Fwd: ML UPDATE 38 / 2010

ML Update

A CPI(ML) Weekly News Magazine

Vol. 13, No. 38, 14 – 20 SEPTEMBER 2010

Rahul Gandhi's 'Mission Bihar':

Posers for the Congress 'Crown Prince'

On the eve of the announcement of the Assembly election schedule for Bihar, the Congress 'crown prince' Rahul Gandhi addressed a couple of heavily publicised meetings at Saharsa and Samastipur, the nerve-centres of the Kosi and Mithila regions of Bihar. The meetings were advertised as a major milestone in Rahul Gandhi's 'Mission Bihar' campaign for a grand revival of India's grand old party in India's poorest state. The elections will tell us if and how far the Congress has managed to regain its long lost ground, but the meetings have already thrown up a whole series of uncomfortable questions for the youth icon of the grand old party.

 

Rahul Gandhi has been talking of infusing new blood in the Congress and recruiting fresh faces with clean images. Sharing stage with him in the Saharsa meeting were Ranjita Ranjan and Lovely Anand, two women leaders who represent the political legacies of Pappu Yadav and Anand Mohan, both currently serving life sentences as murder convicts (Pappu Yadav in the 1998 case of assassination of CPI(M) leader and Purnea MLA Ajit Sarkar and Anand Mohan in the 1993 case of murder of Gopalganj DM G Krishnaiyya) – certainly not among the cleanest and freshest of political faces in Bihar! And this is no aberration; rather this is central to the Congress gameplan of 'reviving' itself by recruiting turncoats and tainted elements from all sources.

 

Rahul did not forget to remind his audience that the funds he was despatching from Delhi were not being allowed to reach the deserving beneficiaries, and to ensure a free flow of funds to Bihar villages, the Congress would have to be brought back to power. This is a modified version of his father's famous statement that of every rupee released from Delhi only fifteen paise reached the villages with middlemen appropriating the rest. Well, there are two gaping holes in this formulation. Firstly, the funds released by the Centre do not belong to the Congress party and secondly, the politician-middleman-bureaucrat nexus appropriating the lion's share of these funds is as much characteristic of Congress-led governments as of any other government!

 

Indeed, as far as the people are concerned, it hardly matters whether the funds are allocated by the Centre or a state government. In both cases, the funds belong to the people and to the people alone. The coffers of the government are filled primarily by indirect and direct taxes paid by the people, more by the poor and middle-income sections than the rich. Of the 32.5 million tax-paying households in the country, 96% report an annual taxable income of less than Rs. 200,000 while only 2.2% (715,000) belong to the Rs. 800,000-plus bracket even as the National Council of Applied Economic Research tells us that at least 3.8 million households earn over Rs. 1 million a year! Clearly while the rich and the super-rich excel in tax evasion, it is the poor and the middle classes who bear the brunt of the tax burden, both indirect and direct.

 

Before bragging about central funds and pretending to be the soldier of the tribals and saviour of the poor, should not Rahul Gandhi tell his audience why the Congress government at the Centre is refusing to honour the Supreme Court directive to distribute foodgrains free of cost among the starving poor? Bihar, where more than 80% people live in poverty according to the latest UNDP report, which has been suffering continually from droughts and floods and where hunger has claimed some 150 lives in the last five years, surely has every right to know.

 

Before promising security and dignity for the migrant Bihari worker, should not Rahul Gandhi tell us why the Congress governments at the Centre and in Delhi are presiding over the more than Rs. 28,000 crore extravaganza in the name of the Commonwealth Games while Bihari workers engaged in CWG-related construction work are subjected to sub-human living and working conditions and abysmally low wages? Why in Congress-ruled Maharashtra, the MNS is allowed to humiliate, harass and attack Bihari workers and youth with impunity while the Congress strikes electoral deals with the same MNS?

 

Rahul Gandhi and his trumpet-blowers keep telling us that a resurgent Congress is the best bet for the deprived and insecure Muslim community in the country. Do not they first owe an answer as to why innocent Muslim students are killed in fake encounters in Congress-ruled Delhi and the champions of justice refuse even to order a judicial probe? Why the government that set up the Sachhar Committee and Ranganath Mishra Commission is shying away from implementing their recommendations?

 

And last but not the least, why the crown prince who swears by youth power has not a word for the Kashmiri students and youth who are being gunned down by the dozen for daring to come out on the streets in protest against repression?

 

The questions are getting louder, and Rahul Gandhi obviously has no convincing answers. No wonder, the NSUI was humbled in the recent student union elections in Delhi University, the home turf of our crown prince. Will Bihar be any different?

 

9-11 Anniversary, Islamophobic Hate-speak and

Efforts against Racism and War-mongering

The run-up to the 9/11 Anniversary in the US was marked this year by threats by a bigoted pastor in Florida to burn the Quran. This came in the backdrop of a recent rise in violent anti-Muslim mobilization and hate-speak in the US over the proposal to build an Islamic center and mosque two blocks away from 'Ground Zero' where the Twin Towers once stood in New York City.

 

While the pastor eventually called off his plan to burn the Quran, the incident brought to the fore US Government's avoidance of a firm stand against the Islamophobic anti-mosque campaign. When Obama became President of the USA, he held out a promise of "mutual respect and peace to the Muslim world." His silence on Israel's siege of Gaza and his continued occupation of Afghanistan has already called the bluff of that statement. But now the ongoing unbridled communal poison being spewed out openly on US soil itself is something that Obama must answer for.

 

Meanwhile the threat to burn the Quran had tragic consequences in Kashmir where ever-continuing state brutality of Indian security forces took 17 more lives in Kashmir. An irresponsible Iranian TV channel relayed supposed 'news' of the Quran burning, and in Kashmir, cut-off by curfews, multiple bans on communications and the dearth of credible news, the impact of this false news was explosive. People erupted in protest – and the security forces, instead of dealing sensitively with such a protest, predictably went on a rampage and killed 17 people, taking the toll of those killed in firing by security forces in Kashmir in the past 3 months to 88.

 

In Mumbai too, Islamophobic panic and paranoia was whipped up by the Mumbai police displaying two photos of two supposed 'Pakistani terrorists' on the loose in the festival season in Mumbai.

 

It was heartening however that thousands of people (mobilised by a broad coalition of anti-war and anti-racism groups) observed the 9/11 Anniversary in lower Manhattan with a massive rally against anti-Muslim bigotry. The rally against demonisation of Muslim, Arab American and South Asian communities and racism dwarfed the smaller right-wing, racist mobilization that was organized in opposition to the planned construction of the Islamic community centre and mosque.

 

A quiet blow to Indo-Pak mutual jingoism and war-mongering was the emergence of the 'Indo-Pak express' of Rohan Bopanna from India and Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi from Pakistan as runners up in the US Open tennis championships. The duo expressed their appeal for Indo-Pak friendship by wearing T-shirts with the slogan 'Stop war, start tennis.'

 

Published below is the letter from CPI(ML) Central Committee written to the UP Chief Secretary asking him to look into motivated and prejudiced action of Mirzapur Police against our local leaders and activists.

To

The Chief Secretary, Uttar Pradesh.

 

Dear Sir,

 

It has come to our notice that the Mirzapur police administration has started harassing Com. Mohammad Salim, National President of Revolutionary Youth Association and a Mirzapur-based member of the UP State Committee of the CPI(ML)(Liberation) following the meeting of the party's Central Committee held in Mirzapur from 1 to 3 August. Copies of the two letters addressed to him by someone claiming to be in-charge of the Naxal Cell of Mirzapur are attached herewith for your information and necessary action.

