrest of Gujarat top cops including the notorious DIG Vanzara. CBI's evidence further indicates the direct involvement of Amit Shah and his close aides in threatening as well as 'coaching' witnesses in the case.

The CBI charge-sheet indicates that Sohrabuddin was a small-time criminal who had been used as a pawn in an extortion racket (covering many states) run by senior police officers as well as top functionaries in the Gujarat Government like Amit Shah. When his utility was at end and powerful business interests put out a contract to get Sohrabuddin eliminated, the Gujarat police sought to kill two birds with one stone. Not only would they kill Sohrabuddin to suit various business interests; they would brand him as an 'Islamic terrorist' who was plotting to kill Modi and thereby make political capital out of Sohrabuddin's assassination.

Nor was Sohrabuddin Sheikh the only victim of such staged encounters in Gujarat. Vanzara's team had boasted of 'encountering' at least 10 'terrorists' since 2002 – and every time they claimed that the 'terrorists' were plotting to kill Modi or Pravin Togadia or some other top BJP leader. These include the 'encounter' of college student Ishrat Jehan and Javed – which have been found by a magisterial enquiry to be fake. This series of staged encounters indicates that the killings were not random acts by rogue policemen – rather they were organized to serve the political agenda of whipping up a bogey of 'Muslim terrorists' while boosting the BJP's image of being 'tough on terrorism.'

The BJP has responded to Amit Shah's arrest, predictably, by accusing the Centre of misusing the CBI and claiming that Shah's arrest is to appease 'vote-bank politics.' Further, it has demanded a 'national policy on encounter killings' – in other words, demanding a ban on any probes into encounter killings on the grounds that they will demoralize the police and 'deter police from killing terrorists.' The BJP should answer: was the murder of Sohrabuddin, Ishrat and others not a ploy to create a communal 'vote-bank'? The BJP should also take note of the fact that it was the Gujarat CID and not the CBI that first pointed the needle of suspicion towards Amit Shah. The Gujarat CID report had revealed that Shah had illegally demanded lists of witnesses yet to be probed by the CID, so that the list could be provided to accused police officers to enable them to 'take measures in their defense.' It was the Gujarat CID report that had pointed to "the collusion of [the] State government in the form of Shri Amit Shah, MOS for Home," and the possible "involvement of [the] State government in a major crime," and which had recommended a CBI enquiry in the first place. The CBI has only followed the leads and evidence provided by the Gujarat CID.

A national policy on encounter killings already exists: the NHRC has clearly laid down that each such killing must be impartially probed and an FIR of murder registered in each such case. But this policy is observed only in the breach. The Congress and the UPA Government should rather be asked: if a CBI enquiry in the Sohrabuddin case is revealing so many truths, why has the Central Government refused a CBI enquiry into the Batla House 'encounter'? Also, the question should be raised as to why the CBI has failed to follow up the probe into the role of Andhra Police personnel who provided the Gujarat police with all sorts of illegal services to help them abduct Sohrabuddin and Kauser Bi. Is it because such an enquiry would indicate the involvement of the police of Congress-ruled AP in the fake encounter?

The Modi Government's project of manufacturing 'fake terrorists' who were killed in staged encounters is an extension of its project of communal hate-mongering and genocide. The democratic and secular movement in this country cannot rest till Modi and his men be brought to book for their crimes of communal pogroms and fake encounters.

Singur March

The history of the Singur movement is well-known. The fundamental issues now are return of the lands taken away forcibly, reclaiming the lands turned waste by the Tatas and establishing the rights of recorded and unrecorded share-croppers. The people of Singur are in no mood to allow these demands to be swept under the carpet of distribution of a few stalls or the proposed railway coach factory. The people knew our party's position independent from both the LF and Trinamul Congress (TMC). Being aggrieved at TMC's betrayal of these issues, the people began keeping themselves aloof from the TMC rallies and mass meetings and a section of them approached us to raise the issues at the state level. This constituted the backdrop of our 15th July Singur March, which started as a procession and culminated in a mass meeting.

The meeting was presided over by Comrade Tapan Batabyal, State Committee member of CPI(ML). Addressing the gathering Comrade Subimal Sengupta – Secretary of the West Bengal Peasant Association – said that the TMC had declared that lands would be returned to the peasants. But after the parliamentary elections they are keeping mum over the issue. The TMC is talking about change in the seat of power in West Bengal, but the panchayats led by the TMC have failed to play any role in changing the conditions of the poor people in the area.

Com. Prabir Halder, Secretary of the District Committee of CPI (ML), told the masses that the movement in Singur has developed on a solid peasant base. The Left Front Government had unleashed repression and taken away lands. But the people of Singur did not pardon them and they will have to exit from the seat of power in West Bengal. The TMC too has betrayed Singur, by shifting the movement to Kolkata. But the people of Singur are eager to build the movement anew. And the CPI(ML) will surely try to build up this movement.

