Neither an Instant N-Deal nor a ‘Paused’ One – Scrap the Deal altogether!
The impasse between the UPA Government and its Left allies over the Nuke Deal seems to have come to a sudden end with an apparent climb-down by the Congress; for the time being the Government seems safe and the prospect of mid-term polls seems to have receded. The US-led nuclear establishment, the Congress and the UPA Government – all have made a dramatic turn-about in their stance. Will they ever come clear on this sudden nuclear somersault?
Last month, the US Ambassador was admonishing India saying “Time is of essence.” Now, we have IAEA chief El Baradei telling India to take its time, since there is no timeframe to operationalise the deal. The PMO had said time and again that Manmohan Singh was willing to stake his credibility and the life of his government on the deal –but now the PM himself has said with philosophical resignation that there are issues beyond the nuke deal, that if the deal falls through he will be disappointed but “one has to live with disappointments and move on.” Just a few days before this change of stance, Sonia Gandhi had declared that opponents of the Deal were enemies of development. But now she has said that the Left must not be castigated as anti-national; they had their ideology which must be respected in the interests of “coalition dharma.”
What lies behind this dizzying volte-face? As far as the UPA partners are concerned, the decision to halt the operationalisation of the deal seems to have been prompted by the fear of early elections. From Lalu Prasad to Karunanidhi to Sharad Pawar, all UPA partners who had been loudly advocating the deal appear to have developed cold feet over the prospect of facing a poll in the next few months. Despite optimistic projections regarding the outcome of early elections, the Congress too has perhaps developed second thought. But how can the fear of elections sink in so suddenly prompting a go-slow approach on the deal? If from a fast forward mode the government now seems to be prepared to press the pause button for some time, this is surely happening not against the wishes of the Bush administration and the American nuclear establishment. Why did the American side become ready to change its timetable?
Instead of being taken in by the rediscovered rhetoric of coalition dharma and victory of Parliament, the democratic opinion in India must keep a close watch on the American version of the story and reckon with the threat of a sudden revival of the deal at an opportune political moment. Negotiations leading to nuclear deals and strategic agreements usually remain shrouded in mystery and we must not believe simplistically that the deal has been dumped. The strategic pause in the public eye will be accompanied in all likelihood by “track-II” negotiations behind the scenes, and a fait accompli will be presented at a more opportune political moment. In fact, it is not even the process of pursuing the Deal that has been “paused”; it is rather the intensified debate over India’s strategic autonomy and energy and foreign policies that the rapprochement between the CPI(M) and the Congress seeks to “pause.”
It is interesting to note how some representatives of the UPA-Left partnership have now begun to liken the UPA experiment to the NDA model. It is being argued by some that if the BJP was willing to shelve its key Hindutva agenda in the interests of running the NDA coalition government, Congress should surely be willing to put its pet Nuke Deal on the shelf in order to accommodate the Left and keep the UPA Government afloat. The fact is that during the NDA regime, the Hindutva agenda of saffronisation and communal violence were both aggressively pursued; the BJP’s lip service of not foregrounding Hindutva was merely a fiction to allow its partners to make the alliance palatable to their constituencies. In this instance too, the “climb-down” by the Congress on the Nuke Deal will only serve to camouflage the fact that the Nuke Deal as well as other anti-people, pro-imperialist foreign and economic policies will continue unhindered.
Pressure must therefore be intensified for a complete scrapping of the deal, dismantling of the entire architecture of India’s strategic partnership with the US and reversal of the very course of pro-imperialist foreign and economic policies. The UPA and its Left partners must be feeling happy and relieved with their new-found face-saving formula, the country must insist on clear and consistent democratic answers to all the questions that have been thrown up by the nuke deal debate.
Thousands Protested All-over Bihar the Murder in Custody of Comrade Ashok Sah
Issued Ultimatum to the Chief Minister for Arrest of Killer Policemen and Action against DM and SP of Sitamarhi
Thousands of people held out a Resistance March on Oct. 12 at district headquarters of Sitamarhi to demand immediate arrest of killers of Comrade Ashok Sah, who was murdered in custody by the Sitamarhi police after illegally arresting him at mid-night of 3-4 October. This march was led by AIALA National President Rameshwar Prasad and CPI(ML) CC member Mina Tiwary along with many local leaders and cadres of Sitamarhi and Darbhanga districts.
