In this Issue

Nuke Deal Is a Conduit to Import US Crisis into India

The UPA government has finally sealed the nuclear deal with the US. For the Congress and the coalition of Unashamed Partners of America headed by it, the nuclear deal is the supreme achievement of the government. On the eve of signing the deal, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee reiterated India’s commercial commitment to the US nuclear energy industry: “We look forward to working with US companies on the commercial steps that will follow to implement this landmark Agreement.” In a second statement issued after the Agreement’s signing he also reiterated India’s commitment to implement the Agreement in good faith even though no such reciprocal assurance was made by the US to confirm New Delhi’s claim regarding the so-called US ‘guarantee’ on uninterrupted fuel supply.
On India’s part, faithful implementation of the commitments, whether declared or undeclared, has long been underway. From the vote against Iran at IAEA to the continuing prevarication and procrastination on the issue of the Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline proposal, India has been complying with the Hyde Act, which requires India’s foreign policy to be congruent with American priorities and objectives, in letter and spirit. And now Pranab Mukherjee’s explicit assurance reaffirms the commercial component of India’s commitment, which can only be music to American ears at a time when the US economy is passing through its worst crisis in some eighty years. The dilapidated atomic reactor industry in the US is awaiting hefty orders from India even as massive military purchases are in the pipeline.
The day Pranab Mukherjee and Condoleezza Rice inked the nuke deal, George Bush met the finance ministers and central bankers of the G7 countries – the US, Germany, Japan, France, Britain, Italy and Canada – and leading officials of the IMF in a desperate bid to check the growing financial panic that has now begun to spread beyond the American horizons to overshadow the G7 sky.  The meeting of the G7 finance chiefs called for “urgent and exceptional action” and the use of “all available tools to support systematically important financial institutions and prevent their failure.” In a separate statement US Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson admitted “never has it been more essential to find collective solutions to ensure stable and efficient financial markets and restore the health of the world economy.”
History is replete with examples showing what the US really means by finding “collective solutions”. It desperately tries to pass on its crisis to other countries and refuel its military-industrial complex to underwrite its economy, and in the process steps up politico-military intervention across the world. And it is precisely at this juncture that the Indian ruling classes have pushed India into a tight strategic embrace with the crisis-ridden US – a country that is hated by most nations of the world for its imperialist arrogance and aggression and whose economy is now emitting waves of financial instability and panic across the global economy. Strategic partnership with the US can only prove to be a conduit for importing the entire gamut of crises facing the US into India.

CPI(ML) Tamilnadu State Conference

The 8th TN State Conference of the Party was held on October 9-10 at Pudukottai, where the party is waging a militant struggle against a liquor factory, coming up at the cost of the livelihood of poor and small peasants and agricultural labourers. Comrade Ramasami, Central Control Commission member, hoisted the red flag. Comrade Dipankar Bhattacharya, General Secretary, CPI(ML), addressed the open session, holding the UPA Government responsible for inviting the  US crisis onto Indian soil; failing to check communal violence and terrorism; and witch-hunting minorities in the name of anti-terror laws. Comrade Balasundaram, CCM also addressed the open session. Comrades D P Bakshi, S Kumarasami, PBMs and Comrade Malleswar Rao, CCM and Central Observer for the conference, and Comrade Balasubramaniam were also present in the meeting.

South Orissa Bandh by CPI(ML) and Other Parties   

On 13th October CPI(ML) Liberation along with four other parties – CPI(ML) ND, CPI(ML), SUCI and Samajwadi Jan Parishad held a successful bandh in five districts of South Orissa - Kandhamal, Rayagada, Gajapati, Koraput and Ganjam – against the carnage in Kandhamal, the complicity of the Navin Patnaik Government and the criminal inaction of the Congress-led UPA Government at the Centre. The bandh was total in the five districts and marked by the spontaneous participation of people. Around 10000 people actively participated in Liberation’s initiatives to make the bandh a success in Rayagada; 1200 in Gajapati.

