ML Update 22 / 2012

MLUpdate

A CPI(ML) Weekly News Magazine

Vol. 15, No. 22, 22 – 28 MAY 2012

Bihar’s Struggle for Justice, Dignity, Democracy

Nitish Kumar was lionised by the corporate media as the man who was bringing Bihar to the 21st century. The bad old days of crime and caste massacres were past, we were told, and Nitish’s ads and hoardings announce that Bihar is witnessing “waves of revolutionary change.” But unfolding events are turning Nitish Kumar’s slogan of ‘development with justice’ on its head, and the CM’s gospel of ‘good governance’ is giving way to unfettered police raj.

A full year has passed since the Forbesganj firing on June 3rd 2011, which had exposed the communal hatred and brutality nurtured by the Bihar police against poor minorities of Bhajanpura village in Forbesganj who dared resist the encroachment of their traditional road by a BJP MLC. The judicial probe ordered as a face-saving measure by the Bihar Government has been a non-starter. No enquiry report has come out fixing responsibility for the police killings and atrocities.

While the killers in uniform at Forbesganj go unscathed, the police at Aurangabad have shown their loyalty to diktats from the rulers at Patna, launching an all-out assault on people protesting a political assassination, and singling out former CPI(ML) MLA Comrade Rajaram Singh for an especially vicious beating.

Contrary to Nitish Kumar’s claim of crime-free Bihar, there is a renewed spurt in major crimes and especially political killings. Three recent killings have caused tremendous public outrage – that of Surendra Yadav, Dalsinghsarai block secretary of the CPI(M) in Samastipur district, Bhaiyyaram Yadav, CPI(ML)’s Rohtas district secretary and Devendra Singh alias Chhotu Kushwaha, the popular mukhiya of Sonhathu panchayat of Haspura block in Aurangabad district – all of which seem to have been perpetrated at the behest of local JD(U)/BJP MLAs.

It is also no coincidence that Nitish’s Bihar stands witness to some of the most shocking and shameful instances of judicial injustice. The Bathani Tola verdict acquitting all the accused for a heinous massacre was perhaps inevitable in a Bihar where the Government does not oppose bail for the massacre mastermind, Ranveer Sena chief Brahmeshwar Singh; disbands the Amir Das Commission probing the political linkages of the Ranveer Sena; and dumps the recommendations of the Land Reforms Commission.

In Nitish’s Bihar, the police’s refusal to act against the BJP MLA whom Rupam Pathak accused of rape forces her to take desperate measures. But Rupam Pathak gets a life sentence – while her complaint of rape is yet to be investigated!

In the Amausi massacre case, 10 musahars including the popular leader Bodhan Sada have been given a death sentence on the most doubtful of evidence. Nothing can be more telling of skewed justice in Nitish’s Bihar than the death sentence for Bodhan Sada, while Bramhmeswar Singh and his band of killers walk free.

The popular response to the Bihar Bandh called by the CPI(ML) on 10 May has clearly shown that the people of Bihar are fighting back. The CPI(ML)’s ongoing Nyaye Andolan (Movement for Justice) is gaining momentum, demanding unconditional release of Comrade Rajaram Singh and other jailed agitationists; action against the DM and SP of Aurangabad; CBI enquiry into the Forbesganj firing and the killings of Surendra Yadav, Bhaiyyaram Yadav and Chhotu Kushwaha; justice for Rupam Pathak and the Amausi convicts including Bodhan Sada; cancellation of Brahmeshwar Singh’s bail and justice for the Bathani victims.

Real change in Bihar does not lie in the changing caste complexion of the rulers; nor in the changing political rhetoric of the rulers – whether Lalu Prasad’s ‘social justice’ or Nitish Kumar’s ‘good governance’. Real change does not lie in the gloss of globalisation and corporatisation added to the semi-feudal political economy of Bihar resulting in spectacular statistical growth on paper. The people of Bihar are showing that justice, dignity and democracy are not class-neutral words, and are certainly not monopolies of the rich and the powerful. And that real change lies in the tenacity and courage and determination with which people fight back for their justice, their dignity and their democracy.

Left Parties’ Convention in Bihar

Against Rising Injustice, Crime, and Repression

On 14th May, five Left parties – the CPI(ML), CPI, CPI(M), Forward Bloc, and SUCI(C) – held a joint Convention in Patna against the rising instances of injustice, crime and state repression.

The Convention was addressed by CPI(ML) Politburo member Comrade Ramji Rai; State Secretary Kunal; Central Committee member Comrade Rameshwar Prasad; CPI(M) State Secretary Comrade Vijaykant Thakur; State Secretariat member Arun Mishra; CPI State Secretary Comrade Badrinayaran Lal; State Secretariat members Jitendranath, Arjun Prasad Singh, Gaznafar Nawab; Comrade Vakeel Thakur from Forward Bloc and SUCI(C) State Secretary Comrade Arun Singh.

Apart from these Left leaders, intellectuals including Prof. Naval Kishore Choudhury, and Prof. Bharti S Kumar (Head of the History Department at Patna University), also addressed the Convention. Social activist Rupesh and Prof. Santosh Kumar also participated in the Convention.

The presidium comprised CPI(ML) CCM KD Yadav, CPI(M) State Secretariat member Sargandhar Paswan, Vijay Narayan Mishra of CPI, America Mahto of Forward Bloc and Shivlal Prasad of SUCI(C).

The feudal and communal character of the Nitish Government behind the corporatized media-managed facade stands exposed, the Left leaders felt, even as they planned for united Left initiatives and agitations. The Convention called for joint dharnas and demonstrations of all Left parties at district HQs on 15 June.

The political resolutions were placed by CPI(ML)’s Bihar State Committee member Abhyuday. CPI(M)’s Ajay Kumar Singh thanked the gathering for a successful Convention. CPI(ML)’s PB member Comrade Amar, CCMs Meena Tiwari and Saroj Chaubey, and other leaders including Santosh Sahar, Shashi Yadav, Satyanarayan Prasad, Sudhir Kumar and others were also present at the Convention.

Nyaye Yatra:

Demanding Justice

Highlighting the instances of gross injustice in Nitish’s rule and calling the bluff of Nitish’s slogan of ‘Nyaye ke saath Vikas’ (Justice with Development), the CPI(ML) held an intensive Nyaye Yatra (Journey for Justice) in Bihar.

In Shahabad, the Nyaye Yatra began by garlanding the memorial to the Bathani Tola martyrs. It was flagged off by CPI(ML)’s Standing Committee member and former MLA Comrade Arun Singh.

This contingent covered the Bhojpur-Rohtas-Bhabhua-Buxar districts, holding street-corner meetings, foot-marches and intensive mass contact, highlighting the injustice done to the Bathani Tola victims by the acquittal of Ranveer Sena killers and the bail for Brahmeshwar Singh, and the murder of Bhaiyyaram Yadav. This leg of the Yatra was led by State Committee member Sudama Prasad Singh, Rohtas Secretary Jawahar Singh, former MLA Chandradeep Singh, Comrade Qayamuddin and other leaders.

The Nyaye Yatra in the Magadh zone was led by Standing Committee member and Arwal District Secretary Mahanand, Aurangabad District Secretary Anwar Husain, Gaya District Secretary Niranjan Kumar, AIPWA leader Rita Barnwal, RYA leader Ravindra Yadav, AIALA leader Upendra Paswan and others. The Yatra began by paying homage at the memorial to the martyrs of Laxmanpur Bathe and was flagged off by PB member Comrade Ramjatan Sharma. This leg of the Yatra covered Kaler, Arwal, Kurtha, and Obra, Hasanpura, Pachrukhiya in Aurangabad and Gaya-Jehanabad, highlighting the Aurangabad police assault on protestors and arrest of 29 including Comrade Rajaram Singh.

The Nyaye Yatra in Siwan began by paying homage to Comrade Chandrashekhar, and was led by RYA State President Amarjit Kushwaha, Suman Singh Kushwaha, Sujeet Subhani and other youth leaders. Highlighting the fact that Shahabuddin is yet to be punished for Chandrashekhar’s murder, the Yatra covered Siwan, Jagdishpur, Maharajganj, Husainganj, Aandar, Darauli, Guthni, Mairwa, Nautan and other places in Siwan, as well as Chhapra, Gopalganj, Champaran.

The Nyaye Yatra in Purnea began by paying homage to Comrade Ajit Sarkar’s memorial and covered Rupaspur, Chandwa, Araria, Supaul and other districts, led by CCM Comrade Saroj Choubey, and Purnea District Secretary Pankaj Singh, and highlighting the issues of justice for Rupam Pathak, as well as the question of land reform and land grab.

In Patna the Nyaye Yatra covered Fatuha, Danyanva, Khusrupur, Nalanda, Masaurhi, Paliganj, Dulhinbazar, Vikram, Naubatpur, and Bihta. Leaders of this contingent included AIKM leaders Umesh Singh, Gopal Singh Gopi, and Vidyanand Bihari.

The various contingents of the Nyaye Yatra converged at Patna on 21 May and deposed their experiences at a Public Hearing (Jan Sunwai) at the capital, Patna.

Public Hearing for

Justice and Democracy

Several thousands of people, including working people, rural poor, intellectuals and writers participated in the Jan Sunwai (mentioned above) at Patna. Participants deposed on their experiences of struggles for justice in the Bathani Tola case, the Rupam Pathak case, Aurangabad police lathicharge, and several political killings.

Bathani massacre survivor Nayeemuddin Ansari deposed at the hearing, recounting his long quest for justice since 1996. He said that the Bihar HC verdict was a rude shock, and that he and other survivors would appeal the verdict in the Supreme Court, since if the judiciary is serious about justice, it cannot let a cold-blooded massacre of 21 innocents go unpunished.

AIKM leader Sudama Prasad noted that all accused had been acquitted not only in the Bathani Tola case but also in the Khagdi-Bigha and Jahir-Bigha massacre cases; and while Dharma Singh, the main accused in the Bathe massacre, had been sentenced to death, he continues to be a contractor protected by the BJP-JD(U). He spoke of the facts in the Amausi case, where 10 musahars including Bodhan Sada have been sentenced to death and 16 to life, without any credible evidence.

CPI(ML)’s Aurangabad district secretary Anwar Husain deposed at length about the facts indicating the involvement of Goh’s JD(U) MLA in the murder of Chhotu Mukhiya, and in conspiring with the DM and SP for the police assault on protestors against the murder.

Naval Kishor of Araria deposed about the firing and brutality by police at Forbesganj, where no one has been punished though a year has passed.

AIPWA leader Saroj Choubey shared the experience of taking up Rupam Pathak’s struggle for justice. She said Rupam has been denied a chance to defend herself, and her complaints of rape have been deliberately suppressed instead of seriously investigated.

The Jan Sunwai was addressed by CPI(ML) General Secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya. Among others who spoke at the Jan Sunwai were CPI(ML) leaders KD Yadav and Arun Singh, CPI leader Vijaynarayan Mishra, CPI(M) State Secretariat Member Sargandhar Paswan, Rupesh of Lok Parishad, America Mehto of Forward Bloc, SUCI(C)’s State Secretary Arun Kumar Singh and Ashok Priyadarshi of Lok Mukti Sangharsh Vahini, Sant Singh, national secretary of the Shoshit Samaj Dal. Other participants included Prem Kumar Mani of the Bihar Parivartan Morcha, Prof. Bharti S. Kumar and Prof. Santosh Kumar, short story writer Ravindra Bharati, educationist Ghalib and others. The 7-member jury comprising Prof MN Karn, Prof NK Chaudhury, Padma Shri recipient Sudha Verghese, Kishori Das (PUCL), Manikant Thakur (BBC), Advocate Yogesh Verma and CPI(ML) Politburo member Comrade Ramji Rai, heard the depositions and delivered a verdict indicting the Nitish Government and its administration for protecting political assassins, repressive police officers, and feudal killers. The jury opined that there was need for a CBI enquiry into the Forbesganj firing, Aurangabad incidents, the killings of Bhaiyyaram of Rohtas, Surendra Yadav of Samastipur, and Chhotu mukhiya of Aurangabad, release of Rupam Pathak and a CBI investigation of her complaints of rape. The jury held that the Bihar Government should challenge the bail order for Brahmeshwar Singh and appeal to the SC to correct the biases of police and prosecution in the Bathani Tola case. The jury held that assaults on democracy were on the rise in Bihar, and injustice was taking place in the name of ‘justice’. The jury supported the ongoing struggle of people for real justice and democracy.

Protests against Hillary Visit

In Kolkata, AISA and RYA organized a protest demonstration on May 7th against Hillary Clinton’s visit. A protest march was held at College Square, where AISA and RYA protested against FDI in retail sector, and against escalating intervention of US imperialism in our country’s foreign and internal policies. An effigy of US imperialism was burnt at the end of the programme. On 6th May, CPI(ML) and AICCTU organized a protest march against Hillary’s visit at Bakhrahat in South 24 Parganas. AISA and RYA also organized a protest march in Siliguri, where the effigy of US imperialism was burnt.

ACFTU Delegation visits AICCTU HQ

A 6-member delegation of All China Federation of Trade Unions (ACFTU) was in Delhi during the first week of May. They paid a visit to the AICCTU central office at Delhi on 4th May. It was a first such exchange by a Chinese trade union delegation with AICCTU.

The delegation, including a woman leader, was led by Mr. Duan Dunhou, Vice-President of the ACFTU and the Secretary of the Secretariat. The AICCTU delegation led by AICCTU National Secretary Rajiv Dimri comprised of AICCTU National Secretaries Kanwaljeet Singh and Santosh Roy, NCM, Ardhendu Roy and Ram Kishan, Secretary General of All India Health Employees and Workers’ Confederation. The Chinese delegation was felicitated on their arrival in the office. The foreign delegation also presented AICCTU with gifts.

The meeting lasted for about two hours and discussed a variety of issues concerning trade union movements in India, China and world. The Chinese friends were keen to know the situation of workers in India and the functioning of AICCTU among them. They listened enthusiastically when Rajiv Dimri placed a brief account of areas of work and struggles led by AICCTU in various sectors, the issues being focused by it, and the united national campaigns of different central trade unions. They showed special interest in knowing the plight and struggles of the workers in the unorganized sectors.

During talks the Chinese delegation explained the role of Chinese trade unions and working class in building the Chinese economy and the exclusive rights and preferences the Chinese working class enjoys in all spheres of life. They further said that the credit for non-vulnerability of China to world crisis goes to the Chinese working masses, which are represented at all levels of decision and policy making. The law in China gives workers the right to form trade union including in MNCs and it is worth noting that the Chinese workers are the first in the world to form a union in the international retail chain giant Wal-Mart. They also said that consultation with trade unions is mandatory for foreign investors who invest in china. They laid emphasis on their efforts to organize migrant workers for improving their conditions.

The meeting ended with exchange of warm wishes for the struggles of working class in both the countries and with a promise of maintaining closer relation in the future from both sides.

Solidarity With Nepal’s Mass Organisations

The 6th National Conference of the All Nepal Women’s Association (ANWA) (affiliated to the CPN-UML) was held at Pokhara from 20-23 March. On ANWA’s invitation, an AIPWA delegation comprising AIPWA General Secretary Meena Tiwari and National Executive Member Sarojini Bisht attended the Conference.

The Conference was inaugurated by a massive rally, which was addressed by representatives of several Indian women’s organizations including AIPWA.

Addressing the mass meeting on behalf of AIPWA, Com. Meena said that the role of Nepal’s women in the struggles for democracy is a source of inspiration for women all over South Asia. Congratulating Nepalese women on winning 33% reservation in representative assemblies as well as several pro-women laws, she said that women in India are still struggling for these rights. She shared the experiences of women in India fighting against entrenched biases in Government, police, and judiciary, especially the way in which the Bihar Government was influencing the process of justice to protect the perpetrators of feudal massacre at Bathani Tola and the rapists of Rupam Pathak. She called for greater solidarity among women’s struggles all over South Asia. The rally was also addressed by NFIW leader Amarjit Kaur and AIDWA General Secretary Sudha Sundararaman, as well as women representatives of JD(U) and Samajwadi Party.

The 5th National Congress of Confederation of Nepalese Professionals (CONEP) was held at Kathmandu on May 1st, International Labour Day, and May 2nd. AICCTU Vice President SK Sharma attended and addressed the Congress, extending solidarity greetings with Nepal’s working class movement.

RYA’s Protest against Assault on Dalits

On 25 April, a Protest Meeting was held by Revolutionary Youth Association (RYA) against an incident of 14 March in which dalit people were assaulted and land allocated for them was grabbed. The assault was perpetrated by the gram pradhan of Ramgarh village in Gautam Buddha Nagar (Dadri, Uttar Pradesh) along with his supporters, and several dalit women and men were seriously injured in the incident. The attack was perpetrated as a punishment, after a dalit youth filed a complaint with the police against the illegal grab by the gram pradhan, of panchayat land allocated to dalits. The land was encircled with a 7-foot high wall. A series of initiatives seeking justice have been undertaken by the CPI(ML), including petitions and demonstrations at the SP and DM’s offices. Yet the local police and administration have failed to arrest the assailants or demolish the illegal wall. To protest against this blatant bias, local youths organised the Protest Meeting under the banner of RYA, calling for a struggle to ‘Defend Land, Demand Dignity’.

The protest meeting faced difficulties because the gram pradhan from the dominant caste pressurised local landowners to deny permission to use their land for the meeting. However, the local youths, organised under RYA, refused to admit defeat and managed to hold the meeting on public land. The site of the protest meeting was decorated with red flags, and there was a large turnout of dalit youths as well as women form Ramgarh as well as neighbouring villages.

The meeting was conducted by Brahm Jatav, RYA activist, whose decision to file an FIR against grab of panchayat land led to the attack on dalit homes in the village. Brahm Jatav recounted how he had also helped file an FIR when a local landowner beat up a dalit youth for refusing to lift the carcass of a buffalo calf on his shoulders.

Two issues were central to the meeting – the failure of police to arrest those responsible for the brutal assault, and the failure of district administration to demolish the 7-foot high illegal wall that encircles the dalit people’s land.

Three ex-pradhans of Khap Kheda, Pali, and Ramgarh, affiliated to the BSP, came to speak at the meeting. Their refrain was that the meeting was trying to ‘provoke’ dalits in the village. They tried to play down the organised caste violence against dalits by terming it to be a ‘quarrel within the family’ that they offered to sort out. While one such BSP representative was speaking, a dalit youth in the audience got up to ask, “So we shouldn’t even put up any protest or resistance when they grab our land and beat us up?” One youth, when he spoke, said that it was true that the SP Government was not acting against perpetrators of violence on dalits. But in Ramgarh’s case, he asked, why had the Dadri MLA Satbir Gujjar and the Gautam Buddha Nagar MP Surendra Singh Nagar – both from the BSP – not intervened to ensure action against the assailants and against the grab of dalit land? Brahm Jatav’s mother Shakuntala, herself badly injured, and Prakashi, who has a rod in her arm due to a severe injury, spoke of how women are daily being subjected to casteist and sexist abuse by the dominant castes.

The meeting was also addressed by the Pradhan of the neighbouring village of Bhogpur, Delhi State Secretary Sanjay Sharma, Delhi State Committee members Mathura Paswan and Aslam, Comrades Upadhyay, Shivji Singh and Chandrabhan Singh from CPI(ML)’s Noida city committee, and Kavita Krishnan, CC member of the CPI(ML).

Rajasthan: Construction Workers’ Conference

First District Conference of Rajasthan Construction Workers’ Unoin (affiliated to AICCTU) was held successfully at Salumber in Udaipur on 15 May. The Conference began with the hoisting of flag by veteran leader from Udaipur Comrade Gautam Lal Dhawda and remembering the martyrs of communist and working class movement. The Conference was inaugurated by Comrade Srilata, State President of the Union and AIPWA’s National President. Due to an illness she made the inaugural address through an audio relay. Comrade Mahendra Chaudhary, CPI(ML) State Secretary, was the chief guest at the conference and other speaker was Comrade Chandra Deo Ola.

A 15 member District Committee was elected from the Conference.

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, website: www.cpiml.org

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ML UPDATE 21 / 2012

MLUpdate

A CPI(ML) Weekly News Magazine

Vol. 15 No. 21 15 – 21 MAY 2012

SIT Closure Report on Gujarat

Shameful Cover-Up of Modi’s Role

The closure report filed by the Supreme Court-appointed SIT on the 2002 communal violence in Gujarat has belied all expectations that it would help justice be done, by shamefully attempting to cover up the role of CM Narendra Modi. In its desperation to defend Modi from the complaint filed by Zakia Jafri, the SIT often contradicts its own preliminary report of 2010, and endorses some of Modi’s worst communal statements.

The SIT goes out of its way to discredit intelligence officer Sanjiv Bhatt’s evidence that he witnessed Modi at a meeting on February 27, 2002, instructing police officers to allow Hindus to vent their anger. In the SIT’s preliminary report, several police officials claimed that they could not recall if Bhatt had been present at the meeting. But in the closure report, the memories of these same officers has magically improved, and they categorically state that Bhatt was not present!

Worse, the SIT closure report states that even if Bhatt’s evidence were assumed to be true, “mere statement of alleged words in the four walls of a room does not constitute an offence.” Which means that according to the SIT, even if a Chief Minister instructs police officers in a closed door meeting not to act against Hindu perpetrators of violence, it would not amount to a crime!

In 2002, Narendra Modi had infamously justified the communal violence with talk of ‘action-reaction.’ The SIT closure report approvingly quotes Modi’s ‘action-reaction’ logic, claiming that by firing at the mob, Ehsan Jafri ‘provoked’ it to massacre those sheltering in the Gulberg Society. The fact that Jafri fired on a mob armed with weapons, firearms, petrol and incendiaries, after waiting in vain for police to respond to his desperate calls, has been blithely discounted, and Jafri’s action branded as one of provocation rather than self-defence.

The SIT closure report does not even make much effort to appear credible. For instance, in order to back up its claim that Modi was unbiased and committed to cracking down on communal violence, it cites five public statements by Modi where he promised ‘exemplary punishment’ for those guilty for the attack on the train at Godhra. The complaint by Zakia Jafri says that Modi passed an order that ensured that police did not punish post-Godhra rioters. The SIT’s answer is to show that the Modi wanted exemplary punishment for the Godhra train attack! It does not cite a word by Modi promising punishment for the perpetrators of violence against Muslims.

Further, the SIT report ignores blatantly communal public speeches by Modi, such as the one in which he referred to relief camps for riot-survivors as “children-producing centres,” saying ‘We 5, our 25.’ The SIT’s preliminary report had refused to accept Modi’s explanation that this statement was a general one on family planning, saying that it was clearly a reference to Muslim’s supposed population growth. But the closure report discounts the communal implications of this speech.

In trying to defend Modi, the SIT report actually ends up further strengthening the case against him, since it justifies his ‘Let Hindus vent their anger’ remark and echoes his ‘action-reaction’ remarks. It is urgent that the evidence pertaining to Modi’s role be re-examined afresh, and steps taken to ensure that truth and justice are upheld. Narendra Modi must be held accountable and punished for his role in the Gujarat communal violence!

