In this Issue
Varun’s Venom is No Aberration
The Election Commission concluded that Varun Gandhi’s speeches undoubtedly constituted hate-speech. Advising the BJP not to field him as a candidate, the EC said that to do so would be tantamount to a violation of the Constitution. The BJP has however decided to defy the EC’s advice and go ahead with Varun as a candidate from Pilibhit.
The Election Commission’s right to advice against fielding a particular candidate may be legally debatable. But that issue apart, BJP’s open endorsement of Varun’s candidature ends the fiction formerly put out by the BJP that it had ‘distanced’ itself from Varun’s venom. The so-called distinction between the ‘mellowed’ Advani, the ‘mature’ Modi and the ‘newcomer’ Varun stand irrevocably demolished. By defending and fielding Varun, the BJP has proved that the communal fascist words spewed by him are in fact the BJP’s real manifesto.
Varun’s speeches, made in various places in Pilibhit in early March, openly declared all Muslim names to be names that evoked ‘fear,’ equated a bearded Muslim candidate and all bearded Muslims with Osama bin Laden, and promised that if arrested he would ‘get them all’, threatened to cut off hands of heads of Muslims, and also promised to round up all Muslims and forcibly sterilize them.
It would be a mistake to see such naked hate-speech as an aberration. Varun’s words, of course, are simply what Yogi Adityanath, Bal Thackeray, Narendra Modi, Togadia, Uma Bharti and even BJP’s candidate for Prime Minister L K Advani have said time and again – it is just that the latter, more experienced fascist players, have learnt to wrap their words in smoother rhetoric. Varun’s words are rhetoric deployed by the young Sadhvi Rithambara during the Mandir frenzy of the 1990s – when tapes of the Sadhvi’s speeches uttered open and explicit calls to violence – while other Sangh and BJP leaders would express themselves more circumspectly.
More importantly, Varun’s venom is backed by the sheer confidence that majoritarian communalism enjoys impunity in India. The historic ambivalence of the Indian State, and specifically the Congress party towards Hindutva fascism, has robbed the country of effective secularism and democracy. The locks of the Babri Masjid were opened – and the Congress Govt. looked the other way – paving the way for the Mandir campaign. The Babri Masjid was demolished – once again facilitated by a Congress Government at the Centre – and the BJP and Sangh culprits went unpunished. This in turn emboldened them to perpetrate the Gujarat massacre a decade later in 2002, and inaction against the killers of Gujarat in turn emboldened them to enact Kandhamal in 2008. Even after cold evidence of involvement of Bajrang Dal-type groups in communal violence, violence against women, and terrorist blasts, they are yet to be banned.
The BJP’s decision to field Varun remind us yet again that the BJP’s assurances and promises to refrain from communalism are quite hollow and duplicitous. The Babri Masjid demolition too took place after the BJP had given an explicit promise that the Masjid would be safe. Indian secularism cannot remain on sufferance from the promises of saffron communal fascists. We demand that the Varun hate-speech case be fast-tracked so that he is convicted prior to the elections. We also demand that the Election Commission take action against those BJP cadre indulging in mass distribution of CDs of the venomous speeches in Pilibhit and elsewhere. But whether the judiciary, EC and other institutions effectively curb communal hate-speech by BJP-Shiv Sena leaders or not, these leaders now stand in the people’s court – and we call upon Indian people to give a fitting rebuff to such communal forces in the Parliamentary polls, and also to the Congress whose opportunism has historically strengthened communal fascism in India.
Condemn Arrest of CPI(ML) Candidate from Karakat
CPI(ML) candidate from Karakat, Bihar, was arrested on 23 March, immediately after filing his nominations. A CPI(ML) Central Committee member, All India Kisan Sangharsh Samiti Convenor, and former MLA, Comrade Rajaram Singh was addressing a mass meeting at Dehri-on-Sone on 23 March, the anniversary of the martyrdom of Bhagat Singh-Rajguru-Sukhdev, when police officials arrived and attempted to climb on to the dais to arrest him. Angry protests from the gathered people prevented them from doing so, though Comrade Rajaram Singh was then arrested after the meeting. The arrest was regarding his role in leading a road blockade during the Bihar Bandh of February 4. Among the major issues raised through the Bandh were those of procurement centres for small and medium farmers and the demands of the Bihar Employees who were then on a prolonged strike.
That elections are an unequal battleground is underlined again and again. A popular democratic leader of people's struggles on issues of the peasantry and Bihar's employees is arrested - strategically immediately after his nominations are filed - but Varun Gandhi and his ilk who spew communal venom go scot free! The so-called 'neutral' police machinery acts like a political tool: attempting to make a dramatic arrest by climbing on a public dais. Never have any of the notorious criminals who have been fielded by ruling class parties as candidates ever be arrested boldly by police as they openly go about their job of political intimidation and outright murder.