AIPWA Holds Nation-wide Protests against anti-Christian Violence

Between 10-14 October, AIPWA held protests and submitted a memorandum to the President of India demanding ban on the Sangh outfits Bajrang Dal and VHP responsible for assaults on Christians, and a CBI probe into the rape of a nun in Orissa.
The memorandum in particular noted the complaints of assaults on women by the Sangh outfits, and observed: “We would also like to remind you that in 2004, the people of this country voted out the Vajpayee Government precisely because it had no wish to see the heinous crimes of Gujarat 2002 repeated. Then, Muslim women had had their wombs ripped out, were raped, rendered homeless and saw their children dashed to death in front of their eyes. Now, the same scenes are recreated – with Christians as the targets, and nearly 50, 000 Christians are in refugee camps in Kandhamal. The UPA Government, which promised secular governance as its USP, has proved to be all sound and no substance.
The Bajrang Dal, the Sangh outfit responsible for burning alive Graham Staines, is now openly indulging in rape and massacre. It is threatening Christians (most of whom are Dalits) to adopt Hinduism, and in doing so, is subjecting them to the age-old casteist humiliations of ‘eating excreta’ etc. In spite of this open and blatant communal terror campaign, the BJP leader Rajnath Singh has declared that the Bajrang Dal is a ‘nationalist’ outfit, and the Dal itself has warned the Centre that if it is banned it will consolidate the Hindu vote-bank in the coming elections. Is it not shameful that a supposedly ‘secular’ government headed by the Congress should succumb to such threats?”
The memorandum also pointed out that the lives of Christian women in the refugee camps were further endangered because of the abysmal hygienic conditions and lack of basic medical facilities. Pregnant women in particular were vulnerable. The memo demanded proper facilities in the camps and safe right to return for all the people driven into camps and into the jungle. The memorandum also noted the increasing incidents of communal violence in Dhule (Maharashtra) and Adilabad (Andhra Pradesh), in which the minority community bore the brunt of the attacks. Also, it condemned the Tarun Gogoi Government for allowing the Bodo-Muslim clashes to take place, which had resulted in thousands of people being driven into refugee camps.
 In Delhi AIPWA joined by AISA held a protest demonstration at Parliament Street on October 13. Women from Narela, as well as students from JNU, Jamia Millia Islamia, IIMC and Delhi University participated in the protest. The demonstrators marched with placards against the anti-Christian pogrom, and then held a public meeting at Parliament Street, which was addressed by AIPWA National Secretary Kavita Krishnan, Delhi State Convenor Uma Gupta, AISA activists Rajan Pandey and Aslam. Historian Prof. Tanika Sarkar as well as others from various walks of life also joined the demonstration. 
At Patna, AIPWA activists led by AISA General Secretary Meena Tiwary and AIPWA National Secretary Shashi Yadav held a protest march to Dak Bangla Chowk.  At Ranchi on October 13, AIPWA held a protest march which culminated in a amsss meeting at Albert Ekka Chowk,  addressed by National Secretary Sunita, State President Gunni Uraon, State Joint Secretary Rupa Besra, AIPWA National Councillor Shanti Sen, leader of the Building Workers’ Union Sarita Kacchap, AIPWA activists from Ranchi Munu Varma, as well as activists of AICCTU and CPI(ML). Protests were also held at Deoghar.
On 13 October, AIPWA held protests at two places in East Godavari (Andhra Pradesh) – at Yelleswaram where 100 women led by Ratnakumari and Nagamani took part; and in Pratipadu where 200 women led by Venkatalakshmi and R Lakshmi participated. 

