ML UPDATE 20 / 2011

ML Update

A CPI(ML) Weekly News Magazine

Vol. 14, No. 20, 10 – 16 MAY 2011

Osama Is Dead –

But US Imperialism's World Wide War Lives On

 

The US has proclaimed its success in its decade-long hunt for Osama bin Laden, culminating in the killing of Laden by US military operatives in a house in Abbotabad in Pakistan. As the televised triumphalism and images of hyper-nationalist celebrations in the US fade, however, the US' heroic narrative is being subjected to uncomfortable questions.

 

Ironically, Osama's death has come, not in the wake of 9/11 when he was at the peak of his strength, but at a time when Osama and his al-Qaeda were effectively sidelined in an Arab world that is witnessing a democratic awakening and upsurge. This fact too robs the US narrative of some of its sheen.

 

The US itself has put forward conflicting versions of the night-time raid by its military team. The initial US claim of an intense fire-fight has now been discarded, with the US admitting that in fact, only one man opened fire on the US operatives. The claim that Osama himself opened fire too has been withdrawn, and the US has admitted that he was in fact unarmed. Osama's killing is said to have been witnessed by his 12-year-old daughter. Apart from Osama and his son (whose bodies were speedily disposed off in the sea), at least three other men and one woman were killed, while many have been injured.

 

Why was it necessary to kill an unarmed Osama rather than arrest him and bring him to justice? Why has his body been hurriedly disposed off in a way designed to prevent the possibility of any closer scrutiny of the manner and circumstances of his death? The US has yet to answer these questions convincingly. Moreover, an armed attack on a sleeping household including several children, the killing of an unarmed terrorist in the presence of his child, and the killing of other unarmed men and a woman – these are not the stuff of a heroic encounter with a dreaded terrorist.

 

US President Obama has claimed the killing of Laden to be the crowning achievement in the war on terror. Some have even tried to glorify it with comparisons to the end of Hitler and the defeat of fascism. Such inflated claims are quite baseless. The end of Hitler did mark the end of WWII and a world historic defeat and decline of fascism. The killing of Osama, in contrast, spells neither the end of terrorism as a phenomenon nor the end of the US imperialist 'war on terror.'

 

Osama bin Laden and the al-Qaeda are known to be the most dangerous by-products of the anti-Soviet strategy pursued by the US in the 1980s using the popular resentment in Afghanistan and the Islamic world against the Soviet intervention in Afghanistan. Modern-day terrorism is largely a US strategy that has backfired, and this cannot be contained or ended by the end of Osama. Rather, continuing US occupations in Iraq and Afghanistan and wars on Libya are likely to keep spawning more terrorism.

 

The most immediate political effect achieved by the Osama killing is the sharp rise in popularity ratings of Obama, who is soon to face elections. The Osama coup has effectively taken the wind out of the sails of the aggressive Republican/Tea Party campaign that had been gathering momentum in the backdrop of growing unemployment and continuing economic crisis in the US and the huge politico-economic costs of the US misadventure in Iraq and Afghanistan. Now, Obama's claim to have avenged 9/11 may well outweigh the propaganda of his rivals.

 

There are indications that the despotic Saudi rulers, threatened by the Arab uprising and seeking a convergence of Arab ruling interests and those of US imperialism and Obama in particular, helped deliver Osama to the US.

 

Pakistan's military establishment is facing tough questions within its own country about how much it knew and concealed of Osama's hideout, which was a stone's throw away from a military academy. The Raymond Davis episode, Wikileaks revelations of Pakistan's rulers' doublespeak on US drone attacks, and now the Osama episode have created some ferment in Pakistani society about the nexus between the Pakistani ruling class, military establishment, terrorism and US imperialism.

 

The Pakistani rulers and military as well as the US are wary of possible reverberations of the 'Arab spring' in Pakistan. Whether Pakistan will indeed witness some version of an 'Arab spring' remains to be seen, but it must be stressed that only a democratic and anti-imperialist awakening of the people can be an effective answer to both imperialism and terrorism (which, after all, is nothing but an imperialist ploy gone berserk).

 

In India, we are witnessing some hawkish clamour to use the US' Osama operation as a precedent for unilateral action to hunt down the masterminds of 26/11 inside Pakistan. The Indian Army and Air Force Chiefs have indulged in irresponsible statements about India's preparedness for a similar operation against terrorists in Pakistan. Instead of indulging in such misplaced jingoism, India should re-examine its own relationship with the US in the light of the US treatment of Pakistan.

 

The Osama operation, like the Raymond Davis episode, has underscored the sheer contempt the US has for the sovereignty and independence of its so-called allies and partners. All US 'partners' including new members of the club like India should be warned. Terrorism and imperialism pose similar threats to both Pakistan and India. With the increased US presence in South Asia, with its accompanying spiral of terrorism, people of both countries need to recognise the need to come closer to tackle these twin challenges of terrorism and imperialism effectively.

 

OBITUARY

Comrade J Shankaran, former Party Secretary of Karnataka, passes away

 

Comrade  J Shankaran, former Party secretary of Karnataka, breathed his last on 5th May. He was suffering from lung cancer. Comrade J Shankaran leaves behind four decades of dedicated association with the Party. He was the secretary of the Party for two decades, spanning the tumultuous days of Emergency and underground days of the Party. He hailed from the modest background of a migrant Tamil worker in Indian Telephone Industries (ITI). His unwavering commitment to the left movement and working class served as the foundation for the Party which in later years spread its roots in the local culture and politics. Even though Party had only a small group of activists then in Bangalore, he held the party banner high during anti-Emergency actions. During the Public Sector working class struggles in the 1980s, Com. Shankaran played an active role.

 

He felt very happy and inspired when contacts were established in the late 1970s with the Party centre under the leadership of Comrade Vinod Mishra and distributed more than 100 copies of booklets on Bhojpur struggle and a collection of articles of Charu Mazumdar among the workers and progressive activists in Bangalore in 1977. In 1978, under extraordinary organizational circumstances, Shankaran and a few workers stood with the Party firmly, upholding Comrade CM's exhortation to build the Party among workers and landless peasants and to keep it alive amidst enemy repression and organizational disturbances. In spite of his ailing physical conditions, he displayed an exemplary communist spirit till the end. He was very happy to see the Party's recent growth in Karnataka, especially the first major political march organized under Party banner on March 14 this year demanding resignation of the corrupt BJP government in the state.

 

Comrade Shankaran played an important role as a popular worker organizer during the public sector workers' struggle in Bangalore during the early 1980s, especially against the goondaism sponsored by the then Congress CM Gundu Rao. After the July 1983 massacre of Tamils in Sri Lanka, Shankaran emerged as a key organiser for the Tamil cause in Bangalore. He used to organize Tamil literary meetings almost every month. Invoking the rich cultural and literary heritage of Tamils, he gave migrant Tamil workers in the burgeoning metropolis of Bangalore an identity based on progressive left ideals and values. He also spent a good part of his earnings to help the education of many poor slum children, especially from Kannadiga background, striving constantly for the class unity of all sections of the poor and working class.

 

Before joining Indian Telephone Industries, even while working as a day-labourer and earning meagre wages to support his family as the main breadwinner, he used to spend whatever little money he could save to buy books on classic Sangham literature and Marxist classics. His collection of books eventually grew into the People's Library which in turn became a major centre for Marxist-Leninist activists and sympathizers in Bangalore.