World Bank on NREGA
While the Congress party has been gloating over NREGA being a brain child of the mother and son, a decentralised scam has become the norm for NREGA across the country and the hard earned money of the poor is being siphoned off by a corrupt contractor-administration and ruling class nexus.
However, NREGA has had a fall out that even the bureaucracy and ruling class nexus didn’t anticipate: it has become a focal point for the rural poor to mobilise and struggle against the impoverishment thrust upon them by UPA-NDA led governments.
The World Bank in the meantime has found that NREGA does not fit in with its scheme of urban centric development. The Bank which led the neo-liberal policies in India, hand in glove with Manmohan Singh as Finance Minister in 1991, today finds that this scheme is blocking rural migration. The WDR 2009 proposes that concentration of economic activity is inevitable and usually desirable for economic growth. And in this scheme of things it finds that NREGA retards rural-urban migration. What must be noted here is that, this old Lewis model of growth based on a dual economy has had its share of criticism even from within the capitalist framework—be it the human capital framework theory or from theories of market fragmentation or even in the writings of Sen from the 1960s. If allowed to have its run, World Bank’s latest ware would actually mean keeping the wages lower in the rural areas, downsizing the rural welfare programmes and allowing the rural impoverished into the urban areas so that their desperation can be exploited. Notably, it only suggests this model for domestic markets and not for international labour markets.
In a miscalculated move the World Bank Report was released in the election season (which has otherwise become expert in pushing its policies on the sly), thus bringing its adverse comments on NREGA to light even in neo-liberal newspapers. While this did lead to the Bank making explanatory noises, what remains is that the report was not withdrawn and that there will be a section of the ruling class who will take this lead from the Bank and make moves towards further impoverishing the rural poor.
Com. Brajesh’s Martyrdom Anniversary
Comrade Brajesh Mohan Thakur’s 23rd martyrdom anniversary was celebrated in the form of a “shaheed mela” (martyr’s fete) on 15th March, 2009, at Purnia. People from all over the Purnia dist., including women and tribal people, turned out in large number to attend the shaheed mela. The event was marked by the inauguration of Martyr’ Merorial by CPI(ML) General Secretary, Com. Dipankar Bhattacharya. As part of the anniversary event a pledge meeting was also held and the people assembled there vowed to avenge the killing of Com. Brajesh by fulfilling his dream of ending the rein of feudal and class repression and establishment of the rule of workers and peasants.
Com. Brajesh was one of the brave soldier of the communist movement in Bihar who was brutally killed on 15 March, 1986, by the feudal forces of Purnia because he was organising the poor and oppressed people against the tyrannical feudal order. He was just 23 then and had given up the path of a carrier and smooth life. The killing of Com. Brajesh only tempered and steeled further the movement for emancipation from feudal and class repression and the rural people of Purnia hit back with stronger resolve at those repressive and regressive forces. Addressing the assembled masses, Com. Dipankar hailed Com. Brajesh as inheritor of the revolutionary tradition established by Bhagat Singh and reminded the people of Bhagat Singh’s forecast about true freedom coming along people’s way only with the overthrow of capitalist and feudal forces. Recalling the killing of Com. Ajit Sarkar, the CPI(M) MLA of Purnia itself, by the same feudal-mafia forces of Purnia, he stressed on the need for the communists in Bihar and elsewhere to unite as a fighting pole against all capitalist and oppressive forces, whether its UPA at the Centre or NDA in the State. He hailed Com. Madhavi Sarkar – wife of Com. Ajit Sarkar who joined CPI(ML) a few years back– for her resolve to safeguard the Red Flag. He also mentioned that the CPI(M) had not given due regard to the martyrdom of Com. Ajit Sarkar and asserted the CPI(ML)’s position that Bihar’s political-social map can be transformed only by a powerful Left movement. Bihar is the State where despite severe repressive measures by the feudal forces and the State the Red Flag keeps flying high in ever increasing numbers. Though after a long time, the CPI(ML) has been successful in forging a Left unity which holds out great hope for the people of the State and also opens up the possibility of a Left government in Bihar in coming days.
Comrades Madhavi Sarkar, Begusarai dist. Secretary Rameshwar Paswan, Bindeshwari Mandal, Bharti ji, Brajesh’s colleague Naval Kishore, Islam, Chandra Kishore Sharma and Lalan Prasad also addressed the gathering among others.The cultural teams Prerna, Santhali team Anjom and Jan Sanskriti Manch artists performed cultural programmes dedicated to mission of martyrs. Purnia dist. Secretary Com. Pankaj Kr. Singh coordinated the programme. Com. Madhavi Sarkar felicitated the performers and artists with chadars.