AILC Delegation Visits Kerala to Protest Killing

An AILC delegation comprising Comrades Mangat Ram Pasla, General Secretary of CPM (Punjab), Swapan Mukherjee and Shankar V, Central Committee Members of CPI(ML) visited Onchiyam, Vadakara and Calicut on May 11, 12 and expressed deep condolences and solidarity to the party and bereaved family of the martyred comrade TP Chandrasekharan (TPC), the secretary of Left Coordination Committee (LCC) in Kerala.

Despite the gruesome killing and the CPI(M)’s politics of intimidation, the family members and comrades of Com. TP remain ever more committed to the courageous path he had chosen in forming the RMP and joining the AILC to strengthen the Left movement in the country. During the delegation’s visit to their house at Onchiyam on May 11, they could witness the determination to fight back the politics of killing and intolerance. Visitors of various political hues, including Chief Minister Ommen Chandy and VS Achuthanandan of CPIM, have been visiting their house ever since the incident. VS was of course the lone CPI(M) leader to visit the family.

On the same evening, at the LCC organized condolence meeting in Vadakara town hall, people turned out in huge numbers despite heavy downpour. CPI(M) party activists too turned out in good numbers defying party dictates. Com. N Venu, the newly elected Onchiyam secretary of RMP (Revolutionary Marxist Party), presided over the meeting.

Com. Swapan Mukherjee condemned the killing in unequivocal terms and said that such killings can never halt the onward march of alternative and genuine Left movement in Kerala and in the country. He said that a clique of corrupt and degenerate leadership has taken over the CPIM party affairs in Kerala. CPI(M), instead of mobilizing Left and democratic forces as declared by their party Congress, is, in fact, acting against the genuine and alternative Left. He also called upon the people to rejuvenate the Left movement by upholding the legacy of historic struggles of Punnapra Vayalar and Onchiyam.

Com. Mangat Ram Pasla deplored and denounced the growing intolerance within the CPI(M) leadership and their reliance on intimidation and killings and refusal to face the growing ideological-political debate against the CPI(M)’s departure from the principles of the Left movement and surrender to neo-liberal policies. He said the CPI(M) had unsuccessfully tried similar means in Punjab too to try and stop the CPM Punjab which has emerged as a stronger alternative to the official CPI(M) unit in Punjab. The condolence meeting was also addressed by leaders of various political parties barring CPI(M) and also by Left and democratic intellectuals in the district.

The AILC delegation along with comrades Hariharan and Kumaran Kutty addressed the press on May 12.

This was followed by an impressive convention of political and cultural activists at Calicut condemning the killing of Com. TPC. People from all walks of life and with various political affiliations participated in the meet. Renowned writer Mahasweta Devi inaugurated the convention. Speaking on the occasion, Com. Mangat Ram Pasla asserted that TPC was not a ‘traitor’ as Vijayan wants to portray him but a brave fighter upholding the legacy of the communist movement in Kerala.

The state convener of Left Coordination Committee (LCC), Kerala, Com. KS Hariharan presided over the meet. Minister for Panchayat and Social Welfare MK Muneer, Socialist Janata (Democratic) leader MP Veerendrakumar and writers from various parts of the State attended the programme.

Comrades Hariharan, state convener, Kumaran Kutty and Prakashan, state leaders of LCC, John K Erumeli, state secretary, Venugopal and Joy Peter, State Leading Team Members of CPIML in Kerala, Javaraiah, State Leading Team member of CPI(ML) in Karntaka, Manju and Sunil of AICCTU of Karnataka also accompanied the visiting delegation.

JNUSU Takes Up Cause of Myanmar Refugees

Around 2000 Rohingya refugees from Myanmar, from 623 families from the northern Rakhine state in Myanmar have been in India for the past two years, forced to wander from one place to another in search of shelter and survival. They had been in Delhi since 9 April, to take up the matter of their refugee status with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

JNUSU took up the matter of their shelter, relief, and right to humanitarian treatment as refugees. After several relocations, these refugees were staying on the open grounds of a mosque in Sultangarhi near Vasant Kunj, where they faced eviction by police as well as communal threats. In their camp, there was neither proper shelter, nor water, sanitation or medical facilities. Children were severely malnourished, and two women delivered babies under the open sky, open to sun and rain.

JNUSU and JNU students had been arranging drinking water, medical camps, and other relief measures, and on 10 May had held a demonstration along with the Myanmarese refugees at the UNHCR office. The UNHCR, following a dialogue with the JNU Students’ Union on 10 May, gave a date of 15 May for consideration of their petition. But the Delhi Police kept trying to evict them from Delhi even before they could get a hearing at the UNHCR.

Since 12 May night JNU Students’ Union members were not allowed by police to meet the refugees and hand over a relief amount that had been collected for them. On 13 May, all day, there was tension, as the police attempted to load the refugees on buses and take them to an unknown location. In the course of the day, hundreds from local villages in the area, accompanied by the local BJP MLA, gathered to demand removal of the refugees. The fact that the refugees are Muslims, has made them especially vulnerable to being targeted as ‘infiltrators.’ The VHP issued a press release demanding ‘deportation’ of ‘Myanmarese and Bangladeshi’ refugees, whom they branded as infiltrators and a ‘security threat’. JNUSU refused to be intimidated, and continued to try and explain matters to the villagers. Several intellectuals and concerned people including former Chief Justice Rajinder Sachar, senior journalist Kuldip Nayar, advocate Sanjay Parikh, Dr Sunilam, Anand Swarup Verma, Wilfred D Costa, Anil Chaudhary, Pushpraj, and Gopal Krishna, urgently faxed the Delhi Police Commissioner asking that the refugees be allowed to remain in Delhi safely till the UNHCR heard their case. Eventually, these efforts succeeded, and the JNUSU could hand over relief to the refugees by evening.

On May 15, JNUSU SSS Councillor, Shivani Nag along with human rights lawyer went to Sultangarhi to accompany the refugee leaders to UNHCR. Two journalists were also present. However, they had to face considerable hostility from the police personnel stationed there who consistently tried to instigate the refugees against the presence of JNU students. The refugees however didn’t get influenced by the instigation and continued to insist that the lawyer and the JNUSU representative be included as the participants in the meeting. Police however and didn’t even allow the refugees to speak to the JNUSU representative and took them to the UNHRC Office in three separate cars. The JNUSU representative, the lawyer and the two journalists nonetheless reached the UNHRC office in a separate vehicle to monitor situation.

The meeting transpired for nearly three and a half hours during which the JNUSU representative, lawyer and journalist were subjected to highhanded behaviour by the police not even being allowed stand in the vicinity of the office premises. After the meeting, the refugee representatives were whisked away by police, and two of them were detained by the police illegally for hours, with other refugees and JNUSU having no knowledge of their whereabouts.

On May 15, the JNUSU leaders along with Myanmar refugees’ representatives also met Delhi CM Sheila Dixit, and Congress MP Digvijay Singh.

At a separate briefing to concerned parties including the JNUSU, the UNHRC Chief assured that they would continue to work towards ensuring that the basic rights of safety, education and health facilities are not denied to refugees once they return to the places in India from where they had come. They also assured that concrete steps would be taken to ensure that all the rights available to those with the Asylum Seeker’s Card which included that they are not unduly deported or detained are guaranteed.

JNUSU will keep up the mobilization and vigilance that have been built up during these days to ensure that the government, government agencies, UNHRC continue to honour their commitment towards protecting the rights of the refugees.

First Uttarakhand CPI(ML) Conference

The first State conference of CPI(ML) in Uttarakhand was held at Haldwani on 13-14 May. The Conference site was named in memory of late party leader Comrade Dipak Bose who had initiated the work of building the CPI(ML) as an organised party in Uttarakhand.

On the first day, an open session was held with a seminar on the challenges of building an Uttarakhand free of corruption and mafia rule. Speakers at the Seminar included CPIM State Secretary Com. Vijay Rawat, Uttarakhand Jan Sangharsh Vahini Shamsher Singh Bisht, and several other intellectuals from Haldwani. The main speaker was CPI(ML) General Secretary Comrade Dipankar Bhattacharya.

In-charge of the Uttarakhand Leading Team, Comrade Raja Bahuguna, presented a detailed document on the political situation, the party’s history in Uttarakhand, its initiatives after state-formation, and an assessment of its work and organisation. The report was adopted by the house after being discussed and debated enthusiastically by the delegates.

Party GS Comrade Dipankar, addressing the Conference, warmly congratulated the comrades for holding their first state conference, saying that the party’s long-standing work in a hill state like Uttarakhand had added a valuable chapter to the all-India party’s experiences. The party had been active at the time of the movement for separate statehood. After formation of the new state, big capital and mega projects are making inroads into the state, bringing mega loot in their wake. We must champion the struggles to resist the loot of water, forests, and land, and organise workers, peasants, and women in mass movements. He stressed the need to give a strong organisational shape to the party’s mass struggles in Uttarakhand, and said that the party would gain strength from forging closest possible unity with the masses.

Under supervision of Central observer, CCM Com. Dhirendra Jha, a 13-member State Committee was unanimously elected by the house, which in turn unanimously elected Comrade Rajendra Pratholi as State Secretary. The rest of the State Committee comprises Comrades Raja Bahuguna, Purushottam Sharma, Bahadur Singh Jangi, Nishan Singh, Indresh Maikhuri, KK Bora, Kailash Pandey, Jagat Martoliya, Anand Singh, Man Singh Pal, Malti Haldar, and Surendra Brijwal.

Addressing the Conference, State Secretary Comrade Rajendra Pratholi said that the newly elected committee would strive to implement the directive adopted by the Conference, and to build a strong revolutionary party in Uttarakhand.

Central observer Comrade Dhirendra Jha said that there is a strong team of leading comrades in Uttarakhand, who will certainly take on the challenge of ensuring continuity of workers’ and peasants’ struggles and building the party on firm foundations.

The Conference passed several political resolutions including a demand of CBI enquiry into the 121 scams which took place in the past decade of BJP-Congress rule; condemning CM Vijay Bahuguna’s support for NCTC, SEZs and anti-people hydroelectric projects and his move to hold a Cabinet meeting at Gairsain without declaring it as the permanent State Capital; withdrawal of all false cases against CPI(ML) activists and other people’s movement activists since state formation; and demanding punishment for those responsible for the brutal police assault on AIKM leader Comrade Rajaram Singh.

Bihar Bandh

The May 10 Bihar Bandh called by the CPI(ML) demanding dismissal of the DM and SP responsible for the brutal police assault on protestors against Aurangabad’s Chhotu Mukhiya, especially the attack on CPI(ML) CCM Comrade Rajaram Singh, received a very warm response. Several train routes were blockaded, and the GT Road as well as other national highways and state highways and main roads connecting district HQs with blocks, were blockaded for hours.

In the state capital, Patna, the first contingent of Bandh supporters marched from Patna Railway Station to Dakbangla Crossing, which they completely blockaded. This contingent was led by CCM Comrade KD Yadav, AIALA National President Rameshwar Prasad and General Secretary Dhirendra Jha, RYA GS Kamlesh Sharma, State Committee members Umesh Singh, Satyanarayan Prasad and others.

The main contingent led by party GS Comrade Dipankar Bhattacharya, PBMs Ramjatan Sharma, Nand Kishor Prasad, Amar, State Secretary Kunal, Central office secretary Prabhat Kumar, AISA State Secretary Abhyuday, and others marched from the south gate of Gandhi Maidam at 11 am and converged at Dakbangla Crossing, where a mass meeting was held, addressed by Comrade Dipankar, AISA-RYA leaders Comrades Abhyuday and Kamlesh, and other senior party leaders.

AIPWA State Secretary Shashi Yadav and Patna town committee member Murtaza Ali led a sizeable procession in the Chitkohra-Aneesabad area, which blockaded the junction for hours. Another huge procession led by AICCTU State Secretary Ranvijay and party town committee member Pannalal closed shops and markets in Kankadbad. This procession too reached Dakbangla Crossing and joined the main gathering there.

AIPWA State Joint-Secretary Anita Sinha and party town committee member Satyendra Sharma led scores of bandh supporters to blockade the Bailey Road at Ashiyana turning for two hours, holding a mass meeting there. In Patna City, CPI(ML)’s Area Committee secretary Naseem Ansari, peasant leader Shambhunath Mehta, RYA leaders Ramnarayan Singh and Suresh Sahni led a massive procession which closed down shops in the mandi area, and then blockaded Shaheed Bhagat Singh crossing.

Addressing the mass meeting at Dakbangla Crossing, Comrade Dipankar said that the successful bandh, supported by all sections of people, is a challenge to Nitish’s rule, and that the struggle to ensure justice for the victims of Forbesganj firing, Comrade Bhaiyyaram, Comrade Surendra Yadav, Mukhiya Chhotu Mushwaha, and to ensure a CBI enquiry into the Aurangabad murder and police barbarism, dismissal of the DM and SP of Aurangabad, and immediate release of the 29 jailed protestors including Comrade Rajaram Singh, and justice for Bathani Tola victims, would continue.

Scores of bandh supporters were arrested all over Patna, and including Party General Secretary Comrade Dipankar Bhattacharya, State Secretary Comrade Kunal, and several PBMs and CCMs.

The Purva Express was stopped at Ara, truck traffic was completely stopped at Jehanabad, and the Patna-Gaya train line could not function. Trains were stopped at Darbhanga, Vaishali, Biharsharif, Forbesganj, Siwan, Sikta, Gaya, Kaimur and West Champaran. Huge processions stopped the functioning of Courts at Gopalganj and Jaynagar. Buses, schools, and shops remained non-functional under pressure from bandh supporters at many places all over the State.

District secretaries of Samastipur, Biharsharif, Bhabhua and CPI(ML)’s Rohtas leader Jawahar Yadav were among those arrested while blockading highways and streets, and mass arresting took place at Madhubani, West Champaran, Bhabhua, Chhapra, and Ara.

ML Update 20 / 2012

MLUpdate

A CPI(ML) Weekly News Magazine

Vol. 15, No. 20, 08 – 14 MAY 2012

Resist Rising Injustice, Crime and Repression

in Nitish’s Bihar

With every fresh, glaring instance of feudal criminality and mockery of justice, the Nitish Government’s slogan of ‘development with justice’ is being exposed.

The latest instance is the severe repression on CPI(ML) Central Committee member and former MLA Comrade Rajaram Singh and other activists leading the struggle against the murder of a young panchayat mukhiya (head) in Aurangabad district of Bihar. On 29 March, 32-year-old Chhotu Kushwaha, an RJD-supported panchayat mukhiya, was murdered. The facts indicate that the murder was executed by a criminal gang led by ex-Ranveer Sena leader Sushil Pandey (also an accused in the Laxmanpur Bathe massacre), who is known to be close to the JD(U) MLA from the Goh constituency, Ranvijay Sharma, who also has criminal antecedents and is behind bars.

What is even more notable is that the local police and administration are directly implicated in the murder. The young mukhiya had been raising his voice against the grab of gairmazarua land (common land meant for redistribution among landless) by powerful landowners, one of whom is related to the local BDO. The mukhiya was murdered when returning from a visit to the BDO’s office, from where he had left, accompanied by a police constable.

The CPI(ML) had played a leading role in the resistance to the murder. A struggle front against the murder, of which the CPI(ML) is a leading constituent, is demanding a CBI enquiry into the murder, in which so many powerful people including the MLA, BDO and SHO, are implicated. Under the banner of the joint struggle front, a massive demonstration took place on 2 May at the Aurangabad DM’s office. The police launched a brutal lathi-charge on the protestors, singling out former MLA Comrade Rajaram Singh for the severest assault. In the presence of the SP, Comrade Rajaram Singh was severely beaten, on the street as well as twice inside custody. 29 protestors including Comrade Rajaram Singh have been jailed.

The murders of Chhotu mukhiya and CPI(ML)’s Rohtas secretary Comrade Bhaiyaram Yadav by JD(U) backed feudal-criminal forces are part of a larger pattern. In Aurangabad itself, the Sushil Pandey gang and JD(U)-backed criminals are implicated in a series of murders of elected representatives and common people from the dalit-backward communities. The Nitish Government had already shown its true colours when it disbanded the Amir Das Commission, shelved the recommendations of the land reform commission, and allowed Ranveer Sena chief Brahmeshwar Singh to get bail: and the acquittal of the accused in the Bathani Tola massacre followed as a natural consequence. Meanwhile, while Brahmeshwar Singh and his team of killers are free, Bodhan Sada and nine others from the musahar community (rechristened ‘mahadalit’ by Nitish) stand sentenced to death on the weakest of evidence, in the Amausi massacre case. Earlier, in the Forbesganj police firing, the Bihar police under Nitish Kumar had shown its class and communal hatred for the poor and minorities who dare to resist powerful and corrupt land grabbers.

In this backdrop, the CPI(ML) has called for a Bihar bandh on 10 May, demanding justice for Bathani Tola and Forbesganj, Bhaiyaram Yadav, Chhotu mukhiya, and Bodhan Sada, and protesting the repression against protestors including Comrade Rajaram Singh.

Popular resistance will continue to grow, upholding the urge for and commitment to justice and democracy – and resisting the regime of repression and injustice!

Heinous Assassination of Comrade Chandrashekharan:

CPI(M) Has Questions to Answer

The brutal killing of Comrade TP Chandrashekharan, Secretary of the Left Coordination Committee (LCC) Kerala on the night of 4 May, has shocked democratic people in Kerala and all over the country. The circumstances of the murder raise disturbing questions about the CPI(M)’s complicity with the worst form of political violence.

Comrade TP Chandrashekharan had been a state-level SFI leader and former CPI(M) Area Secretary of Onchiyum, one of the historic birthplaces of the Left movement in Kerala. He left the CPI(M) in 2008, and in order to uphold and defend the fighting Left movement, joined other likeminded comrades in forming the Revolutionary Marxist Party (RMP). The Left Coordination Committee (LCC) was then formed along with RMP and other Left groups that had broken away from the CPI(M). The LCC Kerala is one of the founding constituents of the All India Left Coordination (AILC) that also includes the CPI(ML), CPM Punjab, Lal Nishan Party (Leninist) of Maharashtra, and Communist Party of Revolutionary Marxists (CPRM).

Comrade Chandrashekharan was hacked to death with sharp instruments, and his face so badly disfigured that only his body could be identified. Assailants threw bombs to keep people away from the spot. The horrific brutality of the killing was greeted with widespread outrage and condemnation in Kerala and outside.

There are many reasons why the Kerala CPI(M) is implicated in the murder. Foremost is the fact that ever since the formation of the RMP and LCC Kerala, their cadres have been at the receiving end of physical attacks by the CPI(M). And on February 19, not long before the CPI(M)’s Kozhikode Party Congress, a bike rally by LCC comrades preparing for the RMP’s Onchiyam area conference was attacked by CPI(M) cadres, followed by attacks on LCC offices. On the same day, CPI(M) State Secretary Pinarayi Vijayan had given a speech at a CPI(M) public meeting, warning that ‘heads would roll.’ On February 21, hired goons attacked the home of one LCC comrade and severely injured him with a sword. Comrade Chandrashekharan being hacked to death by hired goons is clearly no isolated instance – it follows a series of physical assaults and threats against the RMP by the CPI(M), including attacks of a very similar nature – i.e. sword attacks by hired goons.

Among the large number of public figures who paid final homage to Comrade Chandrashekharan at Kozhikode and Vadakara, were the Chief Minister Oomen Chandy and CPI(M)’s veteran leader Comrade VS Achutanandan. The latter paid glowing tributes to Comrade Chandrashekharan, calling him a brave communist. Former CPI(M) MLA and SFI leader Simon Britto also paid tributes to the martyred comrade. But the official CPI(M) leadership in Kerala, while disowning and condemning the killing, exposed its disrespect for Comrade Chandrashekharan even in death. The CPI(M) State Secretary Pinarayi Vijayan said that VS’ remarks hailing Comrade Chandrashekharan’s communist character were his personal opinion, which the CPI(M) would not care to endorse!

An all-party Kerala bandh called by a range of Left organisations (excepting the CPI(M)), and also by the ruling UDF, to protest the murder received a warm response. The CPI(M) has claimed that the murder was orchestrated to falsely implicate the CPI(M) in the murder in order to benefit the UDF on the eve of the by-poll in the Neyyattinkara Assembly constituency that is due in early June. But this claim appears far-fetched, given the recent history of similar attacks by CPI(M) on the RMP cadres, and the official CPI(M) leadership’s pointed distancing from any gesture of respect for the martyred comrade.

The CPI(M) is no stranger to the culture of political violence – and it is the CPI(M) which, above all, must answer for the heinous and unforgiveable murder of Comrade TP Chandrashekharan. The CPI(ML) demands a speedy enquiry to identify and punish not just the actual killers, but the political conspirators who hired them. Red Salute to Comrade TP Chandrashekharan!

Protests Follow Brutal Lathicharge

and Arrest of Comrade Rajaram Singh

The RJD-supported mukhiya of Sonhattu panchayat in Haspura block of Aurangabad district in Bihar, Chhotu Kushwaha was shot dead on 29 March. He had been opposing the grab of gairmazarua land meant for the landless poor, and as a result of his efforts, the land was to be officially measured on 30 March. 38 decimals of gairmazarua land had been grabbed by Bindeshwari Sharma and Narayan Sharma, and the latter is related to the Haspura BDO. On 29 March, Chhotu mukhiya was called to Haspura by the BDO. On his return journey by bike, he was initially accompanied by a police constable, who however alighted from the bike on the way, and the murder happened soon after. The suspected killers are of the Sushil Pandey gang, close to the criminal JD(U) MLA Ranvijay Sharma who is in jail. Since the MLA, SP, SHO, and BDO are all implicated in the murder, we have demanded a CBI enquiry into the killing.

On 2nd April, a Haspura bandh was observed on CPI(ML)’s call. The Mukhiya Sangh supported the call, and the protest meeting on the day of the bandh was addressed by former CPI(ML) MLA Comrade Rajaram Singh, and former RJD MP Kanti Singh. A huge gathering attended a Sankalp Sabha on 5 April, at which the Chhotu Mukhiya Hatya Virodhi Sangharsh Morcha (struggle front against the murder) was formed, and it was announced that if Sushil Pandey was not arrested within a month, a massive protest march would be held on 2 May.

The DM’s permission had been especially sought and taken for the 2 May procession. Yet, the police launched a brutal lathi-charge, attacking not just the protestors but even common bystanders. Rajaram Singh, who is the main leader in the struggle, was especially targeted for the most severe beating, which took place in the presence of the SP. Even inside the police station, Comrade Rajaram Singh was beaten twice. Chhotu mukhiya’s wife was also beaten up and arrested, but later released. But 29 protestors, most of them CPI(ML) supporters as well as Comrade Rajaram Singh, have been jailed.

On 2 May itself, CPI(ML) protests against the brutal repression took place at Daudnagar, Arwal, Kurtha and Jehanabad. A state-wide protest day and an Aurangabad bandh called by CPI(ML) was observed on 4 May. On 5, 6 and 7 May, a 3-day dharna was held by the CPI(ML) at Patna. State Secretary Comrade Kunal visited Comrade Rajaram Singh in jail. A Bihar Bandh has been called by the party on 10 May, ‘Against Rising Injustice, Crime and Police repression, for Justice and Democracy’, highlighting the questions of the Bathani Tola verdict, murders of Comrade Bhaiyaram and Chhotu mukhiya, the death sentence for Bodhan Sada, and the Forbesganj firing.

