Arrest and Prosecute Modi and other Masterminds of the Gujarat Genocide

Leaders of the Bajrang Dal, VHP, BJP were heard describing how they raped a young Muslim woman who was "like a flower"; how they ripped open a pregnant woman’s womb; how they chopped up and burnt alive former Congress MP Ehsan Jaffri; manufactured diesel and pipe bombs on a factory-scale; and distributed truckloads of swords.

Not a single institution - including police and judiciary - remains free of the charge of aiding and abetting the communal killers. The Sangh leaders caught on spy cameras describe how "Narendra bhai got the police on our side", how the police provided cartridges, how the police "was standing right in front of us, seeing all that was happening, but they had shut their eyes and mouths." Public prosecutors are busy sabotaging cases against rioters by bribing and intimidating witnesses while judges are 'induced' to look the other way. Not even the Nanavati Commission probe into the riots remained untarnished: one of the public prosecutors caught on camera suggested that of the two Justices heading the Commission, one was favourably disposed towards the rioters and the other was busy making money.

BJP spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad has said that the tapes do not prove anything since they might be mere ‘empty boasting’. The very fact that BJP’s activists boast of gruesome barbarities like slitting open a woman’s womb, chopping up a man’s limbs and burning people alive speaks for the communal fascist character of BJP.

Five years after the pogrom, justice remains a far cry for the victims. The killers go scot-free and enjoy power in Gujarat, while Muslims continue to live in terror. And on the eve of Gujarat elections, justice for the victims of communal violence is not an agenda the main opposition party the Congress wants to touch. BJP leaders like Gordhan Zadaphia who led the communal mobs in 2002 are now dissidents against Modi, and are being wooed by the Congress. Asked why the Congress associated with men like Zadaphia who were identified with the 2002 violence, Congress’ Gujarat leader Shankarsingh Waghela, himself an import from the BJP, argued that "the Congress was a ‘samudra’ (sea) that absorbed all ideologies." (The Hindu Oct 9 2007) The question is: can the likes of Zadaphia wash the blood of their hands in the Congress’ ‘samudra’? Won’t the Congress’ own hands become stained with that same blood?

In the wake of these damning indictments by Sangh leaders of Modi’s personal involvement in that genocide, the immediate arrest and prosecution of Narendra Modi is a minimum first step in securing justice for the victims of the genocide. If the revelations of a sting operation in the ‘cash-for-questions’ scandal could lead to action against MPs, revelations of mass murder surely call for the arrest and prosecution of the man who masterminded it.

Comrade Yogeshwar Gope

Comrade Yogeshwar Gope was born in Kankol village of district Begusarai, Bihar, in 1925 in a poor peasant family. He was a brilliant student studying on government scholarship but left school to participate in 1942 Quit India Movement. But the idea of condemnation of violence during this movement disillusioned him and he gradually shifted towards the communist ideology and got membership of Communist Party of India in 1944. While he involved himself actively in student movement, he studies for his graduation in Patna, simultaneously, toiling hard doing tuitions for sustenance.

He joined state govt. as lower division clerk (LDC) in Patna and got elected as General Secretary of Secretariat Employees in 1957-58. His commitment was such that in 1956 Vidhan Sabha elections he took leave from duty to campaign for CPI candidate Chandrashekhar Singh from North Begusarai. The Congress candidate was defeated in the election for the first time. For this, Comrade Gope was victimised as he faced suspension from service and he could resume his job only after long months of struggle.

Bihar Non-Gazetted Employees’ Maha Sangh was formed in 1958 comprising ten organisations, Comrade Gope was elected its General Secretary in 1966 in Chhapra Conference. And after that it was a glorious history of struggles which expanded the organisation throughout the state covering employees from Secretariat to districts and block level offices. Some of the major strike struggles under his leadership were, in 1968 for 15 days, 1972-73 for 37 days, and a 9-day struggle in 1981. Through these actions, the Maha Sangh succeeded in expanding its organisation further among teachers and semi-govt. employees on the one hand while Comrade Gope emerged as the undisputed and tallest leader of state govt. employees in Bihar and gained admirations throughout the country for his able leadership and commitment for the cause as well. After his retirement in 1983, he continued with the state govt. employees’ organisation and also became the President of CITU, Bihar.