 

His warm ties with the people extended beyond Party circles. He was always known for his affection, kindness and cordial nature. He gave everything to the Party and the needy people and has set an example for working class comrades to follow. Com. Shankaran will always be remembered as a leading architect and torch-bearer of the Party and working class movement in Karnataka.

 

Red salute, Comrade J Shankar!

Condolence Meeting at Bangalore

 

Spontaneous participation of workers, party and Tamil activists in the funeral of Comrade J Shankaran who departed from us in the early hours of 5 May 2011 in Bangalore was really moving for bystanders. The condolence meeting at the place of funeral of Com. J Shankaran, in itself was an indication of the goodwill and respect that he enjoyed among the people and the activists. All activists who addressed the condolence meeting recalled fond memories of their association with the departed Comrade and the famous 'People's library' that played a key role in spreading Left ideas in the period of repression on ML movement and on Tamil movements. One Comrade recalled how the People's Library was the centre in shaping up his own revolutionary and progressive ideas in his youth. Another Comrade recalled the publication of progressive books in that period. Com. Ismail, Bellary District Secretary of AITUC said the ideals of comrade J Shankaran should be taken forward. Comrade Rajan of Karnataka Tamil People's Movement said that demise of Com. Shankaran is a great loss. Com. Marudhu, the poet fondly recalled the ever-smiling and humane nature of a revolutionary comrade. Iraiyadiyaan, another poet and a close associate circulated copies of poems of Com. Shankaran from his earlier period.

 

Comrade V. Shankar, CPI(ML)'s Central Committee member said that this is not the time to be upset and frustrated but to learn from the model of a working class comrade whose love towards Tamil language and people transformed him into a Marxist–Leninist and a revolutionary. He also said that Comrade Shankaran was one among very few who are capable of writing the history of Marxist–Leninist movement in general and CPI(ML) (Liberation) in particular. He also recalled that the library was not only a place to read books but also a centre for revolutionary Left and progressive forces in Karnataka.

 

Comrade Selvaraj from ITI Employees' Union, Rajan from Karnataka Tamil Makkal Iyakkam, Celene of Vimochana, Prabhakar, a civil rights activist, close friends Manivannan, Karthiyayini and Alphonse also addressed the gathering along with AICCTU Bangalore district leaders Somu, Manju, Gaddappa, Ashok and comrades Arumugam and Baskar. The condolence meeting was conducted by Com. VK Sekar, former State Secretary of the Party.

 

Shahid Darash Ram Sahu's 21st Martyrdom Day in Chhattisgarh

 

On 6 May, Shahid Darash Ram Sahu's 21st martyrdom day was observed by CPI(ML)'s Bilaspur unit. The Sankalp Sabha was organised at Lalkhadan Darash Ram Sahu Bhawan. Comrade Raja Ram, CCM, hoisted the red flag followed by garlanding on Martyr's photo.

 

Comrade Darash Ram Sahu was a popular leader of workers, CPI(ML) leader in Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh and was also a sarpunch. He was killed by land mafias. Other leaders present at the martyrdom day celebrations were Comrades Sushila Bai, Lalan Ram, Bhagat Pal, Uma Pal and Majnu Nishad.

 

CPI(ML) Observes Black Day in UP against Police Firing on Farmers in Gr. Noida

 

CPI(ML) observed balck day throughout the state of Uttar Pradesh on 9th May to protest the police crackdown on farmers' agitation. The Party stated that the incident took place because of dictatorial behaviour of Mayawati Govt on the sensitive issue of land acquisition. This Govt has no right to stay in power after this incident of firing in which 3 farmers and 2 policemen were killed, for which Mayawati Govt. is wholly responsible.

 

The Party has said that Mayawati Govt. has always been insensitive on the issue of land acquisition. This Govt. has been forcefully acquiring fertile land of farmers at throw away prices and without making proper alternate arrangements for their rehabilitation, while handing over the land to capitalists. The farmers of Bhatta Parsaul had been on dharna for last four months asking for better compensation, but the Govt remained deaf to their plight.

 

CPI(ML) has strongly condemned the attack on farmers' dharna, use of force and burning of their fields and properties by the policemen. Many peasants are still missing and Govt. should immediately declare about their whereabouts and conditions.

 

Observing the black day, CPI(ML) members throughout the state wore black bands, held protest meetings at district HQs and handed over memorandum meant for the Governor to district administration. Party has also demanded high level judicial enquiry of the incident of 7 May attack on Bhatta Parsol. Black day programmes were held at Ballia, Lakhimpur Khiri's Palia block, Ghazipur, Jamania, Saidpur, Mirzapur, Jamalpur, Sonbhadra, Jalaun, Lucknow and Muradabad among many other blocks and districts.

 

Some More Reports of May Day Celebration

(In the last issue of ML Update, we published May Day reports of various states. Below is the remainder report of May Day celebrations)

 

March in Aurangabad on the Occasion of May Day and Maharashtra Din: Men and women workers went on a march through Aurangabad, on 1 May, labour day and the anniversary of the Sanyukta Maharashtra movement. The march, which started at 6 pm from Paithan Gate, went through Gulmandi, City Chowk, Sarraffa, Gomatesh Market, to return to Paithan Chowk. Around 200 industrial workers, both men and women, participated in the march. Slogans about workers' unity and about workers' demands, as well as political slogans were raised during this march. An open meeting was held at the end of the march. During the meeting, on behalf of the Joint Committee of the Kamgar Karmachari Sanghatan, Com. Praveen Wagh, addressed the participants, along with Comrades KN Thigale, Bhawalkar, Buddhinath Baral and Bhimrao Bansode.

 

Uttarakhand: May Day programmes were organised at Nainital, Pithoragarh, Ramnagar, Rudrapur in Kumaon region and Srinagar in Garhwal. The programmes at all the places save Rudrapur were jointly organised with other TUs. The rally at Nainital was one of the biggest in its history and employees rally were held at Ramnagar and Srinagar. Comrade Raja Bahuguna attended the Nainital as well as Rudrapur programmes on the same day.

 

Karnataka: Hundreds of workers marched on the streets of Gangavati on 8 May 2011 as a part of May Day celebrations of AICCTU in Karnataka. The rally that marched through main roads of Gangavati town culminated in a public meeting at Gandhi Chowk. The rally was held in the backdrop of successful struggles of rice mill workers in contrast to the opportunism and collaborationism of social democratic trade unions. Various sections of unorganized workers including auto mechanics, construction labourers and tractor drivers participated in the rally.

 

Comrade Ayyappa Hugar of CPI(ML) (Red Flag), Vittappa of Koppal Bachao Andolan, Basavaraj Soolebhavi of Ladai Publications addressed the gathering along with E.Ramappa, state secretary of the party, C.Javaraiah, state secretary of AICCTU and J Bharadwaj, district secretary of the party, who played an active role in organizing the successful rally.

 

AIKM Holds Kisan Diwas in Kurukshetra

 

Coinciding with the 154th anniversary of 1857's freedom struggle and great peasant uprising, the All India Kisan Mahasabha held a Kisan Diwas on 10th May at Kurukshetra in Haryana. The programme that went on for two hours was addressed by Comrade Prem Singh Gehlawat. The meeting raised and discussed various issues- especially corruption, price rise and state repression.