In the midst of the mass meeting, in which about thousand people had gathered, some youths came and spoke about their demands. They said that there is so much talk about development – but when the agrarian crisis has assumed such a huge proportion, why could the panchayat samitis (which are under TMC control) not take any initiative to clean the river Kana and put it to use for irrigation purposes? This could be done through the NREGA work, they asserted.

Addressing the meeting, CPI(ML) State Secretary Comrade Partha Ghosh said that the ruling class parties fear and wish to suppress the peasant movement – in this respect, there is not much of a difference between the CPI(M) and the TMC. He further said that very recently a TMC leader visited Singur and he could sense that the people of Singur were getting aggrieved. Comrade Partha Ghosh told the masses that wherever the TMC controls the panchyats and the zila parishads, there is rampant corruption, party politicking and arrogance. He called upon the people of Singur to build movements once again and on a stronger premise.

CPI(ML) Politbureau member Comrade Kartick Pal observed that as the days of CPI(M)'s exit from power are approaching, the CPI(M) leaders are saying in the assembly that no more land will be taken away from the peasants. And the TMC on the other hand is indulging in empty populism. He further said that it is imperative to realise the essential class character of the TMC and build up movements on the issues on which the people of Singur are aggrieved.

Punjab: Flooded Fields, Callous Government

In the wake of severe floods in Punjab, a CPI(ML) team visited the affected areas. One team comprising the Party's Punjab Secretary Rajwinder Rana, State Secretary of Mazdoor Mukti Morcha Punjab, Bhagwant Singh Samao, President of Punjab Kisan Union Sukhcharan Singh Danevalia and Vice Presidents Ruldu Singh and Meet Singh visited affected villages of Mansa while another team lead by RYA Punjab General Secretary Hasmeet Singh, Cashier Ajaypal Natt, Chandigarh unit head Sawinder Singh, Rajinder Hodla and Amrit Pal Singh visited affected villages of Sangrur district.

While the fields of Punjab are flooded and its farmers and labourers in great distress, Scotch whisky rather than flood waters figure higher on the priorities of the Government and the ruling class parties. Even as Punjab fights the flood, 8 of its MLAs from the ruling Akali Dal and the BJP including the Assembly Speaker Nirmal Singh Kahlon and one MLA from the opposition Congress made a visit to Scotland to study whisky manufacturing processes there!

Punjab has nearly 12700 villages, of which more than 1200 are under flood water. In other words 10% of Punjab is flooded. Many leaders of SAD, BJP and Congress are making aerial and road visits to some affected villages, merely as a media photo-op. The Government has shown criminal laxity in safeguarding embankments and rushing relief to the flood-affected.

People said there is no arrangement for any vehicle to transport animals and valuables of poor farmers and labourers to safe places. Neither has the relief work for providing food, clean drinking water, animal fodder, medicine etc. being carried out in the affected villages. The MLAs and MPs are just visiting the main road and bridges where media is waiting and then after having themselves photographed they return. Such visits are in turn adding to the misery of affected people as the Government officials working in villages have to leave their work to welcome the VIPs. People also alleged that the administration and police department is biased as they are only saving villages of ruling party leaders and the rest are left to manage on their own. People also reported major corruption and bias in providing relief to the poor as there is no record being kept of all the relief being provided.

The CPI(ML) team demanded that the Punjab Government should immediately pay `20,000 per acre to farmers as compensation for destroyed crops and `10,000 to every labourer's family. Numbers of boats provided are very inadequate and hence more boats should be floated and help in form of tents, foodstuff, water, medicines etc. should immediately be sent to the people gathered at higher safe places. Medical camps should be opened in all the affected villages and free health-care should be provided to all so as to check any break out of an epidemic. Also the government should conduct a survey of loss of pumps, cattle and other assets and relief of `50,000 should be provided to poorer families whose houses have been damaged in floods.

AIPWA Fact-finding into Struggle against Land Grab

A water reservoir is due for construction by the Department of Water Resources of Jharkhand, on the Raisa river at Gitildih village of Humta Panchayat under Bundu block of Ranchi district. The reservoir incorporates a large dam, spillway, outlets, two canals and other structures. According to the information received from Bundu's Divisional Irrigation Officer, the sanctioned amount for the project is Rs. 52,26,80,700. This project requires 11, 16, 000 square metres or 112 hectare of land is to be acquired, of which 75.60 hectares of land will fall in the submergence area. The people of Humta, Gitildih, Hesada, Kajibiru and other villages of the Humta panchayat are furious at such a project that will dislocate them en masse. They apprehend a brutal and forcible eviction from their land – as has been the norm for land acquisition all over Jharkhand.