A statewide protest day was also called by the Party on October 10 and demonstrations and dharnas were organised in almost all districts of Bihar on these demands. An inquiry through Commissioner, Tirhut range and by IG, Muzaffarpur, has been ordered by the state government, owing to the immense mass pressure and widespread condemnation of this heinous killing by the police-mafia nexus. it has been made clear to the authorities that every such effort will be futile and an eye-wash unless the thana incharge, the BDO and other accused policemen were not arrested and the DM and SP of Sitamarhi were not removed and action was not taken against them before the commencement of the inquiry. Therefore, CPI(ML) has demanded for a judicial inquiry of this incident.
The PUCL, Bihar, has also come up with its investigation report which holds the police as well as criminal-politician nexus responsible for this murder. The report also charges the higher police officials as the fake case under which comrade Ashok Sah was arrested was under investigation by the IG, Muzaffarpur, and the police was supposed not to take any action till the inquiry was over. There are many other questions to be answered by the authorities like Comrade was arrested at 12 AM in the mid-night but the concocted case diary shows his arrest was made at 3.30 AM, then, the dead body was returned to the family members after the post-mortem although, in case of custodial deaths, it is mandatory for the police to inform the family members of the deceased immediately.
The CPI(ML) has called for a protest in front of the Chief Minister Nitish Kumar in Patna on October 24 to press for a judicial inquiry, the arrests of the killers and action against the DM and SP of Sitamarhi.
Why is CPI(M) With the Corrupt Ration Dealers Rather than With the Protesting and Hungry Poor?
PDS pilferage is widespread all over the country, and CPI(M)-ruled West Bengal is no exception. The dealers and distributors, with support from CPI(M) cadres and food inspectors, siphon-off foodgrains and kerosene from the PDS and sell them in the open market; and people fail to get their weekly allotment of rations. People have erupted in spontaneous anger against this theft, and the mass protests try to force dealers to sign court papers promising ration card holders compensation for the months they have not got their supplies.
Predictably, the CPI(M) has dismissed the popular upsurge as a ploy by the “Opposition”. But if the agitation is led by the Trinamool and is not a spontaneous popular upsurge of anger, can CPI(M) tell us why ration dealers belonging to the Trinamool are also not being spared? The CPI(M) Organ People’s Democracy dated October 14 tells us that in Burdwan, Trinamool leader and ration dealer Sheikh Fakir Mohammed found his home and shop being attacked – and proudly claims that CPI(M) activists rushed to his defence. Clearly the poor and hungry people are united across party lines – and the corrupt ration dealers be they of Trinamool or CPI(M) all receive equal protection from the CPI(M) and the West Bengal Govt. And just like at Nandigram, it is in fact the rural poor who are in the vanguard of the protests.
CPI(M) cannot escape simply by accusing the Congress’ central government of “destabilising” the PDS system. Of course, it is true that the Centre is out to disband the PDS system with its anti-poor step of the ‘targeted’ PDS system. But it is still the State Government which is responsible for preventing pilferage and punishing corruption in distribution. And even the West Bengal Govt’s own Food and Civil Supplies Minister Paresh Adhikari has had to admit that there is “large-scale diversion” of grain from APL PDS to the open market. (Indian Express, October 10) APL wheat sells for Rs 6.75 a kg while the open-market rate is Rs 13; one can imagine how much profit is made if the former is illegally sold at the latter rate.
The question is: why, despite CPI(M)’s proud claims of pro-poor governance, is there “large scale diversion” (pilferage) whereby food grains meant for the poor are being sold on the open market? And if there is such large scale corruption, how can people be blamed for venting their anger on the centres of this corruption – the ration dealers and those who are protecting them – i.e the CPI(M) leaders? If CPI(M) cadre themselves were not involved in the corruption they would be leading the people’s protests, not defending the ration dealers.
Nation-wide date shows that Rs 31,585.98 crore worth of wheat and rice meant for the poorest of the poor in India has been reportedly siphoned off in India over the last three years. Last year alone, Rs 11,336.98 crore worth of food grain that the government is supposed to distribute to the needy through the public distribution system (PDS) at subsidised prices found its way into the market illegally. Rural India is poised on a powder keg of anger at the theft of food from the mouths of the poor and hungry. Just as Nandigram provided a model for people’s protests against SEZs and corporate land grab – again it seems the rural poor of West Bengal will show the way for nationwide outbursts of protest against corruption in PDS.
Reports from States
Recent initiatives in Palamu Region
Non-implementation of NREGA and anomalies in BPL lists has become important issues in this region. Nearly a thousand rural poor under the banner of Jharkhand Majdoor Kisan Samiti gheraoed the block office of Panki in Palamu district on Sept. 19 on these issues, but the BDO fled from his office. A similar phenomenon was witnessed on Oct. 1 when BDO of Patan block ran away from his office in front of agitators. The people held a mass meeting after putting a lock on the doors of the block office in protest. The angered people even dismantled the gates of BDO office of Chainpur block on Oct. 3 when a demonstration of over 1500 people saw the officer fleeing from his office. Later, unable to face the angered masses the police went into defensive and the station in-charge was forced to call back the BDO. Hence, he returned and offered his apologies and assured of a new survey to include those deserving families who were left out of the current BPL list. A protest was also organised in Lesliganj block to highlight similar issues on 9 Oct.