 

Dharna in front of Mumbai Municipal Council

 

A day long dharna was organised by Municipal Kamgar Karmachari Purogami Union on 5 May at Azad Maidan in front of Mumbai Mahanagar Palika to press for housing units for safai karmacharis (sanitation workers). Sanitaion orkers from various other unions were also present at the dharna in large numbers.

 

"Young India against Corruption - Young India for Democracy"

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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 19/2011

ML Update

A CPI(ML) Weekly News Magazine

Vol. 14, No. 19, 03 – 09 MAY 2011

Draft Manufacturing Policy:

Fresh Assault on Workers' Rights

Workers all over the country observed May Day this year to salute the legacy of the Haymarket martyrs and other workers' heroes who wrested rights for workers with their struggles and sacrifices. These hard-won rights and labour laws to rein in exploitative employers are today facing attack after attack by neoliberal governments in India.

 

In early May, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is to chair a meeting of key Ministers to pave way for the Draft National Manufacturing Policy, which plans to introduce the latest and more expanded avatar of SEZs – NMIZs (National Manufacturing Investment Zones). This meeting is said to have the objective of smoothing over the reservations of the Ministries of Labour and Environment to the NMIZs proposal.

 

SEZs, touted as a panacea for development, have already become notorious for land grab and exploitative work conditions. Increasingly SEZs have been facing trouble in land acquisition due to spiralling protests by peasants against land grab. Now, NMIZs are being proposed as the new mantra for development.

 

As far as land grab and violation of environment and forest laws is concerned, as well as exploitation of labour laws, NMIZs are nothing but a proposed extension of SEZs, albeit in a new packaging. NMIZs are being pitched as a measure to increase the share of manufacturing in GDP and the manufacturing sector's share in employment. As of now, agriculture in India contributes increasingly less to the GDP even as its share in employment remains disproportionately high. The UPA Government is packaging NMIZs as the answer to agrarian crisis and massive unemployment. But in the name of creating a 'conducive policy environment' for manufacturing, the aim is to strip workers of their rights, not just in isolated SEZ enclaves, but in mainstream industrial clusters across India.

 

The Draft National Manufacturing Policy proposes that NMIZs will enjoy a similar package of sops and incentives as SEZs – including land, infrastructure, water, power etc provided by the government as well as various tax waivers. Like SEZs, each NMIZ will be administered exclusively by a governing body called a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) comprising CEOs and company representatives. The procedures for acquiring environmental and other clearances are to be 'simplified' and speeded up. And above all, labour laws are to be "made more flexible."

 

The Draft Manufacturing Policy proposes that manufacturing units within NMIZs be given the "flexibility to downsize" (a euphemism for hire-and-fire); exemption from the Contract Labour Abolition Act (i.e. freedom to indulge in labour practices which are deemed exploitative by the law of the land); freedom to extend temporary status of employees; to extend the number of hours per shift; and curtailment of the workers' right to unionize.

 

It should be noted that rampant violation of labour laws prevails as the norm in manufacturing units as it is. The automobile industry, to take just one instance, is known to be dependent upon a disproportionately high percentage of contract workers. Even in the public sector, illegal employment of contract labour is on the rise. The right to unionise is routinely denied and suppressed in most factories. Now, in the name of NMIZs, these violations of labour laws are sought to be cloaked in the sanctity of law.

 

The Draft Manufacturing Policy adds that "Wherever application of labour welfare legislation is suspended or diluted, an alternative safety net will be put in place to take care of the interest of labour by the SPV." When existing labour laws are 'suspended or diluted,' what kind of 'alternative safety net' can workers expect from the SPV that comprises of the employers themselves?

 

The Draft Manufacturing Policy also proposes that the 'exit policy' for 'sick industries' be facilitated by relaxing the obligations to pay dues and compensation to workers before closing down sick units. This, according to the Policy, would "ease the pressure on the manufacturing entity considerably." Instead it proposes a 'job loss insurance policy' in place of the workers' legally mandated rights.

 

With the NMIZs, the UPA Government seems to be aiming to kill two birds with one stone: to create a new cover for the SEZs (which have become a political liability) and corporate grab of land and resources; and to achieve dilution of labour laws, something the corporate representatives have insistently demanded for long. 'Development' cannot be counter-posed to democracy – be it peasants' democratic right to land and survival or workers' rights which are the bulwark of industrial democracy. This May, let the working class resolve to join hands with the peasants to resist this double-edged threat to the land and livelihood of peasants and to the hard-won rights of workers.

 

May Day 2011

Working Class Marches against Corporate Plunder, Corruption & Violation of Labour Laws

 

The workers on this May Day demanded anti-worker recommendations of the Expert Committee on Provident Fund pension to be rejected; opposed the proposed anti-worker amendments in various labour welfare laws; demanded punishment to the industrialists who violate the norm of eight hour work-day; scrapping of contract system in toto instead of the eye wash action of banning contract labour in select industries, etc.

 

Bengaluru (Karnataka): All India Central Council of Trade Unions (AICCTU) organized an impressive rally of workers on May Day that marched through the streets surrounding Information Technology Park, one of the centres of global capital in Bangalore. Last May Day was organized in Electronic City that is another major centre of IT industries. Workers of readymix concrete plants from four corners of Bangalore joined the rally after hoisting flag in their respective plants. The workers raised slogans that reverberated all through the centre of global capital. The rally also demanded resignation of Yeddyurappa-led BJP government in the state of Karnataka that is pro-corporate and pro-transnational corporations. The rally accused the BJP government of fomenting communalism and for promoting illegal mining despite tall talks of ban on exports.

 

Assam: AICCTU and its affiliated organizations observed May Day at different places in Assam. Different central TUs including AICCTU jointly organized a massive protest meeting and a procession in Guwahati city. In the morning AICCTU affiliated trade union (among unorganized and contractual workers) United Workmen Union of Guwahati Refinery brought out a procession and held a seminar on 'Role of working class and mass organization in national building process'. In Tinsukia district, a tea workers' mobilization was organized in Panitola Tea Estate under the banner of Asom Sangrami Chah Sramik Sangha (ASCSS).

 

May Day programmes were also held at Tinsukia town (jointly by TUs led by AICCTU), Dibrugarh (Tingkhong and Lahowal TE), Jorhat (Hindubari TE of Teok), Bihali of Sonitpur district (Bargang centre by ASCSS and AIALA), Naugaun district (by AIALA, Construction Workers Union and AIPWA at Dolong Ghat block and Khagarijan block), Barpeta (Sonkuchi colony, under the banner of Gramin Sramik Sangha and CPI(ML)). In Diphu, Karbi Anglong, May Day was observed jointly by 11 trade union organisations including AICCTU at Diphu Indoor Stadium. More than 600 workers took out a procession in the main streets of Diphu town.

 

Tamilnadu: At Redhills near Chennai 1000 strong rally of workers of AICCTU & AIALA was held which culminated in a public meeting. Workers of Chennai, Tiruvellore and Kanjipuram participated in a well decorated rally in red uniforms. Com. S Kumarasamy, National President of AICCTU was the main speaker.

 

In Namakkal district, Flag hoisting programmes were held at 17 centres. In Salem, AICCTU flags were hoisted at 4 places. Cadre meetings held at 2 places attended by construction workers. In Tirunelveli, rally attended mostly by women beedi workers, at Dindigul, CPI(ML) and AICCTU jointly organized Mayday programmes with Flag hoisting at six places.