 

You must be aware that the CPI(ML) Liberation is a well-known communist party in the country with a long history of fighting for people's rights within the state of Uttar Pradesh itself. The party is duly registered with the Election Commission of India and has representatives in the Assemblies of two neighbouring states, Bihar and Jharkhand. On behalf of the Mirzapur committee of our party, Comrade Salim had on 28.07.2010 itself duly informed the City Magistrate, district administration and other local authorities (a receipt for this information from the City Magistrate's office was given to Comrade Salim) about the meeting of the Central Committee (held on 1-3 August at Rahi Lodge, Mirzapur) and the district convention in the same place on 4 August which was addressed by our General Secretary Comrade Dipankar Bhattacharya. Based on this information, the district administration arranged for security and for medical arrangements from the district hospital for the meeting.

 

Yet the so-called Naxal cell of Mirzapur has chosen to harass and threaten Comrade Salim and level highly irresponsible and objectionable allegations against the Central Committee of the party. The first such letter dated 6.08.2010 had no stamp, file number or any other hallmark of an official letter, but it warned Comrade Salim of "action" for having hosted the Central Committee meeting, alleging that this meeting was attended by "suspicious people" hailing from states like Andhra Pradesh, Assam, West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Orissa etc.

 

On 19.08.2010 Comrade Salim sent a detailed response to the letter, through the District Magistrate and Superintendent of Police, Mirzapur. In spite of this, a second letter dated 27.08.2010 from the "in-charge Naxal Cell" was sent to Comrade Salim warning him that since no reply had been received, "one-sided action" would be taken against him.

 

We hope you will look into the matter and restrain the Mirzapur police from any motivated and prejudiced action against our local leaders and activists.

 

Hope you will acknowledge this letter and keep us duly informed of action taken.

 

(Swadesh Bhattacharya)

For CPI(ML) Liberation, Central Committee

 

In the last issue of ML Update, we reported about Bihar, Jharkhand, UP, Delhi, Tamilnadu, Pondicherry, Karnataka, Uttarakhand and Rajasthan where the all-India general strike was implemented. We could not cover reports from a few states which is being carried below:

 

WEST BENGAL: Jute mills' gates were picketed by our activists. TMC and BJP had to retreat when our activists resisted their attempt to break the strike at Bhadreswar Jute Mill in Hoogly.  AICCTU activists blocked the gate of Kasba Industrial Estate and did mike campaign. The unorganised workers in this area stood in our favour. At Konnagar in Hooghly, hundred construction workers took out a 2-hour cycle rally and held a condolence meeting in memory of the construction workers killed at Commonwealth Games site in Delhi.  At Dhaniakhali too our comrades resisted TMC's forcible attempt to up the shutters of the market.  Beedi workers in Maldah, Murshidabad and Nadia participated in the strike in a big way. Rail Hawkers Union affiliated to AICCTU blocked the rail line. Transport workers affiliated to AICCTU had significant role in the strike at Jalpaiguri and the transport workers of Calcutta Tramways Company and Kolkata State Transport Corporation too had a significant role in the strike. Strike was total in Budgebudge and Durgapur-Asansol industrial area. Our members participated in the strike at collieries in Asansol. Activists in North and South Dinajpur held marches on several roads for the success of strike. Our activists picketed gates of Jute mills in Howrah also.

 

ASSAM: After years of lull in Karbi Anglong, the 7th September bandh call ended the inertia and our forces geared up to make all out initiative in organising the bandh. Besides publishing a leaflet for wide circulation, AICCTU took the leading role in organising various sections. A section of health workers like ASHA took part for the first time in strike. In the Barak valley districts of Cachar, Karimganj and Hailakandi the general strike was almost total. AICCTU concentrated in Cachar and its HQ Silchar where 200 activists were arrested from picket on the railway tracks. In Dibrugarh too the bandh was total and what is notable is shutting down of railway workshop on our sole initiative. Serious altercation took place between security forces and picketers before the security personnel yielded. In Tinsukia, two tea estates where our trade union work has influence, were closed. This is the result of our recent struggle on the issue of PDS. Though INTUC was part of the strike its national VP Pawan Singh Ghatowar and the MP of Dibrugarh opposed the strike in tea gardens. However, his orders were not followed even in his native place. In Guwahati AICCTU Jt. Secretary of Assma Com. Pankaj Das was arrested with others while leading a blockade of railway track.

 

ORISSA: A mass rally of 300 comrades of different unions like Motorboat Workers Union, Chilka, Rickshaw Porters Federation of Bhubaneswar railway station, Construction Workers Union and Slum Dwellers Association of Bhubaneswar led by State General Secretary of AICCTU Com. Radhakanta Sethi, AICCTU Secretary Com. Mahendra Parida, Yudhistir Mohapatra, CPI(ML) State Committee member, Ashok Pradhan, President of AIALA Com. Satyabadi Behera held demonstration in front of the State Assembly. The rally started from Nagbhusan Bhavan to Bidhan Sabha via Rajmahal Square with colourful placards and flags of AICCTU and raising slogans to stop price rise, stop disinvestment in profitable public sector units, provide social security to all unorganized workers, strict implementation of labour laws etc.

 

In front of Orissa Assembly a public meeting was held where comrades Radhakanta Sethi, Litulal of AISA, Janaki Rao of Basti Basindha Masanga, Seema Sethi of Rickshaws Sangha addressed the meeting. In the public meeting AICCTU raised the issue of permanent patta to landless labourers, supply of ration card, provide work and Rs.200 wage per day etc. All the business concerns, insurance companies and banks were closed on this day due to workers' solidarity. It's the first time business community downed their shutters without any pressure from us and petrol pumps too remained closed in Bhubaneswar.

 

At Patatmendei AICCTU cadres led by comrades Rama Krishna Dash, Bidhan Das, Ananta Kar and Ramakrishna Patra held mass rally and handed over memorandum to the BDO. The workers of Motor Workers Association, Khet Mazdoor Sabha participated in this demonstration. In Rourkela, AICCTU and CITU jointly held a demonstration in front of Rourkela Steel Plant and 100 comrades of Ispat labour union and construction workers union joined with us under the leadership of comrades Kedar and RP Singh.

 

IN Bhadark, under leadership of Samar Bala, around 200 workers of construction workers union, and AIALA members participated in the rally to DM's office and handed him a memorandum.

 

CHHATISGARH: Workers organised under the banners of by AICCTU, AITUC, CITU, HMS and INTUC jointly blockaded all the five gates of Bhilai Steel Plant and held demonstration. AICCTU blockaded the Maroda gate and held a meeting. Thousands of contract workers participated with great vigour. AICCTU also took out a rally from Maroda gate to Bhilai Power House and held a dharna at Ambedkar chowk. Workers from CMM struck work in industrial area and participated in this dharna. Dharna was addressed among others by comrades Brijendra Tiwari and Rajaram.

 

In Raipur, workers from State warehouse and Central warehouse participated in the rally led by AICCTU's national VP Com. Bhimrao Bagre. Programmes were also organised at Jagdalpur in Bastar.

 

GUJARAT: Himmatnagar (Sabarkantha district) - Building and transport workers struck work and 300 attended the rally at District Collectors office under AICCTU banner. Comrades Dashrath Sinhali (AICCTU working committee), Ranjit Sinh Rathod (national councilor) Vinod Modi, Babubhai Parmar, Navin Varma, Nanjibhai Pagi, Jivaji Parmar among others addressed the rally.

 

PUNJAB: Chandigarh: In Chandigarh AICCTU's two main unions Punjab Engineering College (PEC) Mess Workers Union and Prehari Security Men's Union took part actively and this strike was a complete success in Punjab Engineering College, Chandigarh. All mess workers gathered in the morning and put locks on the mess gates. Security Men Union members also joined the gathering and later all marched to Nehru Park in Sector 22 where all other trade unions were also present. Total gathering was 400 and AICCTU's participation was 150. From there all marched to Sector 16 which is a stretch of nearly 4 km. In Sector 16 the main program organiser was AICCTU. Mess Worker Union President Com. Satish Kumar was one of those presiding. AICCTU Punjab's Co-Convenor Com. Kanwaljeet addressed the rally.