CPI(ML) and JMKS called for a protest rally in Garhwa on NREGA, BPL and eviction of poor from their lands by feudals on Oct. 5. In spite of issuing the prohibitory orders by the administration and heavy police deployment, thousands gathered in front of the block office and jammed the highway. This forced the administration to come to the spot to give assurance of fulfillment of demands. A similar protest was also lodged in Dhurki block on the same day. In Ramuna and Dandai blocks protests were held in the last week of September and block authorities assured to take action by 5 Oct., but nothing happened and a road blockade was called on 6 Oct. The BDO again came and assured of prompt action. A protest was also held at Bhandaria block on 9 October.
A unity meet was organised in Merhna village of Garhwa against illegal land capture by feudals. The feudals in this village are protected by RJD leader Girinath Singh and in spite of a favourable court order the land still remains occupied by landlords. Nearly 2000 people assembled on Sept. 23 and issued an ultimatum to the illegal occupiers.
Convention in Bhind
Bhind unit of Party organised a convention of Oct. 7 against Nuclear Deal, SEZs and UPA government’s anti-people policies. The convention was inaugurated by Party’s MP In-charge and Central Committee member Prabhat Kumar. He called for an intensive campaign and widespread mass mobilisation to resist pro-imperialist policies of the UPA government. The convention was also addressed by Bhind district in-charge Devendra Singh Chauhan.
Kisan Sabha Conference in Bihar
The Bihar Pradesh Kisan Sabha concluded its state conference on 8-9 October in Biharsharif in Nalanda district. The Conference was attended by nearly 400 delegates from all parts of the state discussed various burning issues of the peasant movement in Bihar and called for intensifying the movement against pro-imperialist, anti-peasant and anti-poor agrarian policy of the government. The adverse impact of WTO regime particularly on the small and middle peasants and a highly aggravated agrarian crisis was severely criticized and a pro-peasant agrarian policy was demanded in order to make the agriculture, which caters the 70 percent of country’s population, viable. The conference also demanded from the Bihar Govt. to initiate the registration process for the share-croppers (Bataidaars), and to ensure the rights of share-croppers over the land. It also demanded to make public the Amir Das Commission report as well as to redistribute the bhoodan-land which is still occupied by big landlords.
The Conference elected a 61-member State Committee with Rajaram Singh again as its President, besides a five-member Secretariat and five Vice Presidents.
NREGA Struggle in Sitapur
After a brief struggle the authorities in Hargaon block of Sitapur agreed to issue the receipts of application forms for the job cards, which they were initially denying to avoid the provision for the unemployment allowance if the job was not given within 15 days of application. But when the block office was forced to properly implement the Act, the real nexus from block to the village came into operation and started creating hurdles. One woman worker was even assaulted by the village pradhan and his henchmen. This was collectively opposed by the workers and they filed an FIR besides starting a protest dharna at the block office. Ultimately, the BDO assured of an action as well as a guarantee of providing jobs under the Act.
CPI members join CPI(ML) in TN
More than 200 members joined CPIML, in the first phase, on 15 October at Villupuram district deserting CPI. The comrades represented four blocks, viz., Vanur, Ullundurpet, Thirukovilur and Thirunavalur, of the district. The Villupuram event on 15th was not an isolated event; Left ranks from more than 12 districts in the state have joined our party in a short span of one year, who were earlier with the Maoists or with CPI-CPI(M). Many Left cadres are looking up to the CPI(ML) as a credible and consistent Left alternative.
The Left comrades at Villupuram joined CPI(ML) in a public function and the oath was administered by SCM Ilangovan. Comrade Shankar, CCM awarded membership cards to the eligible cadres who had come from many other districts having left various Left parties, particularly the CPI and the CPI(M). Comrade Kuppusamy of the newly formed DOC of the district hoisted the flag, M.Venkatesan, Secretary of the DOC chaired the event while Balsubramanian delivered the inaugural address. Recently joined Left cadres M.Babu of Krishangiri, Dakshinamurthy of Cuddalore, Senguttuvan of Perambalur, Gundumalai of Madurai and Antony Muthu of Kanyakumari also spoke in the event while nine members of the Villupuram DOC were introduced to the gathering.