 

In Tiruchi, Defence Contract Labour Union of Ordinance Factory hoisted their Flag at Factory gate. CPI(ML)'s Flag hoisted at Ilanthapaati, a neighbouring village. In Pudukottai, team of AIALA members campaigned in three blocks and hoisted CPI(ML) flag at 6 places. In Tanjore, Construction Labour Union hoisted flags at 3 places. In Coimbatore, an impressive public meeting was organized in Perianayakkan Palayam near Pricol factory. In Kanyakumari, Flag hoisting took place at 10 centres. In Karur, there was a poster campaign and comrades discussed party programme in a branch meeting.

 

Punjab: Many rallies were organized by AICCTU Punjab to mark the International Labour Day. Massive rallies were organized at Mansa, Jhunir, Budhlada, Tapa, Rampura and Talwandi apart from various village grain markets. These rallies were largely attended by the brick kiln workers under the banner of Lal Jhanda Bhatha Mazdoor Union (AICCTU) and Majdoor Mukti Morcha. The Chandigarh unit of AICCTU organized a rally in Sec.17. The flag was hoisted jointly by presidents of all the affiliated unions of AICCTU. The rally was attended by contract workers of PGI, GMCH 32, GMSH 16, TBRL, PEC, ISBT-43 in large number. People's Theater staged a play and sang many revolutionary songs on this occasion conducted by Sameul Johns.

 

Chhattisgarh: May Day was observed by the AICCTU by taking out a rally from Ghadi Chowk, Supela and a public meeting thereafter. The meeting was addressed by AICCTU General Secretary Swapan Mukherjee among others. CWC member of CPI(ML) Rajaram and Politburo member DP Buxi were present at the rally.

 

May Day was observed by the workers of Kolvasari, Welcome Distillery, Rayalseema Concrete Sleepers and the workers from Raipur, Bhilai and Rajnandgaon associated with Chhattisgarh Mukti Morcha, who assembled at Navadih Chowk, Seepat. From here a rally was taken out under the leadership of CMM President and AICCTU Vice-President Comrade Bhimrao Bagde. After passing through Tahsil office, Police Thana Chowk and Bus Stand, a meeting was organized in front of the Sanskritik Bhavan on Seepat main road. Revolutionary songs were presented.

 

Chhattisgarh Workers' Cadre Conference: CPI(ML) Liberation organized a workers' cadre conference on 1 and 2 May at Kurmi Bhavan, Radhika Nagar, Bhilai. The conference began by paying tributes to Bastar District secretary Gopaldhar Yadav, who passed away recently. Preparations for the AICCTU National Conference and the state of the workers' movement in Chhattisgarh were discussed. The conference was addressed by Party Politburo member DP Buxi and AICCTU General Secretary Swapan Mukherjee among others. The Conference resolved to conduct an intensive drive among the workers of Chhattisgarh, especially Bhilai.

 

Rajasthan: May Day was celebrated in three districts of Rajasthan. In Jaipur District the newly-formed South Jaipur Industrial Area Mazdoor Union which recently got affiliated with AICCTU, took out a rally in the Sanganer area under the leadership of Com. Anand Dheva. This area has 200-300 industrial units mainly involved in paper-making, textile printing, garment manufacture and exports. This was the first time that workers and unit owners in this area had witnessed a workers' rally with red flags, slogans and speeches. The main speaker was Rajasthan AICCTU-in-charge, Com. Srilata who emphasised the importance of Mazdoor Divas, problems of unorganised workers and the need to form a strong workers' union. The rally culminated at the gates of Rainbow Paper Factory where a worker had completely lost his right arm when it was crushed by a machine and he had not received any compensation. This gate meeting demanded that he be compensated at once. On the evening of May Day a joint press conference was held in Jaipur at the AICCTU office addressed among others by Com. Srilata.

 

In Udaipur District two meetings were held, one in Tehsil headquarters of Salumbar and the other in Udaipur city. Two meetings were also held in Jhunjhunu District. The first was held in the district headquarters and party cadre met in the party office.

 

Uttar Pradesh: At Allahabad, hundreds of workers of Iffco Contract Workers' Union (afficilated to AICCTU) marched 4 km in the form of a rally from their factory gate to Babuganj Bazaar on the eve of May Day with red flags, slogan placards and banners in their hands. Peasants and other workers too joined in at different places on the way. The meeting at the end of the rally remembered the immortal and unforgettable martyrs of Chicago 1886.

 

On May Day, Iffco CWU, Allahabad Medical Workers' Union, sanitaion workers of Municipal Council and hundreds of other workers marched to Suhash Chauraha where a meeting was organised by May Day Celebration Committee. AICCTU was represented by Dr. Kamal. Programmes were also organised in Kanpur where flag was hoisted by AICCTU at Vijaynagar Gun Factory.

 

Bihar: May Day programmes were organised under AICCTU banner at Gaya, Bhagalpur, Patna, Nalanda, Bhojpur, Jahanabad, Darbhanga and Vaishali. At most places rally was taken out that transformed into public meeting at the end of march. At Darbhanga, seminar was held at Party office after Flag hoisting. Flag was hoited at all the centres. In Patna, joint rally was organised in the evening organised by Central TUs.

 

Uttarakhand: AICCTU organised seminar in Pithoragarh dist on May Day.

 

Jharkhand: May Day programmes were centred on the protest against eviction of poor in the name of removing encroachment apart from national issues. On 2nd May, the bandh called in Coal Belt and Jharkhand against the evictions was a complete success. Prabhat Pheri (dawn time parade) was held at Steel Plant Colony in Bokaro and Flag was hoisted at Balidih office. Dharna was held at Jainamod Bus Stand and workers' meeting was held in the evening at BSSL colony. Flag hoisting and pledge meetings were held at Dhanbad's various centres of our work participated by coal workers in large numbers and rally was held at Bermo's Kurpania village and Chandan Kiari. A big meeting of thousand workers by the name "People's movement and rights' day" was held at Bagodar organised by AICCTU affiliated unions.

 

Meeting was held at Koderma, Jamshedpur and Chakradharpur, torchlight procession at Ranchi and May Day programmes at Jarmundi in Dumka. Programmes were organised in Ramgarh dist that included Flag hoisting at CCL area, Argadda, Topa, Ara and Kedla, Ramgarh town and at Party office. May Day was observed at Soso and Orla rural areas.

 

Haryana: May day call was given at Sonipat Industrial area.

 

Gujarat: Big May Day rally comprising 500 workers marched 5 km at Ahmedabad in scorching sun, led by Ranjan Ganguly and Prabhat Chaudhary.

 

Delhi: A huge rickshaw rally was held at Noida that started from Sec10 located Party office. Rickshaw pullers, factory workers and students from Delhi holding red flags jointly marched and celebrated May Day here. At Wazirpur Industrial Area, a militant march was taken out by the workers and joined in by students in the morning, street-corner meeting was held in East Delhi's Mandawli locality where building workers participated.

 

Orissa: May Day was observed in Bhubaneswar, Rayagada , Kendarpara and Puri. At Nagbhusan Bhaban in Bhubaneswar members of various AICCTU affiliated unions participated and joined in the Flag hoisting ceremony. Later, a public meeting was held. Flag was hoisted at Rourkella participated by workers from various unions. At Puri, hundreds of construction workers participated in a public meeting. At Rayagada, motor workers union, construction workers and agricultural workers participated and initiated movement for Rs.400/day as minimum wage and in Kendrapara Aganwadi workers, Asha workers, transport workers union and Rickshaw workers union participated.