‘Save Land Rights’ Rally

Against Subversion of CNT Act in Jharkhand

In Jharkhand, the BJP Government has for long been making moves to dilute the CNT Act, one of the crucial and historic pieces of legislation to protect tribal land rights that was won by tribal struggles. The CNT Act and other land rights legislations are a hurdle in the path of corporate plunder of land, minerals, and forests.

But since diluting the CNT Act outright is not easy, the Government has tried to subvert the Act by underhand means. In Ramgarh district, the Bedia tribe is one of the main beneficiaries of the CNT Act. In order to deny the Bedias the benefits of the CNT, and therefore to free their land for corporate land grab, the Government recently changed the status of Bedias from Scheduled Tribes (ST) to Other Backward Classes (OBC). The move paves the way for land grab by the corporates, mainly the Jindal corporation, which has widespread mining and other interests in the region. Since then, the affected people have launched a struggle to protest the move. On 8 May, a Bhoomi Raksha Adhikar (Save Land Rights) Rally was held by CPI(ML) in Bhurkunda, in Patratu block of Ramgarh district, in which more than 3000 local people participated. The rally was addressed by CPI(ML) General Secretary Comrade Dipankar Bhattacharya, CPI(ML) MLA Comrade Vinod Singh, as well as local CPI(ML) activists and struggle leaders Comrades Devaki Nandan Bedia and Neeta Bedia, and Party’s State Committee member Chandranath Bhai Patel. District Secretary Mohan Dutta as well as Politburo member DP Buxi, and State Secretary Comrade Janardan were also present.

Condemn US Secretary of State’s Meddling

in India’s Policies and Internal Politics

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s visit to West Bengal is fraught with dangerous political implications for India’s sovereignty. Clinton spoke of West Bengal’s crucial place in the ‘Silk Route’ of economic and trade relations, and is said to have made forays on several policy matters including sharing of Teesta waters between Bangladesh and West Bengal.

Diplomatic relations are between countries, and the trend of representatives of foreign states dealing directly with State Governments to discuss policy matters, violates this basic parameter of international relations. In particular, the US Secretary of State’s statement advising India against the oil pipeline with Iran encroaches on India’s sovereignty and is highly objectionable. Statements attributed to her that apparently welcomed the change of political power in Bengal, treads on the internal political territory of the country, and are condemnable.

The Wikileaks cables had revealed the dealings of US representatives with the CPI(M)’s West Bengal Government and its Chief Minister, and the latter’s friendly overtures to US capital, as well as imperialist political representatives. However, this is the first time a US Secretary of State has made a visit of this kind expressly to meet a Chief Minister. The latter has expressed gleeful ‘pride’ in getting an approving American pat on the back.

The US is clearly seeking to play politics in India, and exploit the new regime in West Bengal to further its economic and geopolitical interests in the region. These attempts, and the cosy complicity of the West Bengal Chief Minister, are highly condemnable and deserving of sharp protest.

May Day 2012

Some May Day events were reported in the previous issue. Here we carry the rest.

DELHI: Thousands of workers participated in a joint May Day rally from Ramlila Maidan to Chandni Chowk in the evening, where it culminated in a meeting. Comrade Santosh Rai addressed the massive meeting on behalf of the AICCTU. The rally was led by AICCTU, AITUC, CITU, HMS, AIUTUC, TUCC, UTUC, Workers’ Unity Committee apart from federations from Railway, Bank and Insurance. AICCTU-affiliated union in Lala Ram Swaroop TB Hospital observed May Day where Sangwari rendered revolutionary songs and Comrades Ram Kishan and Kavita addressed a meeting. The Union Office was also inaugurated. A rally was held in Wazirpur led by Comrade Mathura Paswan. MTNL Employees Unity Union also observed May Day.

CHHATTISGARH: Rally and meeting was held at Ghadi Chowk and Supela in Bhilai. A meeting was held at Maroda Gate of Bhilai Steel Plant in the evening. A rally was held at Rajnandgaon that started from Railway Station and culminated in a meeting at Imam Chowk. May Day was also observed at Bilaspur and Raipur.

PUDUCHERRY: Party and AICCTU flags were hoisted in almost all Party branches and wherever we have trade union work. At CPI(ML) State Office in Puducherry Comrade S Balasubramanian, State Secretary, hoisted the Flag. All State Committee members (SCMs) were present. All India Central Council of Trade Union’ (AICCTU’s) Flag was hoisted by Comrade S Motilal, State Secretary of AICCTU.

In the evening AICCTU organised a special May Day Convention at Puducherry. The convention was on “The Issues and Demands of Interstate Migrant Workers in Puducherry”. Speakers in the convention were Comrades S. Balasubramanian, Puducherry’s Party State Secretary and Comrade Hirapaswan, a CPI(ML) leader from Bihar among others.

The following resolutions were passed by the convention: (1) immediate notification of Inter-State Migrant Workers’ Act 1979 (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) and its rules, (2) Abolition of Contract labour system in Puducherry through government’s notification, (3) All labour welfare laws should be extended strictly to all interstate migrant workers in Puducherry UT, (4) Minimum Floor Level wages should be Rs. 11,000/- irrespective of trade or industry; among some other resolutions.

A large number of interstate migrant workers and their spouses were present in the convention along with local workers. An interactive session was also held during the convention. Many migrant workers including women spoke about their challenging existence and difficulties at workplaces.

KARNATAKA: May Day rallies and hoisting flags visibly marked the growth of AICCTU in each passing year. We began with a single union in readymix concrete industry in Bangalore and now spread across various sections of workers and various districts of Karnataka. May Day programmes were held in Bangalore, Koppal, Davanagere, parts of Bellary and Mysore. New expansion this year is Mangalore.

In Bangalore alone, we hoisted flags at more than 17 places spread across the length and breadth of the city. Bangalore unit of AICCTU organised a colourful and impressive rally on May Day. Workers of corporate and MNCs participated in the rally in good numbers. High pitched slogans against the UPA government at the centre and the BJP government at the state made a difference in a scenario of apolitical or limited political slogans raised by other trade unions.

CPI(ML) State Secretary Comrade Ramappa called upon the workers to join political mainstream to challenge the powers that be. He called upon workers to join the political struggle to unseat the anti-worker BJP from state power. Comrade Shankar, VP of AICCTU reemphasised the need to launch major struggles once again demanding 8-hour workday and abolition of contract labour system. He called upon workers to join the struggle beyond four walls of the factories.

In Gangavati of Koppal district, AICCTU organised an impressive rally led by Comrade Bharadwaj, State President of AICCTU. The rally focussed on the issue of keeping attendance registers and minimum wages to rice mill workers. The rallyists also resolved to carry forward the struggle until the demands are fulfilled. District administration and labour departments were given an ultimatum of 15 May to ensure attendance registers in all rice mills. Various cross sections of workers including tractor and taxi drivers, auto technicians, brick kiln and construction workers, vendors and domestic workers participated in the rally. AICCTU workers of Mangalore marched on the streets after hoisting their first May Day flag.

TAMILNADU: In Chennai, a total of 700 workers and cadres participated in various May Day programmes. In Ambattur area comrades hoisted flags at gates of 15 different factories and 15 residential areas where Party or TU branches exist. CPI(ML) Flags were hoisted at 10 centres. In Tiruvellore district, All India Agricultural Labourers’ Association (AIALA) flag hoisted at 6 places and AICCTU flag hoisted at 15 centres.

In Kanjipuram, flag hoisting at 10 places, mostly construction workers’ localities. At many places veteran comrades and especially women comrades hoisted the flag. In the evening a public meeting was held that was addressed by Comrade Janakiraman, State GS of AIALA and Comrade Palanivel, State Secretary of AICCTU among others. A good number of migrant workers participated in the meeting.

In Tanjore, union flags hoisted at 16 centres where union branches are functioning. In Dindigul, AICCTU flag hoisted at 6 places. In Tiruchi, contract workers of Ordnance Factory took out a rally and hoisted AICCTU flag led by Comrade Desikan, State Secretary. In Karur, AICCTU flag was hoisted at Velayudhampalayam, residential area of tailors working for export garments. In Pudukottai district, AIALA flags were hoisted at 27 centres by 3 teams of Party and AIALA cadres. In Tirunelveli, CPI(ML) and AICCTU flags were hoisted at 22 places. A cycle rally of 50 cadres criss-crossed Tirunelveli town, Pettai and Mukkodal covering the 22 centres which includes beedi union branches, load-workers union and auto drivers union.

In Salem, hundreds of workers took part at various centres of AICCTU flag hoisting. Co-optex employees union observed May Day. In Coimbatore more than 100 cadres drove motor bikes observing May Day by hoisting flags at 20 centres. In Namakkal district flag hoisting and union boards were put up at 10 centres. In Villupuram district, AIALA flags were hoisted at 5 places. In Dindivanam, Load-workers working in civil supplies corporation observed May Day by hoisting their union flag. Newly formed construction labour union also hoisted their flag. In Dharmapuri, a convention was organized by State Electricity Board Union and AICCTU state office bearers Comrade Jawahar and Chandramohan addressed the gathering. More than 100 employees participated.

ODISHA: May Day was celebrated in Bhubaneswar, Rayagada, Puri, Kendrapara, Rourkela, Khurdha, Gajapati. The East-coast Railway Sweepers’ Union, Motorboat Workers Union, Construction Workers Union, Rickshaw-Cooli Workers Union, Garage Workers Union and Steel Workers Union among others participated in different places.

JHARKHAND: 400 construction workers and non-gazetted employees participated in the May Day march in Ranchi. Flags were hoisted and sankalp sabhas held at different places in Dhanbad’s coal-belt. Flag hoisting and march held at Chas and Bokaro. Public meeting was held in evening and street-corner meetings were held on two consecutive days prior to May Day. Marches were held in Bermo and Chandankiyari.

A large number of construction workers participated in the march and public meeting at Ramgarh town. Unorganised workers participated in a meeting at Argadda in Ramgarh district. Flag hoisted at Ara and Giddi ‘C’ collieries and a joint seminar organised at Giddi by AICCTU, CPI and MCC. Workers from Banjhedih power plant in Koderma held a dharna and later marched to Jhanda Chowk where they held a meeting. March culminating in a meeting took place in Devghar, Naunihaat and Shikaripada in Dumka district, at Bagodar in Giridih district, and Bengabad. May Day was also observed at Gawan, Rajdhanwar, Jamshedpur and Jamtada.

BIHAR: Flag hoisting and marches, rallies were observed on May Day throughout the State. Flag was hoisted at Nalanda Biscuit Factory, at the gates of Patna Dairy and Bankosh Company in Patliputra Industrial Area, hundreds of AICCTU cadres assembled at the office in the afternoon for hoisting the flag. Here, a meeting was held. From the State office of AICCTU a rally was taken out that marched through Industries Association and merged with joint Central Trade Union rallies. The rally was addressed by Comrade RN Thakur, State GS of AICCTU, on behalf of the AICCTU.

A large number of construction workers marched in Jehanabad and two places in Bhojpur where meetings were also held. In Gaya, the May Day celebration began very early at 4 a.m. and comrades covered 35 km with red flags on 25 motorbikes. Meeting was held at Govt. Press. Construction workers hoisted flag and held a meeting in Manpur. May Day was also observed in Bhagalpur with more than 500 workers participation, and AICCTU march throughout the town, Vaishali, Leheriaserai, Darbhanga, Nalanda, Bihar Sharif and Saran (Chhapra).

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, website: www.cpiml.org

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ML UPDATE 19 / 2012

ML UPDATE 19 / 2012

2 May 2012

May Day 2012:

Resist the Onslaught Against Workers’ Rights!

Demand Dignified and Secure Work for All!

International Workers’ Day is an occasion to honour the long legacy of the struggle of workers for their rights, offering a revolutionary challenge to the regime of capital. Even as we salute the memory of the heroic Haymarket martyrs who laid down their lives in the struggle for the 8-hour working day, we are reminded that workers’ hard-won rights are under unrelenting assault today.

Laws to guarantee minimum wages, working hours, the right to unionise, and restrictions on contract labour, are all being blatantly violated in India, even as the Prime Minister loses no opportunity to preach the need to ‘rationalise’ and dilute labour laws! Even in the government sector, the principle of ‘equal pay for equal work’ stands mocked, with the increasing employment of contract labour.

But if the assault is severe, fresh waves of workers’ resistance are being witnessed. Be it workers in the automobile sector – in factories like Maruti in Gurgaon, Rockman and Satyam in Dehradun, or Pricol in Coimbatore – struggles are being waged for the right to have a recognized union and dignified rights at the workplace. Unorganized sector workers and contract workers are also waging significant struggles are several places.

Ironically, the corporates and their ruling class political representatives in the Government, urge dilution of labour laws in the name of creating jobs! We may recall that the policies of liberalization were ushered into India in the 1990s, precisely in the name of creating new job opportunities for Indians. Instead, the two decades of liberalization are witness to ‘growth’ that is abysmally bereft of jobs. The employment rate in India has fallen from 42% in 2004-05 to 39.2% in 2009-10.

What liberalization has achieved is to shrink avenues for employment – and to drastically alter the character of the work that is actually available. Increasingly, jobs are casualised, contractualised, and completely lacking in security, dignity, and basic rights. Between 2004-05 and 2009-10, the number of casual workers grew by 21.9 million, while growth in the number of regular workers nearly halved (compared with the period between 1999-2000 and 2004-05) to 5.8 million. The number of the self-employed, dominated by agricultural workers, fell by 25.1 million.

In general, employment has become difficult to access – and the workplace has become more exploitative and insecure. At the slightest attempt to organize themselves or challenge labour law violations, workers find themselves being shown the door. In the metros, migrant and contractualised workers are especially vulnerable. Women are disproportionately represented in the least-paid and most-exploitative jobs. Again, even in the government sector (such as the rural health ASHA and anganwadi employees), women’s labour is being exploited, for a mere pittance in terms of pay, as these women workers are denied recognition as government employees.

In this backdrop, the demand for the right to dignified and secure jobs for all gains great urgency. This demand has significance far beyond the trade union or workers’ movement alone. This May 1, the AISA and RYA have launched a students and youth campaign, resisting corporate plunder and corruption, and demanding the right to education and employment. The demand for the Right to Employment to be declared a fundamental right – in the sense of dignified and secure employment for all, and a dignified unemployment allowance for all jobless people above the age of 25 – is one of the crucial demands raised by this campaign, which will culminate in a militant student-youth gathering at Parliament on 9 August 2012.

Internationally, May Day 2012 mobilizations reflected the energy of the Occupy movement against corporate plunder and greed, and the huge people’s movements against the austerity measures being imposed by various governments in the name of coping with recession. Workers, students and young people played a very significant role in those movements in the US, as well as European and Latin American countries. In India, too, students, young workers, and job-seekers must join hands to challenge the policies that promote corruption and corporate plunder and exploitation at the cost of young people’s basic rights to education, and to dignified and secure jobs.

CPI(ML)’s First Mumbai-Thane Conference

The first Conference of the Mumbai-Thane unit of CPI(ML) was held on 20 April at Comrade Jayant Ganguly Nagar (Boisar-Jambhlapada) at Comrade Ashok Kumar Hall. The Conference began with hoisting of the party flag by Comrade Kisan Dublake of Jambhlapada. CC member Swapan Mukherjee, who was also the central observer at the Conference, paid floral tributes to the martyrs’ memorial. Around 60 delegates, of whom half were women, participated in the Conference.

The Conference was conducted by a 5-member presidium, headed by Comrade Shyam Gohil, who presented a political-organisational document for discussion in the house, which was read out by Comrade Dhiraj Rathod. After discussion, the document was unanimously adopted by the house. A 11-member Mumbai-Thane committee with Comrade Shyam Gohil as Secretary was then elected.

A 11-member Boisar local committee was also elected. A branch committee for the Mumbai Nagar Nigam union was also elected.

Addressing the house, central observer Comrade Swapan Mukherjee congratulated the comrades and called for intensifying the efforts to organize adivasi people of the area against the ongoing plunder of resources and assaults on their rights.

Comrade Dhiraj Rathod and newly elected secretary Comrade Shyam Gohil also addressed the Conference, calling for all comrades to strengthen the functioning and activism of the party in Mumbai-Thane.

Puducherry Conference of CPI (ML)

CPI(ML)’s 2nd Puducherry UT State Conference was held at Puducherry, the State Capital of Puducherry UT, on 22nd and 23rd April 2012. The town was decorated with festoons, red flags and hoardings. The central call of the Conference, ‘Intensify working class struggles to punish the NR Congress government’s anti-people policies and betrayed promises’ got a warm response from the working class and the democratic sections of the state.

On 22nd April (Comrade Lenin’s birth anniversary and Party Foundation day) evening a big rally was organized, led by Com. S Motilal, State Committee member and Com. P Sankaran, State Committee member. The rally passed through the main thoroughfare of the town and ended with a public meeting.

The public meeting was presided by Com. G Palani, District Secretary, and CCM Comrade Balasundaram, and outgoing State Secretary Com. S Balasubramanian addressed the gathering.

The Conference began on 23rd April, with unfurling of the red flag by senior Party comrade Dhanalakshmi. Leaders and comrades paid homage at the martyrs’ column.

CCM Comrade Kalyan Goswami, central observer, delivered the inaugural address and called for consolidation of party and expansion of struggles.

A five member presidium was elected to conduct the proceedings of the conference Com. S Balasubramanian, secretary of the outgoing state committee, submitted the draft report for discussion and approval of the conference.

Comrade Ammaiyappan, District CPI(ML) Secretary Cuddalore, Tamilnadu, Com. Shenbagavalli District Secretary AIPWA, Villupuram Tamilnadu, Immigrants Nepalese (India) Association Puducherry Secretary Bidur Sharma attended the conference.

26 delegates (9 women), 6 observers and 5 invitees attended the conference. The conference elected unopposed a nine member state committee. Com. S. Balasubramanian was elected unanimously as State Secretary.

During the conference preparation, comrades made door to door and shop to shop campaign and fund collection. A week long fund collection was also done in the central Bus stand of Puducherry which evoked much response.

AILC Leaders Address May Day Rally at Darjeeling

Darjeeling witnessed an impressive rally of the CPRM on May Day. Thousands marched with red flags aflutter, with leaders of the CPRM and All India Left Coordination at the forefront. The rally was marked by the large and enthusiastic presence of youth and women.

The rally was presided over by Comrade LN Lama. The rally was the first major public gathering in Darjeeling since the GTA agreement, and the growing unrest against the State Govt’s failure to honour the agreement and take it forward was palpable. Speakers at the rally included CPRM Chairman RB Rai, CPRM General Secretary Taramani Rai, CPI(ML) General Secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya, CPM Punjab Secretary Mangat Ram Pasla, Left Coordination Committee Kerala Secretary Comrade Kumaran Kutty, and Lal Nishan Party (Leninist) Secretary Bhimrao Bansode. CPI(ML) PB member Comrade Kartik Pal, as well as CC member Abhijit Mazumdar and West Bengal State Committee member Basudev Bose participated in the Rally.

On 30 April, an AILC Convention was held at Darjeeling, which adopted a political resolution, the full text of which is reproduced below.

Resolution adopted at the AILC Convention (Darjeeling, 30 April 2012)

The convention of fighting Left forces being held in Darjeeling on 30 April 2012 welcomes the growing countrywide unity of Left forces under the banner of the All India Left Coordination (AILC). The AILC which was launched in August 2010 in Delhi through a national convention convened by the CPI(ML)(Liberation), CPM Punjab, Lal Nishan Party (Leninist) of Maharashtra and Left Coordination Committee of Kerala has become stronger with the Communist Party of Revolutionary Marxists (CPRM) joining the AILC as its fifth constituent.

The Darjeeling Convention of AILC supports the Gorkha people’s quest for self-determination. Demands for statehood and greater autonomy are being raised in different corners of the country, Telengana, Gorkhaland, the hill districts of Assam being the most prominent ongoing struggles in this context. The AILC supports the aspirations of various identities to secure greater recognition and opportunities in India’s federal democratic set-up and calls for the setting up of a Second States Reorganisation Commission for a speedy and sympathetic resolution of the statehood and autonomy demands.

The AILC convention resolves to intensify the battle of the Indian people against growing corruption and corporate loot and calls for enactment of an effective anti-corruption legislation and for reversal of the pro-liberalisation policies to ensure public control over all our precious resources. The AILC extends full support to the student-youth campaign for education and employment rights beginning from May 1 which will culminate in a March to Parliament on August 9. The AILC also calls upon the working people and Left ranks to prepare for sustained struggle against rising prices and unemployment and to secure people’s right to basic amenitiesand all-round development.

The Darjeeling Convention of AILC calls for withdrawal of all draconian laws and restoration and guarantee of democracy in every sphere. In particular the convention calls for repeal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act and the sweeping provisions of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, an immediate halt to the Operation Greenhunt, release of all political prisoners and withdrawal of false cases on activists and leaders of people’s movements.

This convention condemns the growing attacks on freedom of expression by supporters and leaders of the Trinamool Congress in various parts of West Bengal. The Mamata Banerjee-led regime came to power promising change and democracy, but with every passing day it is betraying the people and belying their hopes. This convention resolves to hold high the banner of democracy and development, stand by the people in distress and wage determined struggle against every assault and every act of betrayal by the new regime.

Co-optex Temporary Employees Win Regularisation

Co-optex is the Tamil Nadu state government undertaking with showrooms selling clothes and garments produced by co-operative weavers’ societies. Their retail outlets are spread all over India, and the main functioning union in this sector is led by Comrade S Kumarasamy, All India President of AICCTU. Apart from raising the demands of permanent employees, the Union consistently fought for the permanency of about 220 temporary salesmen, organising dharnas, hunger strikes, and demonstrations. An Industrial dispute was also raised before the Labour Commissioner, Chennai. The Union struggles and negotiations finally resulted in an agreement conceding the demands. It was agreed to regularize 61 employees with some norms like age below 40 years and educational qualification of pass in +2 examinations.

The Union in its 48th General body meeting held at Chennai on 14 April resolved to take up the cause of other workers for permanency who are not meeting the Government’s stipulations. The General Body also re-elected Com. S Kumarasamy as its President and Com Antony Raj as its General Secretary. The GB was addressed by state deputy GS of AICCTU Com A S Kumar.

It was also decided to meet the Management on filling up of vacancies, and also appeal to the government to provide cotton sarees and dhoties under the government scheme of free clothing instead of polyester clothing.

Tamilnadu Load Workers’ Struggle

More than 500 load workers from all over Tamilnadu gheroed the HQ office of the Civil Supplies Corporation at Chennai on 30 April. The agitation was led by Comrade Govindaraj, General Secretary of the load workers’ union. It was addressed by Com. S Kumarasamy, All India President of AICCTU and Com. T Sankarapandian, state GS of AICCTU. After the militant demonstration, a representative team met the senior officials at the office and discussed the demands with them.

About 7000 workers with up to 30 years of service are engaged in loading and unloading work in the civil supplies corporation. Their work plays an important role in implementing the Public Distribution System in the state. But they are being deprived of all legal and statutory provisions. AICCTU demands:

• Regularisation of load workers working for more than 30 years and fixing of wage equal to that of weighing assistant.

• Provident fund contribution to be made to more than 3000 temporary load workers.