 

Total gathering in Sangrur was 450 and AICCTU's participation was 107. The newly formed Mobile Tower Guard Union affiliated to AICCTU participated with 60 members. From AICCTU Convenor Harbhagwan and Brick-kiln Workers union President Gurjant Mansa addressed the rally.

 

Total gathering was 200 at Mansa and AICCTU had half the share. From AICCTU main participation was from Brick-kiln workers union and Construction Workers' Union. Bhagwant Samao, Sukhcharan Daanewalia and Jasveer Natt addressed the gathering.

 

AISA and RYA teams blocked the Mansa Highway for 2 hours with strength of 200 youths.

 

At Barnala, total participation was 300 and our participation was 125. Brick kiln workers and Majdoor Mukti Morcha members mainly participated.

 

At Bhathinda, total participation was 500 and from AICCTU Ammi Lal addressed the gathering.

 

Annual Conference of Building Workers' Union in Mandawli

 

Second Conference of Building Workers' Union of Mandawli zone was held on 22 August. Leaflets were distributed among wider section of workers in the area. Despite heavy pours in Delhi prior to the Conference date wider public campaign was conducted.

 

Conference began with paying homage to martyrs by observing silence for two minutes in their remembrance. CPI(ML)'s Central Committee member Comrade Prabhat Kumar Chaudhary inaugurated the Conference and called upon the Union and workers to expose and resist the corrupt, pro-corporate and anti-worker Congress Govt.

 

Various issues icluding membership renewal, retrying for Ward based structure, building chowk based structures and fixed participation in programmes, politicization of workers etc. came up in the discussion. Mandawli has 500 members of the Union. Against the commonly held perception of frequent inter-state migration and movement of workers it came out that the workers have been permanently residing in Delhi. The Conference resolved to continue resisting and fighting against the loot and corruption in the name of Commonwealth Games, fight for inclusion of names inn voter list, rashan card, health and education. Conference has elected 23-member executive body that includes three women and 8-member office bearer. The Conference was addressed by Comrade Sanjay Sharma and VKS Gautam among others.

 

Protest in Delhi against Massive Displacement of Poor, Violations of Workers' Rights and Loot of Public Money in the name of Commonwealth Games

 

CPI(ML) held a week long campaign in Delhi asking the people to join a massive protest at parliament Street in New Delhi on 15th September to condemn the huge displacement of poor and working class people in the name of Commonwealth Games and to ask for immediate resettlement of all. The campaign also exposed the massive corruption and violation of labour laws at Commonwealth games sites.

 

On 15 September, CPI(ML) activists, workers, students from universities in the Capital and affected people from various parts of Delhi marched on Parliament Street demanding punishment to the corrupt officials and Organising Committee members, strict implementation of labour laws and immediate rehabilitation of those displaced. The protest and rally was led by CPI(ML) Delhi State Secretary Comrade Sanjay Sharma.

 

Martyrdom Anniversaries

 

16th anniversary of Subbu's martyrdom was observed by Subbu peravai. CPI(ML) State Committee members Balasundaram, Asaithambi, Usha and comrades from Sivagangai, Pudukottai, Madurai participated. Scores of Dalit organisations and groups too attended the anniversary.

 

Martyrs Chandrakumar Chandrasekar's 26th anniversary was observed at Manaloor. CPI(ML), AIALA, AISA, and AIPWA leaders, activists and local people participated. Balasundaram, Ammaaiappan, Kannaian, Rajasankar, Bharati, Rajesh, Gurusamy, Prasad spoke at the occasion. Manaloor Party Branch Secretary Thangasamy presided over the meeting. State secretary hoisted the Party flag.

 

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 36 / 2010

ML Update

A CPI(ML) Weekly News Magazine

Vol. 13, No. 36, 31 AUGUST – 6 JULY 2010

 

Niyamgiri to Bellary, Polavaram to Konkan:

Stop All Destructive Projects Now

The cancellation of the Vedanta group's 'mining rights' in the Niyamgiri hills of Odisha's Kalahandi district surely marks a huge victory for the growing people's movement against corporate invasion and plunder. The brave resistance of the local people, belonging predominantly to the Dongria Kondh and Kutia Kondh tribes, had begun to find wide-ranging support beyond the borders of Odisha and India. In July, the Annual General Meeting of the UK-based Vedanta group in London attracted angry protests by a broad spectrum of activists, and on August 16, the NC Saxena committee set up by the Ministry of Environment and Forests submitted a hard-hitting report documenting the numerous illegal activities of the Vedanta group in collusion with high-level Odisha officials.

 

The opposition to the Vedanta group's mining offensive in Odisha has been growing for several years now. And till recently, the central government too had been siding with the state government to rubbish and crush the popular protests and defend and promote the project in every possible way. The UPA-I had granted environmental clearance for the project rejecting the opposition of the tribal people of Niyamgiri and flouting every tenet of the PESA Act. And when the tribal people went to the Supreme Court to challenge the environmental clearance, the apex court went out of its way to ask the government to grant forest clearance as well! And the UPA government followed suit. So what the UPA-2 is doing is nothing but selectively retracing a step or two taken by the UPA-1 without admitting its past mistakes!

 

The Vedanta mining saga clearly raises some fundamental questions. The group's claim of 'mining happiness' for the people of Odisha has been squarely exposed – but the ministers and officials working hand in gloves with this mining giant are yet to be adequately exposed and punished. We all know that P Chidambaram was on the board of directors of Vedanta Resources till the day before he became the Finance Minister in UPA-1 and we are also aware of the group's bonhomie with the state government of Odisha led formerly by the BJP-BJD combine and now by the BJD on its own. A similar story is going on in Karnataka with the BJP pulling out all stops to defend the mining loot of the infamous Reddy brothers. Clearly, the people's movement will have to confront and defeat this nexus between corporate robbers and bourgeois rulers.

 

This nexus is armed with a policy regime that promotes corporate loot at the cost of every legitimate concern and right of the people – be it over land or livelihood, environment or culture. Even as one Niyamgiri has seemingly been saved, there are hundreds of Niyamgiris all over the country where state-sponsored destruction campaign is going on in full swing. The ongoing Polavaram dam project in Andhra Pradesh and the proposed nuclear power plant in the environmentally delicate Konkan region of Maharashtra are just two glaring examples from two Congress-ruled states. The same Ministry of Environment and Forests which is now being described as a 'Green Crusader' has actually been functioning as nothing but a 'Green Destroyer'. The time has come to press for a complete halt to this indiscriminate state-sponsored destruction.

The people's movement will also have to challenge the doublespeak of the Congress. On August 26, Rahul Gandhi visited Niyamgiri and projected himself as a soldier of the tribal people in the corridors of power! He was garlanded by Lado Sikaka, a tribal activist of Niyamgiri who had only the other day been badly harassed and tortured by the state as a 'Maoist'. One hand of the Congress is busy coercing and displacing the adivasis while the other hand garners the sympathy of the people and pretends to be their soldier and saviour. The politics of the Congress revolves around this calculated combination of 'Operation Green Hunt' and 'Operation Greenspeak' and we must unmask this hypocrisy of Rahul Gandhi's professed concern for the deprived tribal people.