 

Sri Lanka's War Criminals Must Be Punished

 

The Sri Lankan Tamils, subjected to a genocide in the name of eliminating LTTE, and intimidated by the arrogant triumphalism of the Sri Lankan state following the military 'victory,' had till now looked in vain for UN intervention. For long, the UN as well as most other nations including the Indian Government remained reluctant to challenge the Sri Lankan Government's claims of having begun a process of achieving justice, peace, and equality. But a recent report by a UN panel of experts has finally exploded that myth, and found the Sri Lankan Government guilty of war crimes and human rights violations.

 

Last year, quite belatedly, the UN Secretary General appointed a panel of experts to look into the situation in Sri Lanka. This United Nations Secretary General's Panel of Experts on Accountability in Sri Lanka has recently submitted its report, finding the Sri Lankan Government guilty of war crimes in the final stages of the war with the LTTE and serious rights violations and abuses in the post-war situation.

 

The Report has found allegations of war crimes to be "credible" and held the Sri Lankan Government and military to be responsible for rights violations amounting to "war crimes and crimes against humanity." The Report has said that it found a "very different version of the final stages of the war" to that peddled by the SL Government.

 

Whereas the Government claimed to have conducted a "humanitarian rescue operation" with "zero civilian casualties," the UN Report found that between Sept 2008-May 2009, 330,000 people trapped in the Vanni area of Sri Lanka were subjected to widespread shelling causing civilian deaths. Also media was intimidated and silenced and prevented from reporting accurately on the situation in the conflict zones. The UN Report notes that the Sri Lankan Government resorted to shelling in areas where it had encouraged civilians to concentrate and even conducted shelling on food lines and near Red Cross ships coming to pick up the wounded and survivors. There was "systematic" and repeated "shelling of hospitals" and people in the conflict zone were "systematically" deprived of humanitarian aid, food, and medicine. According to the Report, tens of thousands of civilians died during the final stages of the war, mainly due to military shelling.

 

According to the Report, after the survivors left the conflict zones, they were subjected to further deprivation and abuses. Supposed LTTE elements were identified through a process that lacked transparency, and many of them were summarily executed. There were many cases of torture, rape and 'disappearances' of tens of thousands. Overcrowding and terrible humanitarian conditions in the camps led to needless loss of lives.

 

The Report also found the LTTE responsible for war crimes such as using civilians as hostages or strategic buffer, subjecting civilians to forced recruitment and forced labour, and shooting of civilians seeking to escape. But the Report's main focus is on the culpability of the Government and the military.

 

Reviewing the process of establishing 'accountability' initiated by the SL Government, the UN Report has noted that this process is biased because it only covers the allegations against LTTE and against former Government's policies which failed to protect people from terrorism. There is absolutely no serious examination of the Government's own conduct during and after the war. The SL Government has formed a 'Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Council,' but the UN Report has pointed out that this Council is far from being independent and impartial, and fails to meet the international standards of an effective accountability mechanism, since it is unwilling to examine the root causes of the decades-long Sinhala-Tamil conflict or establish the truth about allegations of rights violations during the final stages of war.

 

The UN Report has observed that an environment conducive to true accountability would require a "candid appraisal" of the past, including the root causes of the ethnic conflict, and a "fundamental shift away from triumphalism and denial towards a genuine commitment to a political solution that recognizes SL's ethnic diversity and the full and inclusive citizenship of all its people."

 

The UN Report also admits that the UN system and institutions failed to save civilian lives even though they were aware of large-scale civilian casualties.

 

The Report has made recommendations that the SL Government initiate investigations into allegations of war crimes, in the light of UN Panel's report which has found credible evidence for such allegations. It has also recommended an independent international mechanism to monitor the SL Govt's accountability and investigation process.

 

The Report recommends that the SL Government take steps to immediately stop the ongoing violence and discrimination, and restore dignity and rights to the survivors; investigate and disclose fate of disappeared persons; repeal Emergency regulations and modify all those provisions of the Prevention of Terrorism Act that conflict with international obligations and take measures to end the "climate of fear." It also recommends that the SL Government should initiate a process with strong civil society participation to critically examine the root causes of conflict and pattern of violations during the war. Significantly, it also recommends that the Government should issue a public, formal acknowledgement of its role and responsibility for extensive civilian casualties in the final stages of the war, and make serious reparations in keeping with international standards to all victims of violations, especially women, children and vulnerable groups.

 

The Report also recommends that the UN Human Rights Council review its seriously flawed May 2009 Special Session resolution on Sri Lanka, in light of the findings of the UN Panel. That resolution had shamefully praised the SL Government and had failed even to express concern for the thousands of civilians who faced indefinite detention. It should be noted that India was among the countries which led the efforts to actively block the attempts to pass a stronger resolution holding the SL Government accountable to human rights. The Report further recommends that the Secretary General should initiate a comprehensive review of the role of the UN system during and after the conflict.

 

After the UN Panel's Report, there is no longer any excuse to delay the task of bringing the war criminals in the Sri Lankan Government and military to justice. President Rajapakse and his government must be prosecuted for war crimes and crimes against humanity.

 

The Indian Government (led by Congress with DMK as coalition partner) is shamefully complicit in the crimes committed against the Tamils in Sri Lanka. The Indian Government must break its diplomatic silence on the findings of the UN Report, and must actively intervene to pursue international processes to prosecute the Sri Lankan Government for war crimes.

 

A lasting political solution and peace in Sri Lanka can only be built on a foundation of truth and justice. An impartial investigation must be conducted, perpetrators of war crimes must face stern punishment, and the rights and dignity of Tamils in today's Sri Lanka safeguarded.

 

CPI(ML) Protests against SL's War Crimes

 

CPIML held a protest demonstration against Rajapakse Govt on 3rd May at Tanjore. Large number of Party and mass organisation members participated in this state level demonstration. Apart from condemning and demanding trial of war criminals including Rajapakse the protest also strongly condemned the Conress-DMK led UPA Govt for its stoic silence over the UN report.

 

Solidarity Protest for Jaitapur

 

A solidarity protest march in Kolkata, supporting the people's movement at Jaitapur in Maharashtra, was organized by the All India students' Association (AISA), on 29th April. The protesters demanded that no new Nuke plant should come up in the country be it in Jaitapur in Maharastra or in Haripur in West Bengal. The protesters shouted slogan's demanding to know why Mamta Banerjee is silent on the forceful land grab in Jaitapur. Colourful banners adorned the rally.

 

Mayawati Govt's Order Protested

 

The Mayawati Govt in Uttar Pradesh passed an order on 27 April to curb protests and demonstrations thereby creating an emergency like situation in the State. The CPI(ML) burnt the copies of the order, demanded it be repealed immediately and protested against withholding permission for Anna Hazare's programme in UP. The CPI(ML) State Secretary also said that the Ambedkarite mask of BSP is also wearing out. Dr. Ambedkar's work in constitution writing ensured some fundamental rights to the people including the freedom of expression, assembly, dharna etc., which the Mayawati Govt is now bent on eroding. The CPI(ML) will continue its protest against this move to bulldoze democracy.