• Minimum Wages for loading and un-loading as per Government Order has to be implemented along with DA of Rs.60 to Rs. 70 on a daily basis.

• Uniformity in issuing identity card to all including temporary load workers.

• All load workers should be provided with 1 day of leave for every 6 days of work and an yearly leave of 10 days without any discrimination.

During the course of preparation, cadre meetings were organized in Tirunelveli, Tiruppur, Vilupuram and Tiruvellore districts attended by leaders of the union Comrades Sankarapandian, Govindaraj, Maniraj, P T Rajasekar, Duraipandian, Ganesan and Arumugam along with state AICCTU and CPI(ML) leaders.

Preparation for the struggle forced the State Food Minister to announce PF contribution to 3500 temporary load workers on the floor of the Assembly. It was decided to take the movement further by enrolling more members as well as expanding to more districts.

Strike of of Sirkazhi Conservancy Workers

The conservancy workers of Sirkazhi organized under the banner of Democratic Conservancy Workers’ Union went on strike demanding filling up of vacant posts and better wages for contract labourers.

It all first started with the issue of wages to contract labourers doing the same work. The Union raised the wage issue of contract labourers over a long time, and petitions have already been handed over to concerned authorities. The contract labourers are being paid only Rs.100 per day. When a new contract was to start from April 1, Union leaders negotiated with Municipality Officers for increase in wages on March 31. Since there was no headway, all 15 contract workers first went on strike. Then Union met on the 2nd day and decided to join the strike in order to meet the demand. Shocked by the decision, the administration tried to pacify the workers but workers were firm. Due to the strike, the whole Sirkazhi town was full of garbage. Then, Chairman and Commissioner of the Municipality held negotiations with union leaders and assured them of action on their demands. But leaders remained firm and asked for a written commitment. On 2nd April, a letter signed by the Chairman and Commissioner was given, addressed to the President of the union.

Thanks to the struggle, the salary of contract workers has been increased to Rs.150 and 10 more contract labourers have been employed. Unity between permanent and contract workers contributed to the success of this struggle. This struggle was led by Comrade Prabhakaran, in-charge of CPI(ML) party, and other office bearers of the union.

DTC Workers’ Unity Centre GBM

The DTC (Delhi Transport Corporation) Workers’ Unity Centre held its annual GBM at the VSNL CTO hall on 27 April 2012, emphasizing the demands for regularization of the contract and daily workers of DTC; implementing equal pay for equal work; and intensifying the struggles against the cluster and Annual Maintenance Contract (AMC) policies of the Delhi Government.

The GBM took place at a time when Delhi’s public transport, especially DTC, is being privatized, DTC’s wprkshops being shut down, running staff and other work being contractualised and outsourced, and DTC being turned into a mere ‘monitoring body’ by the ruling Congress government. Apart from the Delhi Metro, the city needs at least 25000 buses, but the Delhi Government has not bought any new buses in the past 8 years except for the 3775 buses bought under compulsion during the Commonwealth Games. As a result, only about 400 roadworthy DTC buses ply on Delhi streets. Even the funds made available by the Central Government have been left unspent.

The GBM’s document pointed out that due to the rampant policies of privatization:

1. The future of around 20000 employees and their families is uncertain;

2. There are over 14000 young contract workers in DTC, who are not being regularized in spite of assurances being made for several years;

3. In spite of doing identical work, these contract workers are severely exploited and face repression. The stress they undergo is resulting in increased accidents. They are deprived of equal pay and facilities for equal work.

4. Steering duty for drivers must be restricted to 6.30 hours in order to ensure stress-free work and reduce accidents.

5. To promote profits of cluster bus owners, the government is spending Rs 71 per km on them. But DTC has not got any subsidies for the past 20 years. The Government is only giving Rs 19 per km as operational costs to DTC.

6. The Government is paying approximately Rs 15 crore rupees as AMC to various agencies towards maintenance of new low floor, AC, and non-AC buses. In spite of this, most of these buses are in bad shape and fast deteriorating. The AMC must be scrapped without delay, and maintenance brought under to DTC itself.

7. The GBM demanded a high-level committee to investigate the rampant corruption and scams in the purchase and AMC of new buses.

The GBM also noted that DTC employees are the lowest paid government employees, with the least facilities. Their struggle for TA under the 6th Pay Commission has been ongoing for years. The ordinary employee is forced retire after 3-35 years of service without a single promotion, whereas officers are being promoted. The condition of workshop, CED, security and fourth grade employees and drivers is even worse. DTC employees are deprived of the cashless medical schemes, and DTC pension fund is likely to be scrapped in the near future.

The GBM noted the good initiatives taken by the Unity Centre in recent times, and resolved to hold a Public Hearing on privatization policies and DTC’s future in September 2012.

More than half the 71 delegates at the GBM were young workers – a result of the consistent campaign among new and contractualised employees.

CPI(ML) Delhi State Secretary Sanjay Sharma, AICCTU Delhi President VKS Gautam, RYA leader Aslam, MTNL leader Satbir Singh, and AICCTU VP Mathura Paswan addressed the GBM. The GBM elected 19 office-bearers, a 33-member executive and a 67-member Council, with Comrade Shankaran as General Secretary and Comrade Rajesh Kumar as President.

May Day was observed across the country by the AICCTU – detailed reports from the states and sectors will be carried in the forthcoming issue.

ML UPDATE 18 / 2012

ML UPDATE 18 / 2012

26 Apr 2012

Stand by Bathani Tola in the Battle for a New and Just Bihar

Nearly 16 years ago Bathani Tola had shocked and shamed the nation as yet another site of a gory massacre in Bihar. An obscure sleepy hamlet in Sahar block of Bhojpur district in Bihar, Bathani Tola experienced a brutal feudal assault on a fateful July afternoon in 1996. As many as 21 lives, including 11 women, seven children and two infants were killed with a kind of barbarity that was to be seen on a much bigger scale six years later in Gujarat. Bathani Tola was indeed a precursor to the 2002 Gujarat genocide. With Bathani Tola, the country woke up to the sordid reality of the Ranveer Sena, an upper caste feudal private army massacring the oppressed rural poor with the avowed aim of exterminating the CPI(ML) and the radical peasant movement.

Sixteen years later, Bathani Tola is back in the news. The oppressed poor of this obscure village, who have been waiting for justice for years together, have experienced yet another massacre. This time round, it is a judicial massacre perpetrated by the High Court of Bihar which has overturned the verdict of the lower court and acquitted one and all who were convicted for their heinous role in executing this barbaric massacre. While acquitting the guilty, the High Court has apologised to some of the accused even as it has termed the witnesses liars spinning tales. Nothing could perhaps demonstrate the farcical nature of the judicial system than the failure or refusal of the system to mete out any punishment to anybody for a massacre of 21 persons that had taken place not in the darkness of night but in broad daylight.

When Bathani Tola happened Bihar was being ruled by Laloo Prasad with the slogan of social justice. The government banned the Ranveer Sena but the ban was never enforced and the Sena went on massacring people at will. Laxmanpur Bathe, Shankarbigha, Narayanpur, Miyanpur – the list of massacres got longer even as Laloo Prasad himself told his audience in a public meeting that he was ready to team up with the devil to finish the CPI(ML) off. On one level Laloo Prasad waxed eloquent against the BJP, but in Bihar his own government continued to connive with the most reactionary organ of feudal-communal violence. Sixteen years later Bihar today is ruled by Nitish Kumar with the backing of an increasingly aggressive BJP. The slogan of social justice has given way to the rhetoric of development with justice. But for the predominantly dalit, and as in the case of Bathani Tola also Muslim, victims of feudal violence, justice clearly remains as elusive as ever.

What has happened to the Bathani Tola victims is no judicial accident. This has rather been the norm in Bihar and if this exposes for the umpteenth time the caste-class bias of the judiciary we must remember this bias is reinforced by the government of the day. This was true of Congress-ruled Bihar when upper caste politicians used to dominate in the government, and it has remained true all through the last two decades when Laloo Prasad and Nitish Kumar have been in the helm with slogans of social justice or good governance. We must remember that the first thing that Nitish Kumar did on assuming power was to abandon the Amir Das Commission set up in the wake of the Laxmanpur Bathe massacre to probe the political links of the Ranveer Sena. His government also made sure that Brahmeshwar Singh, the infamous supremo of the Ranveer Sena, came out on bail to vitiate the trial of various massacres cases. And Sunil Pandey, another notorious lynchpin of the Sena had already been acquitted and today he is the JD(U) MLA from the post-delimitation Tarari constituency that Bathani Tola comes under.

The abandoning of the Amir Das commission and the subsequent dumping of the Land Reform Commission reports have been two key steps of the Nitish Kumar dispensation that clearly reveal the pro-feudal character of the regime. The verdict delivered by the High Court is just a natural consequence. Equally ‘natural’ in Nitish Kumar’s Bihar is the conviction of people challenging the feudal order. Rupam Pathak, a teacher who had been fed up with being subjected to continuous sexual harassment by a BJP MLA has been issued life sentence and Bodhan Sada and his comrades, who had been fighting for the land rights and dignity of the landless rural poor of the Musahar community, christened Mahadalit by the Nitish government to win the community’s votes, have been handed out death sentences.

Even as Bathani Tola grapples with this judicial massacre, ruling class politicians continue to play their political cards. Union Home Minister P Chidambaram wonders why nobody is speaking out in favour of the Bathani Tola victims, Bihar government says it would now approach the Supreme Court for justice! While challenging the feudal bias on every front and level, the battle for justice for the Bathani Tola victims will have to rebuff this pretentious politics of crocodile tears. The renewed massacre and shame of Bathani Tola has revealed like nothing else what continues to ail and retard Bihar. For everybody aspiring for a better future for Bihar in the centenary of its administrative birth, the message is loud and clear. Bihar can only move forward by effecting a decisive rupture with the still well entrenched feudal forces and mindset, and the continuing politics of appeasement of and alliance with feudal forces is the biggest betrayal to the cause of both justice and development for Bihar. Let us stand by Bathani Tola in this battle for a new and just Bihar.

Convention Demands for Victims of Bathani Tola Massacre

A Convention was held in the national capital on ‘Bathani Tola Acquittal: Political Complicity and Issues of Justice in Feudal and Communal Massacres’, on 23 April in the evening, at the Gandhi Peace Foundation. The Convention was organized by the CPI(ML) in the backdrop of the Bihar HC verdict acquitting all the accused in the Bathani Tola massacre.

Introducing the issue, Kavita Krishnan, Central Committee member of the CPI(ML) said that the Bihar HC verdict had serious implications for the struggle for justice, not only in the Bathani Tola case but for all victims of feudal-communal massacres in Bihar and the rest of the country. The verdict disbelieves the evidence of eyewitnesses, by suggesting that had they really been present, they too would have been killed by the perpetrators. The verdict therefore implies that only the dead can be accepted as truthful witnesses to a massacre! If we declare it impossible for there to be any survivors and eyewitnesses to a massacre, then how can we ever convict any perpetrators of a massacre?

Prof. Anand Chakravarty spoke about the deep chasm between the rule of law and ‘justice’. He said that ‘justice’ should be understood not just in a judicial sense but in the wider sense of economic, social, and political justice. Citing instances of judicial bias against the dalit and adivasi agrarian labourers, he quoted the Tamil Nadu High Court verdict in the Kilvenmani massacre of 1969, which had found it ‘astonishing’ and ‘difficult to believe’ that ‘rich men, owning vast extents of land’, one of whom even ‘possessed a car’, could be guilty of burning alive 42 dalits! In the context of the Rupaspur (Purnea) massacre of 14 adivasi sharecroppers in 1971, he quoted the words of a well-known advocate who had justified the massacre, “It is because of me (i.e the landlord) that he had the land, it is because of me that he had a livelihood … Now he is violating that relationship by refusing to share the crop; this is a breach of trust which cannot be tolerated.” Prof. Chakravarty spoke of the principal social contradictions of Bihar, in the backdrop of which the Ranveer Sena had conducted more than 23 massacres in Bihar in the 1990s. The apparent reason for the massacres lay in contestations over land, wages and social dignity, he said, and the mobilizations of the radical Left groups on the latter issues, he stressed, were largely demanding rights within the Constitutional framework. The real reason for the massacres, he felt, was that the assertion of the underclass was viewed as an act of defiance against the hierarchical class and caste order. He held that the Bihar Government today, for all its rhetoric, is actually deeply inimical to the economic, social and political entitlements of the oppressed classes, and that therefore the prospects of justice for the latter are quite weak.

Senior advocate Prashant Bhushan spoke about the entrenched upper class and caste biases in the judiciary, and about how difficult it is for the poor and oppressed to approach the Courts for justice, or even to prove their innocence when they are falsely framed for some crime by the state machinery.

Prof. Nandini Sundar of Delhi University said that we should be hopeful and confident that the people of Bathani Tola would get justice – not so much because one has faith in the judiciary, but because one has faith in the commitment of the people and the party towards the struggle for justice. She said that the verdict seems to blame the survivors and witnesses for the weaknesses of the police investigators and prosecutors. She questioned the underlying assumption that the Bathani Tola massacre was a result of group rivalries (i.e between CPI(ML) and the Ranveer Sena), and that the survivors’ political affiliation made them ‘unreliable witnesses.’ She said that P Chidambaram was being opportunist when he asked why no one demanded justice for the Bathani Tola victims; since he himself was in the habit of branding those who raised such matters as ‘Maoist sympathizers.’

Jaya Mehta, economist and activist, spoke of her visit along with a team, to Amausi in Khagaria district of Bihar, which was the site of a massacre in 2009. She pointed out that in stark contrast to Bathani Tola where the Ara verdict had come out in 14 years later, a verdict sentencing 10 musahars (‘mahadalits’) including Comrade Bodhan Sada to death had come out within four years. She held that Amausi verdict to be deeply unjust and out of sync with the facts on the ground as emerged from the team’s preliminary enquiry. Noting the Bihar Government’s back-tracking on the question of land reform, she stressed the need for a united Left movement on the question of land reform and land rights to the oppressed.

Comrade Ramji Rai, politburo member of the CPI(ML), said that 16 years ago, Ranveer Sena committed the massacre in Bathani Tola, but now, what we are witnessing is a judicial massacre of Bathani Tola. And the foundations of this massacre of justice, he said, were laid long ago: when the Nitish Kumar Government came to power and disbanded the Amir Das Commission that been set up to enquire into the political patrons of the Ranveer Sena.

He reminded that the Bathani Tola massacre was a virulent feudal-communal backlash against the bid at political and social equality by the poor and oppressed of Bhojpur. The CPI(ML) had won two Assembly seats at Sahar and Sandesh in 1995 – and this was the immediate backdrop in which the Ranveer Sena came into being. He recalled speaking to Sheetal Choudhury from Ara, who had said that Bhojpur had witnessed a ‘little revolution’ (chhoti moti kranti) that had forced the feudal forces to accept the dalit and landless oppressed as political and social equals. The massacre was intended to punish this assertion and reestablish the old order.

He pointed out the strong ideological and political linkages between the Ranveer Sena and the Sangh Parivar, and the communal overtones of the feudal massacre at Bathani Tola, in which Muslim families had been singled out for the most barbaric crimes. There was documentary evidence, he said, that the Ranveer Sena chief Brahmeshwar Singh had called to ‘throw out the red flag from India’s soil.’ Reminiscent of the Bajrang Dal, Brahmeshwar had called for liquidation of the ‘Naxalites,’ saying that when Hanuman burnt Lanka, he had not spared women and children. Brahmeshwar Singh, mirroring the nationalist posturing of the Sangh Parivar, had called his organization the ‘nationalist’ (rashtravadi) peasant organization. Nitish’s predecessor Laloo Prasad, in spite of his anti-communal posturing, had never acted against the Ranveer Sena. Brahmeshwar Singh, the Ranveer Sena chief, had never been named in any of the FIRs of massacres. And the Nitish Government had failed even to oppose the bail plea of Brahmeshwar Singh, allowing him to walk free!

Comrade Ramji Rai called for a countrywide declaration of rejection of and struggle against the ‘judicial massacre’ represented by the Bihar HC verdict on Bathani Tola.

The Convention ended with recitation of poems by the people’s poet and balladeer Vidrohi.

Day-long Sit-In at Patna Against Bathani Tola Acquittal

The CPI(ML) held a day-long sit-in at Kargil Chowk, Patna, against the acquittal of all accused in the Bathani Tola massacre case. CPI(ML) CC member KD Yadav presided over the dharna, which was conducted by party State Committee member Comrade Sudama Prasad. CPI(ML) activists from Ara, Jehanabad, Arwal, Nalanda, and Patna, as well as Bathani Tola massacre survivor Nayeemuddin, who lost six family members in the carnage, participated in the sit-in. Leaders of several Left-democratic parties, and progressive intellectuals participated in the sit-in and condemned the Bihar HC verdict.

The sit-in was addressed by CPI(ML) Bihar State Secretary Kunal, CPI State Secretariat member Chakradhar Singh, CPI(M) State Secretary Vijaykant Thakur, Arun Singh of SUCI (C), Forward Bloc State Secretary Vakeel Thakur and State Executive member Shri Narayan Singh, CITU leader Arun Mishra, CPI(M) State Secretariat members Sarandhar Paswan and Rajkumar Choudhury, Anoop Ram of the Bihar State Non-Gazetted Employees Association, AITUC leader Gaznafar Nawab, national secretary of Shoshit Samaj Dal Dr. Sant Singh, as well as CPI(ML) CC member Rameshwar Prasad, AIALA GS Dhirendra Jha, AIPWA State President Saroj Choubey and State Secretary Shashi yadav, AIKM leader Arun Singh, Chandradeep Singh, CPI(ML)’s Arwal district secretary Mahanand, Umesh Singh, Gopal Ravidas, Ramnarayan Singh, CPI(ML)’s Nalanda

district secretary Surendra Ram, and Jehanabad district secretary Sriniwas Sharma, AICCTU leader Ranvijay Kumar, Ward Councillor Tota Choudhury, AISA State President Raju Yadav, RYA State Secretary Naveen Kumar, Naseem Ansari, Mo. Shamim and other activists. Social activist Mohd. Ghalib also participated in the sit-in.

The participants in the sit-in accused Nitish Kumar’s Government of shielding the perpetrators of feudal massacres in Bihar. They pointed out that in this regime, the Amir Das Commission had been disbanded, the notorious Butcher of Bathani and Bathe, and Brahmeshwar ‘mukhiya’ released from jail, and that these events had set the stage for the acquittal of the perpetrators of the Bathani Tola massacre. Bathani Tola massacre survivor Nayeemuddin said he was stunned by the acquittal, and would appeal in the Supreme Court against it.

The sit-in resolved to take forward the struggle for justice for the victims and survivors of the Bathani Tola massacre and other feudal-communal massacres committed by the Ranveer Sena.

Violence on Dalits in Dadri

Dalits in Chamravli Ramgarh village of Dadri (Distt. Gautambuddh Nagar) in UP, not far from the national capital, were brutally assaulted by the dominant sections, in order to punish them for refusing to cooperate with attempts to alienate dalits from their rightful land and sell to real estate lobbies and builders.

On March 14, the Gram Pradhan of Ramgarh, Kuldeep Bhati and his goons attacked the dalit settlement of the village, entering homes and beating up men, women, and elderly alike with sticks and iron rods. Several were injured, and three of those severely injured by sharp weapons had to be hospitalised in intensive care. More than 10 men and women had broken limbs. A few narrowly escaped bullets. A large number of women were badly injured. The police, when it finally arrived on the scene, did nothing to arrest the assailants who brazenly remained at the spot. More than a month after the incident, no one has yet been arrested for this criminal assault in broad daylight. The dalit youth are being threatened, the perpetrators roam free, and the entire dalit community lives in fear.

At the bottom of this attack is piece of gram panchayat land of about 5 bighas, which is part of the panchayati land reserved for the use of dalits, which Gram Pradhan Kuldeep Bhati has illegally grabbed by force. The dalit homes which for years have been on this land, have been surrounded by a 7 foot-high wall. Virtually imprisoned, they have to scale that wall every time they want to go out of their homes. Every day, every time.

Ever since a written complaint about this encirclement and attempted land grab was submitted to the SDM on 24 January, the offensive on the dalit families, especially on youth, has intensified. There have been attempts on the life of Brahm Jatav, the youth who made the complaint.

Quite a while ago, many Valmiki (dalit) families have already been beaten up and forced to leave the village, and their land has been occupied by the dominant sections. In neighbouring Bironda village, too, there have been attacks on dalilts by the dominant sections, over land. The dalits and the poor are the softest target of the drive by corporate houses like JP and Ansals to corner land for huge apartment complexes, malls, elite cities, and so on. The spreading real estate bazaar has, on the ground, created a dangerous nexus of feudal criminals, local authorities, elected representatives, and land mafia.In the entire Gautam Buddha Nagar district, this nexus is conspiring to encircle dalits and forcibly make them give up their rightfully allotted land. And all this is well known to the authorities, and both in the earlier Mayawati regime and now in the SP regime, the nexus is actually being encouraged to alienate dalits from their land by hook or crook.

CPI(ML)’s Noida city activist Comrade Chandrabhan Singh got to know of the incident and made contact with the affected people. A CPI(ML) fact-finding team CPI(ML)’s Gautam Buddh Nagar In-charge Comrade Shyam Kishore; Noida City CPI(ML) leaders Comrades Chandrabhan Singh and Shivji Singh; AISA National President Sandeep Singh, JNUSU General Secretary Ravi Prakash, RYA leader Aslam Khan; and AISA activists Anubhuti, Anmol and Harsh visited the village on 27 March 2012. On 29 March, the villagers under the banner of CPI(ML) demonstrated at the DM’s office, and a delegation including Brahm Jatav, some of the injured women, and CPI(ML) leaders, met the DM, who assured them that action would be taken. But instead of arresting the perpetrators, the latter have been let off on bail one by one on some pretext or the other.

The village youth have formed a unit of the Revolutionary Youth Association (RYA), and have called for a protest meeting in the Ramgarh village itself on 25 April.

All over UP, there have been several instances of attacks on Dalits after the SP victory. In the Noida-NCR region, however, the main factor behind the attacks and harassment of Dalits is the agenda of forcing Dalits to vacate their rightful land which will then be sold by dominant sections to real estate builders – and this agenda carries over from the previous regime to the new one.

Party Foundation Day

The 43rd Party Foundation Day of CPI(ML) was observed by party members and units all over the country on April 22. Saluting the legacy of Comrade Lenin on his birth anniversary, and the legacy of the Naxalbari movement, party members hoisted the party flag, held meetings at district and state levels in all states, and adopted the party’s call resolving to ‘Intensify the Battle against Corruption and Corporate Offensive and Launch all-out Preparations for the Party’s 9thCongress’.

ML UPDATE 17 / 2012

ML UPDATE

17/2012

From Nandigram to Nonadanga:

The Change That Never Happened

The TMC regime came to power in West Bengal with a promise of ‘Poriborton’ (change) from the policies of state repression and eviction of the poor pursued by the erstwhile CPIM-LF Government. But the promise of change is unraveling fast, and all sections of the people in West Bengal are witnessing all-out fascist assaults on democratic rights.