CPI(ML) Condemns Arrest of Anti-POSCO Leader in Orissa

In a letter to the Orissa CM demanding immediate release of recently arrested leader of the POSCO Pratirodh Sangram Samiti, the CPI(ML) said: “We strongly condemn the arrest of Shri Abhay Sahoo, leader of the POSCO Pratirodh Sangram Samiti, and demand his immediate release. Your Government has unremittingly unleashed repressive measures on the people protesting against the proposed POSCO project in Jagatsinghpur District. Private goons too have been encouraged to assault and intimidate movement activists, and there have been killings, bomb attacks and siege tactics. Much of the area is under de facto occupation by the police.  
On the evening of Sunday, October 12, Abhay Sahoo was arrested near Paradip. It is not yet known what he is being charged with. However the police had earlier filed numerous false cases against him, while taking no action against those responsible for the violent attacks on the people of the area. We fear that these false cases will now be used to unjustly detain Sahoo in order to silence him and to intimidate those opposed to the project.
The POSCO project is a gigantic corporate crime, an attempt by a multinational corporation to seize the land and resources of the affected people and of the nation. It is also a blatant violation of the Forest Rights Act, 2006. Your Government is presiding over this corporate crime.”

CPI(ML) Condemns Communal Violence at Dhule and Adilabad

The CPI(ML) condemned the communal violence and arson at Dhule (Maharashtra) and the same at Adilabad (near Bhainsa town in Andhra Pradesh on the Maharashtra border) where six members of a Muslim family were burnt alive. At Dhule, there was evidence that the violence began with members of the ‘Hindu Raksha Samiti’ attacking Muslim homes after a small boy tore off a poster branding Muslims as terrorists.

The party observed that the failure of the Congress-led Maharashtra Government and Central Government to take action against those Sangh Parivar outfits involved in bomb blasts and other violence against Muslims at Nanded, Malegaon and other places had emboldened them. And this had led to the violence at Dhule. In Adilabad, when Christians were attacked some days back, the Government failed to take any action against the miscreants. Now Muslims too were made a target. Dhule and Adilabad are tragic symptoms of the failure of the Congress ruled States to curb the communal forces.

Protest against Police Terror in Deoghar

CPI(ML) Symposium at Kottayam, Kerala 

The Kerala unit of CPI(ML) organised a symposium at Kottayam on 11 October 2008 on 'Revitalising the Left Movement in India'. CPI(ML) General Secretary Comrade Dipankar addressed the symposium in which many social activists, dalit leaders, representatives of democratic forces and Left party activists participated in the discussion, apart from CPI(ML) activists. The symposium assumed importance in the backdrop of ongoing social and political turmoil being witnessed in the Kerala society that feels betrayed by the dominant Left, the CPI(M).
In Kerala, people had lot of hopes from the LDF government led by VS Achuthanandan. But VS as CM has gone back on the positions he had advocated earlier as leader of the Opposition. The LDF government has not reversed any decisions of the previous UDF regime while vigorously implementing anti-people policies of liberalization. The present government has accepted ADB loan with harsh conditionalities, stopped the much publicized Munnar demolition drive midway yielding to the pressures of the real estate lobby, and is going ahead with elitist projects like Smart City, etc. Now, to appease private investment, it is advocating hire and fire policy, launching a systematic assault on the rights and gains secured by the organized peasant and workers’ movement in the state.
The State Leading Team meeting of the party that followed decided to step up our work in Kerala and concentrate in some pockets of three districts, Kottayam, Pathanamthitta and Palakkad. Land and NREGA related issues were to be the focus of agrarian labour movement while efforts will also be taken to organise construction labour.  The meeting also discussed ways and means to intervene in the ongoing student-youth issues in the state.

Construction Labour Union Formed at HD Kote, Karnataka

The Bidrahalli branch of Karnataka Pragatipara Kattada Karmikara Sangha (KPKKS) (Karnataka Progressive Construction Labour Union) was inaugurated by hoisting flag and opening notice board on 5 October. Hundreds of construction labourers participated in the programme. Comrade Divakar of PUCL delivered the keynote address while C Javaraiah, General Secretary of AICCTU presided over the function. Lingaraju, National Council Member of AICCTU, and Hanumanthappa, Davangere, Nataraja and Sannaviranayaka of AIALA also delivered speeches along with others. Basavaraj and Sivalinganayaka were elected as President and Secretary of the branch respectively.