 

Edited, published and printed by S. Bhattacharya for CPI(ML) Liberation from U-90, Shakarpur, Delhi-92; printed at Bol Publication, R-18/2, Ramesh Park, Laxmi Nagar, Delhi-92; Phone:22521067; fax: 22442790, e-mail: mlupdate@cpiml.org, website: www.cpiml.org

ML UPDATE 18 / 2011

ML Update

A CPI(ML) Weekly News Magazine

Vol. 14, No. 18, 26 APRIL – 02 MAY 2011

West Bengal Poll Campaign:

CPI(M)'s Shameful Recourse to Patriarchal Abuse

In the ongoing Assembly polls in W Bengal, the survival of CPI(M)'s more than three decades old rule is at stake. Faced with a formidable challenge by the TMC led by a woman leader, the CPI(M)'s political discourse took a shockingly patriarchal and abusive turn.

 

A senior leader of CPI(M), Anil Basu, in the crudest possible attempt at sexualised humiliation, compared Mamata Banerjee to sex workers and suggested that the US was her 'client.' Why is it that when an opponent is a woman, the CPI(M) is unable to keep its discourse political and is instead reduced to age-old feudal-patriarchal abuses?

 

Subsequently, the CPI(M) issued a condemnation and debarred Basu from further campaigning, and Basu himself issued an apology. The apology, however, is merely for what he calls 'careless comment,' not for patriarchal abuse. Videotapes of Basu's speech make it clear that his remarks were no mere slip of the tongue. Nor was it a matter of a single objectionable word. In his speech, Basu repeatedly and elaborately invoked the patriarchal metaphor of sex work, accompanied by crude gestures. The whole episode reveals his deep-seated patriarchal mindset and cannot be explained away as a 'careless comment.' His 'apology' only reflects a realisation of the political cost of his remark, rather than any serious realisation or regret for his anti-woman ideas.

 

Meanwhile the CPI(M) and CPI leaders have tried to argue that while Basu's remarks are indefensible, the media is not adequately covering the foul language and personalised attacks used by TMC leaders. In the West Bengal elections this time, Mamata and her campaigners too are indeed indulging in foul and intemperate language on many occasions. But this fact cannot be used to trivialise the far more serious question of patriarchal insult aimed at humiliating a woman leader. Nothing short of swift and strong punitive action by the CPI(M) party and West Bengal authorities against Basu can be accepted by democratic opinion.

 

Basu's patriarchal abuse occurred in the context of the CPI(M)'s attacks on Mamata's use of a helicopter for campaigns, and their allegations of her dubious sources of funding. One wonders why the CPI(M)'s campaign remains so obsessed with Mamata Banerjee as an individual? From the early accusations of her fake degree to the latest attacks on her election funding and her helicopter, Mamata has emerged stronger from every such personal attack by the CPI(M). Such personalised attacks only end up underlining the weakness, defensiveness and bankruptcy of the CPI(M)'s political plank.

 

The CPI(M) has made much of the Wikileaks cable referring to Mamata Banerjee. The cable reads as an assessment by the US of Mamata's electoral chances and her political persona, and ends with the hope that the TMC's "public rhetoric, devoid of any anti-Americanism" as well as private outreach to US officers will mean that a TMC-led Government may be more friendly to the US. It contains no revelation of an admissions or statements by Mamata herself.

 

In contrast, the Wikileaks cable referring to the meeting of US Treasury Secretary Paulson with CPI(M)'s West Bengal CM is far more disturbing. That cable quotes Buddhadeb as assuring US representatives that communist parties are changing in times of globalization; that the need for economic liberalization must be realised, and that Communists must "reform or perish." While Buddhadeb has often expressed such views in interviews and speeches at corporate events, it is certainly a serious matter when he shares these views with the foremost perpetrator of imperialist globalization – the US. What is worse, Buddhadeb is quoted as offering his personal services in helping to clear hurdles for Dow's investment in India and West Bengal, because he "wanted Dow Chemical to invest in West Bengal and the state's proposed chemical hub" and "did not understand why Dow should be saddled with Union Carbide's liabilities from the Bhopal accident." Even more serious is the cable's reference to the Treasury Secretary's private, secret meeting with Buddhadeb to discuss the Nuke Deal. The cable does not reveal the content of that private conversation. But the question does arise – why did a CPI(M) leader oblige the US Treasury Secretary with a private, hush-hush conversation on the Nuke Deal?

 

The CPI(M) is suffering a serious electoral erosion and setback since its policies of corporate land grab and severe repression at Singur, Nandigram and Lalgarh. The CPI(M) initially brazenly defended those policies, but after the electoral setback in the Parliamentary the party attempted to stem the decline with promises of rectification and course-correction. The content and character of their election campaign, however, only shows that they are in no mood to gracefully accept whatever the people's verdict is on their mistakes. Instead, their violent and arrogant response is further discrediting and disgracing them.

 

Meanwhile Mamata, in her campaign for prominent corporate representative Amit Mitra, has hinted that he would be her choice for industry or finance minister, with the role of attracting investment to the state. At the same time, she has branded the leader of the Lalgarh anti-repression struggle, Chhatradhar Mahato, as a CPI(M) agent because he is contesting elections as an independent. The CPI(ML) has declared its support for Chhatradhar Mahato as a gesture of solidarity with the Lalgarh people's struggle against police atrocities. Even before attaining power, Mamata has begun jettisoning her pro-peasant, pro-people, anti-repression posturing, to betray people's struggles and pander to corporate interests.

 

CPI(ML)'s 42nd Foundation Day

Lenin's 141st Birth Anniversary

The Party celebrated and observed its 42nd Foundation Day on 22 April across the Country. Diverse political programmes were organised to commemorate the Foundation Day and the anniversary of one of the greatest emancipator of the proletariat and revolutionary of all times- Vladimir Lenin. The CPI(ML) and all its committees and members rededicated themselves on this day to the cause of democratic revolution and socialism in India.

 

Party's AP State Conference

 

Andhra Pradesh Party State Conference was held at Kakinada, east Godavari, on 22-23 April. Followed by flag-hoisting, homage to martyrs, pledges to uphold the Party Foundation-Day call, and colourful and rousing revolutionary cultural performances, the Conference was inaugurated by Politburo member comrade DP Bakshi. Briefing the present day international, national and Andhra situation, comrade Bakshi called upon the delegates to make full use of the situation for speedy and greater advances and focus on the great potential of the anti-corruption movement today. The work report and the deliberations centred on intensifying struggle further against corporate plunder of national resources coupled with large scale evictions; farmers' suicide, starvation, migration as a fallout of imposed agrarian crisis; MFI driven suicides of poor womenfolk while continuing movement on the issues of land, food security, MNREGA, housing, health, education, etc.

 

The central observer and other speakers pointed to the fact that corruption has engulfed all walks of our life and naturally the struggle against corruption of the day is not something isolated, it is integrally linked with the ongoing struggle against 'globalisation-liberalization-privatization' and its disastrous effects on our national economy and all walks of public life– price hike, unemployment, agrarian crisis, MNREGA, food security, health, housing, education, et al.