Land grab and brutal eviction of peasants at Singur and Nandigram had unleashed widespread resentment and protest, resulting in the unseating of CPIM’s Government and helping Mamata Banerjee’s TMC win power with her slogan of ‘Ma-Mati-Manush’ (Mother-Land-Humanity). Recent developments in TMC-ruled W Bengal, however, appear a cruel mockery of that slogan. Slum-dwellers at Kolkata’s Nonadanga (mostly refugees rendered homeless by the Aila hurricane) were forcibly evicted by the State Government, and when they protested, a ruthless lathicharge followed, injuring many including a pregnant woman and an infant. When concerned citizens protested against the eviction and the police repression, 68 protestors were arrested. Seven of the protestors were jailed, and shamelessly, the TMC regime has re-opened cases against some of them, relating to the protests against land grab at Nandigram! For Mamata Banerjee, it seems, the show of sympathy for the protests at Singur and Nandigram was only a ploy to secure power.

In yet another incident, a protest organized by the auto-drivers’ union (incidentally one that was supportive of the TMC) was subjected to an assault by TMC goons. TMC goons also beat up people marching in a procession organized by a civil liberties’ group against the Nonadanga eviction.

A spate of rapes in the State was blatantly denied by the Chief Minister, who accused the complainants of lying to malign her Government. In a recent incident in South 24 Parganas, a retired scientist and his daughter were beaten up and the latter stripped naked: reportedly by their landlord and members of a local ‘club’, to pressurize them to vacate their rented flat. Significantly, the assailants reportedly included both TMC and CPM supporters.

The West Bengal Government’s offensives are ominous – with a touch of the ludicrous and farcical. A Jadavpur University professor was beaten up by TMC goons and arrested past midnight – for the ‘crime’ of circulating a light-hearted and witty cartoon lampooning the Chief Minister. Earlier, the Chief Minister banned a range of leading newspapers from public libraries. A TMC Minister has asked people not to marry ‘CPIM workers.’ The State’s CID is policing social networking sites, seeking to remove any cartoons that are ‘derogatory’ to the Chief Minister. Mamata Banerjee has asked the Centre for measures against ‘cyber crimes’: apparently referring to cartoons and comments critical of her on the internet!

It must be noted that in Mamata-ruled West Bengal ‘CPIM worker’ and ‘Maoist’ are shorthand for any form of dissent or criticism of the Government, and for every form of Left activism. Everything from cartoons to rapes to deaths of babies in hospitals are blamed on ‘CPIM conspiracy’, while all forms of agitations and protests are branded as ‘Maoist,’ as a pretext for cracking down on them. What West Bengal is witnessing today is a virtual anti-communist witch-hunt, with every shade of democratic dissent being intimidated, gagged, and punished.

In TMC-ruled West Bengal, as in CPIM-ruled West Bengal, you can expect eviction from your land and slums if you are poor, and you can expect attacks by police and cadres, as well as jail if you protest such eviction. But there is an added fascist dimension in today’s Bengal: your gatherings at Coffee House will be policed, the Government will decide what you are allowed to read, and laughing at the Chief Minister can land you in jail.

But the ray of hope in West Bengal lies in the sustained protests against the assaults on democracy – protests that continue undeterred by the Government’s campaign of crackdown and intimidation.

Condemnation and Protests Against Acquittal of All Bathani Tola Accused

Terming the Bihar HC verdict acquitting all 23 perpetrators of the Bathani Tola massacre to be the result of a conspiracy against the poor, the CPI(ML) pointed to complicity of the Nitish-led BJP-JD(U) Government in protecting the perpetrators of feudal atrocities.

On 11 July 1996, the feudal private army, the Ranveer Sena, conducted a gruesome massacre at the hamlet of Bathani Tola, hacking to death 21 landless poor people, mostly from the Dalit and other oppressed castes and the minority community. Children and pregnant women were especially targeted in manner which can be said to have provided a template for the Sangh Parivar’s genocide against Muslims at Gujarat in 2002. Then President KR Narayanan had termed the massacre to be a national shame. After Bathani Tola, the Ranveer Sena perpetrated similar massacres at Laxmanpur Bathe and Miyanpur.

A lower court in 2010 had convicted 23 persons for the massacre, passing a death sentence on three and sentencing the rest to life imprisonment. The recent Bihar HC verdict has shockingly acquitted all 23.

The HC order observed that “The investigation was not fair in respect of the persons who perpetrated the ghastly crime … Apparently investigation has directed in a particular direction far from the truth and not above suspicion.” Therefore it is clear that the state machinery and police in Nitish-ruled Bihar is doing all it can to weaken the case and protect the guilty. Not long ago, Ranveer Sena chief Brahmeshwar Singh, notorious as the Butcher of Bathani Tola, went free after the Government failed to oppose his bail plea! Earlier, the RJD Government which had been in power at the time of the massacres, had also done its utmost to protect Brahmeshwar and others of the Ranveer Sena. The Nitish Government, as soon as it came to power, disbanded the Amir Das Commission, which had been about to name several political leaders including many from the BJP-JD(U), as patrons of the Ranveer Sena. In Nitish’s Bihar, mahadalits are sentenced to death for the Amausi massacre while perpetrators of feudal atrocities against dalits and the rural poor go scot free.

The CPI(ML) has demanded that in view of the glaring complicity of the Bihar Government with the perpetrators of feudal massacres, the Supreme Court should take cognizance of all cases relating to such massacres at Bathani Tola, Bathe and Miyanpur, and pass an appropriate order to ensure that justice is not subverted.

Condemning the verdict which exposed the hollowness of Nitish’s promises of ‘Justice Along With Development,’ CPI(ML) held protests all over Bihar, at the capital Patna and at Bhojpur, Jehanabad, Arwal, Sasaram, Bihar Sharif, Siwan, Gopalganj, Champaran, Gaya, Navada, Muzaffarpur and other districts. In Patna the protest march was led by Politburo member Ramji Rai, CC Members KD Yadav and Saroj Chaubey, AISA State Secretary Abhyuday, SCMs Naveen Kumar, Anita Sinha, and RYA National President Kamlesh Sharma.

The Call of April 22, 2012:

Intensify the Battle against Corruption and Corporate Offensive!

Launch all-out Preparations for the Party’s 9thCongress!

Recent times have seen a great worldwide upswing in popular struggles and India is surely no exception. The country continues to pulsate with powerful struggles against mega corruption, land acquisition, mining loot,and arrogant, autocratic governance. The scam-ridden UPA governmenthas been pushed back on several occasions. Be it the issue of FDI in retail, fare hike in the railways or the move to give sweeping powers to the Intelligence Bureau in the name of countering terrorism, the government has had to either withhold or roll back its decisions. The situation calls upon us to deliver more powerful blows to the powers that be to press for substantive policy changes and push back the growing corporate assault on the Indian economy and polity.

Meanwhile, the list of scams continues to get longer with explosive revelations emerging from within the top layers of the system. A leading newspaper has published a draft CAG report exposing the process of allotment of coal blocks to private companies causing an estimated loss of about Rs. 11 lakh crore to the national exchequer, more than six times the magnitude of the 2G scam that came to light in 2010. This has once again brought to the fore the need to establish public control over our precious national resources.

In a series of stunning statements, none else than the Army chief himself has raised his voice against massive corruption and irregularities in defence purchases. This year’s budget has provided a huge sum to the tune of nearly Rs. 2 lakh crore for defence expenditure. Defence outlay constitutes the single biggest item of budgetary allocation in every successive budget. Clearly the huge expenditure which is always sought to be justified in the name of national security has become a source of limitless loot by a corrupt nexus of arms dealers, army top brass, top bureaucrats and ruling politicians. Enforcing strict monitoring and absolute accountability of defence expenditure is the need of the hour and this must go hand in hand with reduction in arms imports and greater emphasis on improved indigenous defence production.

A third shocking example of political corruption has come once again from Jharkhand where in an unprecedented move Election Commission had to cancel the RajyaSabha elections and the High Court had to order a CBI probe into the horse-trading of MLAs cutting across political divides. As ever, the lone CPI(ML) MLA in the Jharkhand Assembly has been the most honourable and consistent exception and bold voice of protest to this murky politics.

The Constitution of India envisioned the RajyaSabha as a Council of States, a federal complement to the LokSabha or the House of the People. The federal nature of the RajyaSabha was first undermined by parties like the Congress using the RajyaSabha for backdoor entry of leaders from states on the basis of false residential claims. Thus Manmohan Singh entered the RajyaSabha from Assam just as Pranab Mukherjee once came from Gujarat. With the legalisation of this system, the RajyaSabha has now become an easy destination for corporate moneybags. The RS poll scandal makes it crystal clear why the MPs and MLAs must be brought within the purview of the proposed Lokpal/Lokayukta Act and why the original character of the RajyaSabha must be restored to stop corporate representatives from subverting the federal principle and trespassing into the RajyaSabha.

To carry forward the battle against corruption we must rebuff this growing corporate assault and this is where the communist movement must take the lead and show the way to all patriotic and democratic forces in the country. On the 43rd anniversary of Party foundation let us dedicate ourselves wholeheartedly to this challenging task.

The results of the recent Assembly elections in five states have clearly shown that the people are getting increasingly fed up with the two main parties of the ruling classes. Popular disenchantment can also be seen to be growing in states where governments had come to power in the last elections with massive majorities. West Bengal and Bihar are two significant cases in point. In states like Gujarat and Karnataka where notorious BJP governments have been in power for years together, there are now unmistakable signs of decline and even an element of disintegration in the BJP camp.

The situation seems favourable for the rise of non-Congress non-BJP forces and the UPA and the NDA are both feeling the heat. But there are little signs of any third front yet, and without a powerful resurgence of the Left movement there can be no third front that can pose any major challenge to the two-decade-old neoliberal policy regime that has been playing havoc with the resources of the country and livelihoods of the working people.

In the first four months of 2012 we have successfully concluded Party conferences in four major states. Within a year from now we will hold our Ninth Congress. The coming months will require us to work hard on every front so we can expand our organisation and unleash powerful initiatives in terms of mass and class struggle and ideological-political intervention. The entire Left camp is passing through an intense churning and a successful Ninth Congress will take us ahead towards our cherished goal of bringing about a powerful resurgence of the revolutionary Left. Let us pool all our strength and make our best possible efforts to fulfil the tasks ahead.

Central Committee

Communist Party of India

(Marxist-Leninist)

9th CPI(ML) Bihar Conference Concludes at Darbhanga

We have, in the last issue of ML Update, reported on the first two days of the 9th Bihar State Conference of the party. In continuation, we report on the concluding session of the Conference.

On 11 April, the third day of the CPI(ML)’s Bihar State Conference began with an address by Politburo member Comrade Swadesh Bhattacharya who drew the attention of the delegates to the changing land and agrarian relations in Bihar and the need to intensify land struggles and organize the share-croppers and tenants as a core force of the peasant movement. Following this, the central observer, CC Member Comrade Sudhakar, presided over the election of the new State Committee. The conference elected a 53 member State Committee and the newly elected State Committee then elected a 21-member Standing Committee, and Comrade Kunal was elected as the new State Secretary.

In his address, Comrade Kunal emphasized the need to respond to changing conditions and organize struggles of the new generation of workers in urban and rural areas. The central observer Comrade Sudhakar expressed the confidence that the party in Bihar would rise up to the occasion and meet the challenges and possibilities posed by the political situation in the state.

Addressing the concluding session, party General Secretary Comrade Dipankar Bhattacharya observed that the past year was one of serious challenges for the party. Veteran leader Comrade Ram Naresh Ram passed away. Results of Assembly and panchayat polls were disappointing. Recently, our young comrade BhaiyyaramYadav was assassinated. He congratulated the outgoing state committee and its leadership for successfully steering the Party in the face of these challenges.

He said that in spite of disappointments, we should not stop dreaming big: the focus of our discussion should be whether we are making appropriate plans and putting in our best efforts and making effective use of all the resources at our command.

Pointing to the growing disillusionment with the Nitish regime, Comrade Dipankar called upon the conference to meet people’s aspirations for an effective Left opposition and take all-round initiatives.

Comrade Dipankar called upon the delegates to stay ideologically alert and politically agile without unnecessarily stretching and elevating small differences arising in the course of practical work to some presumed ideological-political plane. He reminded the conference of the 8th Congress emphasis on the integral nature of our tasks where political, ideological and organizational aspects merge into a single whole. Instead of treating the Party as a sum total of different mass fronts and remaining preoccupied with Party’s relations with mass organisations, he stressed the need for everybody to focus more on expanding and developing our mass organisations within the masses of concerned classes and social strata and building Party within the advanced elements produced by this mass practice.

He emphasized that we need to pursue both expansion and consolidation: only by expanding to new areas and among new sections of people can we consolidate existing areas of work. Feudal domination in society continues, but the leaders, slogans, and forms of such domination change. While keeping our basic anti-feudal orientation, we must take all the new initiatives and new issues and forms necessary to contend with the changing situation. He ended by expressing confidence that the new committee would take on the task of taking the party and movement to new heights.

The Conference ended with a rousing rendition of the Internationale. Around 150 volunteers had worked day and night to make the Conference a grand success.

Protests Against Life Sentence for Rupam Pathak

The All India Progressive Women’s Association (AIPWA) held protests all over the country against the life sentence to Rupam Pathak of Bihar for the culpable homicide of BJP’s Purnea MLA Raj Kishor Kesri, terming the verdict of the CBI Court to be a "gross miscarriage of justice."

In the national capital on 11 April, women protested with a dharna at Jantar Mantar, raising slogans and placards saying, "Why Is Rupam Convicted While Her Rapists and Their Protectors Go Free?" Addressing the demonstration, Uma Gupta, National Executive Member of AIPWA conducted the protest meeting. Addressing the meeting, Kavita Krishnan, National Secretary of AIPWA said that since Rupam’s accusations against Kesri and Rai have not been investigated, Kesri will be hailed as a martyr, Rai will continue his political career without a stain on his character, while Rupam, branded a murderer, will languish in jail all her life. Actually the severe life sentence to Rupam is a life sentence for a woman’s voice demanding justice against rape and sexual harassment and taking on the ruling political establishment to which the rapists belong.

Others who addressed the protest meeting included Sucheta De, JNUSU President, CPI(ML)’s candidates in the Delhi MCD polls – Shakuntala Devi from Ashok Vihar (Wazirpur), and Rasheeda Begum from Narela, and AIPWA activist Renu. Sheela, the CPI(ML) candidate from Kondli, AISA activists Rajrani, Anubhuti, Sunny, Farhan, and others too participated in the demonstration.

On the same day, AIPWA held a protest march in Ranchi culminating at Albert Ekka Chowk, where a protest meeting was addressed by AIPWA State President Guni Oraon, AIPWA Ranchi Secretary Sarojini Bisht, and other participants included Shanti Sen, Lalo Devi, Shanti Kacchap, Neela Devi, Chando, Singi Khalko, Mamta and other AIPWA activists.

On 12 April, AIPWA held a protest march from BHU gate to Ravidas Gate in Banaras, culminating in a protest meeting addressed by AIPWA National Executive member Kusum Verma.

On 14 April, AIPWA held an impressive ‘Chakka Jam’ all over Bihar in protest against the verdict. All over the state, women blockaded roads, highways, and rail routes, demanding justice for Rupam Pathak.

Campaign in Jharkhand Against Corruption in the RS Polls

On 16th April, the CPI(ML) in Ranchi flagged off a statewide campaign (16 April-3 May) callinf for popular vigilance to monitor the rampant corruption and horse-trading in the Rajya Sabha polls. The RS polls, which had to be cancelled in view of evidence of corruption, is being held again in the State.

The campaign, pointing out that MLAs were found engaging in rampant horse-trading and corruption, will again demand that all MLAs and MPs need to be brought under the ambit of the Lokpal Bill. Reminding that the Rajya Sabha had been envisaged as the Council of States, the campaign will point out that Manmohan Singh and Pranab Mukherjee began the trend of undermining this spirit of state-specific representation. The campaign will demand a return to the constitutional spirit of state-specific representation, demanding that activists and individuals connected to the Jharkhand movement and other democratic concerns in the State must be candidates for election to the Rajya Sabha. The JVM led by Babulal Marandi has been posing as the champion of the protests against corruption in RS polls. But the campaign is pointing out that the JVM has no right to speak on this issue, since it is yet to initiate any action against its own MLAs from Rajdhanwar and Jamua, who were implicated in the scandal!

These issues were raised at a Citizens’ March called by the CPI(ML) in Ranchi on 16 April, where a large procession marched from Sainik Bazaar to Albert Ekka Chowk and held a public meeting there. Participants in the march and public meeting included Prof. B P Kesri, activists Dayamani Barla, Faisal Anurag, and Gladson Dungdung, and journalist Srinivasan, and CPI(ML) leaders including State Secretary Janardan Prasad, Bagodar MLA Vinod Singh and CC Member Bahadur Oraon. The public meeting was presided by Comrade Anil Anshuman, and Comrade Sunil Minz thanked the participants.

Till 3 May, the campaign will continue in various forms in districts all over the State.

Workers Movement in Bhind, MP

Since 5 April, the AICCTU-affiliated Hamaal Palledaar Mazdoor Union’ (load bearers’ union) at the agricultural market at the district headquarters at Bhind, Madhya Pradesh, had been striking for their demands – including increase in wages for loading sacks onto trucks. The strike had been notified on 5 March and on 31 March, the administration was again reminded that the strike would take place if the demands were not met by 4 April. The workers went on strike when the demands were ignored.

During the strike, workers held sit-ins, demonstrations and processions. The administration kept favouring the traders, but the workers remained united. By 12 April, the situation became tense, when traders beat up the striking workers, and police, instigated by the traders, arrested several including CPI(ML)’s Bhind Secretary Comrade Suraj Rekha Tripathi, as well as 11 workers including AICCTU National Council member Vinod Suman and leading activist Comrade Prabhudayal. In protest against the arrest, workers gheraoed the police station, and held processions in main parts of the city. By evening the administration released Comrade Suraj but the other 11 were jailed.

The movement continued, and CPI(ML) leader Comrade Devendra Singh Chauhan convened an all-party meeting of non-Congress non-BJP parties on 13 April. The SP and Loktantrik Samajwadi Party, CPI, CPIM and various organizations participated, and it was decided to jointly call for a Bhind Bandh. The Bandh was successful, with sit-ins and militant demonstrations by workers, and several rounds of talks with the administration took place.

On 16 April, the District Collector held talks with a joint struggle committee led by Comrade Devendra Singh Chauhan, and the 11 workers were unconditionally released, and the rate for loading sacks was increased to Rs 10 as demanded by the workers.

ML Update 16 / 2012

MLUpdate

A CPI(ML) Weekly News Magazine

Vol. 15, No. 16, 10 – 16 APRIL 2012

Life Sentence for Rupam Pathak:

Another Instance of Skewed Justice in Nitish’s Bihar

In a gross miscarriage of justice, a special CBI Court today passed a life sentence on Bihar school teacher Rupam Pathak, holding her guilty of culpable homicide of Bihar’s Purnea MLA Raj Kishor Kesri.

It must be remembered that the Bihar CM was forced to order a CBI enquiry into the Rupam Pathak case precisely because of public protests against the Bihar Government’s attempts to smear Rupam Pathak’s character and suppress the history of her complaints of rape and sexual harassment against the BJP MLA Kesri and his aide BN Rai. But the CBI enquiry has merely probed the killing of Kesri, and has failed to investigate Rupam Pathak’s complaint of sexual harassment. Not only that, BN Rai was not even arrested – allowing him to be free to influence and threaten witnesses. While rape-accused BN Rai remained free, Rupam Pathak herself was denied bail, and prevented from having any opportunity to clear her name!

Rupam’s long-standing complaint of rape and sexual harassment by Kesri and his aide BN Rai had been ignored by the Bihar police and the BJP-JD(U) alliance, of which Kesri was a prominent leader. She had sought justice by filing an FIR, but had withdrawn her case on the eve of the Assembly elections, obviously under political pressure. Seeing no hope of justice, Rupam Pathak was pushed to take the desperate step of confronting Kesri in his own house, in full public view.

After the incident, prominent leaders in the Government including the Deputy CM of Bihar, as well as Opposition leaders such as Laloo Yadav, branded Rupam Pathak a blackmailer and a killer, while extolling praises of Kesri’s pure character and heroism.

The verdict, by failing to take into account the extreme provocation and desperation Rupam felt, due to the faint prospect of any justice against her powerful rapists and sexual harassers, and awarding her a punishment as severe as life sentence, displays a gender bias. In the landmark Kiranjit Ahluwalia case of Britain, a life sentence awarded to a woman victim of domestic violence who took her husband’s life, was relaxed following a sustained campaign by women’s groups, which resulted in domestic violence being recognised as a mitigating circumstance of extreme provocation. The Rupam Pathak case ought to be a similar instance in Indian jurisprudence, where desperate acts by women who have been subjected to sexual violence ought to be seen in the context of the failure of our systems to provide a credible prospect of justice for women. This ought to hold true especially in cases of repeated and prolonged sexual abuse or harassment, where attempts to secure justice through the police have been subverted or crushed.

The Rupam Pathak verdict is reminiscent of other cases of skewed justice in Nitish’s Bihar, where the ruling forces patronise criminals and perpetrators of atrocities towards women and Dalits. In the Amausi massacre case, 10 mahadalits have been sentenced to death on flimsy evidence, while the chief of the feudal private army Ranveer Sena, Brahmeshwar Singh, received bail in cases relating to horrific massacres of Dalits, because of the State Government’s politically guided decision not to counter his bail plea. Similarly the notorious feudal criminal Sunil Pandey has been acquitted in bank robbery and ransom cases, as police officials failed to give evidence against him; and subsequently he has been rewarded by becoming JD(U) MLA from Tarari.

The rulers of Bihar are eager to consign Rupam to jail and suppress her accusations of rape and sexual harassment because they threaten the image of the ruling political alliance. We must demand bail and justice for Rupam Pathak, the immediate arrest of BN Rai, and a re-investigation by the CBI into the whole case in the light of Rupam Pathak’s complaints of sexual violence.

Countrywide Protest against Life Sentence

The All India Progressive Women’s Association (AIPWA) held protests all over the country on 11 April against the life sentence to Rupam Pathak of Bihar for the culpable homicide of BJP’s Purnea MLA Raj Kishor Kesri, terming the verdict of the CBI Court to be a "gross miscarriage of justice."

In the national capital, women protested with a dharna at Jantar Mantar, raising slogans and placards saying, "Why Is Rupam Convicted While Her Rapists and Their Protectors Go Free?"

Women delegates at the CPI(ML)’s Bihar Conference at Darbhanga yesterday held a protest march, while protests are being held at several places in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Assam, West Bengal and other states.

Party’s Ninth Bihar State Conference

Party’s ninth Bihar State Conference was held on 9-10 April 2012 at Darbhanga in north Bihar. The inaugural highlight was a massive worker-peasant unity rally at Darbhanga Raj Maidan. CPI(ML) General Secretary Comrade Dipankar addressed the thousands of workers and peasants who came mainly from north Bihar’s Mithilanchal and border areas. A large number of the participants were working class women.