Comrade Shankar,CCM traced the revolutionary tradition of the communist movement in the country from 1857, Bhagat Singh, Telangana and Naxalbari. He called upon Left ranks to join the revolutionary stream of CPI(ML) against the politics of collaboration of the official Left. He also condemned the vacillation of the Left in opposing anti-national, Indo-US Nuke Deal.
Comrade Balasundaram, the state secretary, accused the official Left of weakening the Left movement by its opportunist alliances. He also highlighted the event as a step in the direction of genuine Left forces rallying around CPI(ML), as a part of the clarion call of the ensuing eighth Congress of the party to be held at Kolkata in December.
Drama Workshop by ‘Prerana’
The women’s wing of Jan Sanskriti Manch in Jharkhand, Prerana, organised a two-day drama workshop for women at Hesalong mines (Hazaribagh) on 6-7 October. This was dedicated to the memory of Singi and Kaili Dai, who represent the historic tradition of resistance in Jharkhand. All the participants of this workshop were rural women artists and all were adivasis. The workshop was conducted by Soni Tiria and inaugurated by AIPWA Jharkhand President Guni Oraon. Rupa Besra addressed it as the main speaker. Anil Anshuman, JSM State Secretary, conducted the sessions of technicalities of Drama. The participants themselves prepared and improvised 35 small plays during these sessions. Most of them reflecting their day to day experiences and raised various burning issues pertaining to women. This became quite an encouraging experience for the organisers also. The workshop ended with a resolve to prepare and stage street plays on various issues of women as well as other socio-political questions in the coming days.
Peasants’ March in Jind
Peasants organised a march on October 3 in Jind town of Haryana under the banner of All India Kisan Sangharsh Samiti and CPI(ML) with the slogan ‘Jamin bachao – Desh Bachao’ against the continuing anti-peasant, pro-big capital, pro-imperialist agrarian policies. The marchers, led by Prem Singh Gehlawat, started from Nehru Park and the march was culminated at DC camp office where a memorandum addressed to the President of India was submitted to the DC. The memorandum demanded to scrap the SEZ policy, to stop handing over of agricultural lands to domestic and foreign big corporations and colonisers for non-agri. purposes, and to redistribute the surplus land to the landless and to implement the land reforms completely. The marchers also opposed the Indo-US Nuclear Deal and demanded to scrap it immediately in country’s interest.
Party State Conference in Andhra Pradesh
The Fifth Party State Conference of Andhra unit took place at Guntur from October 8-10. It was preceded by an impressive and colourful rally of around 2500 people along with the cultural troupe of Jan Sanskriti Mandli. The debate on the Draft Report addressed the land question and the challenge of raising land struggles to a political level seriously. The draft report was unanimously adopted by the conference. The conference elected a 21-member State Committee which re-elected Com. N. Murthy as the State Secretary.
Protest in Ranchi
Ranchi unit of the party organised a protest and road blockade on the question of adivasis’ land at Albert Ekka Chowk on October 9. Protesters condemned the state government for its failure to protect the rights of adivasis and demanded action against the land mafia which is capturing the lands of poor adivasis even in the capital city with impunity. The administration usually takes sides with the mafia which are patronised by various ruling parties’ politicians. In many such cases the aggrieved adivasis are harassed by the police also. The protesters demanded to stop such captures of adivasi lands, action against the mafia-official-politician nexus and withdrawal of fake cases framed against adivasis in order to harass them. The protest was led by Ranchi town Secretary of CPI(ML) Shashikant and others.
Anti-Nuke Deal Convention in Haldwani
A Convention on Indo-US Nuclear Deal was organised in Haldwani of Uttarakhand on October 7. The convention started with the national song of 1857, ‘Hum hain iske malik, Hindustan hamara’. Addressing the convention as main speaker Raja Bahuguna, Party in-charge of Uttarakhand, said that depending on US, world’s No. 1 butcher, for energy needs instead of opting for a self-reliant path, has only exposed the dependent comprador character of Indian ruling class. Kisan Sabha leader Bahadur Singh Jangi called for a powerful and widespread movement against this anti-nation deal. KK Bora and Pankaj Vidrohi also addressed the convention. Kailash Joshi, advocate, presided over the convention.
Dharna in Gwalior for Civic Amenities
Gwalior unit of CPI(ML) organised a dharna to protest against the water and power crisis in Abarpura locality. Widely supported by the poor of the area, this was addressed by Vinod Rawat, Party in-charge of Gwalior, Anwar Ali and others. The speakers criticized the anti-people policies of the BJP Govt. in state and called upon to further intensify the struggle.