 

Veteran journalist and Congress-watcher MJ Akbar sees Rahul Gandhi's pro-farmer pro-tribal discourse as a sign of a clever Congress attempt to appropriate the left-of-centre agenda. "It is axiomatic that a largely impoverished nation needs a political party that the poor can identify with. The Congress has set out to be the party of the poor in daytime, and of the rich at night. ... This is an extremely clever act whose opening scenes are being played out for a new generation that is vague about Indira Gandhi and amnesiac about Nehru", writes MJ Akbar in his recent Sunday column in the Times of India (29 August 2010). Well, when the rhetoric of Nehru and Indira could not stop the radical Left even during the heydays of 'non-alignment' and 'mixed economy', can the 'clever lines' of Rahul Gandhi befool a people who are bearing the brunt of the pro-corporate pro-imperialist policies of the Congress?

 

Seminar on Honour Killings in Varanasi

A Seminar on 'Honour Killings, Khap Panchayats and the Role of the Government' was held in a hall near the Banaras Hindu University on 28 August. The seminar, jointly organized by AIPWA and AISA, was well attended by students as well as intellectuals.

 

At the Seminar, Dr. Chandrakala Tripathi, Champa Singh and Shraddha Singh of the Hindi department of BHU spoke about various aspects of the 'honour' killing phenomenon, especially on the political patronage that such crimes enjoyed. Namrata Tiwary, advocate in the Allahabad High Court, drawing on her experience of false 'abduction' cases lodged to harass those who opt for self-choice marriages, argued in favour of a separate law to define and address 'honour' crimes, and discussed many of the issued involved in drafting such a law. Dr. Muniza Rafi Khan of the Gandhi Vidya Sansthan spoke of 'honour' crimes such as 'fatwas' against Muslim women. Ramagya Rai, editor, Samayantar, spoke about the origin and role of the khap panchayats, pointing out that these institutions not only killed couples, they are also the 'seeds of murder of our democracy.' Usha Kiran Rai from the Management faculty of BHU also addressed the Seminar. Responding to a debate raised in the course of the seminar, Dr. Prabhat, a surgeon in the BHU IMS, intervened to explain how there was no 'scientific' basis of opposition to same-gotra marriages. Many students of BHU and Kashi Vidyapeeth including Vishal, an activist of BHU AISA, Prasanto Sahay, a research scholar of psychology in BHU, and several women students shared their ideas and experiences of campaigning for the seminar. One woman student of BHU, Shikha, spoke of the many hurdles that attempt to curb women's freedom – not just in matters of marriage but even when they choose to be socially or politically active. Commenting on the 6 pm curfew imposed on residents of BHU women's hostels, she asked, "Why are the victims of violence (women) locked up in the name of 'keeping them safe' while the perpetrators are allowed to roam free?" The main speaker at the Seminar was Kavita Krishnan, National Secretary of AIPWA, who spoke of feudal structures, ideologies and forces that underpin 'honour' crimes. She discussed the role of the Sangh Parivar and BJP in perpetrating and patronizing 'honour' crimes (by imposing dress codes on women, and attacking inter-caste and inter-community couples), as well as the support of Congress leaders for killer khap panchayats. Commenting on Mayawati's claim that UP was free of 'honour' crimes, she said that such killings are rampant in Western UP, and Mayawati's attitude betrays her refusal to confront feudal forces. The Seminar was chaired by Dr. Archana Kumar, Head of the Department of English, BHU, who shared her own personal experience of facing 'honour' threats. The Seminar was conducted by Kusum Verma, Convenor of AIPWA in Varanasi.

 

Upcoming Assembly Election in Bihar: Series of rallies addressed by Party GS

Bihar is scheduled for Legislative Assembly election in a couple of months. CPI(ML), the real fighting opposition and true representative of Bihar's proletariat and peasants in their struggle against the ruling class offensive on poor is gearing up for electoral battle by mobilising the peasants, workers, dalits, women, youth and poor to take on the anti-poor, corrupt and pro-rich Nitish Kumar's Govt. In the recent past Party has conducted major political campaigns exposing the anti-poor, pro-feudal and pro-rich agendas of JD(U)-BJP Govt. in Bihar. One of the major issues for the toiling millions of Bihar is the agenda of land reforms which saw massive mobilization of people in CPI(ML) struggles on the issue. In the week just gone by, a string of rallies were organised by the different district committees of CPI(ML) and most of these rallies were addressed by Party General Secretary Comrade Dipankar Bhattacharya.

 

Following is a brief report:

Three rallies were held in Siwan on consecutive days – Mairwa (Jeeradei constituency) on 25 August, Darauli on 26th and Husseinganj (Raghunathpur seat) on 27th; two in Jahanabad – Ghosi and Sribigha (Jahanabad) on 29 Aug; and one in Arwal on August 30. The Jahanabad and Arwal rallies were also addressed by comrades Krishna Dev Yadav and Ram Jatan Sharma. Com. KD Yadav also addressed a meeting at Naugachhia in Bhagalpur district on 27th and Com. Rajaram Singh addressed two meetings at Obra on 28th and Dehri on 29th. All meetings have been quite well-attended. The next phase of the campaign will be from September 6 to 15 when rallies will be held in Nalanda, Bhojpur, Rohtas and Patna rural.

 

Protest in Delhi against cancellation of BPL Cards

Nealy a hundred people, mostly women under the banner of All India General Kamgar Union (Narela unit, Delhi) held a protest on 30 August in front of FSO office against cancellation of BPL Cards and stopping the distribution of BPL ration to the hundreds of poor in the Narela area. Recently Narela Regional office has cancelled more than 1800 BPL cards without any prior notice or citing any reason. It was demanded to reissue the illegally cancelled cards and restart the ration supply to them immediately. The issues of rampant corruption in the PDS system, giving less foodgrains than the allotted quantity, issuing BPL card to every poor and to immediately expedite long pending BPL applications of thousands of poor were also raised by the protesters. The protest was led by comrades Shyamlal, Surendra Panchal, Bishan Singh, Dharmvir Khatri, Harish Pati, Shamshad Alam, and Ayub Siddiqui.

 

AISA's Protests in WB for Kashmir & NE

As part of the all India protest demonstration against killings by security forces in Kashmir and North-eastern states, All India Student's Association in West Bengal organised protest marches in Kolkata and Malda on 14th August, demanding repealing of AFSPA and withdrawal of Troops from these states.

 

Kolkata: A sizable section of students adorned with colorful banners and placards marched through the College Street area. At the end of the rally an effigy of UPA Govt was burnt in front of the Presidency College after a brief road blockade. Later a street corner meeting was held in front of Indian coffee house and addressed by Moloy Tewari (AISA's State Secretary), Jul Mukherjee (Jt.Sec. of West Bengal AISA), Balindra Saikia (Assam President of AISA), Souvik Ghosal from RYA and Dwaipayan Banerjee from CPI(ML).

 

Malda: At Gazol block of Malda district a protest rally was organized by AISA's district body, a street corner meeting was held after an effigy of Manmahan Singh was burnt. Emanuel Hembrom and Arjun Hansda of AISA addressed the protesters.

 

Pricol Workers Released after False Criminal Cases on Them are Withdrawn

From 2007 onwards some 25 criminal cases were slapped against the Pricol workers to suppress the workers' movement for their rights. Perianayakkanpalayam (where Pricol factory is situated in Coimbatore) police continue to deny permission to any of our programmes citing these cases. Now those cases one after the other have been proven to be falsely grafted on the workers and our union.

 

In July 2007, the Management hired gangsters to frighten and terrorise the workers. But Perianayakanpalayam police, instead of registering cases against the management and its goons, implicated Pricol workers who were the victims. Many of our comrades were in jail for 40 days in these cases. After trials all have been released now. Another team of workers in some other criminal cases were also released. We still have to see whether Coimbatore administration and police learn a lesson from this and stop taking the sides of managements who engage in all sorts illegal and criminal activities against the workers.