Comrade Dipankar said that CPI(ML) is creating a new alternative along with strengthening the voice of opposition in Bihar’s villages, towns, muhalla’s, fields and farms and on the streets even if there is no opposing voice in the State’s Legislative Assembly. He said that the road for Bihar’s progress can only be laid through the united struggles of workers and peasants. The development that is being projected by Nitish Kumar through his propaganda machinery has never reached the poor, workers-peasants and the youth. On the one hand price-rise and unemployment is growing due to the policies of Central and State Govts and on the other a cruel joke is being played on the poor by reducing the requirement for being designated a poor. Nitish Kumar has conspired to seize the achievements and legacy of Bihari people and distort history by trying to convey through Bihar centenary celebrations that whatever is good in Bihar is due to his seven-year rule. No matter how high the claims are of good governance and development in Nitish’s propaganda, the real achievement of this Govt is that it has boosted feudal dominance and today Bihar’s women are insecure. Govt’s injustice in Rupam Pathak case is there for all of use to see. Serious questions are being raised constantly on this Govt’s wrong means of incurring expenditures. Providing open patronage to a criminal like Sunil Pandey and the continuation of their criminal businesses under state-patronage exposes the real face of ‘development with justice’. That the Govt has emboldened the feudal-criminal forces is evident from the daylight murder of CPI(ML)’s Rohtas district secretary Comrade Bhaiyaram Yadav. Comrade Dipankar accused the Nitish Govt of instigating and encouraging communal forces by propagating about Mithilanchal as a new centre of terror; but the identity of Darbhanga or Mithilanchal is its labour and not communalism, the whole country is dependent on labour from Mithilanchal. Bihar’s identity is labour and struggle and only through its forward movement can Bihar be transformed fundamentally.

The rally was also addressed by Party leaders- Comrades KD Yadav, Rajaram Singh, Saroj Chaubey, Satyadeo Ram and Mahboob Alam. The proceedings were conducted by Comrade Dhirendra Jha, Party’s Mithilanchal incharge and Central Committee member.

The delegate session began in the evening at Comrade Ram Naresh Ram Auditorium (University Auditorium). The city of Darbhanga has been renamed as Jankawi Nagarjun Nagar (People’s Poet Nagarjun city) on this occasion. The dias and platforms from where the delegate session was conducted was named after Comrades Chandrashekhar and Bhaiyaram Yadav. About 500 delgates, guests and observers attended the Conference.

On the second day deliberations and debates continued on the draft document presented by the outgoing State Committee. The issue of land reforms and share-croppers was intensely discussed and a resolve was taken by the house to intensify the struggles against eviction of sharecroppers from land and freeing up the land of parchadharis (land entitlement holders) from illegal occupation. The Conference also discussed strategy to intensify and reorient the anti-corruption movement in the State in light of the scattering of this movement coupled with continuing massive loot of public resources in the name of good governance and development. The Conference discussed bringing students-youth to the forefront of anti-corruption crusade in Bihar where several scams- AC/DC Bill scam, mining scam, bicycle scam and many others during Nitish’s rule that needs to be exposed. The Conference also discussed bringing students-youth to the forefront as a force for radical change while intensifying movement on the issue of education and employment.

CPI(ML) Conference has emphasised on developing fighting, progressive culture based on worker-peasant unity against the regressive culture of state-power based on women’s exploitation, feudal violence and communal prejudice. The Conference also discussed the issue of enhancing membership strength and expanding and consolidating organisational networks of its mass based organisations- AIKM, AIALA, AIPWA, AISA and RYA etc.

Of the 500 delegates from 36 districts of Bihar a good number was of women. There was a wide propaganda for the Conference and red flags and banners were visible all over the Darbhanga city. Several welcome gates were raised in the names of martyrs and leaders of the communist movement- Brajesh Mohan Thakur, Ram Sharan Sharma, Maheswar Bhagat, Bhogendra Jha, Dr. Nirmal, Santu Mahto, Mahendra Singh among others. Buildings where the delegates have been accommodated were also named after communist leaders.

More than hundred local comrades served as volunteers to make arrangements and make the Conference a great success.

A Powerful Left Movement is a Pressing Need against the Plunder of Natural Resources

CPI(ML) General Secretary also addressed a press conference on 10th April in Darbhanga, concluding day of the State Conference. He said that all streams of the Left should come on a single platform based on a common programme of struggle against corruption, feudal-communal conspiracy and imperialism, and this is what CPI(ML) understands about Left unity. A powerful Left movement is the pressing need to establish people’s control over natural resources against its massive loot.

Replying to a question about the relations between armed forces and the Govt, he said that the issues raised by the army chief is important and it must be deliberated upon. The demand by JD(U) leader Shivanad Tiwari for his expulsion shows that they are not interested at all in fighting corruption. He also said that the defence budget has progressively spiralled to two lakh crore rupees and there should be accountability of defence expenditure too as it is people’s money. The issue of corruption in defence establishment has not surfaced for the first time.

Terming the CBI court’s verdict in Rupam Pathak case as one-sided he said that the probe should have been conducted comprehensively. Rupam reached a psychological state to kill because she did not get justice in time and she was pressurised to withdraw the case. Today this is not merely an issue of an individual woman but a larger social question. The Govt that claims about women empowerment, 50% reservation for women and development with justice should have stood-up with the victimised woman, but the JD(U), BJP and its Govt are set against her. Referring to CBI’s role in probes related to comrades Chandrashekhar, Mahendra Singh and Ajit Sarkar, he said that the CBI was wearing a muzzle when it’s the issue of political conspiracy whereas in RUpam Pathak’s case a prompt verdict has been announced. The question will surely rise about the role of BJP, JD(U) and Bihar Govt behind this verdict.

CPI(ML)’s 9th TN State Conference

Through 5 years of struggle and two years of party work which includes participation in assembly and local body elections, Party in Coimbatore hosted 9th State Conference from 30 March to 1 April. The whole city was decorated in red flags and hoardings carrying the message and slogans of the conference. The billboards displayed in the run up to the rally and conference had the slogan ‘Comrades of Appu, March to Coimbatore’ evoked nostalgic emotions from the people of Coimbatore and the general public referred to the rally by the slogan. The conference and the rally had the pervading imprint of working class throughout the 3 days and the impact of 5 years of struggle was felt by everyone in the conference and the rally.

The rally held on 30 March was impressive and spectacular in which more than 2000 working people from all over the State participated. 200 workers of Coimbatore were clad in red T-shirt, white trousers, white cap and black belt-black shoes and carrying red flags marched in the forefront. Before them were a group of young Pricol workers who carried the torch honouring the memory of the martyrs from the memorial of Chinniyampalayam Martyrs. Before them were 5 women comrades in red saree-white blouse uniforms and 4 men comrades in uniforms carrying huge sized red flags.

The rally and the public meeting were led by Com. K Balasubramaniam, District Secretary of Coimbatore Party. Comrade Swadesh Bhattacharya, Politburo member, received the torch from the comrades. Comrades S Kumarasami, PBM, S Balasundaram, State Secretary of the Party, Bhuvana and Bharathi, SCMs addressed the gathering. State AISA comrades who have been constantly involved in organisational work for the last four months handed over Rs.30,000 toward Theepori fund.

The Conference formally began on 31st March with Comrade Ponraj, Party veteran hoisting the red flag. It was followed with leaders and comrades paying homage at the martyrs column. A poster exhibition themed ‘Story of Capitalism and the Story of Struggles against Capitalism’ was opened by Com. Swadesh Bhattacharya, who compared the exhibition to a workshop.

Comrade Swadesh Bhattacharya delivered the inaugural address who pointed out the opportunities for the revolutionary Left ahead and called the delegates to make all-out preparations, that the Party and the mass organizations grab the opportunities bring about revolutionary change in the state.

A nine-member presidium was formed to conduct the conference. Com. Balasundaram, Secretary of the outgoing State Committee presented the draft report. 63 delegates including 9 women delegates placed their views on the draft document. The report was unanimously adopted after discussions on 5 points viz., TN political situation, working class front, agrarian work, other mass organizations and party building. Apart from these points delegates also discussed other relevant issues in the draft report.

Comrades S Balasubramaniam, State Secretary of Puducherry, John K Erimeli, State Secretary of Kerala, Chandran of LMW, Simson of Liberation Front of the Oppressed, also addressed the conference. Comrade Venugopal of Kerala also attended the conference.

277 delegates including 51 women delegates, 15 observers and 4 invitees attended the conference. The conference elected a 31-member state committee after elections and Com.Balasundaram was elected as State Secretary. Com. S Kumarasami, in his concluding speech called upon the delegates to make the organization stronger as the iron is hot and the hammer is to be strong to wield a strong blow. The conference came to a close with comrades singing the Internationale.

The delegate kit consisted – apart from the usual stationery – a plate and a water bottle with a sticker carrying the message of the conference. It was a delight for many women comrades in the conference who have to wash utensils at home, to see all the men comrades wash their own plates. It was an exercise for many male comrades who seldom perform domestic chores at home and during deliberation on the draft, one of the delegates even appreciated the idea and asked all the comrades to follow the same after returning home.

Message from the CPI(ML) to the 21st Congress of the CPI

(Party General Secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya’s address at the inaugural session of the CPI Congress held in Patna)

Dear comrades,

It is a great pleasure to see the oldest communist party of the country hold its 21st Congress here in Patna and I feel honoured to have this opportunity to address the open session of this important event. Thank you for your comradely invitation. On behalf of the Central Committee and the entire membership of the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist), I extend warm revolutionary greetings to all of you assembled here and convey our best wishes for the success of the Congress.

Let me also take this opportunity to extend a very warm welcome to our esteemed guests from the international communist and anti-imperialist movement and reiterate our shared commitment to defeat the sinister design of the US-led imperialist camp and the exploitative forays of global capital.

As we meet here today we keenly feel the loss of many of our veteran leaders and dear comrades. Comrade Bhogendra Jha, Comrade Jagannath Sarkar, Comrade Chaturanan Mishra are no more amidst us. We have also lost veteran CPI(ML) leader Comrade Ram Naresh Ram who had begun his communist life in the undivided CPI. I pay homage to all our departed leaders who have guided the communist movement in Bihar all these years.

Comrades, for all the tall claims of record-breaking economic growth, poverty is increasing in Bihar. And contrary to the professed gospel of good governance, the people are witnessing growing attacks on democracy. Communist leaders and activists continue to be targeted by feudal-communal forces and criminals enjoying political patronage. Recently Comrade Surendra Yadav of the CPI(M) was killed in Samastipur. Just two weeks ago, Comrade Bhaiyaram Yadav, secretary of CPI(ML)’s Rohtas District Committee and a popular leader of people’s struggles was gunned down by JD(U)-backed goons at Nasriganj. Red salute to all our martyrs who have laid down their lives for the cause of the people!

Implicated in false cases and convicted on false charges, many communists are languishing in the prisons of Bihar. Comrade Shah Chand and 13 other CPI(ML) comrades are undergoing life imprisonment under the draconian TADA. I salute all our imprisoned comrades who continue to inspire us from behind the bars.

Comrades, your Congress is taking place in a changing international environment. Capitalism is facing a serious crisis not just in the periphery but at the centre, and this growing crisis has begun to find its echo in the political arena as well. From the Arab Spring to the Occupy movement, we have seen an inspiring upswing in class struggle and popular protests across the world. Quite significantly, this is also energising a renewed quest for socialism, for a systemic alternative to an increasingly decadent and crisis-ridden capitalism.

In our own country, we are witnessing powerful struggles against the ruling neo-liberal policy regime. Under popular pressure, the government has had to withhold the move to allow FDI in multi-brand retail and withdraw large-scale fare hikes announced in the recent rail budget. The response to the February 28 general strike has been quite encouraging as have been results of student union elections in some premier universities. The time is ripe for all of us in the Left to intensify the movement and press for a decisive reversal of the whole gamut of pro-corporate pro-imperialist policies, insisting especially on protection of agricultural and forest land and public control over mineral resources. Simultaneously, the Left must also emerge as the leading current in struggles against corporate loot and state repression across the country.

Results of the recent Assembly elections have once again highlighted the decline of the two big all-India parties of the ruling classes. The coalitions led by the two parties have naturally come under pressure. Yet, we cannot miss the fact that most of the non-Congress non-BJP governments are treading the same neo-liberal policy trajectory and are more interested in bargaining with the central government and bailing it out at critical junctures than offering any sustained opposition on the growing assault on the people and their democratic rights. For any credible third front to take shape, the Left must raise the level of its own assertion on the basis of shared struggles against the neo-liberal assault, imperialist offensive and communal mischief.

The country looks to the Left for a real political alternative. If we can accord the highest priority to the interests of the people and uphold the best traditions and the core vision of the Left movement, we can surely unite and move ahead in this direction. We in the CPI(ML) remain committed to this course and look forward to marching together with the broad spectrum of Left and democratic forces. We hope your Congress will strengthen the political will in the Left camp to forge a broad-based struggle-oriented model of Left unity. Recent electoral reverses have emboldened the forces of right reaction to mount a strident anti-Left ideological campaign and even violent physical attacks on the Left which must be rebuffed with all the strength at our command.

Comrades, in a decade or so from now, the communist movement in India will complete its centenary. As we approach this historic milestone, let us resolve to work tirelessly to bring about a powerful communist resurgence in the country, ensuring greater unity among all communist and Left forces, enlisting greater participation of the youth and spreading the communist message far and wide across the country. Once again, I wish you all a successful Congress and thank you for inviting us to the open session.

Red salute to the glorious legacy of the communist movement in India!

Inquilab zindabad!

Obituary: Com. Promode Gogoi

We have learnt about the sad news of demise of Com. Promode Gogoi, President of AITUC. I, on behalf of entire organization of AICCTU, express our deep condolences on the demise of Com. Gogoi, a veteran communist and trade union leader. He will be always remembered for building working class and left movement in Assam, and as well, his leading role in oil workers’ movement.

We share this moment of grief with the comrades of AITUC. Red Salute to Com. Promode Gogoi.

Swapan Mukherjee, General Secretary, AICCTU

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, website: www.cpiml.org

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ML Update 14 / 2012

MLUpdate

A CPI(ML) Weekly News Magazine

Vol. 15, No. 14, 27 MARCH – 02 APRIL 2012

Bihar ‘Centenary’: Official Myth and People’s Reality

22 March, 2012 marked the first centenary of Bihar as a separate administrative unit. After the British colonial rulers were forced to undo the partition of Bengal, they shifted the capital from Kolkata to Delhi and downsized Bengal by according the status of separate states to Bihar and Odisha. Before quitting India in 1947, the British colonialists of course saw to it that Bengal was partitioned into not just two states but two countries. The march of history and the process of administrative reorganisation have however not stopped with the exit of the British. East Bengal did not accept the absurdity of being called East Pakistan for long and emerged as the independent republic of Bangladesh in December 1971. The geographical boundary of Bihar too has not remained the same, the southern part of the twentieth century Bihar has become Jharkhand in the twenty-first century.

Is there really much point then in celebrating a centenary of an administrative event, especially in a state like Bihar which has a rich and glorious history spanning not only centuries but millennia? The current rulers of Bihar are of course bent upon seizing the centenary as a ‘windfall gain’ gifted by history. Nitish Kumar is using the centenary celebration to project himself as a beaming beacon of light for Bihar, the grandest thing to have happened to Bihar since the halcyon days of the great Nalanda University. The propaganda blitzkrieg unleashed by the Bihar government reveals the plot with giant billboards virtually limiting the century to the last seven years and lauding Nitish Kumar for engineering ‘waves of revolution restoring the lost glory of the state’!

It will however be wrong to see the centenary celebration as just yet another image-building exercise by the ruling regime of Bihar. It is also not just another platform for Nitish Kumar to project himself as the champion of Bihar against the Centre and stake his claim in the national political arena. What Nitish Kumar is trying to do is something much more insidious – he is trying to rewrite the history of Bihar and reconstruct and reinterpret the Bihari identity. He would like us to believe that it is only with the rise of his government that Bihar has got something to pride itself on, and his biggest contribution to the cause of Bihar is the replacement of the erstwhile stigma of ‘shame’ with a new-found sense of ‘pride’. His halo of ‘pride’ thus rests on the acceptance and internalisation of the ‘shame’.

Let us take a closer look at this so-called theory of shame and pride. All through the feudal-colonial era, Bihar has been known as the land of labour. From the days of the indentured labourers transhipped from Bihar to foreign destinations along the colonial trajectory and early internal export of labour to the tea gardens and jute mills of Assam and Bengal to the more recent migration to green revolution pastures of Punjab and Haryana and the continuing exodus of labour to virtually every corner of India, labour has been the biggest motive force in the modern history of Bihar. And in an environment of decadent feudalism and retarded capitalism, this labour has historically been denied its basic freedom and dignity.

If the migrant labourer from Bihar has had to battle constantly against insecurity and indignity, those labouring within Bihar, agrarian labour as well as the labouring peasant, have had to face much fiercer modes of oppression and exploitation and patterns of bondage and feudal-patriarchal violence. The brutalities inflicted on the toiling and oppressed people of Bihar should be a matter of shame for anybody who values freedom and dignity. This shame is not Bihari but universal human shame, and it does not lead to a sense of guilt to be expiated by some benevolent ruler, rather it arouses anger against injustice and steels the resolve to fight it.

It is no wonder then that Bihar has been a key battleground in modern India’s quest for dignity and emancipation. If the rulers have been treating Bihar as a labour-exporting internal colony tied down to the feudal-colonial yoke, the people of Bihar have never missed an opportunity to rise in anti-feudal, anti-colonial struggles and challenge the chains of bondage and backwardness. Whether one looks at major pre-independence milestones from the revolt of 1857 and Gandhi’s peasant satyagraha to the Quit India movement of 1942 and the radical assertion of Sahajanand Saraswati’s Kisan Sabha, or post-1947 upheavals like the early communist-led peasant movement, the 1974 student-youth movement or the CPI(ML)-led battle for social transformation and the emancipation of the oppressed, Bihar has always stood out as the bastion of mass uprising.

There can be no talk of a Bihari identity removed from this historical reality. If one has to discuss the physiognomy of this identity, it is labour which constitutes its core, its face lit up by the glow of resilience in the face of adversity, both natural and man-made, and its heart beating to the pulsating rhythm of the drumbeats of struggle. The stigma of shame has no place in it.

Equally facile and fictitious is Nitish Kumar’s empty talk of pride. While his government has done everything to block the passage of land reforms and deny a life of opportunities and dignity to the toiling millions, it is presiding over a regime of land scam and treasury loot bolstered by bureaucratic control, feudal-communal offensive and police brutalities. While he has been waxing eloquent about record-breaking economic growth, in the last seven years another five million people have been pushed below the poverty line which itself has been reduced by our Planning Commission to the level of what can only be described as the starvation line.

Bihar has always fought simultaneously against external invasion and deprivation as well as internal loot and bondage. Behind the veil of the benevolent ruler delivering Bihar from ‘shame’ to ‘pride’, Nitish Kumar is actually busy colluding with the forces, both within and outside of Bihar, that have historically sought to hold Bihar back. Bihar is therefore little amused by the state-sponsored spectacle of an administrative centenary and the attempted construction of a synthetic Biharipan (Bihariness ) which is singularly devoid of the fighting spirit of Bihar.

The vision of a New Bihar is inseparably intertwined with the vision of a New India and this newness can only emerge and flourish on the basis of a decisive victory over the forces and policies of bondage and backwardness. Just as the British colonialists had propped up and colluded with the feudal gentry to suppress the great war of 1857, today once again global capital is seeking to exploit and suppress Bihar in local alliance with feudal-communal forces. Nitish Kumar’s slogan of regional pride seeks to mask the truth of this dangerous alliance and sacrifice Bihar’s aspiration for development at the altar of institutionalised loot. The toiling and fighting millions of Bihar will reject this misleading trap and move ahead in their battle for a life of freedom and dignity and development and democracy, to realise the dream of a people’s Bihar in people’s India.

On Coal Scam

Barely one and a half years after the 2G spectrum scam, yet another massive scam has been unearthed by the CAG. In both cases, the CAG has pointed out the same underlying problem – loss to the public exchequer due to a policy of handing over precious natural resources on a “first-come-first-serve” basis rather than being auctioned. Out of the estimated loss of Rs 10.7 lakh crores to the state exchequer from the allocation of 155 coal blocks without competitive bidding, private steel and power companies have benefited to the tune of Rs 4.79 lakh crores. These allocations took place when the coal ministry was in the hands of the Prime Minister.

In the case of an exhaustible natural resource like coal, the issue is not merely one of pricing. The allocation of coal blocks to public sector is justified in the public interest. But private players cannot be allowed to own and exhaust coal, mineral, or gas reserves for profit, robbing future generations of these precious natural resources.

The privatisation of mining policy must be reversed, and mining policies amended to ensure that private corporations are not allowed to own coal blocks, mines or gas reserves. There must be a transparent process of companies buying raw materials including minerals from the government.

The coal scam is the latest in the series of huge scams and cases of corporate plunder of natural resources that have taken place during the UPA Government’s regime. Necessary action must be taken on the basis of the CAG’s findings, to restore the losses to the national exchequer and punish all those responsible for the scam.

On Army Chief’s Statement and Defence Scams

The Army Chief’s statement alleging that a 14 crore bribe was demanded over procurement of trucks in 2010 has once again brought to the fore the continuing reality of defence scams in India.

India is the largest arms importer in the world, and the national capital is hosting a huge Defence Exposition in which hundreds of Indian and foreign armament firms are flocking to secure thousands of crores worth of contracts. Undoubtedly such huge procurements bring kickbacks and scams in their wake.

The CPI(ML) demands measures to ensure strict accountability and transparency in defence expenditure; and reduction in defence budget which is clearly inflated to make allowance for overpriced purchase of armaments.

CPI(ML)’s Jharkhand State Conference

CPI(ML)’s fourth Jharkhand State Conference was held at Koderma on 23-25 March. The town had been rechristened Comrade Mahendra Singh Nagar, and the Conference venue was named after Comrade Ibn-ul Hasan Basru.

The Conference was preceded by an impressive ‘Rally Against Loot, Repression, Displacement’ on 23 March. Thousands of women and men marched to gather at the rally ground, raising slogans against the rampant corporate loot of natural resources, and repression and displacement of adivasis and poor peasants. Gates dedicated to Bhagat Singh and other revolutionary martyrs, and red flags decorated entire town of Koderma.

A day before the rally, on 22 March, the brother of the local BJP MLA Amit Yadav deliberately vandalised red flags. Resisting attack by BJP goons, party supporters broke down the compound wall of the MLA’s brother’s house.

The rally was presided over by the party’s Central Committee member Comrade Bahadur Oraon, and conducted by the Koderma district secretary Comrade Prem Prakash. Speakers at the rally included elected Party’s MLA in Jharkhand Assembly Comrade Vinod Singh, Zila Parishad members Comrades Basudev Yadav and Ramdhan Yadav, and Vice-Pramukh Shyamdev Yadav, AICCTU State President Devdeep Singh Diwakar, JHAMAS (agricultural labourers’ organisation) State Secretary Parameshwar Mehto, AIPWA leader Geeta Mandal, Garhwa Zila Panchayat Chairperson Sushma Mehta, and party State Committee member Comrade Rajkumar Yadav. Comrade Kavita Krishnan, CC member was the main speaker at the rally.

The rally passed several political resolutions presented by Comrade Bhuneshwar Kewat, secretary of the party in Ranchi, condemning the anti-people Union Budget, demanding a speedy probe into the coal scam, condemnation of the horse-trading that took place as all the ruling parties vied to woo Jharkhand MLAs over the Rajya Sabha elections, and demanded intervention by the Governor to ensure a probe and appropriate punishment for the corrupt MLAs among others.