“Break the Law – Go to Jail”: Tram Workers’ Protest
For the past12-14 years, hundreds of employees of Calcutta Tramways Company, a state govt. undertaking are working in this concern as casual workers, on daily wages and contract basis, sans PF, DSI, Gratuity and other statutory benefits. Equal pay for equal work is totally flouted by the management of this concern. For the last 13 years, the permanent workers are getting a meager Rs. 3 per day as Tiffin Allowance. The employees are transferred from one depot to another at the drop of a hat. The conductors are forced to do their duty without proper license. The trade unions affiliated to CPI-CPI(M) and Congress, (AITUC-CITU- INTUC) have colluded with the management and opposed all the legitimate rights of the workers and employees. As a consequence a large section of aggrieved and disgruntled employees, owing allegiance to different ‘official and recognised’ Trade Unions organized themselves under the banner of Calcutta Tramways Company Bus Driver O Karmachari Samity (affiliated to AICCTU) and launched a series of movement against the management. On the eve of Lok Sabha Polls, the state govt. gave a false declaration that the casual and temporary workers, working for the last 10 years shall be made permanent. But till date, no such steps have been initiated by the management of CTC.
The union of the Tram Workers CTCBDKS decided to expose the real face of the LF govt. and to protest against all sorts of anti-workers policies & violation of labour laws and organized a “Break the law-Go to jail” programme oN 19 March 2009. nearly 400 employees, along with their family members started a well-decorated rally from Raja Subodh Mallick Square, blocked road at two important junctions, and under the state leadership of AICCTU, courted arrest at Esplanade East. The militant workers exposed the anti-employees face of the CPI(M)-led LF govt.
Series of Meetings in Bhojpur and Rohtas
Between 18-22 March, a spate of public meetings took place in the two districts. Meetings was held in Baruhi and Akuwari under Sahar Assembly constituency. Both the meetings were well attended. Meetings at Azimabad, Nonaur and Narayanpur under Agiaon were also well attended. Other places where the meeting was held are : Akhango and Sandesh under Sandesh, Teduni and Kokila also were well attended, Baligaon and Garahani under Garahani, a bigger public meeting in Agiaon, night meeting was held in Bihta but well attended. After the meeting Com. Kayamuddin was being carried away by the Police when the people charged at the police and freed him. Three cadres of the Party have been however taken away by the police. In two days only thirty-five public meetings took place.
Reports from KARNATAKA
Harapanahalli : Women’s Struggle for Their Rights
The newly-formed unit of All India Progressive Women’s Association (AIPWA) in Harapanahalli held a protest demonstration in front of Taluk Office on 13th March. This was a culmination of a week-long campaign on women’s demands and rights launched on the eve of International Women’s Day to link the day-to-day issues of women to larger issues and to observe the women’s day in a meaningful and relevant manner. The protesters demanded houses under Ashraya Housing Scheme for the poor, construction of free toilets for every house, proper implementation of NREGS, granting interest-free credits, subsidy loans and revolving funds for SHGs and issuing Bhagyalakshmi bonds for girl children. A good number of women took part in the protest and submitted a memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner.
As a part of the campaign, village-level meetings were organized in more than 15 villages of Harapanahalli taluk to create awareness and mobilize women to fight for their demands and rights. In the course of the campaign, AIPWA activists interacted with hundreds of women in villages and also enrolled members to the organisation.
AIPWA State Vice President E.Hampakka flagged off the campaign on March 8 and Com. Rati Rao, All India Vice-President, AIPWA, led the demonstration to the DC Office on 13 March. Comrades Gandhimathi, NCM, Ranjani, State Vice-President, Devakka, State Joint Secretary and Taluk Party Secretary Parashuram addressed the protesters.
Com. Rati Rao called upon the women to lead a united struggle against globalization, communalism ad corruption. E.Ramappa, CPI(ML) State Secretary, said that the demonstration was only a beginning and a warning to the administration and appealed to the people to defeat BJP’s communal politics and the anti-people policies of Congress and vote for change, vote for the CPI(ML).
Gangavati, Koppal : Rasta Roko for Irrigation Water
On 21 February, more than 300 small and marginal peasants along with agricultural labourers marched and staged a Rasta Roko at Gangavati. The Rasta Roko was led by J.Bharadwaj, SLT member of the party and state president of AIALA. Hundreds of peasants claimed that water is their right and releasing water from dam should not be stopped until April 20 as it would affect the paddy crop. They also demanded 10 tmc of water to be released from Bhadra reservoir to left bank canal of the Tungabhadra. CPI(ML) took up the issue as it would affect the peasants of four taluks, Gangavati, Sindhanur, Manvi and Raichur of Northern Karnataka. The traffic in the highway was disrupted for more than three hours because of Rasta Roko organized by the party.