A four member fact-finding team of activists of All India Progressive Women's Association (AIPWA) comprising Singi Khalkho, Shanti Sen, Sarojini and Soni Tiria visited the project site. The main findings of the team are outlined below.

No attempt was made to generate a general or any consensus among the villagers before starting work on the project. The work has been forcibly started without prior payment of the compensation thereby violating the Rehabilitation and Resettlement policy. The Department of Water Resources is getting the work done through local strong man Phanibhusan Singh Munda (also the Gram Pradhan of Humta). CPI(ML) leader in the region Comrade Rameshwar Munda who has been leading protest against the project was assaulted by Phanibhusan Singh and his hit-man Buti Singh Munda. An FIR was lodged against this incident but police is yet to take any action.

About 1500 poor tribals will be displaced and lose about 150 acre of rayati land. The amount of compensation fixed per acre by the Department of Water Resources is far below the market rate. This project is a serious threat to environment also as it will cause direct deforestation in about three hundred acres of land of which 23 acre is 'khutkatti' jungle. The deforestation will seriously affect the livelihood of many tribal families who are dependent on the forests. Initially more than 300 trees have been felled. The tribals have not yet been compensated for the trees as promised by the Government officials.

Besides, the project is not even practical. According to the Irrigation officer the reservoir will irrigate 7800 acres of land; how can this justify the destruction of hundreds of acres of cultivable land and hundreds of acres of forests for the project?

The team was told by local people that the Maoists are supporting the project in return for a 'levy,' and that they have threatened the villagers opposing the project.

The AIPWA team found that the villagers have been agitating against this project since long. In February the villagers held a protest demonstration and did not let the 'shilanyas' (laying of foundation stone) take place. When the officials came for "bhoomi pujan" on 4 March the protestors forced them to go back. On 6 July they again chased away the officials and contractors who had come to initiate the project. The villagers are suspicious that any time forces can be deployed against them, in order to forcibly start the project construction work. To prevent smuggling in of machines on the site at nights, the women of the village are sleeping under the open sky to maintain a vigil.

Goons and musclemen have been hired to quell the protests. The villagers are quite clear that this project harbours fewer benefits and greater disasters for them. Therefore, AIPWA has demanded that the project be scrapped in the interests of people's lives and livelihood.

Party's Education Camp in Uttarakhand

Uttarakhand unit of the Party organised a two day long (24-25 July) education camp for comrades of Nainital and Udhamsingh Nagar. Apart from the secretaries of Party branches and area committees the leading comrades from mass organisations attended the camp. In total, 22 comrades including two women from the two districts attended the education camp that focused on following topics – How did our Party Evolve, Party Programme, Communist Party and Mass Organisations and fourth was Marxist Philosophy. Comrades Purshottam Sharma, KK Bora and Girija Pathak were the teachers and facilitators for the camp.

The students and teachers in the end stressed the need for constant and rigorous study combined with research and comprehending the revolutionary essence of Marxism if the revolutionary communists are to challenge the currently intensifying predatory onslaught on people by the recession hit capitalist system. Still greater stress was put on the urgent need to educate each Party member in every branch and area committees and assist them in equipping themselves with the Marxist tools for comprehending the developments and apply their skills to build a democratic and socialist India.

Madurai: Rural Workers Strike and After

Rural workers strike of 7 July was a success in Madurai. On 7th July more than 350 rural workers most of them women assembled in front of the BDO office at Vadipatti. Strike was total in two Panchayats and more than thousand workers struck work as per an estimate. While preparations were on we faced sever resistance from the local Panchayats and DMK, the ruling party. The police denied permission for propaganda and gathering. In several Panchayats where workers gathered to catch transport to reach the BDO office for demonstration were threatened by the DMK members and prevented from reaching their destination.

Next day work was denied at Kutladampatti to those who participated in strike, and in few other Panchayats they faced threat of no work coming their way. It was decided to visit a work site along with AIALA to verify our charges of irregularities in rural job guarantee programmes like MNREGA.

Dozens of women workers from two panchayats of Kutaladampatti and Karuppatti gathered on 20th July at the BDO office and entered her chamber demanding job cards. One Panchayat has since then given job cards and work and in the other Panchayat fight is on. Due to our struggle almost all the Panchayats in the block had to release job cards.

On 21st July the APO visited Kutaladampatti Kanmoy (Lake) along with us and met the workers. He found most of the charges made by us were true (no work shelters, un-democratic/feudal approach of the Panchayats, not providing job cards, non issuance of duplicate cards, denial of cards to migrating workers and so on) In our presence an official warning was issued to Panchayats against the irregularities. These initiatives have bolstered people's faith in our Organisation. It was decided to launch a political campaign in the district against the DMK's anti-poor actions on the ground along with launching AIALA's membership cmapaign.

 

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