The delegate session of the Conference began 23rd March evening. Two minutes’ silence was observed in memory of the martyrs. Inaugurating the Conference, Politburo member Comrade Swadesh Bhattacharya called on the CPI(ML) to emerge as a powerful revolutionary force of resistance to corporate plunder and struggle for people’s rights in Jharkhand. Outgoing state secretary of the party, Comrade Janardan Prasad, presented the draft document for discussion at the Conference.

On 24 March, delegates discussed and debated the document, which discussed the party’s work since the last conference, the political situation, and the political and organizational tasks and challenges facing the party. In the course of the day, several guests also addressed the conference, including Lokyuddh editor and Central Committee member BB Pandey, Liberation editor and CCM Kavita Krishnan, Central Control Commission member Comrade Rajaram, and Politburo member Comrade DP Buxi. The presidium read out a moving and inspiring letter by CPI(ML)’s Garhwa leader Comrade BN Singh, sent from Hazaribag Jail where he has been incarcerated since 2003 on false charges by feudal forces.

Teams and individual singers of the Jharkhand Jan Sanskriti Manch presented rousing revolutionary songs. At the end of the day, Comrade Janardan concluded the debate on the document, responding to many questions and issues raised, and following this, the document was unanimously passed by the house. Addressing the delegate session, party General Secretary Comrade Dipankar Bhattacharya called upon the party in Jharkhand to overcome all the attacks by ruling forces and its own subjective weaknesses, and to prepare with all vigour for the party’s Ninth Congress which is to be held in Ranchi next year.

On 25 March, the house elected a 39-member State Committee, which reelected Comrade Janardan Prasad as Secretary. The Central Committee observer of the Conference, Comrade Prabhat, addressed the delegates, congratulating the party on its successful Conference and looking forward to the party’s growing assertion in the state.

Delivering the concluding speech, party General Secretary Comrade Dipankar Bhattacharya said that after the Assembly poll results, the powerful response to the All India Strike and the protests against the Union Budget, in the situation with a weakened UPA and NDA, has led some to talk of a non-Congress, non-BJP Third Front. However, even if such a Front were to materialize, comprising erstwhile constituents of the UPA and NDA, could not possibly provide any genuine alternative or resistance to the neoliberal, anti-people policies, corporate plunder and repression. The only hope for a genuine political alternative, could emerge only from intensifying people’s resistance to these policies. In Jharkhand, CPI(ML) has always been at the forefront of such resistance on the streets, and has been the sole voice of revolutionary opposition within the Assembly. The party must take up the challenge of consolidating our expansion and increasing our political assertion in Jharkhand. He said that the preparations for the Ninth Congress of the party to be held in Ranchi in 2013 presented not just an organizational but also a political challenge – as could be gauged by the repression unleashed on the party in Garhwa, and the attacks by BJP goons on party supporters in Koderma in the course of preparations for the state conference.

Volunteers were felicitated and thanked for their efforts in making the Conference successful. The Conference passed a series of political resolutions, including a detailed plan of political campaigns, mass organization conferences, fund collection, and other preparations for hosting the Ninth Congress. The Conference concluded with the rendering of the Internationale, and with rousing slogans.

On Verdict in Comrade Chandrashekhar’s Murder

Former JNUSU President Comrade Chandrashekhar was shot dead on 31 March 1997, at the behest of RJD MP Mohd. Shahabuddin, while addressing a street-corner meeting at JP Chowk, Siwan, for a Bihar Bandh called by CPI(ML). Another CPI(ML) activist Comrade Shyam Narain Yadav, and a street vendor Bhuteli Mian too were killed. The murders were followed by a huge movement of students and civil society, and eventually the Central Government was forced to order a CBI enquiry.

On 23 March this year, 15 years after the murder, the CBI Court in Patna pronounced three of the killers – Dhruv Kumar Jaiswal, Sheikh Munna, and Iliyas Warsi – guilty, sentencing them for life. Another accused, Riyazuddin, died during trial, and a fifth, Rustam is still facing trial. This verdict can only be termed deeply disappointing and inadequate – because it fails to recognize the political character of the killing and nail the real political mastermind – criminal politician Shahabuddin – behind the murder.

All the shooters were well known to be Shahabuddin’s henchmen. The FIR had named the five men chargesheeted by the CBI, and also Shahabuddin, whom CBI is yet to chargesheet. Shahabuddin is currently serving a life sentence for the abduction and suspected murder of another CPI(ML) activist, and he was behind the killings of a large number of CPI(ML) activists in Siwan. It is high time that the CBI charge-sheet Shahabuddin as a conspirator in the assassination of Comrade Chandrashekhar. The delay in charge-sheeting Shahabuddin points to a political motive on part of the CBI, to protect the criminal politician who is known to have been a right-hand man of the RJD chief Laloo Prasad Yadav.

The student movement demanding that Shahabuddin be punished for the assassination of Chandrashekhar, became a landmark struggle against criminalization of politics. Now, 15 years after the murder, there can be sense of closure or justice until and unless the mafia politician Shahabuddin, the mastermind and main conspirator behind the assassination, is charge-sheeted, convicted, and awarded the sternest punishment.

AISA has called for countrywide protests on 31 March, including a Protest Sit-In at Jantar Mantar (3 pm onwards) to assert that the struggle for justice for Comrade Chandrashekhar will not end until Shahabuddin’s role as the key conspirator is recognized, and he is convicted.

CPI(ML) to Gherao Bihar Legislative Assembly to Demand CBI Probe in Comrade Bhaiyaram Yadav’s Murder

Massive Sankalp Sabha Held on 23rd March

On historic 23rd March- Bhagat Singh’s martyrdom day- a massive turnout of people at Nasriganj in Rohtas district (Bihar) paid tribute to martyred Comrade Bhaiyaram Yadav at the Sankalp Sabha and pledged to resolutely carry forward and further the struggles that he sacrificed his life for, especially the struggles to end the reign of social oppression and exclusion, poverty, crime, corruption and loot in Bihar.

Comrade Bhaiyaram was shot when he was returning after supervising work for installation of Shaheed-e-Azam’s statue. The people led by district and state leaders of CPI(ML) first marched to his in-laws village where his family members had assembled along with other comrades. Then the march proceeded to the huge compound of community centre where the statue of Bhagat Singh was installed through Comrade Bhaiyaram’s efforts. It was unveiled by CPI(ML)’s Politburo member Comrade Ramji Rai in presence of thousands of people and amidst resounding slogans of Red Salute to Shaheed-e-Azam Bhagat Singh, Red Salute to Comrade Bhaiyaram and Long Live Comrade Bhaiyaram, Long Live all our Martyrs.

The Sankalp Sabha began with observing a minute’s silence to mark the martyrdom of Comrade Bhaiyram followed with rendering of revolutionary songs sung by Nirmal Nayan, Santosh Jha and KK Nirmohi. Thereafter, the meeting was conducted by CPI(ML) leader (and ex-MLA) Comrade Arun Singh. He said that Bhaiyaram’s murder is a political conspiracy at the behest of a politician-police-criminal nexus and this nexus is patronised by Nitish Kumar. Comrade Bhaiyaram had challenged the extreme excesses perpetrated by this nexus such as raping young girls and women, he had also organised struggles for ensuring voting rights of the poor. The feudal-criminal section who have been emboldened in Nitish’s rule thought their excesses could not be challenged in JD(U)-BJP rule and assassinated him.

Comrade Jawaharlal Yadav, district committee member of CPI(ML) confidently declared that the people will overcome this nexus and their feudal arrogance will be smashed. Party’s Bihar State Secretary Comrade NK Prasad said that it is an attempt to murder the struggles and movements of the poor of Bihar and Bhaiyaram’s killers will have to pay the price along with the Nitish Govt that patronises them. Drawing parallels between this and Chandrashekhar’s murder in Siwan in 1997, Comrade Ramji Rai said that the recent incident is similar to the 1997 attempt at killing the potential of political leadership of the poor. In Rohtas itself 17 years back same attempt had been made with the assassination of Comrade Mani Singh. All India Kisan Mahasabha’s GS Comrade Rajaram Singh exposing the hollowness of Bihar’s centenary celebrations said that those who have been the real heroes of socio-economic empowerment of the millions of poor and oppressed classes in Bihar find no mention in the centenary celebrations. No one there is even mentioning of the historic roles of Master Jagdish, Rameswar Ahir and Vinod Mishra. Comrade KD Yadav, Party’s CC member and Kaiser Nihaal also addressed the Sankalp Sabha.

CPI(ML) General Secretary Comrade Dipankar addressing the massive assembly said that Comrade Bhaiyaram’s murder is a larger political conspiracy. Nitish Kumar, upon becoming the CM had immediately given a hint of his political intentions by quickly disbanding the Amirdas Commision that had been constituted to expose the politicians that provide patronage to those that have killed vast number of poor and workers through planned massacres. After that he further emboldened the anti-poor pro-feudal class politics by nominating murderer and criminal Sunil Pandey from the assembly constituency of Comrade Ram Naresh Ram. Presently, such criminals are ruling the roost at different places in Bihar and the police provide them protection. While the Govt is squandering crores of rupees on centenary celebrations the number of poor in Bihar, as per Planning Commission’s report, has gone up by fifty lakhs. Comrade Bhaiyaram was empowering these poor of Bihar that are daily victims of these criminals protected by Bihar Govt and that is why he had to sacrifice his life. But no one can stop the struggles and forward march of poor through repression and murders and Shahabad’s history is a witness to this. General Secretary called upon the entire gathering and whole Party to carry Bhaiyaram’s message to every village. He called upon to gherao the Bihar Legislative Assembly on 30 March to demand for a CBI probe into this murder.

Comrade Bhaiyaram’s wife Comrade Usha Yadav spoke to the assembled masses and very resolutely said that his dreams are unfulfilled that must be realised. He has laid down his life for the issues of struggling people. This confidence and militant mood is the identity of Bihar’s struggling poor and it was quite apparent on every face at the Sankalp Sabha.

Rajasthan: 23 march, Bhagat Singh Divas was celebrated by a cadre meeting in the Jaipur State Office in which Party’s State Secretary Comrade Mahender, Srilata, Mahesh Chaumal, Usha and many others participated in a lively discussion on the relevance of Bhagat Singh in the present times vis-à-vis corruption, the various scams, the budget etc.

23rd March was observed by almost all Party units all over the country through different programmes.

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, website: www.cpiml.org

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MLU-15-14.pdf

ML Update 13 / 2012

MLUpdate

A CPI(ML) Weekly News Magazine

Vol. 15, No. 13, 20 – 26 MARCH 2012

Comrade Bhaiyyaram Yadav’s Murder:

Feudal Criminality Behind Nitish Government’s Façade of ‘Good Governance’

Much media hype has been manufactured about Bihar’s Nitish Government’s model of ‘good governance’ (sushasan) and development, which have supposedly made the notorious criminality and feudal violence things of the past. The murder of Comrade Bhaiyyaram Yadav, CPI(ML)’s Rohtas District Secretary, by feudal criminals enjoying BJP-JD(U) patronage, has busted such hype, proving that feudal forces and criminals are striking back with renewed confidence in Nitish’s Bihar.

Comrade Bhaiyyaram Yadav was shot dead in Nasiriganj, by armed assailants on 14 March evening. The police had failed to come to the spot even after being informed of the shooting, and the accused assailants are yet to be arrested.

A member of the CPI(ML)’s State Committee, Comrade Bhaiyyaram had been leading several struggles against instances of feudal atrocities and criminal violence. He had organized a major struggle demanding punishment for the notorious feudal strongmen responsible for the gang-rape and murder of a 6-year-old dalit girl late last year. However, the rapists, who are known to be close to the ruling BJP-JD(U), brazenly roam free in Rohtas. Instead, Comrade Bhaiyyaram had been jailed on cooked-up charges of assault. He was killed soon after being released on bail – at the behest of the same feudal criminals backed by the ruling combine whose arrogance and atrocities he had been challenging.

One of Nitish Kumar’s first acts, on becoming CM for the first time, had been to disband the Justice Amir Das Commission that was about to submit its report on the links of political parties to the feudal private army, the Ranveer Sena, that had perpetrated massacres against dalit landless poor. Since then, the Nitish Government has displayed its loyalty to its primary support base of feudal sections, time and again. While the Nitish Government’s promises to mahadalits, MBCs, and sharecroppers stand betrayed, it is the feudal forces which have felt emboldened. In Nitish’s Bihar, Ranveer Sena chief Brahmeshwar Singh goes scot free, but a popular mahadalit leader, along with nine other mahadalits, has been sentenced to death on flimsy grounds for the Amausi massacre.

In sharp contrast to such blatant hypocrisy and opportunism, Comrade Bhaiyyaram represented the idealism of young people inspired by the values of Bhagat Singh. Just before his death, Comrade Bhaiyyaram was in fact supervising preparations for installation of a Bhagat Singh statue on 23 March.

From Bhagat Singh to Bhaiyyaram, the ruling classes have killed revolutionaries but failed to stifle their ideas and politics. Defying murder and repression, the legacy of Bhagat Singh will continue to live in the example of youth like Comrade Bhaiyyaram and Comrade Chandrashekhar – inspiring future generations of young people!

CPI(ML)’s Press Releases on Railway and General Budget

Union Budget 2012-13: All-out Attack on Common People

CPI-ML demands Rolling Back of Hikes and Restoration of Subsidies

New Delhi, 16 March: After the massive fare hikes announced in this year’s Railway Budget and the 1.25% reduction in the interest rate on Employees’ Provident Fund, the General Budget marks the third successive blow on the common man in the ongoing budget session. While the Finance Minister has taken every care to appease the rich and the corporate sector by refusing to increase corporate tax or income tax on higher income brackets, he has come down heavily on the common man by slashing subsidies and effecting an across-the-board hike in service tax from 10 to 12 per cent.

Priority sectors like agriculture, public health and education have once again been neglected. No improvement has been made in MNREGA provisions nor has any announcement been made for the urban unemployed. Public health workers like those involved in ASHA and Anganwadi schemes have once again been taken for a ride. There is also no provision for adequate and universal food security. By contrast, the already high defence outlay has been raised further by 17%, taking India’s defence budget to an incredibly high level of nearly Rs. 200,000 crore.

The Budget makes no serious attempt to bring back black money or penalize tax evaders. Despite every evidence pointing to the disastrous consequences of the policies of liberalisation, privatisation and globalisation, the budget has again announced a whole set of measures to further open up the economy for global capital and the corporate sector. The civil aviation sector is being opened up for foreign airlines and private airlines have been allowed to borrow foreign funds to the tune of 1 billion dollars. The government also continues to push for backdoor privatisation by setting a high disinvestment target of Rs 30,000 crore.

The CPI (ML) calls upon the working people and all sections of small producers, traders and consumers to mount pressure on the government to roll back the hikes affecting the common people, expand MNREGA and PDS provisions, restore subsidies and increase allocation for social sectors and especially health and education by increasing taxes on companies and higher income groups and reducing defence outlay.

Withdraw Hike in Railway fares

New Delhi, 14 March 2012: The Communist Party of India (Marxist Leninist) demands immediate withdrawal of hike in railway passenger fare and freight. The Railway Budget 2012-13 presented today in Lok Sabha has announced massive and all round increase in Railway fares which is a crushing burden on common people, who are already reeling under unprecedented price rise for last many years. ‘The first railway fare hike in ten years’ has turned out to be an accumulated hike in railway fares even though the travelling by trains continued to become costlier in these years by other means. Not even platform ticket fare has been spared.

The Railway Minister’s logic of ‘Increasing fares to accumulate funds for improving the safety and amenities of Railway passengers’ is a cruel joke on common people, and is nothing but a logic of liberalization. Further, The Railway Minister’s explanation of this hike as a few paisa per kilometer and nothing more is an insult to the intellect of common people.

With Assembly Polls out of the way, the UPA Government now feels safe in imposing this massive fare hike without political consequences. The UPA ally, TMC, is claiming to oppose the hike – which none other than the Railway Minister from its own party has introduced!

Immediate withdrawal of the hike in fares is the only solution that can be acceptable to the common citizens.

CPI(ML) Liberation

Central Committee

Protests against scaling down of EPF Interest Rates, Rail and General Budget

Delhi: Workers from both organized and informal sector gathered at Jantar Mantar and burnt the effigy of anti-poor, pro-rich Budget and held a demonstration. The students of AISA also participated in the demonstration.

The demonstration was addressed, among others, by Swapan Mukherjee, General Secretary of AICCTU; Santosh Roy, Delhi State Secretary of AICCTU; Sanjay Sharma, State Secretary of CPI-ML, AICCTU leaders Ardhendu Roy and Sankaran.

Terming the both Budgets as an all-out attack on common people and demanding the withdrawal of hikes and deduction in interest rate of EPF and restoration of subsidies, Swapan Mukherjee said that after the massive fare hikes announced in this year’s Railway Budget and the 1.25% reduction in the interest rate on Employees’ Provident Fund, the General Budget marks the third successive blow on the common man in the ongoing budget session.

West Bengal: As a part of national protest day by CPI(ML), several district units in West Bengal organized protest rallies. Rallies were taken out at Howrah Maidan in Howrah, Jadavpur and College Street in Kolkata, Dharmada bazar and Bethuadahari in Nadia, Burdwan proper and Kalna in Burdwan and Siliguri in Darjeeling district. At Hashmi Chawk in Siliguri, an effigy of Manmohan Singh was also burnt. At College Street student activists burnt draft copies of the general budget.

Maharashtra: Protest demonstration was held by Maharashtra Sarva Shramik Mahasangh and AICCTU in front of the Dadar Station in Mumbai on 19 March. About 200 workers- textile, domestic women and others – participated in this demonstration that was addressed by Comrades Uday Bhatt, Mahendra Sagar, Shyam Gohil and Dheeraj.

Tamil Nadu: On 15 March itself Party’s Villupuram unit held a demonstration against the anti-people railway budget and the general budget. The demonstration was led by Com. Kaliamurthi, member of the District Committee. Com. M Venkatesan, State Committee member addressed the demonstration.

On 19 March 2012 protests were held all over Tamilnadu against the anti-people budget, reduction in EPF interest rate and for Indian govt’s support for resolution against Srilanka. In Coimbatore gate meetings of Pricol workers were held in two units in which over 1000 workers participated. Com. S Kumarasami, Politburo member of the Party addressed this meeting. In Chennai a public meet was organized by the Party which was presided over by Com. S Sekar, City Committee Secretary of the Party. Com. Thenmozhi, State President of AIPWA and Com. Jawahar, State President AICCTU addressed the meeting.

In Namakkal, a demonstration was held on 19 March that was led by Com. Pugalendhi, DC member. Com. A Govindaraj, SCM, addressed the demonstration. In Salem also a demonstration was held for two hours with Com. Velmurugan presiding over and Com. Chandramohan, SCM, Com. Viswanathan, AICCTU State working committee member addressing the protesters. In Cuddalore demonstrations were held at 2 places. Com. Ammaiappan, SCM attended these protests. Posters were released in Tiruvallore district.

Assam (19 March) – Dharna was held at Guwahati and Tinsukia, street corner meeting and effigy burning took place at Dibrugarh.

Jharkhand: A protest march was held on 15 March condemning the massive fare hike in the railway tickets. The march culminated in a mass meeting at the Albert Ekka roundabout that was addressed by Party leader and CC member Comrade Subhendu Sen.

Demonstration in TN Demanding arrest of Policemen who Raped Adivasi Women

On 20 March, a demonstration was organised by the All India Progressive Women’s Association (AIPWA) in Villupuram, as part of the sustained protest demanding arrest of policemen who raped Adivasi women. Com. Thenmozhi, State President of AIPWA, and Com. Shenbagavalli, State Secretary of AIPWA, led the demonstration. Com. M Venkatesan, SCM also addressed the gathering.

Martyr’s day observed in Siliguri

Darjeeling District committee commemorated on 19 March 2012 the 10th death anniversary of Com. Tapan Chakraborty (Sona), the then west Bengal state committee member and Darjeeling district secretary of cpiml, who passed away way back in 2002. In a befitting manner district and local committee leaders gathered at district party office and paid homage to the revolutionary ideals of their deceased leader. Among the state and district party organizers Com. Basudeb Bose, Com. Nabendu dasgupta,Com. Gouri Dey, Com. Abhijit Mazumdar, Com. Sarat Singha, Com. Apu Chaturvedi, Com. Mojammel Haque , Com. Pulak Ganguly, Com. Paisanju Singha spoke on the present political challenges and our tasks. A minute’s silence was observed.

Meeting of ML Parties in Mumbai

Four ML parties – Liberation, Red Flag, Red Star and New Democracy – held a joint meeting in Mumbai’s Dadar area on 18 March to discuss and decide on a joint movement in Maharashtra and to mobilise support for the movement against Shahi Dam in Shahpur, on which the State Govt has let loose repression. The meeting discussed the large scale displacement taking place of peasants and common people through various Govt projects in the State. The meeting emphasised on united movement of ML parties against such projects as Jaitapur atomic power project and participating in the ongoinf movements. A coordination committee will be formed next month after inviting more Left and democratic forces.

Odisha: Movement of Sanitation Workers

East Coast Safai Karmachari Sangha of Puri Railway Station are agitating for minimum wages, EPF, ESI and proper recreation and other benefits by the contractors as well as the principal employers. The movement has been on for over a week now under the banner of AICCTU. The contractor is denying minimum wages i.e. Rs. 171 per day at Puri. The RPF (railway police) is threatening workers of preventing their entry into station premises and the contractor is trying to employ other workers through local goons. The situation is very tense, however the AICCTU is in soliadrity with the movement of Safai Karamcharis. The AICCTU also held dialogues with the railway authorities to find a solution.

CPI(ML)’s 4th Ranchi District Conference

CPI(ML)’s 4th District Conference against Corporate Loot, Revision in CNT Act and Repression was held on 11-12 March at Shaheed Mahendra Singh Smriti Bhawan in Parmeshwar Singh Munda Nagar, Ranchi . The Conference began with paying homage to the martyrs of communist movement. The inaugural session was addressed by State Secretary Comrade Janardan Prasad who said that Jharkhand has become hotbed of corporate loot, for the continuation of which a revision in the CNT Act is being considered after doing away with the Urban Ceiling Act.

53 delegates from Ranchi, Bundu, Tamad, Rahey, Adki, Namkum, Ormanjhi and Burmu blocks participated in the conference. Comrade DP Bakshi (incharge for Jharkhand) and CCM Comrade Bahadur Oraon were present among others. The Conference elected a 15 member District Committee with Comrade Bhuwaneswar Kewat as the new Secretary.

Protests against Murder of Comrade Bhaiyyaram Yadav

Bihar: Protests were held all over the State on 15th March demanding arrest of the criminals without any delay. Hundreds of infuriated protesters in Patna marched from JP Chowk to Station where a protest meeting was held. This meeting was addressed by Party’s Central Committee member Comrade Saroj Chaubey, AIPWA General Secretary Comrade Meena Tiwari among others. In SIwan more than 300 people led by Party leader (and ex-MLA) Comrade Amarnath Yadav marched in protest. At Darbhanga hundreds of protesters were led by Comrade Dhirendra Jha, CC member. Comrade Niranjan Kumar – District Secretary of Gaya – led the protest march in Gaya, at Nalanda it was led by District Secretary Comrade Surendra Ram and at Bhagalpur it was led by Comrade SK Sharma. Protest demonstrations were also held at Bhojpur, Buxar, Aurnagabad, Arwal, Jehanabad, Nawada, Samastipur, Lakhisarai, Sheikhpura, Munger, Gopalganj, Begusarai apart from other district headquarters on 15th March.