 

There are no dearth of tall talks and claims, but a cursory look into the current budget, the speakers added, is enough to see the corporate face of our government. Budget allocations on MNREGA, food security, health, Indira Awas, education amounts to 1,88,386 crore only, while, for the corporates who are given an open hand to plunder our national resources and national wealth the budget provides tax subsidy of 86,000 crore(!); from 2005-2011, waivers given in customs duty, excise duty, and corporate income tax amounts to 23 lakh crores(!), whereas, our governments run short of funds (!) for agriculture, sick industries or for MNREGA, food security, health, housing, education,…!, the 2G scam alone mops up 1.76 lakh crores, nearer to the budget allocation of five basic sectors of public life; what to talk of the drainage of our money to Swiss bank that runs 1.5 times of our GDP(!)

 

The conference called for an all out anti-corruption campaign throughout the State to draw cross-section of people in the movement and expand our area of operation. It targeted larger mass membership of class/mass organisations, systematic Party education and strengthening the Party organisation to take the challenge of left-democratic movement in the State. The conference was attended by 238 delegates (women 63) from 13 districts- from Srikakulum to Telangana region. The conference elected a 23-member State Committee.

 

Orissa: Party Foundation Day was observed at Nagbhusan Bhawan in Bhubaneswar, Puri, Rayagada and Kendrapara with focus on intensifying the struggle to eliminate corporate loot, corruption and price rise. Around 100 comrades of Bhubaneswar local committee were present at Nagbhusan Bhawan for the meeting. Comrade Khitish Biswal, Party's State Secretary, remembering the great revolutionary sprit of Comrades Charu Mazumdar and Vinod Mishra called upon the Orissa comrades to strengthen the Party organisation in Orissa by organising all sections of the masses- workers, youth, student, women and common people in every part of the State.

 

Members of Rickshaw Kooli Sangha, Basti Basinda Mahasanghs and Party members attended the meeting. Comrades Radha Kant Seti, Mahendra Parida, Janaki Rao, Seema Sethi and Nilanjal Bhattacharya also addressed the Foundation Day meeting. All the speakers stressed on intensifying the struggle and State-wide campaign to end corporate loot and corruption.

Comrades Ajaya Mandhata, Litulal of AISA and Com. Tirupati Gamango addressed the cadre meetings at Puri and Rayagada.

 

Statewide Celebration in UP

 

42nd Foundation Day was observed in various districts of Uttar Pradesh marked by varieties of programmes- mainly cadre meetings, homage to martyrs, CC's Foundation Day Call was read, discussions on burning issues of the day including corporate loot and corruption and pledges to strengthen the Party. In some districts, workshops/Party education classes were held to educate our members.

 

Cadre Convention was organised at Baradih village under Niyamtabad Block of Chandauli dist. Cadre meet were organised at four blocks of Mirzapur namely- Narayanpur, Jamalpur, Rajgarh and Patehara. At Sonebhadra, Party's District Conference was held on 21-22 April. 17 member District Committee was elected.

 

Education class was organised at Sitapur on Party's programme and constitution documents. Programmes were held in different blocks of Lakhimpur Khiri. Meetings were held at Pilibhit and Puranpur. Demonstration will be held at Pilibhit on 1st May. GBM's of Party members were held at four centres of Gazipur dist.- Jamania, Sadar, Saiedpur and Jakhania. CC's call was read and discussed at SIkandarpur, Maniyar and Belhari (Haldi), all three blocks in Ballia dist.

 

Apart from workshops at Bansgaon and Uruwa in Gorakhpur, revolutionary films were also screened at these places. GBM was held at Korabar. Cadre meet was organised at Siswan Block of Maharajganj dist. Programmes were also held in Benaras, Bhadohi and Mau.

 

Seminar was held at Lucknow's Lenin Book Centre. Two-day long GBM of Party members was held at Gonda. Discussion was also held on Party's course and programmes in the district. Meetings were also organised at Ambedkar Nagar, Kanpur, Jalaun and other districts to observe the Foundation Day.

 

Tamil Nadu: 42nd Party Foundation Day meeting was observed all over the State in Tamil Nadu. District level cadre meetings and committee meetings were held almost in all districts. A pledge taking meeting of DLT and DOC members of Tanjore, Nagapattinam, Cuddalore and Villupuram dists was held in Myladuthurai. The meeting discussed Party Central Committee's 22 April Call along with the Editorial of the ML Update and Party's circular on struggle against corruption and our tasks.

 

After flag hoisting and paying homage to the martyrs and departed leaders the meeting actively discussed the Party Call. Strengthen the Party to develop people's struggle was the central theme. Disseminating the Central Committee Call to all members, making lower level party structures more dynamic, recruiting new Party members, timely collection of Party levy and developing and building panchayat level mass initiatives and AIALA organization were the tasks decided. The meeting has also decided to conduct a mass political campaign against corruption starting from panchayat to town centres. Party SCM and State President of AIALA hoisted the Party Flag. State Secretary Comrade Balasundaram and SCMs from the respective dists participated.

 

Similar meetings were held in Tiruvallore, Chennai, Salem, Namakkal, Pudukkottai, Madurai, Tirunelveli and Kanyakumari. All the SCMs and dist Party cadres, activists participated actively. In Urban centres May Day programmes were also planned. Poster campaign was also undertaken. Active political campaign and electioneering in the just concluded Assembly elections best reflected in the meeting. First round of election review was also done in the meetings.

 

Puducherry: State level cadre meeting was held in Puducherry where 22 April Call was discussed. May Day programmes were decided. State Secretary Balasubramanian, SCMs Shankaran, Selvam, Motilal and Jayabal and others participated. Meeting also reviewed the just concluded Assembly election. The meeting also planned a protest demonstration against the Puducherry Governor for his corrupt practices.

 

Rajasthan: Foundation Day was celebrated in all five districts of Rajasthan where the Party is active- Pratapgarh, Udaipur, Ajmer, Jaipur and Jhunjhunu. Mainly, cadre and member meetings were held in all the places to observe the Foundation Day. In both Pratapgarh and Udaipur it was celebrated in two places in the main district headquarters of Pratapgarh and Udaipur and in the rural area of Dhariavad and Salumbar. Meeting was held in Pratapgarh that was addressed by Party's State Secretary Com. Mahendra Chaudhary. Dhariavad meeting was addressed by Pratapgarh-in-charge Com Kantilal Koted, Ajmer meeting by district secretary Com. Bhavri Bai, Udaipur by District Secretary Com. Chandradev Ola, Salumbar by Com. Gautumlal Meena, the Jaipur meeting was presided by CC Member Com. Srilata Swaminathan and the main speaker was Com. Anand Dheva while the Jhunjhunu meeting was addressed by Com. Phoolchand. All the meetings were attended by party cadres and the main topic was the strengthening of the Party.

 

Jharkhand: Foundation day was observed with full enthusiasm and involvement in almost all the districts of the State. 300 cadres of the Party attended the GBM held at Jamua block of Giridih dist. After flag hoisting the GBM was conducted by District Secretary Com. Manoj Bhakt. 22 April Call by Party's Central Committee, State Committee Circular and a report prepared by the Dist. Committee was read and discussed. All the Dist. Committee members put forth their views and State Secretary Comrade Janardan Prasad summed up the meeting. Corporate plunder, anti-corruption crusade were the main topics and all the members took pledge to strengthen the Party to meet the challenges. Party cadres planned to increase the membership of the Party significantly. It was also decided to mobilize ten thousand people in each district to demonstrate at the Dist. HQs on 29 May. All the comrades participated in discussion on making panchayats the platform of people's struggles and establishing people's role in monitoring and vigilance of the panchayats.