 

September 7 All India General Strike Preparations:

In Chennai all Trade Union Convention was held on 18th Aug attended by national leaders of all TUs. Com. Bhuvaneshwari, National Secretary of All India Central Union in of Trade Unions (AICCTU) addressed the Convention on behalf of AICCTU. 400 workers attended the convention.

 

This is the first time that AICCTU was invited to the joint platform in Coimbatore and Kanyakumari. Public meeting was held at 7 places jointly in Coimbatore. In Tirunelveli AICCTU is preparing to enforce the strike involving thousands of beedi workers both independently and jointly. Tirunelveli has already crossed 40,000 signatures in our campaign on various demands of the toiling people.

 

Signature campaign in Kanyakumari with active participation of women workers is going on with propaganda to participate in 7th September strike. In Tiruchi Ordnance Factory Contract Labour Union (affiliated to AICCTU) served a strike notice and is preparing for the strike. Construction workers affiliated to our union are conducting wider campaign in Salem, Tanjore, Pudukottai, Kanyakumari, Kanjipuram, Dindugal, Tirunelveli and Villupuram districts.

 

All TUs in construction industry are jointly campaigning and Joint Preparatory Conference was held at Salem. Com. Ayyandurai, State Secretary of AICCTU addressed the Conference. In Chennai, Some 400 workers were involved in a single day on 22 July in the signature campaign, out of which half were women belonging to a garment factory. Signature campaign with a call to participate in strike is going on at factory gates, bus stands, railway stations, university gates, bazaars and residential areas throughout the state.

 

Delhi University Students' Union Election 2010

All India Students' Association (AISA) has presented a full panel for the central posts in DUSU election 2010 to be held on 3rd September. AISA also organised a protest demonstration in the main campus on 31st August to demand disqualification of those NSUI and ABVP candidates who threatened and attacked AISA's candidates and campaign. AISA's main campaign issues are: (i) opposing the forcible evacuation of hostellers because of Commonwealth Games and the Dictatorial Imposition of Semester System, (ii) demand for a Functional Gender Complaints Redressl Cell with elected students' representation at the University level, (iii) initiation of Election Reforms in DUSU such that it becomes a representative of and platform for common students' issues and (iv) rejection of the anti-student and muscle-flexing cult of NSUI and ABVP in DUSU. AISA is continuing with its uncompromising struggles on the issues of students' rights, academic vibrancy and campus democracy.

 

The central panel comprises of: Shweta Raj, a student of Hindu College is contesting for the President's post, Akram Akhtar, who is studying Law is contesting on the Vice President's post, Sushil Kumar of Hansraj College is AISA's Secretarial Candidate and Rajshekhar of Zakir Husain College is the candidate for the post of Joint Secretary.

 

(Following reports could not be covered in the previous issues which is being published in brief here)

 

6 Aug – Hiroshima & anti-Imperialist Day Protests

Rajasthan: Protests were held in Jaipur and Buhana in Jhunjhunu. 100 people assembled in Jaipur led by CPI(ML) Central Committee member Comrade Srilata Swaminathan and Party's State Secretary Comrade Mahendra Chaudhary with scores of placards demanding scrapping of the Nuclear liability bill. Protest was held in front of the State Secretariat and then a memorandum was given to the Governor. Similar programme was held in Buhana led by Comrades Ramchandra Kulhari and Omprakash. Dozens of our comrades participated in the programme and a public meeting that followed.

 

Chhatisgarh: Similar programme was held at Bhilai Steel Plant gate and Boria gate. Leaflets were distributed demanding scrapping of nuclear liability bill. The protests were organised by CPI(ML) and AICCTU and were led by comrades Rajaram, Brijendra Tewari, Shekhar Rao, RP Gajendra, Shiv Kumar Prasad and Lalan.

 

Bihar: Rally and protest demonstrations were held by CPI(ML) at Bhagalpur city and Naugachhia in Bhagalpur district. At both the places protesters marched through the busiest streets of the towns raising slogans to abrogate the Civil Nuclear Liability bill and condemning the US imperialism.

 

Tamil Nadu: A convention was held in Chennai on August 6 in which 250 workers and others participated. A booklet on Bhopal titled "On Injustice" was released by Chennai Party Committee. The booklet was released by Com. G Radhakrishnan. The convention was presided over by Com. S Sekar, District Party secretary. Comrades S Eraniappan, and Bharathi, both State Committee members (SCMs), addressed the convention.

 

Com. S Kumarasami, member of the Polit Bureau, called upon the workers to rise against the subservience of UPA government to imperialist powers particularly the US. He said workers should make the five lakh signature campaign a success and participate in large numbers in September 7 all-India general strike. He also said that all out efforts should be made to implement the September 7 strike in Sriperumbudur - Irungattukottai belt where the fight between the Indian wage labour and foreign capital is intense.

 

In Pudukottai district AISA and RYA together held a demonstration in Pudukottai Town for the first time. Around 120 students and youth participated in the demonstration. A few advocates too participated in the demonstration. Com. Aasaithambi, SCM, addressed the demonstration.

 

At Namakkal a hall meeting was held in Kumarapalayam in which 50 unorganised workers participated. Comrades NK Natarajan and A Govindaraj, both SCMs addressed the meeting.

 

In Tiruvallore a street corner meeting was held. Comrades Janakiraman and AS Kumar, both SCMs, addressed the meeting. At other places in the State Poster campaign was conducted.

 

"No More Bhopal" Convention in Coimbatore

 After the death of a management executive in Pricol, the local police had launched a witch hunt against the Pricol workers and all their democratic rights such as organising public meetings, hall meetings in Perianaickenpalayam area were disallowed. It is now almost after one year that the local police had given permission to hold a meeting in Perianaickenpalayam area on August 9 to observe Quit-India Day.

 

More than 600 Pricol workers attended the Convention. Comrade S Kumarasami, CPI(ML) Polit Bureau member addressed the convention, presided over by Com. Janakiraman, AICCTU State Working council member. Com. NK Natarajan, SCM of the Party, Com. Krishnamurthy, State Secretary, AICCTU, Com. Chandran of LMW also spoke in the convention.

 

Mass Hunger Strike in Lucknow

The Uttar Pradesh State Committee of CPI(ML) organised a 30 hour long mass hunger strike at Shaheed Smarak in Lucknow on 9th and 10th August under the leadership of Central Committee member Comrade Krishna Adhikari. Two thousand and five hundred cadres and members of CPI(ML) from different districts of UP came to Lucknow to go on 30-hour hunger strike.

 

The main demands were: all the village community land in the State including in Khiri, Pilibhit and Mirzapur that is illegally occupied by the land-mafias and repressive elements along with all the fallow and parti land be immediately distributed among the poor and the landless; all the fabricated cases including Goonda-Gangster Act thrust on CPI(ML) leaders and cadres in Ghazipur and Pilibhit be immediately and unconditionally withdrawn and a stop to all repression of people's movement; the reserved seats in panchayat elections for adivasi people be increased in proportion to their population and several other demands.

 

Comrade Krishna Adhikari said that the Mayawati Administration is not even touching the illegal occupation of commons land in villages by the land-mafias and powerful men while it is making hollow claims of distributing land to the dalits and landless. Hundreds of thousands of acres of land is illegally occupied in the districts from where the people came for the hunger strike. The Gangster Act is being used arbitrarily against our comrades who are leading struggles for freeing these lands for redistribution among the dalits and poor.

 

Among those who addressed the hunger strikers were- Comrades Kranti Kumar Singh, Afroz Alam, Shankar Kol, Balmukund Dhuria, Ramdaras, Arjun Lal (all State Committee members), Comrade Tahira Hassan, AIPWA's National Vice President, Jasam's National Vice President Comrade Shobha Singh, Shashikant Kushwaha, Dewashish and Ramkrit.