Comrades Uma Shankar, taluk secretary of the party, Ismail of AICCTU, Rafeeq of RYA addressed the gathering along with others. Com. Bharadwaj criticized the BJP government for its anti-peasant policies and also ridiculed anti-farmer Yeddyurappa claiming himself to be the leader of farmers. He also appealed to the people to teach a fitting lesson to and unseat the communal, anti-women and anti-poor rule of the BJP in the state.
AICCTU Inked an Agreement
Karnataka General Labour Union, affiliated to AICCTU signed a Memorandum of Settlement with RMC Readymix India Pvt Ltd, one of the group concerns of Mr. Rajan Raheja who is also the owner of a large enterprise including Outlook magazine, on 20 Feb.2009. Mr. Rajan Raheja is also one of the top 100 billionaires in the country who built his empire based on real estate and construction and then spread to every other sunrise industry. The marathon talks between the management unions that ran into ten months was facing various hurdles in the process, including the recession. The 3-years agreement for a wage hike of Rs.1980/ including Variable Dearness Allowance assumes significance in the backdrop of recession in construction and industry in general and the consequent wage freeze, wage cuts and retrenchment. Workers will also get the arrears from the date the previous agreement period came to an end, i.e., for the period from April 2008 to February 2009.
AICCTU Vice-President Com. Shankar signed the agreement along with RMC branch office-bearers Jaishankar, Unit President, G. Somu, Secretary, M. Narayanaswamy, Vice-President, Stephen, Joint Secretary and MS Thomas, the treasurer.
Protest Against Eviction of Vendors
Party's East Delhi unit and Khokha-Patri Mahasangh organised a protest demonstration demanding immediate rehabilitation of evicted vendors in Mayur Vihar on Bhagat Singh Martyrdom Day, 23 March. The protest is going on since over a month against eviction of poor vendors. This has evidently been done in line with government's new Vendors' Policy, a starkly anti-poor document meant only to establish corporate retail. Party had earlier organised a one month long dharna by these vendors. The police initially pitted the vendors against the local RWA - but eventually under pressure from the dharna, it agreed to relocate the vendors in an alternate space in a nearby market. When the vendors occupied space there, they were again evicted by police - this time on the pretext of complaints by the Market Association. After the 23 March protest, the local police has assured that it will resolve the issue. The Party, apart from defending the rights of the vendors will also raise the issue of changing the anti-poor National Vending Policy, in future.
More Global Protests to Celebrate
•In France, on March 19, there has been yet another remarkable nationwide Strike (after the first one in January) against privatization and job cuts, that got the support of 80 percent of the French people. Around 3 million people marched on the streets of France on the day of the March 19 Strike – including naval workers, factory workers, students, nurses, school and university teachers – every section of society.
• General strikes are happening in Guadeloupe, Chad and Egypt. The latest National Strike call in Egypt for April 6 has been given by the ‘April 6 Youth Movement’.
• On March 19, 30,000 teachers and students took to the streets of Barcelona (Catalonia/Spain) to march against the privatization of education. Many students were injured when the police clashed with their protests in Barcelona University.
• In the US, thousands marched in the US to mark the 6th Anniversary of War in Iraq. Many of the marchers said they had supported the Obama election campaign, but were now raising the slogan, "Hey, Obama, yes,we can. Troops out of Afghanistan." One nurse who was among the protestors said some were thinking "Barack in, problem solved," while she herself felt, “It's not over until every last soldier is home from foreign soil."
People’s protests in Pakistan
The Pakistani people are making a habit of it. Swamping the streets of their cities, defying military and ‘democratic’ governments alike to demand the reinstatement of judges, especially Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhury. Two years of long struggle did not tire out the peoples’ activism, nor their aspirations for deepening democracy, and restoration of independent institutions. It is to be noted that Justice Chaudhuri had been raising the heat on the question of illegal rendition of thousands of Pakistani youth to the US on charges of terrorism. He had been directing the Musharraf government to produce the disappeared youth in his court. In his autobiography, Musharraf confessed having received a large booty for quietly allowing the US to abduct and smuggle Pakistani youth. Zardari’s coalition government headed by the PPP, after having committed to restore the judiciary, betrayed the Pakistani people. But instead of spurning the ideal of democracy, the Pakistani people turned this into a challenge. The middle of this March saw another mass mobilisation―the lawyers joined by tens of thousands of ordinary citizens, and members of opposition parties. This public and militant expression of the peoples’ aspirations was described, especially by a gleeful Indian media, as an unprecedented ‘crisis’ and the sliding of the country into chaos and disintegration. The force of their movement forced Zardari to bow to the demand, finally restoring Chaudhury to the apex position in the judiciary. While certainly, backroom negotiations and changing political alignments within the ruling coalition etc, played a crucial role in the outcome as well as the movement, what will remain with us is the deep desire of ordinary Pakistanis for democracy and their ability to repeatedly take to the streets for securing this. As one senior Pakistani lawyer said, ‘Everyone has a little bit of ownership of this victory.”
|