 

GBMs were organised at different blocks under Garhwa dist. 200 Party members attended the GBM at Dhurki, 150 members each at Nagar, Sagma and Dandai and about 100 at Bhavnathpur. Panchayat level demonstrations have been planned for 1st May and conducting membership campaign among rural poor enrolling them under Jharkhand Mazdoor Samiti from 2-15 May. Discussions were also held to systemize and streamline Party organisation by June this year. Foundation day was also observed at Daltonganj, Panki, Lesliganj,

 

Party Foundation Day was celebrated at State Office in Ranchi where 70 Party members assembled. The gathering in the form of GBM was addressed by Comrades Subhendu Sen, Bhubaneswar Kewat and Sunita. Condemning the Government's action of evicting the poor from Ranchi the meeting made plans to successfully organise 25 April Rajbhawan March of Left parties.

 

Foundation day was observed at Hesalog and Vishungarh in Hazaribagh Dist. Seven places in Ramgarh Dist.- Kajangi, Bhurkunda, Sosho, Argada, Ara, Kedla, Topa (each attended by about 200 members). Apart from many other discussions, it wa decided to hold a big march on 20 June in Ramgarh. Foundation Day was also observed at Mohanpur in Devghar, Lohardaga (where a District Leading Team was constituted from the GBM), Bokaro, Dhanbad, Dumka, Jamtada, Ranchi rural and Gumla.

 

Uttarakhand: 42nd Foundation Day of CPI(ML) was observed with a lot of enthusiasm at different centres in the State. CC's 22 April Call was read and discussed everywhere. In Nainital Dist, main programme was held at Bindukhatta which was addressed by CC member Comrade Rajendra Pratholi who underlined the concrete task before the Dist. Committee in order to fulfill the pledge of strengthening the Party. He said that all the basic level (lower) branches must be made dynamic and strengthened, their meetings and political education to be held on a regular basis, enrolling newer members especially women, increasing the circulation of Party organs like Lokyuddha and Liberation, timely collection of Party levy (every 3-months) and erecting a lively Party structure in order to realize the task of overall Party strengthening. He also said that it was important to focus equally on broadening the base of movements and bringing the leading and advanced sections within that movement into the communist party.

 

The meeting was also addressed by Comrades Raja Bahuguna and others. He called upon the party members to successfully organise upcoming demonstration of Khattavasis, forest-dwellers and the peasantry at Dehradun on 18 May. The Foundation Day was also observed at Nainital city, Munsyari and Pithoragarh in Pithoragarh Dist, Taleswar in Almora Dist, Srinagar and Pauri in Garhwal region. Chamoli District Conference of All India Kisan Mahasabha (AIKM) was held at Karna Prayag on this occasion. Comrade Indresh Maikhuri was the main speaker here. It was decided to intensify the membership campaign of AIKM in the coming days.

 

Delhi: Party Foundation Day was celebrated in Delhi with programmes at six places representing different districts of Delhi. Flag hoisting and homage to martyrs were common to all the programmes which were held at Okhla, Wazirpur, Narela, Noida, Mandawli and Moti Nagar. State Secretary Com. Sanjay Sharma and other Party leaders led the programmes at different places.

 

West Bengal: A cadre meet was organised at Kolkata in the Party's State Office which was attended by Party General Secretary Comrade Dipankar Bhattacharya. Later, the party cadres and Comrade Dipankar went to Esplanade/Dharmatala where Comrade Dipankar garlanded Lenin's Statue. At other places in the State the Foundation Day programmes were part of the ongoing election campaign.

 

Bihar: The Foundation Day was observed throughout the State where the panchayat elections are to be held shortly. The Day was observed also at panchayat levels with pledges to transform the panchayats into a platform of struggles against corruption and state repression.

 

Chhattisgarh: Dharna was held at Supela Bus Stand in Bhilai from 12-4 p.m. as part of Foundation Day against corporate loot and massive corruption. The dharna was led by State Secretary Comrade Brijendra Tiwari. The dharna also remembered the rich revolutionary legacy of Lenin and pledged to end corporate loot and state repression. Apart from Party cadres, unorganised sanitation workers and contractual workers of Bhilai Steel Plant also attended the dharna.

 

Karnataka: Cadre meet was organised at Davangere and Koppal districts as part of Foundation Day. CC member Com. Shankar was present at both the meetings.

 

Haryana: A cadre meeting was held in Gurgaon on 22 April to commemorate the CPI(ML) Foundation Day. The meeting was addressed by Com. Prem Singh Gahlawat.

 

Bring Modi to Book for Gujarat Genocide

 

At long last, there is concrete evidence of Narendra Modi's direct role in perpetrating genocide against minorities in Gujarat 2002. In a welcome development, a senior IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt, posted in the Intelligence Department in 2002, has filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court declaring that he witnessed a meeting at the CM's residence, in which Modi ordered senior police officers to "allow Hindus to vent their anger" and do nothing to protect minorities and prevent communal violence.

 

Bhatt's affidavit is damning evidence of Modi's direct complicity in the terrible genocide of Muslim minorities. It also points to disturbing signs of a cover-up by the Supreme Court-appointed Special Investigation Team (SIT). Bhatt's affidavit states that the SIT ignored evidence provided by him and intimidated other witnesses who were willing to testify to Bhatt's presence in the fateful meeting at Modi's house. He has also pointed out that his life is in danger, since far from providing extra protection, the Gujarat government has in fact withdrawn any existing protection.

 

It must be recalled that BJP leader and former Gujarat Home Minister Haren Pandya had also testified to reports of a similar meeting at Modi's house. Pandya was later assassinated in mysterious circumstances. Bhatt must be provided the highest protection and efforts made to speed up the enquiry and prosecution into the Gujarat genocide case. Nine years is too long – no more time must be wasted in bringing Modi to book.

 

The anti-corruption movement has in recent times increased the public respect for whistleblowers who take risks to expose wrongdoing by the powerful. A cover-up of a CM's role in the Gujarat genocide would indeed be the worst form of corruption. Sanjiv Bhatt's courage and integrity in blowing the whistle on this cover up at great personal risk must be hailed as a model to be emulated.

 

Protest Continue against Jaitapur Nuclear Power Plant

On 23 April 2011, a three-day Tarapur-Jaitapur anti-nuclear plant yatra was stopped the moment it began and hundreds of activists were detained at the Boisar police station. Activists and supporters, including Admiral (retd) L Ramdas, Justices (retd) PB Sawant and BG Kolse Patil, social activist Vaishali Patil and others were whisked away in police vans from Panchmarg Tarapur, where they had addressed a public meeting in the morning. They were brought to the Boisar police station around 4.30 p.m. In all 134 protestors were detained under Section 68 of the Bombay Police Act. It is to be noted that while Uddhav Thackeray is being alowed to visit Jaitapur but not this team of democratic activists!

 

Comrade Sandeep Singh (AISA National President) and various LNP(L) leaders were also part of the whole march. Sandeep and some others are still trying to make it to Jaitapur in a dispersed way. On 21 April, several dozen activists including many AISA members and various other groups assembled at Maharashtra Bhawan in New Delhi to protest against Jaitapur plant. On 25th, again a protest at Maharashtra Bhavan was held by various groups including AISA against the arrest of marchers.

 

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