 

It is to be noted that the Administration of Sonbhadra led by SDM forcibly prevented one hundred cadres at Robertsganj when they were on their way to Lucknow for participating on hunger strike. The SDM and the accompanying police forced the CPI(ML) cadres to disembark from the train in which they were going to Lucknow. These hundred comrades later took out a protest march in Robertsganj condemning Mayawati Govt's clamp down on basic democratic rights.

 

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 35 / 2010

ML Update

A CPI(ML) Weekly News Magazine

Vol. 13, No. 35, 24 – 30 AUGUST 2010

Indian Parliament in August 2010: Telling Images of a Shocking Reality

Thanks to climate change, monsoon in India has of late become increasingly erratic. In some parts, it reaches late, in many areas it never shows up. Delhi has its wettest August, Bihar and Jharkhand get the third successive drought. But monsoon or no monsoon, nothing can disturb the annual ritual of monsoon session of Parliament.

 

Predictably enough, this year the monsoon session began on a tumultuous note. Proceedings were stalled for days on end over the issue of rising prices – unquestionably the most explosive issue of the day. But the government's 'bomb disposal squad' which never manages to defuse a bomb in real life succeeded in defusing the parliamentary bomb with magical precision. The bang over the issue of voting on price rise ended with the whimper of a parliamentary resolution expressing concern over 'inflationary pressure' on the economy. After the popular high of a powerful 'Bharat Bandh' on July 5, we saw the parliamentary low of a tame surrender by the opposition!

 

A similar thing had happened earlier during the budget session. On April 27, there was another Bharat Bandh called by more than a dozen opposition parties, but when voting took place on cut motions we saw two parties that had sponsored the bandh – the RJD and the SP – conveniently run away from the 'trouble' of voting against the government. This time round, it was the turn of the BJP to take the lead in unmasking itself. On the July 5 bandh day, the BJP had led the charge seeking to project itself as the rallying centre of a pan-opposition unity; in Parliament it took the lead in letting the government off the hook.

 

The RJD and SP have of course once again provided considerable comic relief. These parties that never bothered to demand any hike in MNREGA wages for the rural workers who bear the brunt of rising prices were particularly vocal in bargaining for a massive jump in the salaries and allowances of Members of Parliament. Holding a mock parliament inside parliament, Mulayam Singh Yadav announced the opposition's own 'government' with Lalu Prasad as its PM, BJP leader Gopinath Munde as the Speaker and himself as the 'manager'! While the MPs got a hefty hike in salary, allowance and pension, the deflation of the famous prime ministerial ambition of the Lalu-Mulayam duo is surely not to be missed.

 

The exact contours of the Congress-BJP or Government-Opposition deal will perhaps emerge only gradually. But if we join the dots that are already visible, a picture surely begins to take shape. Narendra Modi has been let off the hook in the Amit Shah case, the roaring CWG controversies have suddenly been silenced by an invisible waving of the 'Queen's Baton' and the Nuclear Liability Bill is now all set to be passed with a clever play of words. While the country will bear the cost and consequences of any nuclear accident, private suppliers and operators will make merry, and the law will argue endlessly over the 'intent' of the supplier instead of fixing any concrete liability!

 

Meanwhile, the continuing killings by security forces in Kashmir hardly evoke any murmur in Parliament. The government never ceases to claim Kashmir as an integral part of India, but the blood flowing on the streets of Kashmir is never recognised as Indian enough to merit any discussion in India's Parliament. The Prime Minister answers Kashmir's cry for an urgent political solution with yet another tired economic package and the Home Ministry releases 2008 images of Taliban-type terror in Kashmir to counter the undeniable current reality of an unprecedented mass upsurge in the valley.

 

Seldom has Parliament appeared as disconnected from the reality of the country and its people as in August 2010, the month of 63rd anniversary of India's independence.

 

National Day of Solidarity With Kashmiri People

On 20 August 2010, in keeping with a resolution adopted at its founding Convention, the All India Left Coordination (AILC) comprising the CPI(ML) Liberation, the CPM Punjab, the Lal Nishan Party (Leninist) Maharashtra and the Left Coordination Committee Kerala, observed the National Day of Solidarity with Kashmiri People in various important centres of the country. Through protest marches, dharnas and demonstrations left activists across the country declared a strong message of solidarity to the struggling people of Kashmir and determination to sensitise and mobilize struggling people in India on the question of the repeated betrayals and daily brutalities perpetrated by the Indian state against the people of Kashmir.

 

In the national capital, a solidarity dharna was organised at Jantar Mantar which was attended by a large number of students, workers, activists and democratic individuals. Addressing the dharna, Dipankar Bhattacharya, General Secretary of CPI(ML), condemned the stubborn continuation of a policy of repression of mass demonstrations and the attempt to deny the authenticity of the Kashmiris' outrage and protests. He asserted that nowhere can unity be achieved at gun point or under the army jackboot and added, "In Kashmir the much-touted economic packages cannot assuage the sense of alienation, and are no substitute for addressing the political demands and aspirations for justice and dignity of the people of Kashmir." The Solidarity Dharna was also attended and addressed by CPI(ML) Central committee members Kavita Krishnan, Prabhat Kumar, Delhi State Secretary Sanjay Sharma, AICCTU leader Rajiv Dimri, JNU Student leader Sucheta De, AICCTU leaders Satvir Shramik and NM Thomas, film maker Sanjay Kak and others.

 

The National Day of Solidarity with Kashmiri People was observed in 12 different districts of Punjab including Mansa, Sangroor, Bathinda, Chandigarh, Raikot (Ludhiana),Nangal (Ropar), Rahon, Mukandpur (Navan Shehar), Tarntarn, Gurdaspur, Ajnala, Raiya (Amritsar), Mahetpur (Jalandhar), and Mukerian (Hoshiarpur). Main speakers at different places were Rajwinder Rana, Sukhdarshan Natt, Kanwaljeet, Harbhagwan Bhikhi, Iqbal Kaur Udasi, Harmeet Smagh (of CPIML-Liberation) and Mangat Ram Pasla, Harkanwal Singh, Raghveer Singh, Gurnam Dawood, and Rattan Singh Randhawa (of CPM-Punjab) and others. In Assam, the effigy of Chidambaram was burnt in several parts of the state.

 

In Pune, a public meeting was organized by Lal Nishan Party (Leninist) which saw enthusiastic participation of workers, students and intellectuals. Among others Com. BJ Kerkar of Lal Nishan Party (Leninist) spoke at the meeting. In Mumbai, CPI(ML) and Lal Nishan Party held a public meeting at Dadar and have planned to hold a dharna for Kashmir at Churchgate on 25 August.

 

In Bihar, solidarity marches were organized in 20 districts including Ara, Patna, Darbhanga, Muzaffarpur, Bhagalpur, Purnea, Sasaram, and Kaimur. In Jharkhand, seminars were held at Bagodar and Deoghar, and protest marches and mass meetings were held in Giridih town, Ranchi, Gumla, Dumka and Hazaribagh.

 

In UP, CPI(ML) organized solidarity marches and mass meetings across the state at Lucknow, Varanasi, Kanpur, Gajipur, Mughalsarai, Chandauli, Jalon, Allahabad and Ballia.

 

In Uttarakhand CPI(ML) along with AISA held protest demonstrations and effigy burning of the UPA Government at Pithoragarh, Dehradun and Haldwani.

 

At Gangavati in Karnataka, CPIML protestors burnt the effigy of the central and the Kashmir state governments. Basavaraj Soolebavi of Karnataka Souharada Vedike, Virupaksha of AICCTU and Peer Pasha, a noted left intellectual addressed the gathering. A memorandum was submitted to the Tahsildar at HDKote taluk in Mysore dist.