The ongoing powerful militant mass movement of the peasantry in the rural belts of Bihar attracted this veteran honest communist leader towards the CPI(ML). And in 1989 he finally joined the Party along with most of the leaders, cadres, mass base of state employees for the development of revolutionary working class movement. He was elected Vice President of AICCTU in 1989 at its Chennai Conference, and President in the Kolkata Conference held in 1992. He continued with this assignment till his last. He was elected MLA in 1992 Bihar Assembly elections from Masaurhi (Patna). Though he was one of the tallest leaders of employees and workers in Hindi heart land and beyond, his unassuming character and down-to-earth nature made him immensely popular among the general masses. Irrespective of old age and serious health problems he personally led the historic strike of 2004-05 which many people feel acted as the catalyst to the defeat of Laloo Govt. Despite his failing health, he attended the Burdhaman Cadre Convention and all other major Party programmes till he was admitted in SGPGI, Lucknow, where he breathed his last on 25 October 2007.

His body was brought to Patna and kept at CPI(ML) office where thousands of employees, workers and other toiling people paid homage to the departed leader. Comrade UN Mishra, Secretary of CPI, Bihar State Committee, Com. Chandi Prasad, President CITU, Bihar, leaders from SUCI and other left and democratic organisations paid homage to Comrade Yogeshwar Gope, besides a number of journalists, intellectuals, and people from various walks of life from Patna. His body was taken to Vidhan Sabha and Patna Secretariat where hundreds of employees paid homage to their beloved leader. The funeral procession was led by CPI(ML) General Secretary Comrade Dipankar Bhattacharya along with Politburo members Nand Kishore Prasad and Ramjatan Sharma, besides AICCTU General Secretary Swapan Mukharjee, Central Committee members Ramji Rai, KD Yadav, BB Pandey, Saroj Chaube, Kunal, Amar, AIPWA leader Mina Tiwari, AIALA President Rameshwar Prasad, AIALA Bihar President Pawan Sharma, AIKSS leader Rajaram Singh and many other TU leaders and many members of Bihar Legislative Assembly.

Comrade Yogeshwar Gope led a long struggling life, always from the forefront, and upheld the communist values throughout the sixty five years of his active political life. He remained active for the cause of the working people and consistently fought for the fulfilment of their dreams till his last breath.

We pledge to fulfil his unfinished mission. Red Salute to Comrade Yogeshwar Gope!

Patna March against Custodial Killing of Com. Ashok Sah

CPI(ML) organised a protest march in Patna on October 24 and condemned the Nitish Govt. for giving a free hand to the criminal-police-politician-bureaucrat nexus in the state. Thousands of people from districts like Bhojpur, Rohtas, Kaimur, Nalanda, Arwal, Jehanabad and Patna including women, agrarian labourers and poor peasants came to join this march, led by led Party State Secretary Nand Kishore Prasad and Ramjatan Sharma, KD Yadav, Saroj Chaube, Mina Tiwary, Ramadhar Singh, Kamlesh Sharma, Shashi Yadav and others. They condemned the brutal killing of Comrade Ashok Sah in Sitamarhi and expressed their outrage over not arresting the thana incharge and BDO of Runni Saidpur block and other accused. Bihar government's deliberate silence speaks enough of the protection extended to the mafia they said, and reiterated for their demand of a judicial inquiry.

Comrade Nand Kishore Prasad said that this killing is indicative of the fact that criminal-mafia-politician nexus is getting stronger day by day in state led by Nitish Kumar, and all hype of 'good governance' practically means an open threat to those who try to raise their voice against oppression and loot. The CPI(ML) pledges to carry forward the struggles and issues for which Comrade Ashok sacrificed his life, he said. AIALA President Rameshwar Prasad, AIKSS President Rajaram Singh, CPI(ML) MLA Arun Singh and others also addressed the gathering.