Protest against corruption in flood relief and NREGA

At Naugachia in Bhagalpur district, CPI(ML) held a massive demonstration on October 13 against massive corruption in flood relief operations, BPL and NREGA schemes.

Jan Sunwai at Jamia Nagar Demands Judicial Enquiry into Encounter

Excerpts from the JTSG Report : Jamia Teachers' Solidarity Group

Some Questions for the Delhi Police and Embedded "Journalists©
The last few days have seen the Delhi Police "returning fire" at the critics of the Jamia Nagar encounter. JTSG responds to the latest Police claims.
1) The police was caught by surprise. Or was it?
In its response to the questions being raised by the civil society, the police say, "the presence of armed terrorists took them by surprise." "The police did not expect an encounter at L-18." (Indian Express October 9)
However, Praveen Swami in his "Alice in wonderland" article in The Hindu (October 10) writes that "the investigators learned that top commander ©Bashir© and his assault armed squad left Ahmedabad on July 26 for a safe house at Jamia Nagar." Further he says, "the investigators came to believe that Atif Amin either provided Bashir shelter or the two were one and the same person."
Surely, there can be only one truth:
a) The police knew that a "top commander" and his "armed assault team "was residing in L-18 (as claimed confidently by Swami). In which case, the Special Cell©s almost cavalier approach is inexplicable -- unless we accept Swami©s contention that Inspector Sharma©s team did as well as it could "given their resources and training".
While Swami and his ilk may rue the lack of "state of the art surveillance equipment" that can be found in United States or Europe, surely, even Third World police can use, upon knowledge that "dreaded terrorists" are holed up in a house, methods such as sealing the building, and making public announcements asking them to surrender.
b) The Police went to L-18 merely for investigation and was ambushed. In which case, isn©t it surprising that it took them only a few hours to crack nearly all cases of bomb blasts that have occurred across the country? It was of course inconvenient for UP, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Maharashtra state police, who had been claiming their own successes in uncovering their ©masterminds©.
The Police commissioner Y.S. Dadwal announced at a news conference the same day that "Atif was the mastermind behind all the recent serial blasts," and that he had plotted the Saturday blasts¼ was also involved in the Ahmedabad blasts on July 26, Jaipur blasts on May 13, and one of the August 25 blasts last year in Hyderabad. Sajid was described as bomb-maker.
 "Explosives made by him and his team bore their signature Ð two detonators, wooden frame, ammonium nitrate and analog quartz clocks," Dadwal said (Hindustan Times, 20 September). The question is how the Police which did not even expect an ©encounter© in the morning, was able to say with confidence that the bombs used in Delhi blasts bore the ©signature© of the slain Sajid.
The Police must pick one of these ©truths©. It cannot claim both to be true simultaneously.
2) The puzzle of the Bullet Proof Jacket
Again, the Delhi Police has not made up its mind on this one. JCP, Karnail Singh and Deputy Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) Alok Kumar have reiterated that the Special Cell team members were not wearing BPVs. ["Entering a crowded locality would alert the suspects and give them time to escape" (Indian Express Oct 9); "To maintain secrecy in a cramped area like Batla House." Tehelka Oct 4)].
However, now we are also told that some police men were wearing Bullet proof vests. This new version has appeared following the outcry after the publication of pictures of Sajid©s body, which clearly show that he had been shot repeatedly in the head. Such bullet injuries suggest that he could have been killed from extreme close range while he was crouching or kneeling. This it self raises a huge question mark over the ©encounter©. "Senior police sources" now claim that Sajid was "lying on the floor when he opened fire at a cop. The cop, unlike Inspector Sharma, was wearing a bulletproof vest. He retaliated by firing a burst from his AK-47, which hit Sajid on his head." (Times of India, Oct 8).
Neat. It explains why and how Sajid was killed. And also, why the cop in question was not as much as injured when Sajid was supposedly firing at him. 
Nonetheless, the Delhi Police must also make up its mind if the cops that day were wearing Bullet proof vests or not?

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: 22518248, e-mail: mlupdate@cpiml.org, website: www.cpiml.org
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