 

In Andhra Pradesh, a dharna was held at the Kakinada collectorate in which 200 people participated; at Vijayawada a padayatra from Gandhinagar to the sub-collector's office culminated in a dharna; at Narsipatnam of Visakha district, a dharna was held at the Revenue divisional office.

 

In Tamil Nadu, solidarity programmes were held at Tirunelveli, Thanjavur, Pudukottai, and Chennai along with poster campaigns and distribution of 10,000 leaflets in many dist. In Puducherry, RSP, Forward Bloc state leaders too participated in CPI(ML)'s solidarity programme.

 

Kashmir Solidarity Letter to PM by UK & US-based Organisations

 

On 20 August, coinciding with the Kashmir Solidarity Day all over India by the All India Left Coordination, various organisations in the UK and US submitted a letter to the Indian Prime Minister via the Indian High Commission in London as representatives of Indian and South Asian diaspora organisations and civil liberties organizations in Britain. The signatories are:

 

Amrit Wilson, South Asia Solidarity Group; Avtar Jouhl, Indian Workers' Association (GB); Raj Pal, South Asian Alliance; Jasbir Singh, The 1857 Committee; Estella Schmid, Campaign Against Criminalising Communities; Marai Larasai, Imkaan (a national charity supporting Black, South Asian, and Minority Ethnic women's organizations working on violence against women); Saima Yousaf, National Union of Students; Anu Mandavilli, on behalf of Friends of South Asia, USA

 

 

All India Left Coordination (AILC) Statement on Nuclear Liability Bill

 

It has emerged very clearly that the UPA Government, in formulating the Nuclear Liability Bill is working under pressures from the foreign nuclear supplier companies as well as domestic representatives of in industry, to the complete detriment of the interests of the potential Indian victims of a nuclear accident.

 

Undermining even the recommendations of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Bill, the UPA Government has, in one guise or another, sought to dilute even the original draft of the Bill and introduce clauses that will protect suppliers of nuclear equipment from incurring any liability in case of a nuclear accident.

 

In a series of subterfuges and semantic jugglery, the UPA Government has sought to ensure that a supplier of nuclear equipment will be protected from having to pay any compensation unless the supplier's "intent to cause nuclear damage" is proved. Since "intent" will be almost impossible to establish, nuclear suppliers will effectively enjoy freedom from all liability in case of a nuclear accident.

 

After much-shadow boxing between the main Opposition party and the ruling Congress, it is also apparent that the BJP too is in collusion with the Congress in the ploy to pander to the foreign nuclear corporations and domestic supplier lobby and sell out the interests of Indian people.

 

The Bill seeks to introduce private players as nuclear operators and to place a maximum cap on compensation that can be sought by victims of a nuclear accident; it also seeks to limit the liability of nuclear operators.      

 

Now, after the Government's machinations to protect the foreign and domestic nuclear suppliers' industry from liability stand exposed, there is an attempt by the USA as well as by Indian corporations to whip up a bogey that the Nuclear Liability Bill represents a threat to "India's nuclear industry," as well as to "India's international credibility as a nuclear power." Such propaganda is only a smokescreen to hide the fact that the Bill is a threat to the right of Indian people to compensation in case of a nuclear accident.     

 

The UPA Government is clearly desperate to pass the Nuclear Liability Bill in line with the interests of US nuclear industry before the forthcoming visit of US President Obama to India. The All India Left Coordination (AILC), in the interests of India and Indian people, condemns the devious attempts by the UPA Government to script the Bill to suit private nuclear players and demands scrapping of the Nuclear Liability Bill.

 

'Naxal' Witch-Hunt - Mirzapur Police Targets CPI(ML) CC Meeting

 

The CPI(ML) Central Committee held its last meeting at Mirzapur, Uttar Pradesh, on 1-3 August 2010. Following the meeting, the Mirzapur police has made a deliberate attempt to intimidate the local party leaders in the name of an 'anti-Naxal' offensive.

 

On 6 August, a police official hand-delivered a letter addressed to Mohammad Salim, the National President of the Revolutionary Youth Association (RYA) and a senior leader of the party in Mirzapur. The letter is signed 'In-Charge, Naxal Cell, Mirzapur', but there is no name accompanying the signature. The letter states that "information was obtained" that a CPI(ML) programme was organised at Mirzapur, in which office-bearers and activists from the "Naxal-affected states" of Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Bihar, as well as 'Naxal-affected' districts of UP participated. The letter adds, "Mirzapur is an extremely sensitive and Naxal-affected" district where there are "continuous reports of movement of Naxalites."

 

The letter goes on to say, "We have come to know that you have organised a Conference and cadre meeting in this Naxal-affected area, in which suspicious people took part. Being an Indian citizen and a senior office-bearer of CPI(ML), it was your topmost duty... to obtain permission from the district administration for such a meeting. You are already aware that Section 144 is in place all over Mirzapur, and no conference or programme can be held without permission in an unconstitutional way." In the manner of a show-cause notice, the letter then asks Comrade Salim why action should not be initiated against him and participants in the meeting for "100% violation of Section 144 CrPC," and warned that if no answer was received by 7 August, action would be initiated against him for which he would be solely responsible.

 

The Mirzapur party has responded to the 'letter' via the District Collector, demanding to know who the 'In-charge, Naxal Cell' is who has signed it.

 

The CPI(ML) has condemned in the strongest terms this attempt to brand its Central Committee as a haven for 'suspicious' elements. Rather, it is the behaviour of the UP police that is suspicious and shady. Well aware of the antecedents of the CPI(ML) and its leadership (including the fact that it is a party registered with the Election Commission of India, and CCMs who attended the meeting included several former elected people's representatives and leaders of recognised Trade Union, Agricultural Labour and Peasants' organisations with lakhs of mass membership), the UP police deliberately chose to target the party and its highest leadership.

 

It may be recalled that following the CPI(ML) State Committee meeting in Gorakhpur (February 12-14 2010), the UP police and intelligence officials had interrogated district-level CPI(ML) leader Rajesh Sahni for two hours, demanding to know why intelligence officials were not allowed to attend the State Committee meeting, and implying that this meant some illegal activities were being plotted in the meeting! The interrogators also asked why the party insisted on opposing the Government and Green Hunt, and warned that if the party did not change its stance on Green Hunt, it was liable to face action. Comrade Sahni was told that the police had considered arresting the entire State Committee. Subsequently, various other members of the district committee also received calls making 'enquiries' about each other and about the party functioning.

 

The UP police and Government are clearly taking advantage of the 'Green Hunt' climate to defame and intimidate people's movements and harass political forces that are voicing dissent.

 

Police Firing on Farmers in Western UP:

A Fact-finding report

 

(On 14 August, ironically the eve of Independence Day, farmers protesting against corporate land grab were fired upon in Western Uttar Pradesh. A team of the All India Kisan Mahasabha (AIKM) comprising AIKM Vice President Comrade Prem Singh Gehlawat and National Executive member Comrade Afroz Alam visited the site and met with protesting farmers. Given below is a brief summary of the main findings of their investigation.)

 

The Yamuna Expressway would be 165 km long, acquiring the fertile lands of Gautam Buddha Nagar, Aligarh, Mathura, Agra and Hatras districts of Western UP and affecting 1192 villages. Jay Prakash (JP) Associates are the builders and developers of this project. Other than the expressway, some 30,000 bighas of land on either side of the Yamuna are being acquired for building townships and commercial ventures. It is this prime land which the Government is acquiring from farmers at throwaway prices and handing over to JP for mega profits that has irked the farmers and brought them out from their farms to the battlefield.