The meeting passed several resolutions condemning the anti-people criminal nexus in the state, to intensify the movement against the government, and demanding the arrests of the killers of Comrade Ashok Sah. One resolution criticized Nitish Govt. for its failure to provide employment to the rural poor and for excluding them from the BPL lists and demanded proper implementation of NREGS and to bring every poor under PDS. It also asked for compensation in case of governmental failure in doing so. The increasing attacks on poor, dalits, agrarian workers and women by feudal-criminal-police-bureaucrat nexus were condemned in another resolution and demand was made for punishing the concerned DM and SP if such oppression continues. The government was severely criticized for a high rise in crimes under the Nitish rule. While its apathy and criminal insensitivity towards the sorry plight of flood affected people in Bihar was condemned as thousands of people have been left unattended in face of starvation and epidemics. It was demanded to give them proper compensation besides ensuring free rations and medication to the needy.

Mass Killings in Jharkhand Condemned

The Jharkhand unit of CPI(ML) has strongly condemned the incident of indiscriminate killings of more than a dozen people by Maoist extremists, in Debri block of Giridih district on October 27, and has expressed its sympathy with the bereaved families of the victims. A CPI(ML) investigation team led by CC member Ibnul Hasan Basru visited the spot for an on the spot assessment. They stopped the police from taking away bodies till the authorities declared compensation to families of the victims. Party organised protest day on 28 October against the massacre as well as to condemn the governmental attitude.

Party's Jharkhand State Secretary, Subhendu Sen has said in a statement that this incident once again exposes the nature of governance in Jharkhand which is characterised by the loss of people’s faith in the government and the security agencies on the one hand and by the political protection to such kind of extremists by the leaders of ruling parties of various hues to serve their vested interests. He reminded of the cold-blooded killing of an innocent youth by the patrolling police party in Ranchi district some time ago, and also the governmental inactions over many incidents of massacres that occurred in the past. In a recent incident, three innocent persons were killed by the police in Lohardagga in a fake encounter, which is being opposed widely by the people. He also criticized the state government and other agencies who have been failing so far in sending the killers of Comrade Mahendra Singh behind bars, the main perpetrators have been promoted and rewarded instead.

Coal Workers’ against Police Brutality

On 29 October morning at 6 AM, CISF jawans brutally lathicharged 100 women who were picking coal from the Coal Dump (OB) in Dohibari Open Cast project of BCCL area. Led by our party and CMWU, the women immediately gheraoed the Project Office, and the coal workers went on lightening strike against the lathicharge. The production was completely stopped and the gherao continued. After prolonged negotiations with the area management, local police and CISF, the work was resumed at 8 PM in the night, when CISF apologised and promised never to repeat such act in future. The protest was led by Party Block Secretary Basudev Mahato along with Jharkhand General Mazdoor Union leader Manoranjan Mallick and Coal Mines Workers Union Secretary Jiten Pandey.

Scrap the Nuke Deal Altogether

While the people are vehemently asking for scrapping the Nuclear Deal altogether, and the left partners of the UPA Govt. patting their backs for stopping the Govt. from operationalising the deal, for Manmohan Singh it means only 'some delay' and 'not the end of the road' as he reiterates his government's commitment to the deal. Indian government has now hired former US Ambassador in India Robert D. Blackwill for lobbying in the US. Blackwill has the distinction of being the real dictator of Iraq as he was the Iraq Director in Bush's National Security Council and made Ayad Allawi, a CIA man, the interim Prime Minister of Iraq. Now Allawi is said to have paid his firm $300,000 for lobbying to make him again Prime Minister of Iraq. Known as a wily negotiator, Blackwill also bears the distinction of been reprimanded, as an Ambassador, after accusations of abusive behaviour toward an official in his State Department. The firm for which he worked, Barbour Griffith & Rogers, was also hired earlier by the Indian Govt. and was paid $ 1.24 million in 2005.