On 17 March, a bandh was called in the Shahabad region that comprises of four southern districts of Bihar. The bandh was total in the region and a Sankalp Sabha (pledge meeting) will be held on 23rd March (Bhagat Singh’s martyrdom anniversary) at Nasriganj to be addressed by CPI(ML) General Secretary.

Jharkhand: A protest rally was held that marched to Albert Ekka roundabout in Ranchi.

Delhi: Protest demonstration was held at Jantar Mantar on 17 March, against the murder of the party’s Rohtas (in Bihar) District Secretary, Comrade Bhaiyyaram Yadav by BJP-JD(U)-backed criminals. The protest in the national capital coincided with the party’s call for a bandh in the Shahabad region of Bihar (comprising the districts of Bhojpur, Rohtas, Kaimur, and Buxar).

Addressing the protest demonstration at Jantar Mantar, the party’s Delhi State Secretary Sanjay Sharma said that Comrade Bhaiyyaram Yadav was killed by feudal forces backed by the ruling BJP-JD(U) combine, because he had been at the forefront of people’s struggles in the area against feudal violence. AISA General Secretary Ravi Rai, addressing the demonstration, said that the murder of a young activist like Comrade Bhaiyyaram, who was committed to Bhagat Singh’s ideals, at the hands of criminals patronized by BJP-JD(U), has exposed the reality of the Nitish Government’s claims of ‘Sushasan’ (Good Governance). In Nitish’s Bihar, those protesting against feudal atrocities and crimes on women were being assassinated, while the perpetrators of such crimes were protected by the administration and police.

After the demonstration, a delegation went to submit a memorandum to the Governor of Bihar (via the Resident Commissioner at New Delhi) demanding that the killers named in the FIR be arrested without delay, and the DM and SP of Rohtas district be penalized for protecting rapists and criminal killers. The memorandum demanded that the JD(U)-BJP Government of Bihar stop protecting the criminals who, confident of the patronage of the ruling BJP-JD(U) combine, were killing activists who challenged their feudal reign of terror.

Red Salute to Comrade Bhaiyyaram Yadav

Comrade Bhaiyyaram Yadav was shot dead in Nasiriganj, by armed assailants on 14 March evening. He had just been supervising the preparations for installation of a statue of Bhagat Singh (to be inaugurated on 23 March), and was returning to the party office, when he was shot in the gut by armed men on motorbikes. Even after being intimated that Comrade Bhaiyyaram was shot and lay injured, the police did not come to the spot.

Comrade Bhaiyyaram Yadav was killed by feudal forces backed by the ruling BJP-JD(U) combine, because he had been at the forefront of people’s struggles in the area against feudal violence. Notably, Comrade Bhaiyyaram had been active in organizing a powerful struggle against the gang-rape and murder of a 6-year-old dalit girl in December 2011 by feudal forces (the rapists included the Rajput strongman Luv Singh, known to be close to the BJP and JD(U)). The local police and administration have yet to arrest the accused rapists.

On 9 February, former pramukh Anil Singh and his brother, ex-Zila Parishad member Babhan Bahadur Singh, also well-known to be close to BJP-JD(U), were involved in a shoot-out against those from oppressed castes who objected to their riding motorbikes at high speed in residential areas. The police, instead of arresting the instigators falsely implicated Comrade Bhaiyyaram in this case on cooked-up charges of assault, and had him jailed. Once Com. Bhaiyyaram was released on bail, the feudal forces in collusion with BJP-JD(U) leaders and local administration, have assassinated him.

Bhaiyyaram joined the CPI(ML) in 1986, inspired by the party’s resistance to feudal terror in Nasiriganj (Karakat) and Bhojpur. As an activist of the party and youth organization, he helped organize the youth from among the rural poor. Since 2007, he was the Secretary of the party’s Rohtas District Committee, and in 2008, was elected to the Bihar State Committee.

Hundreds of local youth and common people joined the funeral procession of their beloved ‘Bhaiyya’, and protests were held all over Bihar on 15 March. The CPI(ML)’s bandh in the Shahabad region (districts of Ara, Rohtas, Kaimur, Buxar) on 17 March evoked a good response and support from people. On the same day, a protest was held at Parliament Street in New Delhi, demanding that the JD(U)-BJP Government of Bihar stop protecting the killers, and take action against the DM and SP of Rohtas district.

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, website: www.cpiml.org

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ML Update 12 / 2012

MLUpdate

A CPI(ML) Weekly News Magazine

Vol. 15, No. 12, 13 – 19 MARCH 2012

The Message of the Assembly Elections Mandate

The Assembly elections to the five states of Punjab, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Manipur and Goa were projected to be the biggest electoral test in the run-up to the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. The Congress and the BJP, the two biggest all-India parties, both had significant stakes in these elections. The results show that while the Congress has emerged as the biggest loser, the BJP has not gained much either. Uttar Pradesh, where both the Congress and the BJP were hoping to improve significantly upon their 2007 positions, has produced the biggest setback for both these parties. While the BJP’s tally has been reduced to 47, the Congress could win only 28 seats, losing heavily even in places like Raibareli and Amethi, the pocket boroughs of the Gandhi-Nehru family.

The NDA’s surprise victory has come from Punjab, where for the first time in the state’s electoral history, an incumbent government has been voted back to power. But this could happen on the basis of an improved performance by the Akali Dal, which succeeded in increasing its tally to 56 seats, just three short of the majority mark in the state Assembly. The BJP’s presence came down from a record 19 seats in the outgoing Assembly to a more modest 12 seats. Clearly, it is the BJP which had to bear the brunt of corruption charges against the Akali-BJP government. The Congress blames its unexpected defeat on flawed choice of candidates, which led to rebel candidates damaging the party’s prospects in several places, and the rise of the Punjab People’s Party in Malwa region which walked away with sizable chunks of anti-Akali votes.

In Uttarakhand, the BJP managed to do a high degree of damage-control by replacing the widely discredited and notoriously corrupt CM Mr. Pokhriyal on the eve of the polls, bringing back the erstwhile CM Mr. Khanduri. The BJP fought the poll with the slogan “Khanduri zaroori hai” (Khanduri is necessary), yet it finished one short of the Congress tally of 32 with Khanduri himself failing to retain his seat, which is widely attributed to infighting within the BJP. The Uttarakhand Assembly remains tantalisingly hung where the three victorious Congress rebels, three MLAs of the BSP and the lone winner of the Uttarakhand Kranti Dal are now expected to have a decisive say in the emerging power equations in the state.

The two other small states that went to polls in this round – Goa and Manipur – have produced clear verdicts. The Congress government in Goa had been thoroughly discredited on account of corruption, illegal mining and growing influence of a handful of Congress families in the economy and politics of Goa. For the first time, the BJP succeeded in winning a clear majority in the state, expanding its base among the traditionally pro-Congress Christian community as well. In Manipur, the Congress retained power with more than two-thirds majority; what was interesting was the emergence of the Trinamul Congress as the second largest party with as many as 7 seats in the 60-member Assembly. Mamata Banerjee deftly exploited the anti-AFSPA sentiment of the Manipuri people, visiting Irom Sharmila before launching her high-profile campaign, even as her own government in West Bengal continues to spearhead Operation Greenhunt against the fighting adivasi people of West Medinipur, Bankura and Purulia.

In Uttar Pradesh, the Samajwadi Party, which was widely predicted to emerge as the biggest claimant for power, secured a comfortable majority, ending speculations of imposition of President’s Rule in the state or the compulsion of a Congress-Samajwadi Party tie-up. The outright majority secured by the Samajwadi Party in these elections has been as surprising as was the BSP coming to power on its own in the previous election. The two successive election results indicate a growing trend of polarisation between the two dominant regional parties even though the two big all-India parties retain their presence and newer parties continue to emerge and make their presence felt in various parts of this big state. Comparisons have accordingly begun to be made between the electoral political patterns in Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh, but it must be remembered that unlike the DMK and the AIADMK in Tamil Nadu, the regionally dominant parties in Uttar Pradesh – the SP and the BSP – are not products of regionalism.

There has also been a lot of media hype about the so-called ‘generational metamorphosis’ of the Samajwadi Party, the term ‘dynastic succession’ apparently being reserved only for the Gandhi-Nehru family. But the hype already stands exposed with SP goons letting loose violent assaults on journalists, dalits and supporters of other parties in different parts of the state. Bourgeois political analysts and the corporate media always go overboard in their attempts to legitimise and even idolise new regimes as epitomes of ‘democracy’ and ‘development’. But real life does not take long to unmask these new regimes and shred their pretentions. Whether it is Nitish Kumar in Bihar or Mamata Banerjee in West Bengal or earlier Mayawati in UP, popular expectations have been shattered everywhere and the people are back on the path of struggle for their basic interests and rights.

Uttar Pradesh has been witness to massive corporate land-grab even as vast sections of the people languish in crippling poverty and unemployment. If the youth have rallied around the SP in a big way, it is not because of any ‘charisma’ of Akhilesh Yadav, but because of the SP’s promise to provide jobs and unemployment allowance. In the run-up to these elections, employment exchanges in UP have recorded a surge in the numbers of young people seeking jobs in the state and that tells us what has moved the youth. It is significant that neither the Congress attempts to hoodwink Muslim voters with election-eve promise of insultingly low levels of reservation nor the BJP’s dreams of harvesting Hindu votes by stoking anti-reservation prejudices have worked in UP. Basic issues like land, employment opportunities, accountability of public expenditure and dignity and security of the common people have relegated caste and communal prejudices considerably to the background.

Trends in Assembly elections are determined primarily by state-specific contexts, but the overall situation in the country also has a bearing on elections in major states. The election results have clearly revealed a popular anti-Congress mood of the electorate across the states. Equally evident is the lack of credibility of the BJP. If the Congress is now likely to find it increasingly difficult to run the show at the Centre and control the UPA coalition, as of now, there is little prospect for the BJP to attract more support and expand the NDA net either. The renewed rise of the SP in UP coupled with the restiveness of combative UPA allies like the TMC or NCP has revived speculations regarding the prospect of a non-UPA non-UDA third front or federal front. But we must remember even a loose federal front needs a centre and as of now no single non-Congress non-BJP party or leader within or outside the UPA/NDA folds seems to have reached that level of strength or acceptability.

The message of these elections therefore is clearly twofold – while both the UPA and NDA will face pressures of political realignment, the situation is ripe for intensification of popular struggles on the basic and burning issues facing the people. The outcome of the Assembly elections must be seen in conjunction with the popular participation in the February 28 strike. As a weakened Congress and a weakened UPA get ready for the budget session of Parliament, the fighting forces of the working people must also get ready for a showdown with the regime and fight hard for a reversal of all pro-corporate policies and for a check on corruption and soaring prices.

CPI(ML)/AILC performance in Assembly elections

Punjab: CPI(ML) and CPM Punjab had put up respectively 7 and 6 candidates in Punjab. The 7 candidates of CPI(ML) polled approximately 14,000 votes while the 6 candidates of CPM Punjab polled around 18,000 votes. The highest vote polled by CPI(ML) candidate has been approximately 4,000 from Mansa, while CPM Punjab nominee from Bhoa polled more than 5,500 votes. CPI and CPI(M) had contested these elections as junior partners of the Punjab People’s Party led by former Akali Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal. Total votes polled by the 9 candidates of CPI(M) have been above 21,000 while the CPI polled more than 100,000 votes by fielding 14 candidates.

Uttarakhand: CPI(ML) had fielded 5 candidates in Uttarakhand – the party had seat adjustments with the CPI and CPI(M) (the latter however did not have complete adjustments among themselves). Uttarakhand Assembly seats are smaller than UP seats (3 seats in Uttarakhand are roughly equivalent to one Assembly seat in UP) and in some seats winning candidates poll only about 20,000 votes. Here, the highest vote polled by CPI(ML) has been close to 2,000 from Dharchula in Pithoragarh district. None of the other four candidates however managed to cross the 1,000 mark.

Uttar Pradesh: In UP, the party had put up 41 candidates in all, and total votes added up to a little above 50,000. Highest vote polled was more than 5,600 (Comrade Salim finished fifth from Mirzapur seat, ahead of the Congress candidate). But many candidates could not even poll 1,000 votes.

In all these three states votes showed a very slight overall increase from the 2007 level. While votes generally improved almost everywhere in Punjab and Uttarakhand, UP witnessed a drop in votes in several constituencies despite recording an overall increase of 10,000 votes.

All India Left Coordination’s Statement on

Justice for Journalist Syed Mohammed Kazmi

The arrest of senior journalist Syed Mohammed Kazmi in connection with the attack on an Israeli diplomat’s wife last month is condemnable, based as it is on accusations that carry little credibility.

Mr Kazmi is a journalist of very high repute, and was currently working with an Iranian News agency, which naturally required him to be in touch with his Iranian employers.

Israel was quick to implicate Iran in the attack on the Israeli diplomat’s wife and has been pressurizing India to do so. India however is yet to name Iran as being behind the attack. However, the arrest of Mr. Kazmi seems to be clearly at the behest of the Israeli Government and investigators, who have a vested interest in establishing an Iranian connection with the attack.

A large number of journalists and citizens have come forward to protest Mr. Kazmi’s arrest and demand his freedom and justice.

Mr. Kazmi must be released on bail without delay and be given a full opportunity to clear his name.

CPI(ML)’s Statement on War Crimes in Sri Lanka

The recently revealed footage of the brutal execution of the 12-year-old son of LTTE leader Prabhakaran is only the latest evidence of the genocide and war crimes on a mass scale committed by the Sri Lankan Army against the Tamil people.

It is shameful that even after such irrefutable evidence, India continues to maintain a dubious silence on war crimes in Sri Lanka, and is yet to commit to supporting a resolution against war crimes in Sri Lanka, to be introduced in the UN Human Rights Council soon.

It is true that the resolution on Sri Lankan war crimes is being moved by the US – which itself stands implicated in war crimes and continuing crimes against humanity in Iraq and Afghanistan. Even recently, the US armed forces have been guilty of a massacre of civilians in Afghanistan. However, that is no excuse for India’s vacillation and Sri Lankan impunity on the question of war crimes in Sri Lanka. India, while supporting the resolution on Sri Lankan war crimes, ought in fact to move resolutions against the war crimes by US and its allies in Iraq and Afghanistan.

A five-member AILC delegation comprising Comrades Mangat Ram Pasla (Secretary of CPM Punjab), Bhimrao Bansode (General Secretary of LNP(Leninist) Maharashtra), Taramani Rai (General Secretary of CPRM), Dipankar Bhattacharya (General Secretary of CPI(ML)Liberation) and Prem Singh Gehlawat (Party’s incharge for Haryana) presented the following memorandum at the Rashtrapati Bhawan.

To

The Hon’ble President,

Union of India

Subject: Pressing Legislative and Policy Issues Facing the Country

Respected Madam,

At the outset of the Budget Session of Parliament, the All India Left Coordination would like to bring to your attention several urgent legislative and policy issues requiring consideration in Parliament.

1. Anti Corruption Legislation: The Lokpal and Lokayukta Bill passed by the upper house has serious flaws and shortcomings that will render it completely incapable of combating the deeply ingrained cancer of corruption. In its present form, the Bill does not allow for a Lokpal/Lokayukta that is truly independent of the ruling regime of the day, nor one that has the requisite authority and force to independently probe and pursue complaints of corruption. It fails to cover a large range of public functionaries, while its clauses against ‘false complaints’ intimidate whistleblowers and anti-corruption activists. Further, it has no specific safeguards to discourage and penalise crony capitalism and corporate plunder of natural resources – that is the dominant characteristic of most big-ticket scams in India today. We submit that the Lokpal and Lokayukta Bill be redrafted to ensure full independence, autonomy, and investigation powers of the Lokpal/Lokayukta institutions; bring all public functionaries from the Prime Minister to the pradhan under the purview of the Lokpal/Lokayukta; provisions to protect rather than discourage and intimidate anti-corruption activists and whistle-blowers; and provisions specifically targeted against the beneficiaries (both corporate and public servants) of corporate plunder of natural resources and crony capitalism.

2. Food Security: Prices of food, essential commodities and fuel have been constantly on the rise, imposing an unbearable burden on the common man. Widespread hunger and malnutrition mock our claims of progress and development. The UPA Government’s Food Security Bill, far from protecting the common people in these tough times, will, if passed, actually render them more vulnerable. The Bill continues the discriminatory and exclusionary policy of targeting, dividing the needy into ‘priority’ and ‘general’ households. It proposes to replace food rations with cash transfers – a move which can only benefit corporate and MNC retailers and rob farmers of MSP by doing away with procurement. The Government needs to acknowledge that the vast majority of Indians are needy, and the PDS and other social schemes must be universalised to provide any real measure of food security for all. Only the topmost layer of upper middle class and rich must be excluded from the benefits of PDS: all other households must get 50 kg of food grains at subsidised rates, as well as subsidized supply of other essential requirements like dal, cooking oil, vegetables and milk, while the poorest households and those in especially vulnerable situations must get additional protection. We seek an amendment of the Food Security Bill to this effect.

3. Right to Employment: With jobless growth being aggravated by the economic crisis, job cuts and retrenchment are creating great anxiety and insecurity for youth. Those jobs that have been created are casual, contractual, highly exploitative and insecure and lacking in basic dignity and rights. It is high time that the Government recognised the Right to Work as a fundamental right. Right to Work must be defined as the right to dignified and remunerative work, and calls for an end to exploitation of casualised and contract labour and violation of labour laws, upholding the principle of equal pay for equal work and ensuring fullest democracy at the workplace. In case of inability to provide dignified and secure employment, the Government be obligated to pay adequate and reasonable unemployment allowance.

4. FDI in Retail: The disturbing attempt by the Government to introduce FDI in retail, bypassing Parliament, has been temporarily put on hold. We submit that FDI in retail, far from opening up avenues for employment as the Government promises, will actually rob millions of Indians, currently surviving as small vendors, shop employees etc, of their already precarious means of livelihood and survival. We therefore ask that the proposal of FDI in retail be withdrawn.

5. Land Acquisition: Corporate land grab and forced eviction of peasants and tribals has emerged as a burning issue all over the country. This is a matter of concern, not only from the point of view of peasants’ and tribals’ rights to land and livelihood, but also from the angle of the country’s food security and protection of precious natural resources. The Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (LARR) Bill 2011, introduced to replace the notorious 1894 Land Acquisition Act, seems to be founded on a completely misplaced premise. Its fundamental thrust appears to be to facilitate land acquisition, rather than to safeguard food security and peasants’ and tribals’ rights. Not only does it not have any will to prevent forcible land acquisition or protect fertile and forest land; its provisions for compensation, rehabilitation and resettlement are also extremely weak and inadequate. We therefore demand that the LARR Bill 2011 be withdrawn, and instead a fresh legislation be drafted, that will impose severe restrictions and safeguards against indiscriminate acquisition or purchase of fertile and forest land; prevent any forcible land grab (whether through acquisition or purchase) by making people’s informed consent mandatory; prevent any land acquisition for private companies; and ensuring adequate compensation and R&R for land holders as well as affected agricultural labour and other toiling people who lose their livelihood, both in cases of land purchased by private companies or land acquired by the government.

6. Second State Reorganisation Commission: Long-pending popular movements for separate statehood in many parts of the country, most notably Telangana and Gorkhaland, continue to await any satisfactory resolution. The Centre’s policy towards such issues has been marked by vacillation, double standards, and backtracking on promises – aggravating the situation. In this light, we demand that a Second State Reorganisation Commission be set up at the earliest, for a sympathetic resolution to such long-pending questions of separate statehood.

7. Six Bills on Higher Education: We note with concern a package of six Bills on higher education, which are being introduced in the name of reforming the manifest ills of anarchy and corruption in higher education. However, these Bills, instead of addressing these rampant problems that exploit and cheat students and rob them of their right to education, are designed to aggravate the problem by giving a freer hand than ever before to private, commercialised and foreign educational institutions. The Foreign Educational Institutions (Regulation of Entry and Operation) Bill, 2010, the Universities for Innovation Bill 2010, the Prohibition of Unfair Practices in Educational Institutions Bill, 2010, the Educational Tribunals Bill 2010, the National Commission for Higher Education and Research (NCHER) Bill 2010, and the National Accreditation Regulatory Authority for Higher Educational Institutions Bill 2010, all have clauses exempting private and foreign ‘education providers’ from regulatory norms, and in fact these Bills fail to lay down any adequate norms – relating to cap on fees, infrastructure and teaching, compliance with reservation for students from deprived backgrounds – or penalties for violation of such norms. We therefore demand that all these Bills be withdrawn with immediate effect, and fresh legislation be drafted as required in consultation with educationists and students’ and teachers’ groups.

8. National Counter-Terrorism Centre (NCTC): The proposed National Counter-Terrorism Centre (NCTC) has been opposed by Chief Ministers, mainly on the grounds of violation of federal principles. In addition to these federal concerns, we feel that the proposed NCTC confers several draconian and invasive powers on the Intelligence Bureau, that are a matter of serious concern for democracy and civil liberties in India. We therefore demand withdrawal of the proposed NCTC. In addition, we also demand the scrapping of several draconian legislations – including the UAPA and the Armed Forced Special Powers Act (AFSPA), which violate principles of democracy and civil liberties.

9. Koodankulam: We note with outrage the attempts by the Prime Minister himself to intimidate protestors against the Koodankulam Nuclear Plant in Tamilnadu, by insinuating that they are pawns of a ‘foreign hand.’ Such statements are an insult to the democratic principles that allow citizens full freedom to protest and voice their opinions on policy issues. In fact, what is of concern that our country’s energy policies seem to be tailored more to serve the interests of foreign nuclear corporations and industry, rather than to prioritise the safety and interests of India’s own people. We demand that the Koodankulam project be cancelled, with view to the prevailing concerns about public safety posed by it.

10. Dow Sponsorship of Olympics: The brazen refusal of the London Olympics Organising Committee to cancel the sponsorship of Dow Chemicals (which, after taking over the infamous Union Carbide, is yet to acknowledge its commitments towards compensation and clean-up of the Bhopal gas disaster), and the British Prime Minister’s defence of Dow’s sponsorship, is a matter of outrage for the vast majority of Indians. We demand that the Indian Parliament honour the sentiments of Indian citizens, and adopt a resolution demanding cancellation of Dow’s sponsorship.

We hope that you will bring the above matters, of concern to the common people, to the notice of the Government for speedy action.

Thanking you,

Sincerely,

Dipankar Bhattacharya, General Secretary, CPI(ML)(Liberation)

Mangat Ram Pasla, Secretary, CPM Punjab

Bhimrao Bansod, General Secretary, Lal Nishan Party (Leninist) Maharashtra

KS Hariharan, Secretary, Left Coordination Committee, Kerala

Taramani Rai, General Secretary, Communist Party of Revolutionary Marxists (CPRM)

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, website: www.cpiml.org

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