 

Villagers from the six villages - Zikarpur, Kansera, Jehangarh, Udaypur, Tappal and Kripalpur villages of Tappal block in Aligarh district had been sitting on an indefinite fast since 27 July under the banner of Sarva Dal Kisan Sangarsh Samiti, led by Ram Babu Katelia. Their main demands were (1) Increase of land rate from the existing Rs.412/square metre to Rs.870/sq. metre, the rate given to farmers in Noida two years ago, (2) Residential accommodation in the new township to the farmers whose land had been acquired for building the township (3) Residential accommodation to landless labourers of the area who would lose means of livelihood after land acquisition.

 

The Incident: On 14 August, at about 5 pm, a plainclothes Station Officer of Tappal Police Station along with some masked goons of JP reached the dharna site and arrested Ram Babu Katelia. When farmers resisted, they were fired upon by the SO and four people received gunshots. Hearing that their leader had been kidnapped, villagers from the neighbouring villages started gathering at the scene. Meanwhile, a PAC truck reached at the dharna, uprooted the tents and on retaliation from the villagers fired on the unarmed villagers, killing three, including two children. The PAC entered Zikarpur village and mercilessly beat up even women and children. The villagers fired in self-defence and in the ensuing melee one PAC officer was killed. The farmers were in no mood to relent and ultimately the PAC had to flee. Meanwhile some farmers erected blockades on the Aligarh-Palwal road. Next day, on 15 August, thousands reached the dharna to chalk out the next course of action. The neighbouring towns of Tappal, Jattari and Zewar observed total bandh. In adjoining Mathura, farmers blocked the roads. A large part of Western UP was celebrating its own version of Independence.

 

On 16th, a massive Kisan Panchayat was organized at the Dharna. Leaders of all major political parties addressed the Dharna. Comrades Prem Singh Gehlawat and Afroz Alam also reached the spot and addressed the gathered villagers and later visited the homes of the four killed- 13 year olds Mohit, Prashant Sharma and Rafiq (untraceable, presumed dead) and Dharmendra (26).

 

To douse the spreading fire, Mayawati rushed her Cabinet Secretary to Aligarh where Katelia was jailed. Under pressure from the movement, Katelia was unconditionally released, a compensation of 10 Lacs was announced for those killed by the police and the land rate increased from 412 to 570 per square metre.

 

The UP Unit of CPI(ML) observed 23 August as a Black Day in various districts of the State against the corporate land grab and police firing on farmers. The cadres wore black ribbons, held marches and dharnas and organised protest demonstrations apart from sending memorandums to the Governor demanding strict punishment to the guilty policemen, stopping all land acquisition without farmers consent and an immediate halt to the ongoing repression on farmers in Western UP and Aligarh.

 

Protest demonstrations were held at four centres in Mirzapur, Robertsganj in Sonbhadra, Maniyar in Ballia and Ghazipur, while dharnas were held in Sitapur, Lakhimpur Khiri and Pilibhit. The protests also drew attention of the public to the issue of danger to Country's food security due to acquisition of fertile lands and transfer to corporates for non-agricultural business.

 

Orissa CPI(ML) Leader Arrested in Land Struggle

 

Comrade Tirupati Gamango, State Committee member of CPI(ML), was arrested by the Rayagada police when 500 CPI(ML) Liberation activists occupied 24 acres of ceiling surplus land at Banduguda panchayat of Bisam Cuttack block of Rayagada district. Along with Com. Tirupati, Rajendra Hikka was also arrested.

 

The party had been demanding redistribution of ceiling surplus land to local adivasis as per the rules of Orissa's Ceiling Surplus Act but the BJD-led government, while failing to distribute land that is the adivasis' rightful due, instead distributed 6000 acres of land to the MNC Vedanta.

 

On 4 August, as part of an ongoing land rights campaign led by the party, CPI(ML) activists occupied 24 acres of land. Following the arrest of Comrade Tirupati Gamango, a protest demonstration was held at Gunupur sub-collector's office on 9 August, where a delegation of state committee members including Comrades Yudhistira Mahapatra, Ashok Pradhan, and Muralidhar Behera met the sub-collector. A bail hearing for Comrade Tirupati and Comrade Rajendra Hikka is due on 26 August.

 

Recently, reports by official panels indicate how the Orissa Government deliberately colluded in the large-scale violation of laws by POSCO and Vedanta. The same Government, while colluding in corporate crimes and grab of adivasis' and peasants' land, is out to arrest and harass activists who are leading adivasis' struggles for land.

 

Workers' Convention: Onwards to 7th September All India General Strike

 

All India Central Council of Trade Unions (AICCTU) held a Workers' Convention on 12 August 2010 in Constitution Club, New Delhi "Against Corporate Loot, Privatization and Assault on Workers' Rights". The Convention was attended and addressed by leaders of Maharashtra Sarva Shramik Mahasangh, CTU (Punjab) and Left Coordination Committee (LCC), Kerala. Worker activists and leaders from Delhi and neighbouring states like Punjab, U.P. and Uttarakhand participated in the convention.

 

The convention was presided over by Comrades NM Thomas, Hari Singh, RN Thakur and Bhagwant Singh Samao of AICCTU, Bhim Rao Bansode of Maharashtra Sarva Shramik Mahasangh, P Kumanrankutty of LCC, Kerala and Com. Randhawa of CTU (Punjab). The main speaker at the convention was CPI(ML) General Secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya. A resolution supporting the All India Strike was read out by Rajiv Dimri.

 

The General Secretary of AICCTU Swapan Mukherjee welcomed the participants and also delivered the concluding speech. Apart from members of Presidium, the convention was addressed by Vijay Kulkarni of Maharashtra Sarva Shramik Mahasangh; Ram Kishan, Secretary General of All India Health Employees and Workers Confederation; leaders of AICCTU - Babulal (U.P.), Santosh Roy (Delhi), K.K. Bora (Uttarakhand), Satbir Shramik, (MTNL); Ravi Rai, General Secretary of AISA; Kanwaljeet, leader of RYA (Punjab) and others.

 

The convention resolved to give a fitting rebuff to the anti-worker approach of the powers that be and intensify the nation-wide campaign for the success of the all India General Strike on 7 September 2010 called by Central Trade Unions including AICCTU in the backdrop of intensified onslaught on the working class by the UPA Government at the Centre and State Governments of all hues and people's resistance.

 

Mahila Panchayat Issues Open Call to PM, Demands Law against 'Honour' Crimes

 

Women from Delhi and Rajasthan as well as women students from various universities in the Capital held a 'Mahila Panchayat' at Parliament Street to demand that Parliament enact a law against 'honour' crimes.

 

The Panchayat was addressed among others by AIPWA's National Secretary Com. Kavita Krishnan, Sudha Choudhury, AIPWA State President from Rajasthan, another AIPWA activist from Udaipur, Ms.Farhad, spoke about the situation and struggles of Muslim women, Sucheta De, Secretary of AISA JNU Unit, Parnal Chirmuley, Asst. Professor at JNU, historian Dr. Tripta Wahi and Hindi poet Anamika who recited moving poetry on the issue.

 

The Mahila Panchayat collectively issued an open call to the Prime Minister of India that was submitted as a memorandum to the PMO. The open call demanded that the UPA Government – (1) Declare a law against all forms of attacks (be it killings of couples or forced marriages) on individual's freedom to choose a life partner, (2) That the law also cover other instances of 'honour' crimes like imposition of 'dress codes' or attacks on people for lifestyle choices like befriending those from other communities, celebrating Valentine's Day, visiting pubs,  etc.., (3) That the law spell out punishment for police and local authorities that fail to protect couples who have complained of 'honour' threats.

 

 

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